Date: Mon, 14 May 2012 17:48:13 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: what clues about engine health can I get...
In-Reply-To: <03A16918-6995-46AC-9F10-371F9518CA33@shaw.ca>
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you might check the end play too, like at the flywheel end of the crank.
On 5/14/2012 4:23 PM, Alistair Bell wrote:
> The waterpump body is pristine,but the impeller is siezed. VW heads, obvious sealant squeeze out on gasket. It is the pushrod tube condition that is a bit unusual, nice and shiny.
>
> I'll set up spare bellhousing and do comp test, and hook up some air to do leak down test.
>
> A couple of poor quality pics (GoPro vid cam, not the best for thing) to give an idea of how it looks
>
> https://shufti.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/gopr0045.jpg
> https://shufti.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/gopr0046.jpg
>
>
> alistair
>
>
> On 2012-05-14, at 3:44 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>
>> hi.
>> pull that water pump and inspect the case behind it,
>> which is part of what would normally be 'the water pump housing' ..
>> in other words, that's a dynamic surface there.
>> Sometimes they are trashed by a loose w. pump impeller..
>> or by severe corrosion.
>>
>> the real test for a not running engine is a
>> Leak Down Test. .
>> However...put your bell housing on it and spin it ....after adding oil
>> into the cylinders..
>> to get oil ..I'd use a fairly thin oil for this ....spread around on the
>> piston rings and cylinder walls.
>> ( A dry test isn't very useful. ).
>> then do a normal Leak Down test ..
>> that only tells about engine sealing of course ...just one part of the
>> whole deal.
>>
>> what kind of heads are on it ?
>> original VW or AMC ?
>> I usually find slightly burned exhaust valves in most 2.1's.
>> it is also quite important to know that the cylinder studs or nuts are
>> not badly corroded..
>> I get rather nervous about heads that have been on 'forever' .
>>
>> it's nice to know also, that the rubber gasket sealing surface on the
>> bottom side of each head is not pitted or corroded ..
>> though you have to have the heads off for that.
>> If I know heads are going to come off anyway ..I like to loosen all the
>> head nuts to make sure they are not badly stuck or rusted.
>> if it's got any coolant leakage into a cylinder .....I regard that as
>> pretty bad, long term, in terms of cylinder wall health .
>>
>> Store the whole engine in a vat of WD-40 I suggest.
>> that would be about 200 dollars worth of WD-40 in gallon cans of course.
>>
>> scott
>> www.turbovans.com
>>
>> On 5/14/2012 1:11 PM, Alistair Bell wrote:
>>> when engine on bench?
>>>
>>> I had to move my spare engine, again, while working in the barn. I need to decide what to do with it. Came as a spare with my syncro. was given to the seller by a friend. Supposedly pulled from van to make way for conversion.
>>>
>>> What I can see upon casual observation:
>>>
>>> - oil leak from base of crankcase breather tower (seen that before!)
>>> - minor oil weeping from one valve cover
>>> - pushrod tubes shiny, oil and rust free
>>> - oil pump endplay 0.004" (good)
>>> - water pump seized
>>> - crank can be rotated, there is compression. I suppose I could rig up my spare bellhousing and starter to spin the bugger and test compression.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> So what else can I look at apart from pulling the heads?
>>>
>>> alistair
>>>
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