It sounds like your head gasket is seeping coolant in the combustion
chambers.  If the head was warped from overheating, its a pretty common
result.

If it were my van, I'd stop beating my head against that wall - it doesn't
sound like your shop has a f*cking clue. Take it to Vancouver Transmission
in Surrey.    604-590-8404     They are smart and they are competent - just
what you need. :-)   They'll tell you whether it makes more sense to just
replace the crappy motor you have in there now, rather than fix it.

On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 11:57 AM, Bill MacLachlan <billmacla@gmail.com>wrote:

> Hi all.
> I need a bit of feedback here and perhaps some moral support.
>
> I've had my van for the past ten years - an 82 converted from diesel to an
> 1800 inline4 just before I bought it.
>
> Early last summer I had a local shop install a replacement motor. Used
> motor. Inline 4. 1800cc.CIS injection. Same as the one that was in there.
>
> Since I picked the van up early summer I've put just over 100 miles on it.
>
> It's been back in the shop 4 times, and today after work will be time # 5
>
> Here's what happened
>
> I left the van at the shop to have the motor replaced. That's what I asked
> them to do. It was with them a couple of weeks. They called and I
> authorised
> installation of a fuel pump cut off relay ( pump was wired directly- relay
> makes sure it shuts off if the motor stops). I went to pick the van up and
> it was running terribly. Not fit for driving. I left it with them for
> another few days. They replaced a few motor electrical connectors ( cut the
> old ones off, taped on used ones). I paid for the work in full, (
> significantly more than the original estimate), drove the van home.
>
> #1 drove it to work next day. It wouldn't start at lunch time, so it was
> towed back to the shop. They worked on it. I paid for a couple of shop
> parts
> and a  fuel pressure regulator that was apparantly not working right.
>
> #2  drove van home. Wouldn't start the next day. Took transit to work, van
> towed back to the shop. Eventual cause of not starting..... blocked oil
> pressure relief valve- high oil pressure- hydraulic lifters- open valves-
> no
> compression. Nothing to do with the parts I paid for.
>
> #3 asked the shop if it was ready to go for emissions testing. They said
> yes, I took it, it failed catastrophically. In ten years I've never seen
> numbers that bad. Drove it back to the shop.They adjusted it, it passed
> emissions ( very well). I paid for the second test.
>
> #4 drove it across town. oil light came on. Oil leaking onto the intake
> manifold. Took it to the shop. They found it overheating, replaced two temp
> sensors on radiator, replaced valve cover gasket. I paid for the temp
> sensors. Mechanic told me the brownish white goop on the end of the
> dipstick
> was condensation inside the motor accumulating in the oil pan, and this was
> the reason for white clouds coming out of the exhaust a couple of days
> previously when I started the motor. ( I actually thought the van might be
> on fire!).
>
>
> Friday evening I drove just out of town, and it overheated. ( cold
> radiator,
> cold hoses to radiator). 10.00 pm. dark. unknown suburb of town.  I let it
> cool off, drove to the destination. Stopped when it heated up again, let it
> cool off. Looking in the engine compartment I saw the airfilter box under
> the CIS fuel distributor had been mounted so that it was wearing a hole in
> the main coolant return line from the radiator. Taped a bit of cardboard to
> stop the damage progressing.  Let it sit Saturday. Started it up Sunday
> morning. Intensely rough uneven, running, smoothing out a bit. Thick  white
> clouds coming out of the tail pipe, even when the idle settled down..
> Switched it off, started up again after a half hour, drove home. Stopped
> twice to let it cool down when it overheated.. Parked it at home. Went to
> put it in the underground at 11.00. Ran so rough that the gearshift was
> jumping around.
>
> I am exhausted by the grief I've had over what should have been a two day
> motor replacement. This afternoon I have to deal with more when I take it
> back to the mechanic. My guess is he'll tell me the overheating is due to
> the thermostat which was used from my old motor.
>
> Any suggestions on the white clouds at start up? They don't happen every
> time. I think they happen if the van has driven for a while, is left
> overnight , then started up.
>
> Bill M
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
Crescent Beach, BC
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27