Snr. Mac Sticklen wrote:
<<<SNIP>>> I was able to clearly see a steady dripping from <<<SNIP>>>
(the) oil cooler.
I looked under oil leaks in the index in Muir and found mention of the oil
cooler being a common source of oil leaks. <<<SNIP>>>My question is
this---What to I need to do to replace it.  Bently doesn't really say
(typical), and Muir says that I'll have to remove the engine.  However, I
get the impression that Muir could really be talking about breadloaf buses
and not really vanagons.  To me that fact that I can see almost the whole
oil cooler by squatting and looking through the wheel well suggests that
removal might be possible from the bottom without having to take out the
whole darn engine.  Could the be true?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Before having his bowl of Wheaties, gmbulley@bulley-hewlett.com replied:
Sounds like the oil cooler, fer sure. There are a couple of seals that
*can* be the source of this leak, but either way, you have to jerk the c
ooler off to replace. More than likely it is the cooler itself.
Whether loaf or Vanagon, it is *physically possible* to replace the cooler
with the motor in the van, but it is vastly more difficult than pulling the
motor. I would suggest pulling the motor. Haynes will walk you through all
of the stuff, but in a nutshell (once you have the motor out), you pull the
muffler and crossover tube/cat, cooling fan, fan housing, (I think the
Alternator comes off with this on the 1980-1983.5), then you are able to
get at the wee nuts that hold the cooler on. It is not tricky.
While you have the motor out, you may consider some preventive maintenance;
replacing some stuff that could cause problems in the near future:. your
mainshaft seals, and rear motor mounts. The seals are about $30 for the
pair, and the mounts (4 of /em) are about $30 each.
Best o luck,

G. Matthew Bulley
Principal
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
Communications for Organizational Development
www.bulley-hewlett.com
(888) 468-4880 toll free