TheSamba.com :: View topic - Rocky Mountain Westy SVX conversion journal

Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:14 pm

RT, i just teed the VW vac line to the valve into the left side line on the top of the SVX TB. I dont think it takes much vac to open it, since theres the little restrictor on the line. I ran the clear line from the charcoal can up to the intake plenum.
Edit: i found a pic that should explain it well enough:

Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:39 pm

hooking up the subi evap system is much simpler than the VW system and the way to go IMO. the loop you have, line from the proper line of the 3 fuel hard lines (bottom one from memory) to the charcoal canister, line out from the charcoal canister to tank. and of course the drain some have on the bottom.

BUT, they also run just fine without an evap system installed, just capped off. so it should not effect your idle and wouldnt lose any sleep over it. hooking it up is just the environmentally right thing to do but not necessary (except for the CA folks)

Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:46 pm

Thanks for digging up that picture Clark!

mblotz, there are three nipples on the suby canister. So I would hook the fuel hard line to one of the top nipples, and the return line to the fuel tank on the other top nipple. What would the bottom nipple hook up to? drain? I didn't pay attention to how the system was hooked up in the svx when I took it out :roll:

Tue Mar 23, 2010 9:35 pm

every time one of us does one of these it feels like a moonshot and we are all in houston control
hurrah! the leaker has landed, and we have pictures!, and our man in space is doing what his training tells him, and touchdown!! this is chris craft signing off...

todd

Wed Mar 24, 2010 4:45 am

Look at this site for good information on how to hook up the charcoal canister:
http://www.weidefamily.net/vanagon/
Click on the tab "Suby Engine 1" and then on the far right tab "Charcoal Canister."

Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:04 am

Rubber Tramp wrote:

mblotz, there are three nipples on the suby canister. So I would hook the fuel hard line to one of the top nipples, and the return line to the fuel tank on the other top nipple. What would the bottom nipple hook up to? drain? I didn't pay attention to how the system was hooked up in the svx when I took it out :roll:

That is correct, except that the bottom nipple is the fresh air intake. If you plan on driving through deep water, it would be best to route a hose from that connection up to a higher point to prevent water getting into the canister.

If I remember correctly, the Subaru canister has arrows showing the inlet and outlet of the upper two nipples.

Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:37 pm

Hey thanks guys for the help! And thanks wcdennis for that website!!! I really could have used that about 5 months ago :lol:

I made this video for those of you interested in doing your cooling system the way I did. If you have any specific questions or need more information just let me know.

---edit---
forgot to mention in the video... be sure the thermoswitch is grounded or the fans won't kick on.

Sat Mar 27, 2010 12:05 pm

:evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil:

Finally finished everything, so I took my van out for its first joy ride last evening. It was wonderful! I took it VERY easy, but even going easy it's just screaming to give it more throttle. Very powerful, and a joy to drive!

And then it happened...
Cruising at 50mph, I hear what sounds like the engine falling out of the van. I immediately turn the ignition off, and jump out to see what happened. White smoke and a sound like a waterfall coming from inside the tail pipe. I knew what it was.. I checked the level of my radiator and I couldn't even see the water level, yet no coolant had escaped from the van.

Blew the engine on the first joy ride, unbelievable.
I'm about 99% certain that I have done everything correctly with this rebuild, so what, bad luck? figures...

This project is finished for awhile. I'll have to save up enough money to get my van shipped to Colorado before I can work on it again. Big thanks for everyone that stuck with me this far and for all the help and support you guys have given me.

Sat Mar 27, 2010 12:21 pm

Man... I feel your pain. I havent ever taken the 'rebuild' as far as you have, but I'm on my 3rd svx motor right now, and its dead too. I'm waiting to buy a house before I get a new motor, and do some body work at the same time(not that I know how). This sounds nothing like what happened to your motor, but I WONT run a shortened oil pan. I blame that for the cause of all my motors, except my current one, which has a cracked block, and is pushing close to 200,000miles. I'm not sure your thoughts on the future of your project, but I am going with a jdm, its cheap and easy and hopefully good for a while. But man, after all this work, I dont think I could look at my van if I were you. I hope you have other transportation and other stuff to keep you occupied.

Sat Mar 27, 2010 12:28 pm

Hey thanks man. It's a bummer. I've been working a full time job and coming home to work on the van until I pass out everyday for about 5 months, I'm disappointed. I'm curious to find out what caused this but that will have to wait until another time.

As for now, I have a tent, guitar and my back country gear... and getting a rental car :lol:

Sat Mar 27, 2010 1:18 pm

Damn Justin that just sucks buddy. I'm feeling your pain bro. Don't know what to say, 'cause nothing is gonna make you feel any better. :(

Sat Mar 27, 2010 1:25 pm

I have had it happen a few times on different motors.
It really sucks.
Just move on and build up another with what you have to salvage.
It is the way of the machine.

dylan

Sat Mar 27, 2010 1:52 pm

I'm really sorry to hear that - I can feel your pain. My first engine rebuild went bang, too... except i had my wife in the van hundreds of miles from home. She still won't let me forget it 5 years later.

Step away from the project for a while and regroup with this fantastic attention to detail you've been putting into it.

-Damon

Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:03 pm

Oh man that sucks!

My guess is that you overheated the engine. Did you let the van run until the radiator was hot and the temp gauge was steady before you drove it? On theses conversions it is really tough to bleed all the air out of the cooling system and a big air pocket can cause rapid overheating and a cracked cylinder. Don't feel bad, this even happened to the late Warren Chapman, the original moderator of the Yahoo SubaruVanagon group. I hope this isn't the end of the story. We were all rooting for your success.

Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:41 pm

Thanks guys.

Overheating could be possible. But yes I bled the system thoroughly three times before I took it for a drive. I let it sit in the driveway until the radiator was up to operating temps and during the drive the temp gauge just barely moved up. It was a lot higher than the temp readings on the WBX, the needle was a needle's width above the LED light, but it was under 185F because the fans didn't kick on. And I made sure the fans were running properly before I left.

Definitely not the end, I'll finish this one way or the other. I have a syncro being shipped to my new job in CO so I'll still have a van to play with until I get the money to have mine shipped.

It sucks right now, but it is just a hunk of metal and lots of wasted money, not the end of the world... I'll be back.

Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:46 pm

Rubber Tramp wrote: not the end of the world... I'll be back.
Keep that attitude. You'll be in the right place soon enough. The mountains have a way of ridding one of bad juju.

Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:48 pm

Yeah you're right. The mountains will definitely set me straight again. I think I'll be heading up there next weekend. Still up for those beers? :wink:

Sat Mar 27, 2010 5:38 pm

Rubber Tramp wrote: Still up for those beers? :wink:
Hell yea! Several as a matter of fact.

Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:10 pm

Rubber Tramp wrote:

..... but it was under 185F because the fans didn't kick on.

Not to be harsh when you've just had a problem, but you really can't look at it that way.
It's VERY easy for the engine temp to be way different than what the sensor in the rad up front is reading.
I've had suby conversion systems with the engine temp reading 215 and yet the temp at the rad sensor still isn't high enough to trigger the fans.
This was with systems fully bled of air, but lacking enough direct input to the t-stat.
Until you're sure the system is sorted it's a good idea to keep an IR gun trained on the heads to make sure of the temps at the engine.
Hope you get this worked out..

Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:21 pm

I like the way you think zimzam haha. I'll get back to you soon man.

levi wrote:
It's VERY easy for the engine temp to be way different than what the sensor in the rad up front is reading.

The sensor is located right beside the engine in the water pipe.