Sounds like it might be the classic weak solenoid circuit problem.  Try
wacking the starter or solenoid by crawling under the van with a small
hammer or something while someone else holds the key in the start position.
If you don't want to crawl under, you might be able to do it with a
broomstick thru the wheel well above the tire.
  If the humming happens when you first turn on the key and then stops after
a couple of seconds, that's the fuel pump and it's acting normally.
   Try push starting.  Get enough people to get the van moving at a walking
speed.  Jump in and put it in 2nd or 3rd and pop the clutch.   Plan ahead
and park on a hill.  :-)   Did that a lot when my '80 with  MT had solenoid
circuit problems.  With my '84 and AT I had to use the hammer.

Larry A.

On Fri, Dec 26, 2008 at 9:22 PM, john schaper <tahljohn@sbcglobal.net>wrote:

> Something's wrong and its not the battery.  Drove up here Thur, with severe
> snow, etc.  No problems.  Went to start the 84 vanagon today--nothing.
> Charged the battery and the symptom persists.  Manual transmission.  I don't
> hear a clicking sound, but there is a humming noise.  My guess is that when
> I drove here, things got wet--but don't know what things.  Can anyone
> suggest troubleshooting.  THe engine won't even grind, so its not fuel and
> its not the battery.
>