Author Topic: Vanagon progress (Read 63917 times)

blackdogvan · « **Reply #120 on:** February 02, 2009, 01:50:32 am »

Awesome Dude! Looks great & some fantastic, clean fabrication there!

arb · « **Reply #121 on:** February 02, 2009, 01:22:42 pm »

Very clean install !!! I like !!!

Luckypabst · « **Reply #122 on:** February 02, 2009, 08:50:56 pm »

Thanks guys - things would come out much nicer if I had a proper shop to work in.

Quote from: "Luckypabst"

Now there's a high-pitched whistle above about 10 psi so I need to troubleshoot for a minor leak in the intake routing.

I cobbled together a pipe-bomb pressure test apparatus (that launches plumbing plugs a pretty good distance into the air!) and traced the noise to some ill-sized hose clamps. I had a brain fart when I was ordering parts and missed the clamps at the intercooler so had to use some too-large sized clamps that bottomed out before making a proper seal. This was what I suspected but a full day at work and plenty of free time had me thinking that maybe my turbo was crapping out or zombies were screaming or something.

Chris

Luckypabst · « **Reply #123 on:** February 02, 2009, 09:26:04 pm »

I was just asked how I handled the second oil return in the MLS head gasket...

I went to NAPA and asked around for some flat rubber sheet or some such. The guy came back with a big-fat radial tire patch that measured out to 2.54mm, uncompressed. That gives just a bit more than a full milimeter of compression so I figured I'd give it a shot.

The ultimate solution was cutting a disc that fit nice in the hole - doesn't need to be perfect but should be real close. Then I pushed a little RTV in between the gasket layers, ran a very small bead around the coolant holes in the head and block, built a tiny RTV dam across the recess in the gasket between head-bolt hole and oil return hole and bolted it all up. Comparing to a fiber gasket I had laying around, there's not even a coolant passage in the gasket so I didn't poke a hole in my patch, just plugged the hole solid.

Chris

Luckypabst · « **Reply #124 on:** February 09, 2009, 09:19:40 pm »

I made a quick visit to my TIG machine this weekend. I timed it perfect and ran out of argon shortly after finishing this but before pressure testing it. Luckily it held to 40psi so I called it good and slathered it in paint.

I'll be driving the van to work tomorrow and probably kicking the fuel up a touch via the LDA before heading home. Boost comes on a bit slow and it's hard to max the turbo. EGT is still peaking at about 1000 degrees so I have some room to stretch a bit.

Chris

arb · « **Reply #125 on:** February 10, 2009, 01:25:40 pm »

Nice tank. Did you use aluminum or steel ?

Luckypabst · « **Reply #126 on:** February 10, 2009, 03:56:22 pm »

It's .120" 6061 aluminum. The filler neck and NPT bungs came from Ebay.

Chris

Luckypabst · « **Reply #127 on:** February 10, 2009, 08:13:14 pm »

Thanks Andrew -

I rarely open the hatch if I don't have to, so as long as there's coolant in the overflow bottle and there're no other cooling issues, I assume the best. My OEM bottle was so yellowed that it was not easy to judge the level of the orange Dexcool anyhow...

But yea, if everything's working as designed and the overflow is at the proper level, the pressure tank should be full to the top.

The filler neck I bought uses the uber-common American car pressure cap, available from 6psi up to about 30psi. I chose 13 psi. Uh, this cap also fits the one year only '82 van tank (as I found out when I needed to replace the old one that wasn't holding pressure). As best I could tell, all the critical dimensions between the VW cap and a generic American cap were close enough - 3/4" vs. 19mm for example - and the tolerances were loose enough that they're interchangeable. YMMV, don't try this at home, etc, etc, etc...

Chris

Luckypabst · « **Reply #128 on:** February 10, 2009, 10:17:06 pm »

Yea, I thought about the sight tube method. I think trying to adapt the later low-level sensor would serve even better usefulness, especially in the event of a sudden leak or other loss of coolant while driving.

Chris

Vincent Waldon · « **Reply #129 on:** February 10, 2009, 10:19:41 pm »

Quote from: "libbybapa"

Could always mount two hose barbs to the top and bottom of the tank and run some clear tubing, but probably might not be worth the effort.

Andrew

Or retrofit the uber-reliable VW coolant sensor, surgically removed at the junk-yard, so that an idiot light on the dash comes on ??

OK, so I'm kidding about the "uber-reliable" part... ;-) But I certainly found when I had vans in the fleet that I looked under the hood at fluids and things even less than how often I inspect my cars... probably all the crap in the back that would have to move first. :roll:

Again, probably not worth the effort.... just living vicariously from my armchair. :lol:

witoke · « **Reply #130 on:** March 01, 2009, 09:07:47 pm »

Chris,

I just wanted to say thanks for doing all the ground work and posting such good info and pictures. It has saved me a lot of time figuring these things out. I have now mounted my Saab IC in the drivers pillar, shrouded much like you did. Not as neat since I don't weld!

Next is to figure out the piping for the IC and the air cleaner. I have a muffler crossing over where you ran your intake pipe so fear that would make the intake air too hot.

I don't know if you had this in your van but when I dug around in the drivers pillar I discovered that my van has a snorkel all the way up to the vent, inlets facing backwards of all things, with a water trap down at the bottom. Quite a contraption but good for keeping the air away from the heat and dust down near the road surface.

I suspect I am going to have to buy a new air filter housing to arrange it all properly in the passenger side pillar and try to figure out a way to run the air intake line where it won't get hot.

I am interested in the engine bracket you made as well if you decide to make some.

Thanks again, I am looking forward to not having to ease off to 45 up hills to keep EGT's down. The power is there, I just haven't been able to use it all yet.

Alex

Luckypabst · « **Reply #131 on:** March 01, 2009, 11:18:21 pm »

Hey thanks Alex! I just built on other people's ideas and input and added my own touch here and there...

I think the next major step is to re-rebuild the turbo (thanks Prothe!, says Luckypabst with a hint of sarcastic glee) and I need to go back to increasing air flow through the oil cooler and intercooler. Otherwise, I think the bulk of the engine work is done.

Agreed on the exhaust putting heat into the intake ducting but probably not by much. I don't think my exhaust tubing ever gets all that hot though. Just toss the muffler and don't worry about it!

I might be persuaded to build an engine mount for you for free if you can come up with a large acreage at a nice price, somewhere between Santa Fe and Taos, otherwise give me some time - I'll see what I can work up (still need to address the change in engine mounts for '83).

Chris

witoke · « **Reply #132 on:** March 02, 2009, 10:07:36 am »

Chris,

that's a big slice of territory so if you're seriously looking let me have some more specifics of what you are after. I have a good friend who is a realtor in Taos. They could at least pull up the specific type you are looking for on the MLS.

Actually had a friend who lived in Lone Pine and Bishop years ago that I have lost touch with. He loved that part of the world.

And yes, I might have to try my exhaust like yours to get the intake line in. My muffler is just a glass-pack so probably doesn't do much anyway. Do need to soundproof the van anyway too, at some stage...

Alex

witoke · « **Reply #133 on:** March 08, 2009, 06:58:50 pm »

I have now got my IC plumbing stuff measured, mocked-up and on order, Saab all Al IC installed and sealed in the drivers side intake hole and have figured out how to run 2 inch intake piping over to the passenger side air intake vent in the pillar.

But, my air filter canister will not work on the other side if I want to draw the fresh air from the vent in the pillar as the inlet and outlet holes do not line up with the new intake pipe. Has anyone got any ideas of where to go to find an appropriate air filter canister? Or what might work from another vehicle? My current stock JX set up is a metal canister.

thanks,

Alex

Luckypabst · « **Reply #134 on:** March 08, 2009, 07:10:38 pm »

I used a Donaldson air filter that's similar in design to the JX canister. They have a lot of different sizes available and one might work for you. Google the name and you should come up with a PDF of their catalog.

Chris