TheSamba.com :: View topic - my engine seal is missing a piece of rubber. is this right?

Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:25 pm

hi
my engine seal in my 81 westie has a 5-6 inch piece of rubber that is missing. is this normal? it is at the top end of the engine, the part nearest the back seats. i am trying to diagnose overheating. thanks, connie.

Mon Mar 28, 2005 8:43 pm

:D That seal is fairly important.... they are cheap, so get one... have you checked the timing to make sure it was set properly...... also check for vaccume leaks, leaks and too much advance will heat you up quick.... :twisted:

Tue Mar 29, 2005 6:38 am

Usually that spot is where the 2 halves of the seal come together. See if you can work any slack in the seal to that spot from both ways. Tape them togeather if you get pretty close, otherwise replace the seal.

Tue Mar 29, 2005 1:49 pm

can i replace the engine seal myself? do i need to take out the entire engine to do so? where is the best place to buy a seal? thanks, connie.

Tue Mar 29, 2005 1:57 pm

Everything on this Van can be done by you, except a few odds and ends where you need special tools. This you can do with the engine in, and it is something you need to do, this could be one reason it is running hot.
The seal:
http://www.busdepot.com/busdepot/details.jsp?partnumber=251813226A

Tue Mar 29, 2005 2:17 pm

Thanks you guys for all the tips! Is there a good repair manual out there that will show me how to do these things? like check for vacuum leaks, put in the seal...etc.. i have the haynes manual and it is pretty limited. i am pretty mechanical for a girl and i am very eager to "do it myself"..i know i can!! i am also looking for a good pic of the engine so i can understand where things are located. this type of engine is new to me...and a diagram of the fuse box and which fuses go to what. let me know. i WANT TO LEARN!! thanks again! :D Connie.

Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:42 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=103698
here's the manuals you need. You can get them off ebay.

Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:46 pm

Those are very nice manuals to have, Connie. I have the factory repair manual and the owner's manual. And check out that link mightyart left you above his pictures of the manuals. His motor is very, very clean.

Hey, mightyart, how do you keep your motor so clean? Let me know. Thanks!

pocvw

Tue Mar 29, 2005 6:45 pm

Never thought I'd be happy to have a bad digital camera, makes it look better than it really is :lol:
I'm not a very tiddy person, not a slob, but a little dirt won't kill me. I learned the value of clean stuff in the Army, not only does it look better but, it's cleaner to work on, finding leaks and problems becomes much easier, plus an aircooled engine runs cooler and isn't as much of a fire hazzard when it's clean. There is no big secret, just can't be afraid to get a little dirty. When I first got my Westy I took the whole FI off the top of the engine and cleaned it all by hand, replaced all the hoses ect. with new. Since the top of the motor was easy to get to I plugged the holes and I just used good old soap, water, some degreaser, a stiff brush and lots of elbow grease. I cleaned the top of the engine and the engine compartment this way, just using enough water to rinse off the soap. Then I let it dry and put all the FI back on. I did the bottom a bit differant. I warmed up the engine a little, warm not hot, used gunk degreaser, laid on my back and sprayed all the spots I could reach(wear safety glasses), let it sit for about 10 mins, then got busy again with my stiff brush, this is the dirty part. The more you brush and the cleaner the engine is going to get, so get intimate with your engine.
May take more than One cleaning if you van has been neglected over the years. The Pay off is once you get it real clean you can just hose it off every 1-2 months and it'll stay fairly nice.

Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:53 am

Hey mightyart!
first of all thank you for being so helpful. i am sure i will be posting several more questions that you and the others will answer. you guys are good! i have a ques. that manual you posted a pic of. Is that a "bentley". just wondering. thanks , connie.

Wed Mar 30, 2005 11:28 am

Yes that is the "Bentley" manual, called this because is written By Robert Bentley. The one in the picture is an old one just for aircooled models, I got mine off ebay for $5.00 cause most people don't know what it is.

The Bentley everyone is used to is the green covered one like in this ebay auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=418&item=6522052121&rd=1
The only differance is the cover. You can get a new Bentley at like Amazon, but it has alot of stufff that doesn't pertain to your Vanagon.
So save you some money and look for the one in the picture on Ebay.

Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:20 pm

The manual that is pictured (mightyart) is the same on that I have. I got mine off of ebay. It is really good to have and will help you greatly in your pursuit of learning about your new westie. I paid $25 for mine and it was well worth it!! Much better than the haynes or chilton manuals, in my opinion. Have fun with that awesome westie!!

Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:58 am

Thanks pocvw!
i just emailed a guy that had that Bentley manual, and i he is going to mail it to me! 25 bucks total, including shipping! i wonder, how much do they cost new? do you know? Are they thicker than the Haynes manual? i hope it tells how to do things step by step. i want to get "intimate" with my westie, as mightyart has said! thanks"! connie.

Thu Mar 31, 2005 7:27 am

25 bucks is a good deal, well worth it like pocvw said. The Benley has it's drawbacks if you are just learning, but you're lucky you have the Samba or the internet for that matter to fill in some of the blanks. When I started working on cars a book was the best you had, and in the scheme of things it wasn't all that long ago.
here's what they cost new:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0837...s&n=507846

Thu Mar 31, 2005 9:04 pm

Between the Bentley and the Haynes, you are pretty well covered. Yes the Bentley assumes you are pretty much a factory trained mechanic. I find having both the way to go, along with the others mightyart showed.

Theres a lot of stuff in the Haynes that still is good for the waterboxers.

Fri Apr 01, 2005 10:39 am

OK Mighty Art ( or anyone) riddle me this. Why is your bentley only for the years 80-81 since air-cooled vans were produced 80-83.5? Was the year of publication 81? Was there some upgrades starting 82? :?

Fri Apr 01, 2005 11:39 am

I'll make a semi-educated guess on it. The publication date is 80 on this one. Way back in 79-80 Volkswagen was coming out with a new better replacement for the bus. There was allot of fanfare about the new Vanagon, I've found a quite a few car magazines touting the new Vanagon. I think this was the New Bentley specialy for your all new Vanagon. I also have the green cover Bentley that covers 80-83 it is almost exact accept that the 80-83 covers the Diesel and the 80-81 is only aircooled.
Even if you have a rare 83 aircooled the original book will work just fine.