need place to work on Westy

[vegiDsl]

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

[vegiDsl]

I have the replacement radiator. just need a place to put it in. Any help out there?
Jeff
82 Westy Turbo Diesel

[dmartin]

Sorry I'm not closer - I'm 30 miles from Canada with lots of back roads. I saw your post about burning veggie - way cool! I have a gas Vanagon, but have put a conversion kit in my diesel 2000 Ford Excursion and have burned 960 gallons of WVO (waste veggie oil) in the last 17 months. I tried blending before that, but the N.E. climate does funny, solidifying things to WVO. Back to the radiator.... I hope you can find someone closer...   Dan

[MrLiMBO]

I've sent a message to the Conn VW Assoc. (CVA) club to see if someone there can help.  I believe Jermey Clayton, CVA president, live in Glastonbury.  Which if memory serves, isn't that far from Hartford.

[vegiDsl]

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

[vegiDsl]

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?

[Vanagonjr]

Just saw this - did you find a place?

[vegiDsl]

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.

[Vanagonjr]

Yeah, all my work is done in my gravel driveway, I'd love a garage, but I'd even settle for pavement!

[vegiDsl]

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.

[Stanagon]

thanks for the update. Glad you found a space to work and got the westy mobile again.