Former VWDieselParts.com Forum

If I'm not mistaken (and I'm quite sure I'm not) then the stock radiator for the '82 diesel vanagon is a brass/copper core radiator. Your copper fittings ain't gonna do diddley in comparison. I have run copper fittings for years with no trouble. If you do not ever flush you system then there might b...

Is this something that just started happening? What is the history? Any bubbles/foam in the fuel line? When it is running okay does it smoke a lot or only when it is losing power? If only when losing power it sounds like you are sucking air into the fuel. If it smokes a lot all the time I would make...

A guess is that your fuel stop solenoid is acting up. Check for a good solid positive connection to it. I might even run a seperate juper from the batter post for a test drive. If it still did it, I would remove the internal plunger. If the problem still existed, then that wasn't the problem. :D And...

I'd never heard that the 1.6TD had the same problem but it makes sense. Is it exasserbated by the serpentine setup on the 1.9TD? Good to know regardless.

Andrew

You could certainly do the sacreligious act of installing the 1.9TD AAZ in and run it with the stock vanagon diesel parts (intake and exhaust) until you get around to the fabrication necessary to add the turbo. It would work just fine, and you would at least have the 1.9L displacement, so there woul...

It will fit fine. There are obviously some issues to adress. The following pictures are all of my 1.6TD into a vanagon (caravelle), but the concepts are exactly the same. The driver's side mounting bracket will collide with the wastegate of the turbocharger. Here's how I fixed it. I chopped the nose...

The expansion tank is the one only accessible with the engine cover open. Yes, it has the pressure tank. The one accessible by the license plate door I call the burp tank. You add coolant to the expansion tank while you rev it. Once it starts spilling out the bleeder valve in the radiator, before re...

Oily sludge would be an oil to coolant leak. When the cracks between the valves get large enough, they extend into the waterjacket. That does not introduce oil to the coolant, but rather compressed gasses to the coolant and coolant into the combustion chamber to be burned. That would potentially cau...

Yes, with the bleeder valve open then all the air will exit via the bleeder if the precedure is performed the way I described. The force of the waterpump pumping the coolant will cause almost all bubbles to flow to the radiator or else back to the expansion tank. There may even still be some air tha...

Yes, the bleeder valve is on the top of the radiator. I'd say it was on the passenger side but your verbage gives me the impression you might be on the other side of the pond. 133mm head. Looks like a bolt, but should have a chanel along its threads.

Andrew

Cracks between the valves are normal. Any vw diesel with any miles on it has cracks between the valves. How big? If they crack deep enough they will hit the waterjacket. Have the head pressure tested. Most likely it can go right back on unless you were losing coolant. 1.6TD, 1.9, 1.9TD and even earl...

It was at least 2 gallons last time I did it. I think some of a 3rd went in, but my memory is foggy. Park on an incline (not totally necessary, but helpful) with the nose up. Check that the bleeder valve is a bleeder bolt (a channel in cut vertically across the threads). If it isn't, then cut a chan...

The diesel vanagon bell housing will bolt fine. I believe the input shaft will work as well. As mentioned, Kennedy makes an adapter plate. Given the taller engine compartment in the bay window busses, It might be easier to get the kennedy adapter and mount it in the 15° layout like the Jetta/Golf a...

http://members.shaw.ca/vwdiesel/

Here's a trans ratio calculator that will tell you rpm's for any vanagon tranny and any wheel size as long as you punch in the numbers correctly.

Andrew

Well, I guess I'll have to crash the party. Great to find another diesel vanagon forum to post to. Looking over the past posts I recognise a couple of folks. The 1.6TD stock is underpowered compared to many american cars. I think that it is adequate, though, for anyone used to driving vw busses. The...