Thanks for all the replies on this...I appreciate it.
Several folks have suggested it could be cv, and I'll be happy if I find that's it. All I really know is that it was loud, perfectly consistent in it's timing, and at the top of a long steep climb. (And that it made me hit the clutch at lightning speeeeed.) It was so isolated that for the 1/2 hour I sat there taking lunch, only 5 cars passed, and 4 of them stopped to see if I needed help!
This has been my home on wheels for several years now, travelling around the country, and with my (very) limited mechanical ability I understood from the first mile that I could find myself stranded at any time. I'm just fine with that. So far I've managed all the repairs myself, except for about $200 in shop repairs, so I feel pretty fortunate.

Roger Sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM> wrote: Your 1.9 is just broken in. It is the 2.1 that throws the rod .I have heard
from several sources that the glorious 1.9 can be good for 300K.It just
takes 100 years to go that far in a Vanagon equipped as such. Go westy says
they see them with 295K ,or more,often. This is Go Westy I am talking
about.The people that want to sell you a new engine ,yesterday.Also, I have
heard from African people,at car auctions,that the mighty 1.9 is good for
300K.They buy Vanagon parts and load them into Vanagons,and ship them to
Africa.Africans dont have money,so they know.

My 1.9 has 197K. As it approaches the 200K milestone,I might change the
oil. I did have head gasket leaks ,starting at 150K(when I bought it).
Currently,I have removed both gaskets and uglyed up the gasket mating
surface(it is now shiney)with a dull drill bit.I squeezed RTV high temp
aroung where that old gasket was.Then I backed it up with good ole JB Weld
stick all the way around. That was at 190K . Works good,so far.Remember me
complaining and whining,and griping about this last winter?

Maybe you just had a leaky valve lifter or a piece of dirt got caught in
the lifter.Drive it till it blows,if you live that long.

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