Just finished installing the '82 Vanagon motor in a '76 Westy.  
(Special thanks to Bill at Bus Boys for the assistance!) The 
transplant wasn't all that difficult - Vanagon motor had to be 
stripped, and the tin, fan shroud, alternator, fuel injection, etc. 
from the original bus motor transfered over. Bus motor mount bolt 
holes had to be drilled out to fit the vanagon case, and '79 heater 
boxes (purchased from listmember Paul Wies) had to be used to fit 
the Vanagon heads' square exhaust ports.

The motor was also purchased from a listmember, and was supposed to 
have under 30,000 miles since a full rebuild.  However, I cannot 
make it run.  It backfires _badly_ through the intake (we're 
talking flames here!), and through the exhaust, and won't start.  
Triple checked timing, tried a different distributor, new tune up 
parts, etc. Injectors are getting a signal, spark looks good, but 
it almost acts like I had the firing order wrong or something - 
like spark & fuel are happening at the wrong times.

Finally towed the bus to the local VW specialist.  He tried 
everything he could think of, and is now suggesting that an intake 
valve is hanging up, or there is a cam problem.  We did try 
disconnecting one plug wire at a time to isolate the problem to one 
cylinder, but with any 3 cylinders firing the backfiring continued. 
Both I and the VW mechanic are running out of ideas.

The new owner of the bus (who bought the motor from the listmember) 
was planning on taking it across country on Monday.  Now I fear I'm 
going to have to break it to him that after the time & expense of 
shipping this motor cross-country and fitting it to the bus, the 
motor may be bad. I hate to believe that the listmember sold us a 
bad motor.  I keep thinking there must be something stupid that I'm 
overlooking.  What could cause this sort of backfiring and failure 
to run other than a distributor-related problem or an internal 
engine problem? How do I verify for sure where the problem lies, 
short of removing and disassembling the motor?  When the garage 
reopens Monday morning we're going to start in on it again.  
Please, someone give me some ideas!

-Ron Salmon