Hello,

Is it possible that it's a bearing knock?

When the anti drain back valve fails in the oil filter it is common to get
a couple of thunks from the engine on start before the oil gets going
again.  The fix is easy; put in a new oil filter.

Mike -- Phoenix AZ '84

----------
From:   Michael Radtke X4897[SMTP:michael.radtke@bull.com]
Reply To:       michael.radtke@bull.com
Sent:   Wednesday, November 21, 2001 7:54 AM
Subject:        [Fwd: Thumping when start van]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Thumping when start van
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 05:46:48 -0800
From: "Greenamyer, William L" <William.Greenamyer@WEST.BOEING.COM>
Reply-To: "Greenamyer, William L" <William.Greenamyer@WEST.BOEING.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM

Some of you may have experienced this.  The 84GL doesn't do it when I am
trying to listen for the thump.  When I start it (maybe 40% of the
time), I
get a single thump and sometimes two thumps.  Everything starts fine and
the
van runs pretty good.  I am trying to attack some problems still
remaining.
There doesn't seem to be anything loose but I have been wrong on that
before
(and found a bolt or something missing on a bracket).  What it sounds
like
is maybe the motor mount is bouncing (for lack of better words to
describe
it).  There does not appear to be hard metal contact (like slamming two
bars
together) but it is more like two pieces of metal banging together
through a
piece of rubber.  Could the starter be causing this problem?

William