Let the Vanagon TD conversion commence!

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I just got my'83 Vanagon TD, CY code, engine today.  It will be going into my '86 ASI camper coversion.




Lots to do before it gets installed though.
New T-belt and tensioner
new waterpump and T-stat
new rubber valve cover gasket after valve adjustment
new clutch kit
new front and rear main seals
new trans input seal and redline fluid
ditch the cat. and add new exhast system
add saab metal intercooler
egt gauge and others needed for sanity
some how connect the two different throttle cables
hook up the glow plugs to a switch
and on and on. I think thats enough for now.
I'll keep up on the posts as the project builds.
Josh

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Oh ya. Just took off the clutch tonight to get the flywheel off to have it turned. I'm hot tanking the bellhousing to clean it up a little. Getting new  
clutch release bushings, pilot bearing and release bearing. Also new clutch kit. Yes the starter is a rebuilt unit.

[Baxter]

looks like that came out of a syncro as it has the attachment for the squirrel fan for the turbo cooler.
Looks like an early one too, 85/86 as the BOV is vented into the air inlet for the turbo, plus it has metal water housings so it's pre '89.
It also has the twin belts which is normally pre '89 also.
Also looks like it may have a 90A alternator on it looking at the "Kludge" on the mounting.
get rid of that black header tank cap, they are the earlier ones and are almost always knackered and never hold pressure.

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Hi. I don't know if it came from a syncro and I thought that the attachment was for preheating the intake air when cold? I think the air cleaned should have been the syncro style though, right? I was told that the engine was from an '83.
The water housing at the water pump is plastic but at the head are metal.
Also the Alt. is a 90amp style.
Turns out that the bell housing is too corroded to be trusted, so it'll be exchanged for another.

Josh

[myke_w]

if you got that from our pal out in California that runs the ebay auctions for such things I'd STRONGLY suggest a teardown and inspection. I can give more elaborate if you're interested.

[Baxter]

Syncro airfilter is same as 2WD one but with a cyclone pre filter on the end of the box.
1.6TD didn't come out till mid '85 in the T3, it may have come from a '83 van but it wasn't a factory install as it was 2 years away from being released.

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Good to know about the date of introduction.
Thanks, Josh

[Baxter]

Also, those coolant pipes to the front, you see where they have been chopped, just before that is that plastic housing that bends the pipes downwards, thats also a syncro specific part, the coolant hoses on a 2WD TD come right into the engine bay and connect directly with the rubber hoses.
Your probably better off with those if you are going from Petrol to Diesel as you can just hack the rubber pipes to suit.

[Baxter]

yes, they droop lower.
If you use syncro bars on a 2WD the engine will sit about 2" lower than it should.

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From what I've read, there are four different styles of mounting bars.
'82, '83, '83 5spd, then syncro.

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Well all I know is that I got one for the left side and one for the right side.
Drivers side has the round bushings in the end mounting plates and the passengers side is a solid bar mount. I checked with ETKA and it shows that its corrcet? I hope. :roll: As far as the cooling hose lines connecting to the engines hoses, all I care about is that they'll connect to my gasser hoses underneath, at this time.
 Those that have ETKA, the illustration # is 30-11
5A is the drivers mounting bar and 6 is the passengers mounting bar.
Those are the style of motor mounts that I have on my bars too.
Josh

[Baxter]

Early CS engines used the aircooled style 4 speed box, they have the rubber mounts 90° around to later models.
Then you have normal commercial bars, no rubber mounts.
Then you have the "comfort mounts" with a rubber bush on the left.
Then you have syncro mounts.

They are the ones that spring to mind off the top of my head.

Early ones with the mounts at 90° won't swap with any others (Big bolt goes front to back)
Normal and comfort bolts go left to right.
Syncro go left to right but hang lower.

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Heres a couple of pics of the bars mounted.



Looking at the angle of the mounts for the engine they match up straight.

Another view.


And the other side that has the bushings(drivers side).


Sorry its so dirty.
Also some pics of the cooling lines to the engine.


They don't seem to have been cut, but leave me enough to mount my hoses.

Timing belt seems to have been fairly recent which leads me to belive that someone must have gave a sh1t about their motor.


Turbo looks to be a real treat to do anything to except to replace it with another K14. Also fab up a new turbo flange/brace.

Thanks, Josh

[Baxter]

You got comfort mounts, should be good.
Pipes should mate up, syncro TD front to rears were shorter than 2WD, mind you 2WD petrol front to rears are unequal in length, so scratch that, you'll need to make a patch piece, no real issues there.
Deep joy, you have the awful to adjust twin aux belt set up.
We tried doing away with one of those set ups today on my buddies Westy, replacing both belts for a 10x875 a'la later TD's seemd to work, always wanted to try but I was reluctant to try on a customers van and he was happy to have a go and it seemed to work.
Do you have a spigot/input shaft? or are you shortening?
13-14mm if you are shorteining but I have had them in the garage when someone else has had a go and they never seem to chop enough off and I have had them rubbing on the inside of the crank, so be careful.

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Well I've already sent back the bellhousing but just wanted to show what it looked like. I did'nt like the way the drain plug looked along with the mating surfaces to the trans.




And thats after hot tanking it for a day.
I just could'nt see even tring to unscrewing the drain plug without destroying it. Plus the mounting holes at the bottom by the drain, is thin and I thought that if torqued down would shatter.
I don't know what the condition should be with it being 30 years old and seeing salty roads, or am I just being picky? :roll:  :?
Any thoughts?