In a message dated 1/9/01 9:06:26 PM, bostneng@FCL-US.NET writes:

<< he wrote that the ticking valve was mostly
due to the engine coming to rest with the #2 exhaust valve open and the
#2 lifter bleeding down over night or longer >>

Bob,

First, ignore the previous post.  I was blowing off a cigarette ash from the
keyboard when a "your mail has been sent" message popped up on the screen.
Another reason not to smoke.

As strange as it sounds, my initiation into the wonders of the Vanagon
coincides with this observation.  About a dozen years ago, my first Vanagon
sat for a week while it awaited a new exhaust system to arrive.  When I
finally started it, I heard the valve clatter for the first time.  Since this
was like a valve tick on steroids, I thought something was really amiss in
there.  After checking, I found the no.2 exhaust lifter was collapsed.  I
went to the local VW dealer and received another initiation: ONE new lifter
would cost more than a whole set for a big block Chevy.  Well, I bit the bulle
t, ordered the thing, waited a week, bench bled it and popped it in only to
hear that awful racket once again.  I thought either I had not bled the new
lifter properly or else another one had collapsed.  So, I pulled them all and
bench bled them.  You know the result of that futile exercise.  As luck would
have it, while I was trying to decide whether to buy a replacement engine or
spend about half as much for a set of new lifters, I ran into an old-time
mechanic I knew.  He listened to my tale of woe then said three words,"Marvel
Mystery Oil".  The rest is history.

The problem with Vanagons is that by the time you learn enough about them to
turn them into a useful vehicle, you are hooked on the damn things.

Rich