Hi,

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about my '80 westy that had the
engine severely damaged by a tow truck driver.

A couple of helpful people wrote back and suggested mainly a)
get a lawyer, and b) buy an engine instead of rebuilding, so you
can make it in time for the Inuvik trip.

OK, I did both.  It'll still take a long time to get any money
out of the towing company, but I now believe it will happen
(since I will be filing a lawsuit within a couple of days here,
and since I will likely win that lawsuit).

I'm buying the engine from Mark Stephens in Tehachapi, CA.  They
will guarantee no dropped valve seats, which is what the
previous major service was for about 10k miles ago.  They say
they can get an engine here by Friday.

Yesterday, I pulled the old engine from the Vanagon.  While
removing ground wires, I discovered bits of case.  "Hey, this
wire isn't supposed to be attached to a loose bolt. . . uh, with
case fragments still attached."

So I don't think I'll to pay to ship the engine back for the
core which I mostly won't get back anyway.  Maybe I'll send just
the heads and flywheel, since I imagine the case, crank, and at
least the one rod that must have hit the case are all unusable
now.  Or maybe I'll take my time later and use these parts to
build a nice stock 2 liter engine for emissions purposes.

Anyway, according to Tom Wilson's Rebuilding book, I should get
an air-cooled VW engine stand.  The trouble is, I can't find one
on the San Francisco Peninsula.  Do any of you know a place to
find a stand?  Donnsco VW in Redwood City can order me one from
L.A., and I'll take them up on that tomorrow at noon if I don't
find any quicker options.  I guess I could get a generic stand
and try to modify it...

So far, it's been sort of fun labelling and removing wires and
hoses and such.  I don't know if this was a particularly easy
removal because the engine was out just 10,000 miles ago, or if
I'm just becoming easily amused in my old age.  My girlfriend
Sheila was been an awesome helper (tools and labelling materials
always at hand), and she's the one that ran the jack to let the
engine down out of the chassis.  Maybe that's why this job has
been easier than I remember from the '72 bus.  (Or maybe it's
the above-the-engine hatch on the '80 instead of the
reach-way-in-from-the-back hatch on the '72.)

Enough rambling!

Anyway, if you know of a place to get a rollabout engine stand
for a late bus engine, in the San Francisco area, please let me
know right away.  Thanks.

Dennis