So I just bought an '80 Vanagon Westfalia camper. PO#1 had receipts for roughly
$3K worth of work and the car ran so smoothly that I figured I didn't even need
to take it to the mechanic...I paid PO $2.8K, thinking that I had a great deal
and she had a load off her back, and sailed off to emissions land (here in WA
state, emissions testing are a part of life).

Here's where it all goes bad. PO#1 had been, as she said, 'crooked' by her PO
(PO#2). She had been delivered a van w/ a bad junkyard motor, leaking oil
everywhere, that barely ran to the shop...So she (PO#1) had a different motor
installed & clutch plate, among other things.

With all that money spent, and the car running so well, I figure all I need to
do is spend a few dollars...fail emissions a couple of times, get a waiver and
I'm off to surf city. However, my emissions mechanic informs me that this too
is a junkyard engine, and that my compression is so low (60/70/70/95 #'s) that
this alone could have fried the catalytic converter (after market cat
~$150.00). Apparently, the rocker arm is frozen, caused by overheating?.
Assuming I can get an emissions waiver, my emissions mechanic says I'm looking
at a topend rebuild...(~$1500.00 for parts if I do it myself).

Which leads to my question(s):
1. Previous mechanic that installed this junkyard turd claims that the
compression 3mos ago was ~120#'s in all cylinders and that a seized rocker arm
could be causing all this. He recommends pulling the rocker train and doing a
leak down test..looking for a dropped valv seat/burnt piston prior to
rebuilding engine. Logical? How is this done?

2. If I do perform a rebuild (my first major mechanical endeavor), my emissions
mechanic suggests draining the oil, setting the motor on an old 50gal drum to
work on it, using the exhaust system as a handle to lift it onto the drum, then
taking this off when rebuilding. I've got a copy of John Muir's 'compleat idiot
- 25th year aniversary edition' from the library...what else do I need? What's
a good comfortable way to work on an engine? Where should I go for parts?

-Todd

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