It's an '85 GL.  I have two.  There's the one with a blown engine thanks to
the wife.  It was made in 2/85 and has the single throttle switch.  The
other one we purchased in December.  It was made in 9/84 and has the two
switch set up.

My idea was to have the motor rebuilt on the first one for around $2,100 and
she decided we should buy a used one for $800.  This is the one that idles
but won't accelerate and yes the AFM boot is tight.

Now, don't think that I haven't any pull in my house.  It's just that I
learned a long time ago that if the wife gets her way, she can never blame
you if something goes wrong or it doesn't work out.

WE

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stan Wilder" <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2002 3:10 PM
Subject: Re: Using American engines for Vanagon swap - why the heck not? -
Long

> Remind me again what kind of Vanagon this is.
> --------------------
> For every person who has gone to Texas and had problems ............ I
> been here 59 years and its always been a problem.
> --------------------
> If this dying van is an Air Cooled I might have some advise. As you all
> know by now I don't know nuthin about waser boxers.
>
> Stan Wilder
> 83 Air Cooled Westfalia
>
>
> On Fri, 22 Mar 2002 15:33:07 -0700 STEPHANIE WOLZ
> <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET> writes:
> > It idles, but if you give it gas, it dies?
> >
> > Sounds like a bad vacuum leak.  Check to make sure the band clamps
> > around
> > the boot at the throttle body and the AFM are tight, and that the
> > AFM is
> > electronically connected.
> >
> > Good luck,
> >
> > Karl Wolz
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Walter Evens" <wrevens@MYEXCEL.COM>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Friday, March 22, 2002 2:35 PM
> > Subject: Re: Using American engines for Vanagon swap - why the heck
> > not? -
> > Long
> >
> >
> > > Hi John:
> > >
> > > The Astro Van folks do not have a list like this (that I know of),
> > however
> > > they do have a web ring of sites where people post what they have
> > done to
> > > their vans.  They too have to make improvements like upgrade the
> > computer
> > so
> > > you can go more than 3/4 throttle.  Some have even swapped their
> > V-6s for
> > > V-8s.
> > >
> > > You are right.  I took what I read as Vanagons being unreliable.
> > I guess
> > I
> > > expected it to be a balance of Pros and Cons and then read more
> > bad than
> > > good.  I didn't realize the list was a self help support group for
> > Vanagon
> > > owners.  Sort of a Vanagon Owners Anonymous. (It is Friday,
> > right?)  The
> > > only improvement I would make to this list would be to have a
> > forum on a
> > > site where you could go and read what you wanted and then make a
> > post
> > rather
> > > than have 100 to 200 e-mails dumped in you in box every day.
> > >
> > > I may end up keeping my Vanagon for my vending route.  I just need
> > to
> > either
> > > get it going my self or take it to the local fix it guy and have
> > him do
> > the
> > > job.  We had snow on Monday.  I had to go "down the hill" Tuesday
> > and
> > > Wednesday.  Yesterday was sort of overcast in the afternoon and
> > today is
> > > really windy.  Unfortunately my garage is currently a
> > mini-warehouse.
> > >
> > > I posted my problem to the list but really didn't get an answer so
> > I'm
> > just
> > > taking my Bentley and trouble shooting.  It idles (when it starts)
> > but it
> > > won't go past idle.  When I press on the pedal I get nothing and
> > then if I
> > > let off the pedal, it dies.  I suspect, injectors or ECU.  So far
> > I have
> > > check the plugs for spark, which they have and checked the fuel
> > delivery
> > > rate and it fills a quart jar 4/5 full.  Next I was going to check
> > the
> > > injectors.  Again, the weather hasn't been too good for
> > wrenching.
> > >
> > > Like I said, my experience with Vanagons (until this one) has been
> > mostly
> > > positive even with all the supposed idiosyncrasies.  I'm a week
> > end Gold
> > > Prospector and would love to eventually have a Westy Syncro with a
> > trailer
> > > made out of a Volkswagen pick up bed.  It would work much better
> > than the
> > > Astro Van with a tent trailer and a roof rack for my equipment.
> > >
> > > Have a great week end.
> > >
> > > WE
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: <jbrush@aros.net>
> > > To: "Walter Evens" <wrevens@MYEXCEL.COM>;
> > <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > > Sent: Friday, March 22, 2002 12:37 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Using American engines for Vanagon swap - why the
> > heck not? -
> > > Long
> > >
> > >
> > > > >a car and had to have something quick.  Besides the guy at the
> > Bone
> > Yard
> > > > >told me most Vanagon owners have a second more reliable
> > vehicle.  He
> > > > >drives a T-Bird to work.
> > > >
> > > > One man's opinion. :(
> > > >
> > > > >tired of worrying about making it home if I drove it somewhere.
> >  Every
> > > > >time I fixed one problem some other problem would develop.
> > > > <snip>
> > > > >front of my house waiting for me to fix it (the weather has
> > been cold
> > and
> > > > >windy here in So Cal, believe it or not).
> > > >
> > > > >I have been on this list for about a month and a half.  I have
> > read
> > posts
> > > > >from people with similar problems, fix it and then something
> > else
> > breaks.
> > > > >People taking a trip (or even afraid to take a trip) and then
> > complaining
> > > > >about some sort of mechanical problem they encountered on the
> > way home
> > or
> > > > >sometimes barely making it home.  People stuck in places like
> > Northern
> > > > >California or Texas because their Vanagons broke down.
> > > >
> > > > Walter,
> > > >
> > > > This list is here to help people who have problems. You won't
> > find too
> > > > many postings from people without troubles. There are countless
> > numbers
> > of
> > > > Vanagons out here running like the proverbial clock, (my 81 is
> > one of
> > > > them) but you won't read much about them in this group.
> > Sometimes a trip
> > > > report validates the reliability of the Van, but if you are
> > going to use
> > > > what you read here to decide if your Vanagon can be trusted, you
> > may as
> > > > well just burn that thing to the ground, and get used the Chevy
> > Van.
> > These
> > > > great folks are here to help people with trouble, what do you
> > expect to
> > > > find except people asking for help?
> > > >
> > > > If you want an idea of the health of the general population, and
> > you go
> > to
> > > > the doctor's office or the hospital, you will come away thinking
> > that
> > > > everyone is sick and in need of surgery. If you hang out at the
> > > > unemployment office, you will soon figure that everyone is out
> > of work.
> > > >
> > > > For every person who has gone to Texas and had problems, there
> > are a
> > > > thousand times that number who have gone, and come back home
> > with no
> > > > difficulty.
> > > >
> > > > If there was a newsgroup for the Chevy Astrovan, it would be
> > mostly
> > filled
> > > > with people needing help fixing this and repairing that, and
> > your
> > opinion
> > > > of the vehicle might be altogether different.
> > > >
> > > > Just something to consider.
> > > >
> > > > Regards from Utah,
> > > >
> > > > John
> > > >
> >
>
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