At 12:43 10/16/2000, Gregory W. Baskin wrote:
>Being new to all this, I spent $25 on the Haynes Service & Repair Manual.
>But reading the list, I keep reading about Bentley.  I won't be doing major
>repairs myself, but medium-level repairs will be fine.  Am I well served
>with the Haynes or should I (sigh) commit another purchase by buying the
>Bentley?

You are well served with the Haynes -- except that 1) it has *no*
Westy-specific info; 2) it doesn't know that the US Digijet uses an O2
sensor; 3) the wiring diagrams are for "typical" setups, mostly '86-up
although they don't say so, and all the explanatory material from Bentley
is missing; 4) their chapter on transmission repair essentially says "leave
it to the experts" -- not bad advice perhaps.  5) the discussion of engine
removal instructs you to "remove the engine oil filler tube" and the
photograph shows the plastic section detached from the metal pipe
below.  Be advised that this is almost impossible and that attempting it
may well cause the tube to leak at the joint between plastic and metal.

OTOH their explanation of procedures tends to be more explicit than Bentley.

Bentley is easily three times the size of Haynes, and could stand to be
three times the size it is.  It is often infuriating and sometimes wrong,
but it's the best reference there is.  It's the *only* reference for
Westy-related data.  It also has a fair amount of "after VIN XX-XXXXX this
part was substituted for that one, here are the necessary modifications to
fit an earlier vehicle" sort of stuff which is not present in Haynes.  I
would personally suggest to have both -- but Bentley is in print and
available direct from list suppliers and also direct from Bentley; you
could hold off until you need it.  If you get involved with the electrics
much I'd say you certainly need it.

I have a long-standing bad opinion of Chilton's manuals based on experience
with them in the '70s.  Knowledgeable people on the list have endorsed the
Chilton's manual for the Vanagon, comparing it favorably to the Haynes if I
recall.

You can never be too fat, or too poor, or have too many shop manuals -- or
something like that.  I find the same thing with software, that having at
least two books is very useful because of differing viewpoints or emphasis.

david

David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"