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Messages - vegiDsl
1
« on: December 09, 2012, 03:47:09 AM »
after two years of searching, i was offered workspace in a barn. it isn't ideal, but it is working so far.
the head gasket let go badly enough that i was loosing oil and coolant at an alarming rate. i am convinced the head is warped or worse. i found a complete JX turbo Diesel set up and decided it was better to buy and install that than try to replace a head in a parking lot. in my opinion and experience, changing a head should be done in a work area that can be kept reasonably clean.
of course the JX had a bad injection pump, bad turbo, and a host of other problems. but it did bolt in a lot easier than the Jetta TD i put in three years ago.
2
« on: December 09, 2012, 03:38:47 AM »
i now have a genuine JX turbo Diesel Vanagon engine with 5 speed gearbox installed. what a head ache. mostly because of work that was done by a previous owner being done badly.
i was wrong about the shift linkage. there is one important difference in the 5 speed rear link rod; it connects to the gearbox higher off the ground. the front linkage is made to bolt up to a different shift lever. VW basically changed the gender of the parts; on the 4 speed the pivot bolt goes through a tube on the end of the shift lever and two ears on the end of the linkage rod. on the 5 speed it is the other way around and a different "shift guide" or what i call a lockout box is used.
so much for the accuracy of the picture i was relying on.
3
« on: February 01, 2012, 01:24:09 PM »
i found everything i needed on thesamba.com. now all i need is a place to work on the Westy.
4
« on: January 31, 2012, 10:31:53 AM »
I work on a gravel driveway laying on a piece of cardboard - which I was doing much of this weekend. i use to be able to do that. i'm just too old and beat up to do a head gasket in a driveway. the real tragedy is this vehicle has the potential to be a reliable, eficient machine. i could make that happen, but i can't do it with the resources at hand.
5
« on: January 28, 2012, 01:54:06 PM »
i still need a place to work.
i have a head gasket, a reman head, a rebuilt turbo, a rebuilt IP, replacement manifolds (JX) and all the tools and skill i need to repair my van. i can't do the work in a parking lot.
before i was disabled, i was a professional mechanic. i worked on British and European motorcycles and vintage and classic race cars. Want to see an engine i spun nuts and bolst on? look up Maserrati 8 CTF. i can't tell you which of the three was the one i had my hands on, it had no paint when i worked on it.
i don't bend as well as i did before chemo. i don't bend as well as i did before Lyme disease. and i don't bend as well as i did before forty. i really need warm indoor space.
it doesn't have to be a garage; anything with ground floor access and a door big enough for a Vanagon would do. there has to be a vacant factory, warehouse, machine shop, or what have you somewhere i can get too.
i'm dieing here.
6
« on: September 16, 2011, 07:18:57 PM »
Can anyone help me with a place to R&R the head gasket on my Vanagon Westy turbo-diesel? i have the tools and the skill, i just don't have a place. my Westy is my only transportation so i may need help chasing parts. i am located in Glastonbury CT
please contact me here.
thanks
jeff
7
« on: February 17, 2011, 05:52:55 PM »
Sorry it took me so long to get back here.
i know next to nothing about the ratios in Gasoline engine transmissions. the only thing i can tell you is the Diesel 5 speed does not have a much higher top ratio than the 4 speed box. it might be the same as the 4 used with the turbo Diesel.
the low gear is a real stump puller. I've been stuck on a couple inclines when i could have used it. My rig will not pull much hill from a dead stop. i have backed down for a running start more than once. the big advantage of the 5 speed in the Diesel is closer ratios. with the power to wight ratio the Diesel Westy has, it would be a big help.
8
« on: December 12, 2010, 06:06:34 PM »
No i have not found a reasonable place to work on the Westy. i was able to swap the radiator in a driveway. i re-torqued the head in a parking lot.
Re-torquing the head resealed the head gasket for the time being. it was obvious the head had never been re-torqued since it left the factory.
this is a good solid vehicle with a lot of potential. i just can't fix it. i can't do what it needs in a parking lot. I can't survive if i take it off the road.
if you have anything in the way of a Diesel vehicle with a manual gear box i'm open to offers. See my post under VW stuff for sale.
9
« on: December 06, 2010, 04:55:27 PM »
I have a special to the Vanagon Turbo Diesel injection pump that is missing one important component. it is called an Aneroid Capsule in the Bosch parts literature, also known as an LDA. it is operated by the boost from the manifold. unlike the Rabbit, Golf, Jetta, Passat turbo pumps, this sits off to the side instead of being built in to the top of the pump.
they were never sold in the US. If any of you in Canada or with Canadian connections can find me one i would appreciate it. Also need the fuel lines that match the pump.
thanks
VegiDsl
10
« on: November 02, 2010, 05:51:50 PM »
The head gasket problem has become an emergency; I have oil in the coolant and the Westy can't climb a hill without overheating.
i can't afford the 13 hours at $100/hr the VW dealer here in town estimates to r&r the head gasket.
Does anyone know of a reliable competent shop near Glastonbury that i can get to without highway driving or hill climbing?
I can't wait any longer. this needs to be attended to NOW!
i am disabled. i am homeless. i am still recovering from cancer treatment. i live in the camper. if it dies, i am in serious jeopardy. Are you willing to do anything to help me back from this cliff?
11
« on: October 28, 2010, 12:21:58 PM »
The good news is the radiator is in. the bad news is the swap only helped a tiny bit. but it did reveal that the head gasket needs replacing. So i still need a place to work on my Westy. I am in Glastonbury, south east of Hartford.
Anyone close who can help?
Thanks
Jeff
12
« on: October 15, 2010, 07:18:20 PM »
I have been running VW 1.6 Diesels, turbo and NA, on vegetable oil and veg-oil Petro-Diesel blend for years. if anyone out there is interested, i would be glad to share.
peace
Jeff
13
« on: October 15, 2010, 07:14:30 PM »
I have the replacement radiator. just need a place to put it in. Any help out there?
Jeff
82 Westy Turbo Diesel
14
« on: October 10, 2010, 03:32:56 PM »
anyone have space where i can swap my radiator and water pump on my 82 Diesel Westy?
I'm in the Greater Hartford CT area. I can't drive a long distance or on the interstate with the clogged radiator. if i can't get there by back roads i can't get there.
Peace
Jeff
15
« on: April 28, 2010, 03:49:05 PM »
Someone should hang one of those on a Westy cabinet.
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