Date:         Mon, 16 Oct 1995 15:23:57 +0100 (MET)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Edward van der Jagt <bivdjagt@cs.few.eur.nl>
Subject:      Engine transferred, finally !

Last week my dad and me finally had some time to work on my '71 bus again.
I have bought it about 2 months ago in Switzerland and drove it back home
to the Netherlands. Just two days later one of the pistons melted/broke
causing havoc in the engine. As engine parts and/or rebuilts are quite
expensive (and as I am a student I do not have very much money) I started
looking for a used engine.
I ended up buying a '78 bus (quite rusty though) complete with engine for
half the price a rebuilt longblock would have cost me. The engine (which
is a type I, not a type IV) runs fine, the only thing I do not like is when
I have shifted up I must not press the accelorator to far because it will
hesitate. If I press it *very* gently there is no problem. Does anyone know
what may cause this ??

Anyway, last week we took the engine out of the '78 and put it in the '71.
This didn't go as quick as we had hoped. The 'problem` was with the
transmission. In a '78 the trans is bolted to the chassis, whilst in a '71
it is not, making it a difficult job lining up the engine (bolts) with it.
When we had bolted it down, I shifted it into 2nd gear which, to my surprise,
went ammazingly supple compared to how the '71 shifted originally. We moved
the bus a bit forward to see if the engine rotated (all right not the engine
itself, but the fanbelt) and it did. At least we now know if everything
is in place.
Oh, and I did replace the clutch disc/pressure plate on your advice. Thanks.
We still have to put in a new throttle cable and connect all of those wires
before the engine can be started.
I also want to put some extra gauges in the bus so I can keep an eye on
the engine status. Any recommendation on what to put in it ? (Tach./engine
temp/oil temp/etc.)

Hopefully we have some time this week so we can finish the engine swap. I
can't wait to drive it again. My mom's Fiat Cinquecento does get me where
I want (and fast too), but it just can't compete with driving a VW bus
(and I can't put 3 fully assembled mountainbikes and mountainbikers in there).

-- 
				Edward
				bivdjagt@cs.few.eur.nl
				http://www.cs.few.eur.nl/~bivdjagt/