Thanks, I'm working my way to figure out if teaching is my future as well.
I'm going to check out some conversion setup.  I am interested in the tiico,
but i'm going to gather info on the Eurospec and the subaru.  I just got a
good insight on the subaru working well with the AT I have.  THe inlines
seeem to like their high RPMs, so I'm not sure that's for me......  I would
like to switch to a 4 spd, but as previously stated, I'm not a big fan of
adding projects to the situation.  I think a different powerplant is the
answer if I keep this thing.
Brian Cochran
84 troubled westy

>From: HERMANN DE BOER <hdeboer@BSSD.NET>
>To: 'Brian Cochran ' <rangerbrian@HOTMAIL.COM>
>Subject: RE: G-R-I-P-E-S  part 5 oil pres woes and more woes and ....
>Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 10:02:37 -0600
>
>  Brian,
>
>I don't know if you even want to read another response, but let me tell you
>that we all have been there. I am a "poor" high school teacher, single
>income, married with two kids.The Westy is my daily driver and our family
>minivan. We have done almost all the repairs you have listed and then some.
>I have cursed the Westy and threatened to sell it, until I went with the
>inline 4 conversion 50 000 miles ago.
>Here's what I recommend:
>Find a good vanagon shop and let them do all the work for you. Life is too
>short to live underneath the van. Go inline 4 Eurospec(that's what I have)
>or Tiico.
>When I get really frustrated I add up all the repair costs, insurance,
>property taxes etc. and then compare the sum to monthly payments of a new
>comparable vehicle. The Westy is always cheaper! And there isn't a better
>camper out there. We spend our entire summer vacation on the road and the
>Westy has never let us down.
>As far as the list traffic is concerned just delete. About 80% of the mail
>is junk, some guys know their stuff but the majority doesn't know more than
>you and I.
>
>Cheers,
>Hermann de Boer
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Brian Cochran
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Sent: 2/9/01 10:11 PM
>Subject: G-R-I-P-E-S  part 5 oil pres woes and more woes and ....
>
>vanagon addicts and notajeep:
>THanks for the info......and no I'm not checking the oil while it's
>running.
>   I was pointing out the breathing/idle situation that happens when I
>pull
>the dipstick or unscrew the oil cap while it's running.  I've done that
>plenty on many other run-of-mill vehicles without issue.  You know, I'm
>pretty sick of all these weird issues without cut-and-dry answers.  I
>own
>this vehicle only for the live-out of it comfort/camping factor.  Why
>anyone
>would want to drive a passenger vanagon is beyond me, since it's not a
>reliable transporter and......AND 17 mpg!!!!! That's horrible.  I owned
>a
>Ford Ranger for 150,000miles, lots of power, better gas mileage, one set
>of
>brakes (at 90k), one water pump (at 137k), regular maintenance as needed
>such as hoses (once) and belts (x2) that's it.  No rebuilds, no head
>gaskets, none of this daily dose of a web site to keep it alive-
>DEPENDABLE!!!!!.  This friggin' van came with three pages of parts and
>work
>performed from the last two owners, and in the course of a year I've
>added
>three more, found that I'm the seventh owner, in the fourth state, and
>you
>name, it NEEDS it: windshield, speedo (damn noisy thing), better-safe
>lights, as I'm hearing- engine(!!!!), still needs tranny work--there's a
>grand or more, my steering boot is torn on one side of the arms and that
>isn't even close to a priorty, rear hatch struts, brake drums and
>rotors(and
>depot's havin' a sale --whooptie I get sacked for another $80 bucks), of
>course even after that there still is something wrong with the brake
>system,
>probably the servo, but either way$$$, moving on- body damage the the
>thing
>was purchased with, seam rust(??I dunno and I'm not going to ask), wiper
>motor is weak, seat hole needs repaired, exhaust has a crack somewhere,
>and
>if I don't get a new engine, well, I don't think my hotmail account will
>allow that big of a list.......
>
>My point is these are okay, even fun repairs if they are a few at a
>time,
>but they are ongoing and ever-appearing.  Here I am looking at this
>stupid
>(but needed) list of info that appears in my inbox at least twice a day
>in
>digest form. I have to sort through all the stupid bullcr*p of lawyers
>sueing their moms and jesus rugs and other folks who spend more time in
>front of there computers than in their own vanagons (I actually hope
>that's
>not true) in order to find a inexpensive way of making my vanagon that
>is
>not reliable in to a vanagon that IS reliable.  I want to be out camping
>and
>hiking and seeing this INCREDIBLE world that do live in before we
>destroy it
>and I'm too old.  I don't want to sit and shuffle through all the
>different
>responses to find a suitable guess as to what to do.  I should just slap
>new
>heads on it and sell it.  I'll buy a pickup and an old campertop.  It
>will
>get better mileage and go forever.  I'll burn my computer and tie myself
>in
>a towel.......okay I'm getting out of control here.
>
>THis is what I got:  I have an oil pressure prob.
>Responses:
>The synthetic oil response isn't what i'm going with.  I don't remember
>who
>told me that, but I'm guessing they own stocks in something related to
>it)
>
>The oil pressure relief valve isn't what I'm going with (it's newer
>anyway---newer than a 70,000 mile engine which I have. Jeez 70,000 is
>still
>new in today's world.(  Do you know what folks want for a vehicle with
>70k
>on it!!!!  )
>
>Dennis says oil cooler, which is probably greatly related and I'll
>consider
>the Tiico with that vote, since the controversy isn't worth it, and I
>don't
>think the wasserboozer will go much farther with one anyway
>
>Most everyone (2-3 folks) says bearings.... bearings are not too spendy,
>although rods probably are..  I'll think about the parts, info, etc.
>I'm
>living in disease-covered puget sound land.  Too many folks with SUV"s
>and
>cell phones going to and from starbucks clogging bridges and building
>more
>ugly house developments. It is waaaaay too spendy here.  Obviously, I'm
>not
>from here, and as soon as I can escape I will.  What I'm getting at is I
>have to do the work myself, since I can't afford the yuppie mark-up cost
>of
>a VW place.  (yes the vanagon is a SUV, i know)
>
>You, notajeep, tell me the blow-by info related to my problem.  That
>actually makes sense and I think I will just consider the rebuilt engine
>with that. STill I want to check it out. I have a compression tester kit
>(new, I thought if I was to go buy another car, I should get one to test
>before I buy).  That will answer this theory? Yes?
>
>I'm sorry for the rants, but these mail lists are ridicuous at times.
>They
>are a nightmare for trying to go back and search through with all the
>repeats and jokes and continuing threads.  I wish the website would
>expand
>the Info section with cold hard facts. I do, myself, spend too much time
>with vanagon.com. I need to spend more time elsewhere. I do love the
>vanagon
>when it's sitting.  I find it very comfortable. I would love to invest
>in
>lots of interior perks but I keep spending the money on the motion part
>of
>the beast. It is, after all, just an automobile.  If you don't feel like
>answering after all this, I don't blame you.
>Thanks,  I'll quit talking now.
>Brian Cochran
>on a 2.1 step program to recovery (anyone want to buy a westy?)
>
>
>
>
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