Date:         Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:24:49 -0500
Reply-To:     Matt Roberds <mattroberds@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Matt Roberds <mattroberds@COX.NET>
Subject:      '87 GL - missing cooling system bits
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

Hello all!

I am new to the list and coming to you from sunny Oklahoma.  I own a
'64 Bus and a '74 Bug, but a friend of mine figured that my VW experience
might translate to an '87 Vanagon GL Westy he is considering buying.  I
looked at the van this afternoon and while I am still not sure about the
complete lack of fins on the cylinders or all those extra hoses full of
strange liquid, I've got a question.

The van is a bit of a basket case.  I don't think I have the whole story,
but I am told that it was running when parked by the current owner.  The
owner was planning on a long trip and asked someone to check it over
before the trip.  The "mechanic" allegedly found something wrong on the
engine and requested some cash to purchase a replacement part.  Cash was
handed over, and the "mechanic" apparently skipped town with the money
and with part of the engine.

It has a 2.1 L gasoline engine.  The odometer is showing 150,000 miles,
so the engine may not be original to the body, but it's for sure a VW
gasoline wasserboxer engine - not a diesel or a Subaru or whatever.  It
has an automatic and is not a Syncro.

The most obvious missing piece is at the left front (front is front) of
the engine - front end of the left cylinder head.  There are two coolant
hoses of about 1.5" (4 cm) inside diameter and two coolant hoses of about
0.5" (1.5 cm) inside diameter that are hanging in space and look like
they should connect to something in the vicinity.  There is also a hole
(put there on purpose, not melted through) in the end of the head, and a
device hanging off the wiring harness that is probably a temperature
sensor: about 1" diameter by 2" long (2.5 cm dia x 5 cm long) with an
electrical connector on one end and a metal cap on the other.

Looking at aftermarket parts catalogs, I _think_ the thing that's missing
is the upper and lower thermostat housing plus associated gaskets.

Looking at the Bentley, I am a little confused.  (There is a Bentley in
the van, that goes with the van if sold - I was able to look at it
briefly but I don't have it in front of me now.)  It had three pages with
overall views of the cooling system.  One page was labeled "Diesel".  One
page was "Gasoline" through about 1986 and the third was "Gasoline" for
about 1987 and later.  The early "Gasoline" page labeled the thing with
the pulley at the left rear of the engine as a water pump, and the thing
that I think is missing as the thermostat housing - seems reasonable.
But the late "Gasoline" page labeled the thing with the pulley at the
left rear of the engine as some kind of valve, and the thing that I think
is missing as a water pump.  I could very well have been reading it wrong
or incompletely.

THE QUESTION: Does it sound like the missing piece is indeed the
thermostat housing?  Did any years have some other part of the cooling
system on the front end of the left head?

Other assorted info: We couldn't drive it, but the rest of the van seems
to be in decent shape.  All of the Westy stuff - cabinets, fridge, pop-
top, etc - is there and seems to be working.  The body and frame seem to
be rust-free and the doors all work.  The lights, wipers, radio, heater
blower, etc work.  We bumped the engine a couple of times with the
starter and it's not siezed; all the pulleys and belts turn.  We took off
the gas cap and the gas doesn't have that stale smell.  The tires are
serviceable.  The back end is up on jack stands; we put the trans in
neutral and each of us grabbed a tire and turned it the same direction -
it was smooth and there weren't any odd noises from the trans or diff.
The current owner has the original dealer paperwork, owner's manual,
some service records, etc.

Both of us are aware of the potentinal head corrosion problem.  There is
some coolant in the engine and in the fill tank in front of the rear
license plate, but the cooling system is obviously not full, so it's not
possible at this stage to tell if the heads are leaking.  My friend is
used to the idea of project vehicles - he's resurrected a couple of J--ps
in the past - and he is weighing the cost of replacement parts that may
be needed against the purchase price of the vehicle.  He's doing all the
negotiating, but the price seems right enough that spending $100 on a
replacement thermostat housing and associated parts wouldn't be a
problem.

Thanks!

Matt Roberds