Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 22:17:22 -0700
Reply-To: Coby Smolens <cobys@WELL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Coby Smolens <cobys@WELL.COM>
Subject: Re: First day on the list. First questions
In-Reply-To: <002101bef703$bdfba220$5d7ab481@une.edu.au>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
Of Dom
Sent: Saturday, September 04, 1999 11:32 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: First day on the list. First questions
1). I have an Australian 1989 Waterboxer Transporter. My previous VW was
a 1970 type 2, purchased by my father in 1970. I rebuilt the type 2 myself
using the idiots guide (primarily), a gregory's manual and advice from two
reputable Australian rebuilders (when my information conflicted). The only
things that I re-used internally were a linished camshaft and the conrods
(after I balanced them). My waterboxer has done 130,000km's and I although
it is still running well, I am considering my next rebuild now. Has anyone
done this themself and would you recommend it to someone like me who has the
tools and knowhow for a 1600 aircooled rebuild. I have a bentley manual and
from reading the archives will be purchasing the haynes.
[Coby Smolens] A bit more work, but nothing extremely hard about it for
an enterprising 1600 rebuilder. Look REAL carefully at the studs that hold
on the heads. This is where folks get into trouble. If there is ANY
corrosion on ANY of the studs, my advice is to replace them all. Also the
crank thrust bearing setup is different, there are different spacers and
shims - watch closely how they come apart.
2). A more pressing problem is my five speed transmission jumping out of
second. I am about to have it rebuilt for a rough (wait and see) quote of
$2000 - $2500. (this job is beyond my tooling and knowhow). My gearbox is
whining, although not too loudly, and the whine starts low and rises in
pitch with each gear change. I am hoping therefore that it is not a crown
and pinion problem as shouldn't this be a constant whine governed by the
roadspeed? Can anyone suggest the cause of this noise.?
[Coby Smolens] Pinion bearings, perhaps. And if you or your rebuilder
can find them I'd love to hear about it. It seems they are currently
backordered from FAG and not expected back on the shelf for at least a
month - someone said recently that they may not be available 'til early next
year. I currently have two waterboxer trannies waiting for these parts at my
rebuilder's...
3). Can anyone suggest how to determine if I have a "coolant into
cylinder" leak. I would love to test for this.
[Coby Smolens] Take the thing to a shop that has an exhaust gas
analyzer. have 'em sniff the top of the expansion tank (first remove some
coolant so the thing has a couple inches of airspace at the top, then drive
the thing for a while, up a few nice hills if possible, so as to load the
engine and help force exhaust gas into the cooling system). ANY hydrocarbon
reading from the reservoir means leaky headgaskets or cracked head(s). I
mean the main reservoir in the engine compartment, by the way, not the
overflow tank behind the license plate.
Coby
Valley Wagonworks
"Intimately acquainted with VW Vans since 1959"
Volkswagen Bus, Vanagon, Westfalia and Eurovan
Repair and Service Specialists
1535 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo, CA 94933
Voice:(415) 457-5628
Fax: (415) 457-0967
http://wagonworks.com
mailto:contact@wagonworks.com
[text/html]
