Keep your stick on the ice - we're pulling for you Bill!  :-)

On Sat, Oct 4, 2008 at 2:48 PM, Bill MacLachlan <billmacla@gmail.com> wrote:

> thanks to all who replied to this post and my apologies for not getting
> back
> to y'all earlier.  You confirmed my suspicions that there was coolant
> getting  into the exhaust. Mechanic confirmed it yesterday. #1 cylinder
> gave
> up a half cup of coolant after being left for 24 hours. Head gasket is the
> current suspect: it's being replaced under warranty. Van should be ready
> early next week.
> The shop is being promptly responsive to the issues that are occurring, so
> I
> give them credit for that. On the other hand I should never have dealt with
> all this crap in the first place.
>
> Oh well. Like they say, if you want a job done well, do it yourself. Even
> if
> it means that you have to take a little longer, screw up a few times on the
> way, and wait until you have the time to do it.
>
> Thanks for the comments guys. The moral support helped a lot. I'll keep you
> posted when the van is back in the underground.
>
> bill M
>
> On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 5:05 PM, neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Re: your motor.
> >
> > Hopefully the shop will "make good" on any f'ups they made. And FWIW,
> > my relatively uneducated guess (via the internet no less!) is that IF
> > the compression was good/even and no bad sounds were heard prior to
> > the white smoke, then likely the engine is worth saving. (especially
> > considering you've spent money on it) Likely you've already reached
> > that conclusion though.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Neil.
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 2:56 PM, Bill MacLachlan <billmacla@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > > Good point Neil......I'm trying to stay neutral in the blame department
> > > here. And I will remain neutral until there is no alternative - that's
> > why I
> > > haven't mentioned the name of the shop.
> > > There has been stuff gone sideways on this job that is workmanship,
> stuff
> > > that is "fix the easy thing first" stuff that may be bad luck
> > >
> > > On the other hand part of what you pay for in having a shop do the work
> > is
> > > the experience and discretion they can bring to the job- in choosing a
> > motor
> > > for example.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 2:03 PM, neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> Hi Bill.
> > >>
> > >> I'll second what the guys are saying re: white smoke. Sure sounds like
> > >> coolant being burned.
> > >>
> > >> What a drag! Sorry to hear of your negative experience with the "new"
> > >> engine.
> > >>
> > >> I can't recall where you're located, but Rudy & Peters has a good rep.
> > >>
> > >> Hope you find a better mechanic. Not to blame the mechanic entirely
> > >> (it is a used engine after all), but another mechanics POV or skills
> > >> might help.
> > >>
> > >> Hopefully the head isn't warped or cracked.
> > >>
> > >> If need be, I saw this 1.8 engine on CL recently:
> > >>
> > >> http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/pts/851549941.html
> > >>
> > >> Best of luck!
> > >>
> > >> Neil.
> > >>
> > >> 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
> > >> >
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Neil Nicholson '81 JettaWesty "Jaco
> > >>
> > >>
> >
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
> > >> http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
> > >> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Neil Nicholson '81 JettaWesty "Jaco
> >
> >
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
> > http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
> > http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
> >
>

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