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Thu Apr 06, 2006 11:17 pm

I finally finished up the installation of the 2.4L GoWesty engine. It took a long time, as I had a ski trip in the middle of installing it. First off, you get a nicely built crate on a pallet. I unbolted the top and there, in stretch wrap was the 2.4, just beautiful and shiny. One problem, how do you get it out of the crate with out a picker? Rig up a pulley fall from the attic hatch with some 2x4’s. My wife was impressed, she said, “very guy clever.” The engine looked so good hanging there, I thought I should put the old one hanging from a tree in the front yard.

There are a few details off the bat. They send a crossmember mount that has been modified for the high output oil pump, which has a larger cover. I had already cleaned up mine,so I took theirs off and modified mine. This involved beveling the inside edge with a rotary grinder, simple 5 minute job. I also used my AC mount, it was shinier. Ok, I’m vain.

There is a bunch of gridley parts to switch over. Throttle valve, crankcase vent tower, pulley wheel for the water pump, PS pump, oil cooler, distributor. One odd item, the crank position sensor wasn’t installed. So I had to yank both flywheels to get it off and on. The new flywheel is balanced, nice. Time to attach to the tranny.

Well I took the time I was waiting to replace a lot a of stuff that is hard to get at when there is an engine and tranny in place. So I repacked and booted the CV’s, replaced the accelerator cable, fuel lines, a bunch of coolant hoses, sensors and thermostat, brake lines, ball joints, OME shocks and some other bits. I also pulled some wires to install some gauges, thought I would like to know what is going on with the investment.

I get the beast back in, everything hooked up. Put in the oil, and do the coolant mamba. So the first gremlin strikes: the bleed screw in the rear heater brakes off and now coolant is pissing out and nothing to plug it with. I end up clamping the lines with some needle vice grips and make a bypass hose with pvc. Clean up that mess, check everything and get ready to start it up. It starts snowing and sleeting with a vengeance. So wait until tomorrow.

I start it up on Saturday. Kicks over right away, get the timing light, but the idle is real rough. Really sounded like only firing on three cylinders. So I pop plug wires in sequence to find the dead cylinder. Its number three, I notice it, as the plug wire arced out through me. After I come back to life, I notice my irregular heartbeat is gone. Well I carefully replace the wire, no joy, still missing. I unplug the injector connector and switch it with the other one. Problem moves, so I look at the plug, pin pushed out. It snapped back in and I was off to town. Finished up timing, idle, and mixture and it runs smoothly.

I take it out for a quick spin around the block. Runs nice, but the temp is climbing quickly. So I go back. By the time I get back it has maxed out and the light is flashing. I checked the lines and the output is hot and input is cold. I decide to pull the thermostat to check it. When I unbolt the cover, a bolt snaps. More fun, I have to drill it out and re tap the hole. Well with the new thermostat and the old one in a pan of boiling water, the old one opens more. So I put that one back in. I run it and again, it gets hot to red line. The fan wasn’t coming on,so I checked the fan, and it works. I need to get a new thermo switch. Wait a couple of days for it and the bleeder screw. Finally get that done. I run it again, and still X@#ing hot. The fan finally came on, so that wasn’t it. Finally in desperation, I put the old temp sensor back in and voilá,no more hot!

So I drove it around for 60 miles today to get everything set so I could tighten the CV’s and exhaust up. It is defiantly more tractable, have to baby it for 900 miles to let the rings seat and bearings to set in. The balancing makes the package a lot smoother. You really have to watch it to keep from revving it up. The engine has a nicer bark to it. Got to do a road trip this weekend to break it in. I’ve still got to figure out where to put the sensor for the new coolant temp gauge. Any suggestions?

Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:03 am

Send that puppy to my house in Monterey. It needs further testing.....
And, I have some big strapping young studs who are on Easter Vacation who could use something positive to do....

Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:52 am

Very nice. I'll bet that 2.4 will really have some snap to it once it's broken in. I swapped my 1.9 for the 2.2 GW motor and with 10K on it now, I've got nothing but good things to say.

I remember it taking me 2 weeks to get mine to run though. When the light bulb finally came on (dimly) I remembered dropping my cat (the converter, not the animal) on the garage floor. This jarred a bunch of crap loose and effectively plugged it. Took it out and the motor fired right up :lol:

BTW; nice job on mounting the extra gauges. I chose the plastic cover in front of the shift lever to mount mine. Barely room for 2 gauges between where the heater ducts run but it looks good. I put in volts and oil pressure.

Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:44 am

You know, speaking of CATs. Before I put mine back on, I looked in it, and the back side had melted a bit, and it looked a bit plugged, not much light shining through. So I had to remove the damaged bits, which kind of ended up being the whole stone. Flows real good now.

Cheers,
James

BTW, if your are Heritage Square tonight, the Scouts and I will have the telescope from hell set up for new moon public viewing. It is a van transportable unit.

Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:46 pm

Congratulations, James! What a (hard-fought) victory!

Of course, while you were in the middle of this, some kid in a uniform shows up and asks you to draw him a sheep. Next thing HE knows, he's got a steel brush and is de-rusting the exhaust. I know your kind!

Best!

Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:11 pm

i am now dabbing the tears from my eyes after reading this.

god bless thesamba.com. karmic blessings for this site. allah blesses westies. buddha drives a vw.

really, this kinda post makes this, at least for me, the best wesbsite ever.

thanks, dogpilot!

[quote="Dogpilot"]I finally finished up the installation of the 2.4L GoWesty engine. It took a long time, as I had a ski trip in the middle of installing it. First off, you get a nicely built crate on a pallet. I unbolted the top and there, in stretch wrap was the 2.4, just beautiful and shiny. One problem, how do you get it out of the crate with out a picker? Rig up a pulley fall from the attic hatch with some 2x4’s. My wife was impressed, she said, “very guy clever.” The engine looked so good hanging there, I thought I should put the old one hanging from a tree in the front yard.

There are a few details off the bat. They send a crossmember mount that has been modified for the high output oil pump, which has a larger cover. I had already cleaned up mine,so I took theirs off and modified mine. This involved beveling the inside edge with a rotary grinder, simple 5 minute job. I also used my AC mount, it was shinier. Ok, I’m vain.

There is a bunch of gridley parts to switch over. Throttle valve, crankcase vent tower, pulley wheel for the water pump, PS pump, oil cooler, distributor. One odd item, the crank position sensor wasn’t installed. So I had to yank both flywheels to get it off and on. The new flywheel is balanced, nice. Time to attach to the tranny.

Well I took the time I was waiting to replace a lot a of stuff that is hard to get at when there is an engine and tranny in place. So I repacked and booted the CV’s, replaced the accelerator cable, fuel lines, a bunch of coolant hoses, sensors and thermostat, brake lines, ball joints, OME shocks and some other bits. I also pulled some wires to install some gauges, thought I would like to know what is going on with the investment.

I get the beast back in, everything hooked up. Put in the oil, and do the coolant mamba. So the first gremlin strikes: the bleed screw in the rear heater brakes off and now coolant is pissing out and nothing to plug it with. I end up clamping the lines with some needle vice grips and make a bypass hose with pvc. Clean up that mess, check everything and get ready to start it up. It starts snowing and sleeting with a vengeance. So wait until tomorrow.

I start it up on Saturday. Kicks over right away, get the timing light, but the idle is real rough. Really sounded like only firing on three cylinders. So I pop plug wires in sequence to find the dead cylinder. Its number three, I notice it, as the plug wire arced out through me. After I come back to life, I notice my irregular heartbeat is gone. Well I carefully replace the wire, no joy, still missing. I unplug the injector connector and switch it with the other one. Problem moves, so I look at the plug, pin pushed out. It snapped back in and I was off to town. Finished up timing, idle, and mixture and it runs smoothly.

I take it out for a quick spin around the block. Runs nice, but the temp is climbing quickly. So I go back. By the time I get back it has maxed out and the light is flashing. I checked the lines and the output is hot and input is cold. I decide to pull the thermostat to check it. When I unbolt the cover, a bolt snaps. More fun, I have to drill it out and re tap the hole. Well with the new thermostat and the old one in a pan of boiling water, the old one opens more. So I put that one back in. I run it and again, it gets hot to red line. The fan wasn’t coming on,so I checked the fan, and it works. I need to get a new thermo switch. Wait a couple of days for it and the bleeder screw. Finally get that done. I run it again, and still X@#ing hot. The fan finally came on, so that wasn’t it. Finally in desperation, I put the old temp sensor back in and voilá,no more hot!

So I drove it around for 60 miles today to get everything set so I could tighten the CV’s and exhaust up. It is defiantly more tractable, have to baby it for 900 miles to let the rings seat and bearings to set in. The balancing makes the package a lot smoother. You really have to watch it to keep from revving it up. The engine has a nicer bark to it. Got to do a road trip this weekend to break it in. I’ve still got to figure out where to put the sensor for the new coolant temp gauge. Any suggestions?
[img]http://homepage.mac.com/greystoke.eng/.Pictures/Picture%20Examples/DSCN0250.jpg[/img]
[img]http://homepage.mac.com/greystoke.eng/.Pictures/Picture%20Examples/DSCN0254.jpg[/img]
[img]http://homepage.mac.com/greystoke.eng/.Pictures/Picture%20Examples/DSCN0257.jpg[/img]
[img]http://homepage.mac.com/greystoke.eng/.Pictures/Picture%20Examples/DSCN0265.jpg[/img][/quote]

Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:19 am

This is how we unloaded ours

custom oil pressure sender mounting next to distributor

Still bleeding the coolant system but it started without too many problems

Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:38 am

I have a vanagon down in Wilsonville that needs a long block. Are you for hire?

Sat Apr 08, 2006 10:20 am

Now how come they sent the short pallet to you? The one I have is oversize, which is kind of a bummer. I was going to drive it back and do the break in period in one shot. But it is 6 inches to large to get in the westy. I could take it out of the crate, put in on the floor then fold down the bed and put the pallet up there. However, my wife says"if you screw up your nice interior doing this dumb idea...." Fill in the last part yourself.

Now see you had a picker. Thats the proper, clever way to do it. I used the Egyptian technique, lots of ropes and pulleys. Heck, I've got to do something with all that climbing gear I have laying around. With my present physique, I clearly not going climbing anytime soon.

The engine actually is getting a noitcable bit more power every day. I can't wait to be able truley run it. Even the cruise control is responding better.

So I go to pick up my son at tennis on thursday, with the van. I sit there waiting for him to get out of class. He hops in I twist the key, click, click,click. Great! Not a bettery issue, the starter must have finally packed it in. So I put it in gear roll and pop the clutch, starts instantly. My son is amazed,"how did you do that?" Kids today are clearly spoiled by modern technology. I get back home, my wife give me the look,"is there any part of that "pristeen" van you haven't replaced?" I ponder my answer carefully."well with the starter, I guess I've got them all." Luckly, it was just the control wire on the solinoid.

Sat Apr 08, 2006 10:43 am

Since I don't have any of the westy cabinets etc. there is plenty of room for standard 48x40 pallet with the middle seat out. I unloaded and loaded it at work with a forklift, and just had to use the hoist in the garage.

WW Not for hire,sorry. My Dad just bought a 90 Syncro that will be next project if we decide to do this again.

Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:14 pm

All right you two--so how are they DRIVING?

Best!

Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:51 pm

I'll bring the kegger and sit in back. Someone WILL need to do escort me back to the motel room.

Heck maybe we can haul ass up to Paige! There was a 92 Passat sitting up there in someones yard I was scoping out

Sat Apr 08, 2006 10:23 pm

I like the idea of the larger engine. I do NOT like the idea of having to run premium gas! Geez the compression ratio they use is begging for knock sensing. I have almost settled on a 2.3, if I (my brother) do not build one up ourselves. Something big with low compression.

Did that 2.4 get the oil squirters and ceramic coated pistons?

Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:18 am

Quote: Did that 2.4 get the oil squirters and ceramic coated pistons?

Higher volume oil pump and ceramic coated pistons, I think the oil squirters are on the 2.5 they are building.

Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:57 pm

Well I got back from my road trip in the fresh 2.4L. It does take 900 miles to break it in. Once the rings seat you can really tell the difference. On the grade up from the AZ boder to Flagstaff, in the steep grade parts (at 4,300') you could only get 45 out of the Syncro, it went 65. It will cruise effortlessly up most of the grades at 75, and if you don't watch it it will get up to 90 in a real hurry.

Fuel milage went up from 15 to 17.3 on the segement I measured, from Barstow to the turn off for Havasu City, a mix of grades. Overall, it achieves all the goals I had for the engine. It is way smoother and accelerates much quicker, even uphill. It is nice to be PASSING the trucks up the hills, vice being the obstacle on the road. the high volume oil pump puts out loads of pressure under all conditions, and the engine remains cool.

I did snag a set of Projecktwo fog lights, they are impressive, lots of light. Perhaps the account for the speed gain?

Cheers,
James

Tue Apr 11, 2006 8:44 am

Dogpilot wrote: On the grade up from the AZ boder to Flagstaff, in the steep grade parts (at 4,300') you could only get 45 out of the Syncro, it went 65.

Aye Laddie, and there's the difference between the 2.2L GW motor and the 2.4. I'm guessing you're talkin' about the grade between Ashfork and Williams here. With my 2WD Westy I drop to about 50 on this grade (for those of you unfamiliar with this stretch if I-40, it's steep. The big rigs are in the right hand lane grinding out about 30 mph). With the old 1.9 it was about 40. Would've considered doing the 2.4 but economics played a major role. GW wants a 2.1L core for the 2.4 and I had a 1.9 so they would've nailed me for the core charge. And then the Digijet wouldn't work with the bigger motor so I'd have been scrounging lots of extra parts and the price would've gone up significantly. It would have been at least a grand more for me to upgrade to a 2.4.

Anyway, congrats. Sounds like you're really happy with the upgrade. I know I've got at least a wee bit more $$ into mine than I could get out of it but I'm not building it up for resale. I'm building it for my enjoyment. :D :D

Tue Apr 11, 2006 8:55 am

I beg your parden....my big rigs are not grinding, they are purring...straining, pulling,,,,patiently puffing....albeit maybe at 30lbs of boost, oil temp at 250 and the pyro at 1100 deg...down in low range maybe in 5th or 6th. I personally avoid the "grind". Any skilled stick jockey can "float" rather than "grind"....

LOL

They better not be grinding, those Eatons are 10,000 each rebuild.

Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:11 am

Yes, infact that is the infamous grade I was reffering to. The one my wife used to remark,"is this as fast as it goes?"

Just a bit down from the grade, closer to Kingman. Glad I was not going West at the time. They closed I40. Apparently they were hosting an SUV barbecue. It looked like every piece of fire stuff for 40 miles was there, not to mention every DPS officer in the region, there were miles of patient truck drivers, who where stuck on the interstate.

Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:30 am

Dogpilot wrote: Yes, infact that is the infamous grade I was reffering to. The one my wife used to remark,"is this as fast as it goes?"

Just a bit down from the grade, closer to Kingman. Glad I was not going West at the time. They closed I40. Apparently they were hosting an SUV barbecue. It looked like every piece of fire stuff for 40 miles was there, not to mention every DPS officer in the region, there were miles of patient truck drivers, who where stuck on the interstate.

And my air tanker Orion Lockheed P3C parked at Williams. I CAN do a low pass hot drop if you like! It rattles the dishes. But trust me, I can pull it out of any canyon.
When I don't you will be reading about it.... :roll:

I am practicing touch and goes at Merced with the C-130's. Run up a flag this summer....I'll be sure to throw you some protection.

Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:35 pm

Dogpilot, I hope you have good luck with this thing.

There seem to be more people complaining about some shoddy parts used on Go Westy re-man engines (specifically valve adjusting screws), and, what is more worrisome, the REALLY shoddy after-sale service. Lucas is just not standing behind the product, pretending that any failures of these screws are shocking new surprises to him, although he has known about the issue for some time now. He basically says, "shit happens" and expects the buyer to pay for his re-man failures. Real punk move.

Hope there were no flaws on your engine, because the chances that Go Westy will stand behind it appear poor.

Follow this thread through the Vanagon archives:

http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0604b&L=vanagon&D=0&P=3709

This particular message is worth re-posting here:

Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 16:18:12 -0400
Reply-To: Jonathan Farrugia <jfarrugi@UMICH.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jonathan Farrugia <jfarrugi@UMICH.EDU>
Subject: Re: GoWesty Engine - Follow-up
Comments: To: honemastert <honemastert@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <b86178850604101041va724790meb380747b1755917@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

if you are on the yahoo spare list you can look much of this up in the
archives. the discussion started on list and lucas jumped in when i
relayed my experience. then when i started posting pictures to support my
claims he would respond off list then, send personal emails back to the
list i think speaks to his general character but that is my personal
opinion. so without further delay here is an excerpt straight from the
horses mouth.

-----------------
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 22:10:33 -0800
From: S. Lucas Valdes - Go Westy! <lucas@gowesty.com>
To: Jonathan Farrugia <jfarrugi@umich.edu>
Subject: Re: [vanagon] Re: Sources for waterboxers

"The broken valve adjustment screw you experiences is a first. This just
has not happened EVER. We had one intake valve snap right off at the
keeper groove upon start-up once. Go figure, brand new German, TRW
valve....
With two engines a day going out, shit is bound to happen. Overall our
track record is excellent. We have had very few failures, and our engines
are getting better every day."
-----------------

as far as them never paying for it that is what the customer told me and i
only have his word to go on since gowesty would never tell me whether they
reimbursed the customer. so basically "shit is bound to happen" and your
bound to fix it at your cost since your thousands of miles away.

jonathan

On Mon, 10 Apr 2006, honemastert wrote:

> On 4/10/06, Jonathan Farrugia <jfarrugi@umich.edu> wrote:
>
> Jon,
>
>> Tim
>>
>> i find it amusing about the issue with the valve adjusting screws you
>> mentioned. that cost several hours of billable time on the gowesty engine
>> given that it failed 50 miles from home. gowesty told me that they had
>> never heard of such a problem and refused to compensate the customer from
>> what the customer told me.
>
>
> This is b.s. of they didnt compensate them.. when did
> this happen? (i.e. how many years ago or was it just
> recently) If it was several years ago, I might see the
> point, but when I brought the issue up, they were straight
> with me, apologized, sent me a batch of new screws and
> valve cover gaskets and also gave me store credit for
> the amount of $$ that I had to shell out to get a local
> shop to fix it. I did one of them myself, but the other
> two times it happened to me, I couldnt get the
> screw out without removing the whole rocker arm
> assy. so I had a local shop do it for me (approx
> $50-$75 depending upon what else I had them do)
> cant remember.
>
> Havent had the issue since (knock on wood) and it
> was only on the l.h. side of the engine (viewed from
> the rear)
>
>> everone makes mistakes and experiences part failures. how they stand
>> behind their product is how i measure them.
>
> exactly.. again, what was the timeframe, recently?
>
> I know they were having a heck of a time getting
> screws that wouldnt fracture. In fact, they were sending
> them back out for rehardening/testing, which showed me
> they sincerely wanted to address the problem, but
> denying it is not right, unless they completely fixed
> the issue.
>
> -tim
>
>
>