I know your right to some extent, but I had tried to isolate to just a few
basic hoses to just get it to fire and run a bit.  I will just take time and
set it all back up like it is in the Bentley.  I am figuring I need to pull
the left head off to fix that water leak.  I used the old gaskets,  thinking
the black silicone would seal them.  The passenger side so far is doing ok.

I kinda live in a never never land here, Volkswagens are just never seen.
Dallas is about 50 miles. My son picks up the parts I need when he's at
work.  He drives a freight city haul truck, and his school is right by Vee
Dubbs, so that works out pretty well.

I have been fixing it up on a shoe string budget as well.

When I had the crankcase apart, I just know there was no oil seal by the oil
slinger ring.  Course the VW engines were really new to me,   I figured the
oil slinger ring kept it from leaking.  That's why I think it's so important
to get the crankshaft pulley off to check it.  I also have to put the cross
over pipe back on the bottom of the water pump.  It was also leaking.  I
made a flange gasket for it out of gasket material, but could not tighten it
up enough to stop the flow...it was no drip...it was a flood.  It looked
like the flange was bowed, but once it was off, I could see, that wasn't the
case.  So I have been putting black form-a-gasket  RTV sealant on it and
letting it harden, before putting it back on, since the paper gasket did so
poorly.

I know the ignition switch will have to be replaced as well, it will not
turn into the spring section to engage the starter, I'm using a wire around
to the starter solenoid.   I knew the previous owners had really done a lot
of serious screwed up things to it, I saw jumper wires on the floor mat on
the drivers side...a bolt in the water pump was new, and, screwed in until
it was tight, yet when I had the engine out, I could see it lacked a quarter
inch being in far enough, far from being tight.  I just fell in love with
the thing over a year ago, and watched it all this time.  Love is truly
blind, I didn't see the vacuum hoses off, or the wiring harness in such poor
shape.  The spark timing is broken off the firewall... I broke it off while
putting the plugs together to use a timing light on it.  I am afraid it's
just worn out.  I might be ahead to go back with points, and a carburetor...
I think that would solve a lot of problems if I could find the parts.
Thanks Again,
Lyle
85 Vanagon GL
Quinlan, Texas
Never heard it run, but I'm tryin'