HI Dick...
if nothing else I just use the stock jack to raise one rear corner
pretty high ..
Must have some back-up to that of course ..jackstands , giant wooden
blocks, etc.
and a smooth flat firm surface of course..

the CV joint boots are to likely to be damaged by your minor fire.
I findshot CV joint boots on vanagons all the time...ones that did not
have fires.

Yeah..that's what I do ....enough to confirm things you want to know are
ok ..
like the engine itself.
Only then do I do the final installationand arrangement.
On most conversions I would do thingsdifferently and more neatly than
what I usually see.

Even on 'suppossed to be good'conversion engines from junkyards I do
many things to prototype stage only at first....to be able to find out
as soon as possible if the engine is actually a good one. Then after
that I finalize things.
Some things may be so hard to access I don't want to do it twice..
so on those I might do the final deal the first time around.

You may have a lot of wires melted together..
it can take a lot of patience and work to sort though all that.

The black junction box cover will probably come off .
or just pry it off if you have to.  Take pictures and mark everything
before taking things part.
I just use masking or medical adhesive tape around a wire like a flag ..
and write in that with a good ball point pen.

have fun !
scott
www.turbovans.com

On 12/23/2012 9:34 PM, sailingfc @dslextreme.com wrote:
> Hi Scott,
> Opening the black box as you describe will most likely not be possible due
> to slight melting, but I'll give it a try.
>
> Due to the season, weather and short daylight hours, I haven't had a chance
> to get underneath yet.  Peeking underneath it doesn't look too bad. I hope
> the cv boots aren't toast.
>
> The short term plan is to temporarily rewire and plumb up the hoses to be
> able to run the engine and verify the engine is still viable. If everything
> checks out, I'll buy real parts to rebuild it. If not, I'll look into my
> options.
>
> -Dick-
>
>
> On Sunday, December 23, 2012, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>> Hi Dick,
>> the diagram is most likely for the stock engine.
>> The cover for that box is released on the bottom edge..
>> two spring-latch plastic things  - reach back with a finger, lift up,
> pull outward on cover.
>> Someone mentioned no pictures from underneath yet .
>> There's lots of interesting stuff visible from underneath  vanagons..
>> especially on syncro's.
>>
>> The tiny url worked ...loaded for me eventually.  Thnx.
>>
>> What's the plan to save this Fine Machine ?
>>
>> Scott
>> www.turbovans.com
>>
>>
>> On 12/23/2012 12:40 AM, Dick Wong wrote:
>>
>> Yep, that's the one. I guess I'll have to crack that box open and see what
>> the damaged are.  I don't know if the silver decal (hose diagram (thanks
>> Mark D.)) was for the boxer engine or the I5.  Are they still available?
>> Thanks.
>> -Dick-
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: neil n [mailto:musomuso@gmail.com]
>> Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2012 12:15 AM
>> To: Dick Wong
>> Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
>> Subject: Re: Fire!
>>
>> Hi Dick.
>>
>> If you're referring to the black box in this image:
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/c3zrob4
>>
>> that looks like the OEM Vanagon wiring junction box.
>>
>>
>> Neil.
>>
>> On Sat, Dec 22, 2012 at 11:46 PM, Dick Wong <sailingfc@dslextreme.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Since I'm a noob on Vanagons and only a little familiar with the VW I5
>> engine, Can someone tell me what was that black box on the driver side
>> forward wall?  (the one with the silver label)
>>
>> --
>> Neil n
>>
>> 65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly  http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp
>>
>> '88 Slate Blue Westy to be named.
>>
>> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"  http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>>
>> Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:
>>
>>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engine
>> s
>> -----
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>>
>>
>>