On Apr 30, 2007, at 6:31 PM, Doug wrote:

> Chris,
> The best intro to all things mechanical is a book by John Muir, called
> "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive". Sub-titled "A Manual of
> Step-By-Step Procedures For the Complete Idiot".
> It's not going to show you water-cooled particulars, but it's the kind
> of book that once you start reading, will find it very difficult to
> put
> down. Kinda where the rubber meets the road, step-by-step!
> ISBN# 1 - 56261 - 480 - 0
> You won't regret buying this one, I guarantee!
> Good Hunting,
> Doug in CT

Well, gotta throw my two cents in, even though it will make me not
terribly popular, I think.  The first guide I bought, when I got my
Vanagon, was John Muir's book.  The problem I ran in to with it was
that is was trying to cover everything, which means from the 40's to
the 80's.  So a lot of what is in there is not very specific to the
Vanagon, and a moderate amount of it doesn't apply at all.  (Examples
- the Vanagon does not use a clutch cable - it uses the hydraulics;
the whole thing on adjusting the valves doesn't seem to apply [see a
previous email I asked]; the info on fuel injection is rather spartan
to my little mind; etc)  Now, granted, it is something I think
everyone should probably read from a theory point of view, and also
in part from a history point of view, and if I ever do opt to "crack
my block" I would probably follow this guide first, with help from
the Bentley, but for me at least, it was not that helpful in a repair
sort of way (so far, at least).  The Bentley manual assumes an awful
lot about what tools you have and what you already know, but is at
least it targets specific Vanagons.  I have ordered a Haynes, but it
hasn't gotten here yet.  Hopefully that will have more of the basics
I need as a novice VW mechanic.

My two cents.
David
- Slowly rebuilding an '80 Westy.

P.S. - change your fuel lines.  Fire bad.
>