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Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:05 pm

Been a lot longer project than i had first anticipated, but about a year ago, I saw posted a Westfalia Syncro with a bad engine (head gasket issues - 201k miles) here in Boise, and ended up buying it. I had planned on doing a conversion, but came across a waterboxer that was advertised as having 7000 miles but making a noise

Anyways I got that in, and it literally blew a hole in the top of the case, two blocks from my house on the first drive. Right over the #3 piston too, as typically happens.

Bought an used engine from ebay, but before I could start on that, saw another waterboxer here in Boise that was still in the vehicle that I could drive around first before it was pulled, and bought that, but then had to go work in Saudi all summer and fall, getting back in November.

So got that one in, ran really bad, not idling but ended up being bad ECU. I took it to RMF in Boise to finish up some little things from the install, we placed ECU, and he did work on fixing some potential wiring issues, oil pressure wire harness, leaking oil gaskets, fixing coolant temp broken plastic, bleeding the system, etc.

I left it up there for over a month and let the mechanic work on it at his leisure. They knew of me from seeing the engine with the hole in it and probably had some sympathy about it. Anyways, got it back yesterday, runs like a top. Chuck there said this engine runs smoother than 98% of waterboxers out there in his opinion. He really looked over the whole engine area pretty extensively for me. He knows vanagons really well, and actually likes working on them. He is a Westy owner himself, and likes keeping these on the road. What he charged me really was not alot compared to what he could have. I cant recommend him enough for a Mechanic on these engines.

Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:13 pm

Nice! Congrats!
I'm sure its a really nice feeling finally getting to drive it.
I've just moved and I have had the pleasure of driving my Westy all week (moved all my junk up here in it).

Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:21 pm

Glad you got it running. I know the original owners of your syncro. I eyed it as well for a while, but opted for an 84 Westy that was running. I live nearby where you towed it from. I'm halfway through the Bostig conversion right now. Looking forward to driving my Westy again, just been down two weeks so far. Not enough time back to back to get the Bostig conversion done quickly with other obligations. I will look for your ride on the roads in Boise.

Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:21 pm

Photos? Good for you, too bad you had to go thru the hassle of the bad engines, but it seems it all worked out in the end. :wink: :D

Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:50 pm

congrats firepilot. You'll love having it

Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:28 am

And...now its dead. Driving through town and it just lost a lot of power, would not accelerate in 3rd gear, drove it in 2nd to an intersection where it stopped running. Would not restart, unable to diagnose in the cold and dark.

So going back to have it towed back to RMF. My suspicion is something electrical.

On a better note, earlier that evening a rather attractive woman shared a couple of drinks with me, and who had told me her dream vehicle was a Westy Syncro, I kid you not. She said she totally understood the project nature of it, and that because of that, she recommended I just give it to her. :)

And when I broke down, she was the first that I called to come pick me up.

Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:52 am

Get a DigiTool and check the fuel injection and related parts.
If they all check out......wiring needs to be tested and traced.
Not fun.
Grounds need to be cleaned.
Check the Oxygen sensor and temp sensors for sure.

dylan

Sat Jan 09, 2010 11:00 am

Not just grounds, other age related culprits can be at play. The fuel pressure regulator can go doing exactly the scenario described. It can also be as simple as the rubber elbow from the AFM to the Throttle Body. If it was just worked on and the mech forgot to tighten up the bands, it can work itself off and presto, it dies.

Sat Jan 09, 2010 11:16 am

I've been sitting here, looking at your icon, reading about your van coming back to life, then dying, trying really hard to make a grateful dead reference. I got nothing.

Sat Jan 09, 2010 11:59 am

jacob. wrote: trying really hard to make a grateful dead reference.

Jacob, you may have just with this comment.

Let us know what you find out. It could be something simple or a bit more involved.....good luck :wink:

Sat Jan 09, 2010 4:36 pm

will jerry band do.....

sitting here in limbo, like a bird with out a song.
sitting here in limbo, lord i know it wont be long.
there putting up resistance,
but i know my strength will lead me home.

Sat Jan 09, 2010 7:12 pm

His syncro was goin' down the road feelin' bad.

There is no sunshine daydream when you have to leave your car on the side of the road.

Hopefully the 4 winds blew him safely home after he called his lady friend to tell her that he was goin' to leave this brokedown palace.

Has anyone seen Further yet? The 12/31/09 show on Archive sounds pretty good though my expectations were admittedly low.

Sat Jan 09, 2010 8:10 pm

firepilot wrote: And...now its dead. Driving through town and it just lost a lot of power, would not accelerate in 3rd gear, drove it in 2nd to an intersection where it stopped running. Would not restart, unable to diagnose in the cold and dark.

On a better note, earlier that evening a rather attractive woman shared a couple of drinks with me, and who had told me her dream vehicle was a Westy Syncro, I kid you not. She said she totally understood the project nature of it, and that because of that, she recommended I just give it to her. :)

And when I broke down, she was the first that I called to come pick me up.

I call bull crap.... :lol:
"Hello my westy broke down and i need you to come pick me up Ms. attractive lady. And since my home is so far away i'm gonna need a place to sleep as well."
After the drinks you probably started yanking connections hoping you would get stranded and have to call for help.
Quote: Wont you come upstairs girl....And have a drink champagne. What was your name?

Sat Jan 09, 2010 9:32 pm

So, firepilot . . .

What is the full name of "RMF", the shop you like in Boise?

It's always good to know the name of a good shop in case one us has need for one in Idaho.

-CJ

Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:51 pm

Williamtaylor33 wrote:
After the drinks you probably started yanking connections hoping you would get stranded and have to call for help.

Can you blame him?

Sun Jan 10, 2010 12:39 am

Williamtaylor33 wrote: firepilot wrote: And...now its dead. Driving through town and it just lost a lot of power, would not accelerate in 3rd gear, drove it in 2nd to an intersection where it stopped running. Would not restart, unable to diagnose in the cold and dark.

On a better note, earlier that evening a rather attractive woman shared a couple of drinks with me, and who had told me her dream vehicle was a Westy Syncro, I kid you not. She said she totally understood the project nature of it, and that because of that, she recommended I just give it to her. :)

And when I broke down, she was the first that I called to come pick me up.

I call bull crap.... :lol:
"Hello my westy broke down and i need you to come pick me up Ms. attractive lady. And since my home is so far away i'm gonna need a place to sleep as well."
After the drinks you probably started yanking connections hoping you would get stranded and have to call for help.
Quote: Wont you come upstairs girl....And have a drink champagne. What was your name?

Oh if any of you had seen her, and if I had done such a thing no one here would be blaming me at all! I mean how often does one run into an outdoorsy attractive woman whose dream vehicle is a westy Syncro!

Quote: What is the full name of "RMF", the shop you like in Boise?

Well RMF Inc, or even RMF cabling. I think they do more VW work than anything else. Chuck there was the mechanic I worked with, who knows Vanagons well and knows his stuff. They have a pretty big parts yard too of vehicles.

RMF Data and Fiber Optic Cabling Specialists Home Page. ... 1661 North Amber Street Boise, Idaho 83706, Phone: (208) 322-5789. Fax: (208) 322-7791

Okay, today I got another Vanagon Westy owner to drive over and try to resurrect it. Tried lots of things, to no avail, other than it ran once for 10 seconds and died again.

Swapped ECU, mine ran in his van but his did not run in mine
Fuel injector voltage seems to be fine
Fuel pressure also looks fine
swapped distributor cap, rotor. Tried to fire once or twice, but still intermittent. Spark at times looks very weak, occasionally it seems fine

It was pretty baffing, we spent several hours out in the cold trying to diagnose and made little headway. Another westy owner even stopped by randomly to help, although he had a Jetta 2.0 engine in his.

I think it is something ignition related, since the spark was so weak at times.

Sun Jan 10, 2010 2:08 am

How old are your spark plugs? you say that your spark is weak, I would think that would be one of the first things to check.

Sun Jan 10, 2010 10:05 am

Curious if you have checked your fuel pressure regulator? I had some of the same problems with an 84 Vanagon. I trouble shot the whole system and nothing was wrong, but the plugs were getting fouled. It would start up for a bit and then die.
Anyhow, I finally got around to the fuel pressure regulator and it was clogged........obviously no excess fuel returning to the tank and all of it dripping back into the cylinders.

Sun Jan 10, 2010 10:11 am

The stars say a new coil may be in your future. But they also say to look to the Hall Sender. The three little wires that go to the Distributer crack and short, as does its plug through the distributer.

Distributer gives pulses to the ECU at relative times to the crank position. ECU then uses its vast amount of collected data to determine when to send a pulse to the coil. This pulse triggers a release of high voltage that the distributer then aims at the proper cylinder's spark plug.

You Syncro may not be happy with being resurrected, like Jerry Garcia coming back from the dead, he, like your Syncro may be more Grateful to be Dead.

Sun Jan 10, 2010 10:31 am

Dogpilot wrote: You Syncro may not be happy with being resurrected, like Jerry Garcia coming back from the dead, he, like your Syncro may be more Grateful to be Dead.

Harsh! :lol: :lol: