Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 15:44:42 -0500
Reply-To: "Horace K. Sawyer" <firestream@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Horace K. Sawyer" <firestream@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: 82 Diesel seized up Help!
In-Reply-To: <005301bf4780$43381c80$2f21113f@andysoars>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
I had a diesel Westy for several years. Had no problems with the engine.
Sounds like this prior owner had a crappy job done on the alleged rebuild; or
maybe no rebuild at all is more likely the truth. The timing for the blow up
is quite suspect to me. I would like for a professional mechanic familiar with
VW diesels to examine everything. I think we will discover the PO knew of a
major problem that made itself known to him, and intentionally dumped it on
your buddy. Fraud. Plus it put your buddy in danger. But, let's wait and see
what the real evidence turns out to be before I jump to a conclusion.
Experienced diesel vets on this list can and will probably accurately deduce
the problem. I could a hundred guesses, but I lack the technical mechanical
knowledge. I just know from experience that the diesel engine is a good engine
in terms of reliability, provided it is maintained even halfway decently. If
maintained to "Deutsche Methode" (Hallo, Herr Doktor Tim) then it should last
longer than you want it too!
HK
Dieselizing in various auto's, ridin' quiet in a 91 Westy,
maintaining the heck of each
At 08:44 PM 12/15/99 -0800, easoars wrote:
>
> A shipmate of mine just purchased a country home I think thats the name of
> the conversion. He picked it up in Lake tohoe and started to drive down home
> to Southern Cal. About 200 miles into the trip the engine locked up. He had
> it towed to a garage and the mechenaic said that always happens to the diesel
> engine vanagons and offered to take it off his hands for $200.00. My buddy
> called me up and was at the point to do this but I convinced him that he
> would lose all the money he put into buying it. After 250 dollars of renting
> a trailer and truck from u haul he brought it home. The vanagon overall is
> staight with minor dents hiding underneath the bra and no rust. He is
> thinking about taking the diesel out of his rabbit that is running find but
> has about 150 thousand miles on it. I told him before taking the engine out
> of the rabbit inspect the vanagons engine to see what the problem is. Is this
> something that happens quite often w/diesels. By the way the owner supposely
> replaced the head and renewed the oil. He confirmed that the oil was clean
> and the filter was new. Is there anyone out there that can help him locate a
> good bargain on an engine and get him back on track. He was determined to get
> a Westy after he saw the one I just finished putting together.
> Andy
> 82 Westy
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