You were VERY luckey!  I have seen a lot of mashed heads and pistons due to
Diesel timing belts breaking!

David Marshall

Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada  V2J 6Z3
mailto:info@fastforward.ca <mailto:info@fastforward.ca>
http://www.fastforward.ca <http://www.fastforward.ca>
Phone: (250) 992 7775           FAX: (250) 992 1160

� Vanagon Accessories and Engine Conversions
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-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of jhlauterbach
Sent: October 14, 2001 8:01 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Diesel Vanagon Question

Disagree with comment on timing belt.  I goues it was 1989 or 1990, and I
had just driven my Vanagon back from Detroit after catastropic engine
failure on I-275.

Anyway, I was on I-264 in Louisville, KY, where I lived at the time.  I was
in stop-and-go traffic and the engine suddenly died, and would not restart.
I had van towed to my favorite shop.  Brand new timing belt had broken on
account of loose screw in belt guard.  No apparent damage to engine,
however.

Detroit-area VW dealer who had done transplant, paid for tow/repairs, etc.

John Lauterbach
Macon, GA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Dalton" <dieselsong@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2001 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: Diesel Vanagon Question

> Kevin,
>
> I like my 82 diesel Westy, although you have to use a
> lot of patience to drive it.  If traveling in the
> mountains expect to be in the truck lane with the
> pedal to the metal.  Timing belt and CV joints are the
> two main areas of concern.  If the timing belt breaks
> on these, kiss the engine goodbye.  The only other
> negative is they don't have enough power to add AC, so
> trips in the summer can be too hot.
>
> Is this the one I saw with around 124K miles?  Some
> people feel the extra weight of the van does not allow
> the diesel to reach it's normal 300K miles.  Having
> said that, I don't know how long a well maintained
> diesel van can go.  Mine only has about 90K miles, and
> I paid about $3K for it.
>
> Rob
>
>
>
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