Hi,

Recently my 1985 Vanagon started idling rough (that is an understatement).  I bought a compression tester and checked the cylinders.  It turns out cylinder 4 has a compression of 75 while the others are >130.  After dumping some oil into the spark plug hole, the compression jumped to 175 then slowly fell back down.  So I want to remove the engine and take a look.

Here is a few questions about the removal of the engine:

1.  How heavy is the engine.  Once I get it off the van, is it staying put?  Or can I move it around?

2.  What type of jack(s) should I use to remove the engine.  I have a hydraulic jack with a 6 inch plate on top.  Will that work or should I buy something else?

3. Once I remove the engine, does it take any special skill or expensive tools to rebuild an engine?  Is it something I should be able to do with a copy of the Bentley Manual?  Any ideas on where to buy replacement parts?

Thanks,

Paul Borghese

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