Yep, Craig is keeping us older vanagon codgers young!?  Reminds  moi
of the old vw bus days when I changed my 1st bus engine in the snow
in my college dorm parking lot. Ended up taking it apart like Craig &
finally taking it in a shopping cart to my local vw mechanic to
rebuild ($300) after I figured out I didn't have the wherewithal to
rebuild it my self in the parking lot or the dorm bathroom!

Go Craig!

YMMV,

Mr. BZ

On Mar 31, 2008, at 3:56 PM, Michael Sullivan wrote:

> I think I'm gonna cry! ;-)  This story was better than any I've
> heard in
> awhile.  Try explaining it to your future(or current) spouse(?) and
> see if
> they get it. In awe, Michael in San Antonio.
>
> On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 4:16 PM, craig cowan
> <phishman068@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> yep, I spent my spring break up on "Fountain Mountain"......it's
>> always a
>> good time up there.
>>
>> -Craig
>> '85Gl
>>
>> On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 6:15 PM, Walt Spak <b20swalt@city-net.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Now, it might seem like we, The Pittsburgh Vanagon Club, are
>>> Amish given
>>> the way we all jumped in on this project, but that is not the case.
>>>
>>> In fact, since it was Craigs "spring break" activity, we provided
>>> loud
>>> rock & roll, a full bar, and numerous wet T-shirt contests.
>>>
>>> Walt
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> craig cowan wrote:
>>>
>>>> Not to distract from the argument about how much we'd all love
>>>> to buy
>> an
>>>> $80K GoWesty vanagon and put no work into it ourselves, but i would
>> like
>>> to
>>>> say that i have a problem. Problems, are what we have this forum
>>>> for,
>> we
>>>> post a problem, and those with more experience suggest solutions
>>>> for
>> the
>>>> problem. Well i've also been told that "accepting your problem
>>>> is the
>>> first
>>>> step to solving it", i'm not sure if that's true, but here goes.
>>>> It seems i'm addicted to vanagons, and thoroughly enjoy them.
>>>>
>>>> I'll give you guys all a second for that to set in....
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Okay. Well as some of you know, I'm amongst the youngest of the
>>>> vanagon
>>>> fanatics on our list, a college student that can safely say "is
>>>> on a
>>>> shoestring budget". Furthermore, my vanagon's been NOTHING but
>>>> problems
>>>> since day one. Just one after another. Between my $500 repair of a
>> $2.50
>>>> exhaust gasket last summer, and working 10 hour days at minimum
>>>> wage to
>>> fuel
>>>> my addiction, it seems i needed a solution. Well when my spring
>>>> break
>>> plans
>>>> went sour, i decided "what better time than now". After taking
>>>> account
>> of
>>> my
>>>> finances, resources, and skills.....i undertook a project
>>>> slightly too
>>>> ambitious for all of them. I decided i would be removing my
>>>> engine and
>>> all
>>>> of its peripherals, and replacing it with another engine/
>>>> peripherals
>> from
>>> a
>>>> 'known good' van. So after undertaking the ambitious engine removal
>> using
>>>> only a bag of mix and match tools, a floor jack, and the basic idea
>> that
>>>> "well i'll just unplug everything, and disconnect what seems
>>>> obvious,
>> and
>>>> all will be well", i pulled the engine in just 4 hours, with
>>>> help for
>>> about
>>>> the last hour of actual engine lowering and man-handling of tough
>>>> components. There were endless reasons not to reuse this engine,
>>>> most
>>>> noteably that it had signs of heads that would soon be leaking,
>>>> half a
>>> drill
>>>> bit stuck and partially "drilled out" in one of the heads (and
>>> conveniently
>>>> at an angle..), more rusted on components than anyone could
>>>> expect, and
>>> we
>>>> knew very little about the engine other than that it was
>>>> "supposedly a
>>> low
>>>> mileage Canadian rebuild".
>>>> So the engine's out. That was such a wonderful feeling! As the
>>>> next day
>>> came
>>>> along and i started removing peripherals, it was obvious that this
>> engine
>>>> really shouldnt be reused....bolts were breaking left and right,
>>>> major
>>>> systems were MISSING (NO throttle position switch system), and
>>>> there
>> was
>>>> just plenty of "retrofitting" throughout the engine. Either way,
>>>> i kept
>>> on
>>>> truckin untill i had removed the heads with only little difficulty.
>> Upon
>>>> inspection of the heads, and further inspection by experts....they
>> proved
>>>> really really nice. No cracks, only minor pitting, no wear in
>>>> the valve
>>>> systems....
>>>> So it was decided that the engine was going to be saved. This,
>>>> was a
>>>> slightly uneasy moment for me, as it occured that this was going to
>> cost
>>> me
>>>> more than just "putting in the other engine". Well the heads were
>> rebuilt
>>> by
>>>> the machinists, the flywheel was cut, and all bolts
>> extracted/helicoiled.
>>> I
>>>> spent an entire week of working 8-10 hour days on my car,
>>>> getting the
>>> engine
>>>> "ready", and the car "ready to accept the engine". This included
>>> repairing
>>>> my steel coolant pipes, resealing the gas tank, replacing the
>>>> heater
>>> valve
>>>> under the spare tire, and most importantly, fixing the clutch
>>>> problems.
>>>> These problems were associated with a binding bell housing
>>>> (which was
>>>> replaced with another bellhousing), and the transmission fluid's
>>>> been
>>>> changed. Well this weekend, the reassembly began. My parts
>>>> arrived from
>>>> their various vendors, and i hold Ken Willford in high regard
>>>> for his
>>>> services in providing help and parts, in a timely and organized
>> fashion!
>>>> Parts in hand and an assembly team established, we went at it.
>>>> With a
>>> group
>>>> that we like to call "The PIttsburgh Vanagon Club", we got
>>>> together and
>>>> built an engine/car! The heater valve was replaced and tweaked to
>>>> perfection, the odometer repaired, the clutch hydrolics system
>>>> sorted
>>> out,
>>>> the engine assembled, and the perifferals bolted on. New fuel lines
>>>> throughout, fuel tank resealed and installed, coolant hoses
>>>> replaced,
>>>> transmission filled, and it was all ready to go. Except, while
>>> reassembling,
>>>> it was discovered that my new water pump was defective, so
>>>> assembly was
>>>> halted. Ken Willford from Vanagain has another in the mail, and all
>> will
>>> be
>>>> well, thanks again Ken! So now after a 48 hour weekend home from
>> college,
>>> in
>>>> which i worked between 24-30 hours on my van (depending on what you
>>> count),
>>>> eating only 3 meals and getting only 6 hours of sleep, i can now
>>>> say
>> that
>>> i
>>>> have an addiction, and i'm pretty good at it! The engine is as
>>>> ready as
>>> it
>>>> can be with the parts we have, the car is the same, and in another
>>> weekend
>>>> of work, i'm confident it can drive away without problems for
>>>> years to
>>> come!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> So it turns out i really enjoy working on vanagons, and i'm
>>>> pretty good
>>> at
>>>> it. I"m no longer afraid to "jump under there with a saw-zaw" if
>>>> thats
>>> what
>>>> it needs, and i'm happy with what i've learned. Once again, i
>>>> need to
>>> thank
>>>> the entire list, Walt Spak, Eric Zeno, David Milo, Brian Honan,
>>>> Steve
>>>> Mancuso, and Ken Willford. There's no way i could have done what
>>>> i've
>>> done
>>>> so far without them.
>>>>
>>>> Yes, the engine's not in yet, theres no need to brag yet, and my
>> fingers
>>> are
>>>> still crossed. But, i'm now confident in my own skills, ready for
>>> anything
>>>> to come, and hope to enjoy my vanagon for years to come. With body
>> work,
>>>> this bad boy could be worth saving! So i guess the question is,
>>>> how do
>> i
>>> go
>>>> about finding a job involving vanagons? I could spend another
>>>> summer
>>> working
>>>> for minimum wage to pay for vanagons, or i could spend a summer
>>>> working
>>> with
>>>> vanagons......
>>>> Who needs to hire some cheap labor?!?     : )
>>>>
>>>> Thanks again to everyone! Now, you can resume your discussions
>>>> about
>> $90K
>>>> syncro Westy's, who's tires are the best (my Hankook RA08's have
>>>> worked
>>>> great for both miles i've driven on them so far!), and what the
>>>> best
>> way
>>> to
>>>> adjust the valves on hydrolic lifters. That is all, but thanks
>>>> again!
>>>>
>>>> -Craig
>>>> '85Gl
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Michael in San Antonio
> 91GL AT 'Gringo'