TheSamba.com :: View topic - tencentlife/Vanistan engine install thread

Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:32 am

Due to an abundance of local interest, I have one suggestion:

Party idea: (ninja edit: more of an "open hatch")

Location: TBD, somewhere in Seattle

Time: soon

Purpose:
check out and discuss what from all reports is a great engine option.

engine builder invited but will probably be too busy answering incoming mail

Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:33 pm

ajdenette wrote: 10 cent does the spring loaded push rod tubes right off the bat because it makes torquing down the head easier because the push rods are not trying to be squeezed and messing with the torque.

If you had simply preceded this statement with "I think..." or "I believe that..." then I wouldn't feel like you were putting words in my mouth (I find that a little irritating). It's true that bringing the heads down is a snap if the tubes are going in later, but that's not sufficient reason to use them, it's not as if it's hard to do with stock tubes and they have no effect on the torque.

M. Strom requested the Jaycee telescopic tubes, it's offered as a customer option in my ad (correction: it was in the ad until recently, but it's still something customers can request). The engines get stock tubes otherwise.

I'd love to attend a post-install party but you know it ain't gonna happen (I mean my attending, not the party. Have fun without me if it does).

Hope the install and associated work go smoothly, Marius.

Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:35 pm

teej wrote: Due to an abundance of local interest, I have one suggestion:

Party idea: (ninja edit: more of an "open hatch")

Location: TBD, somewhere in Seattle

Time: soon

Purpose:
check out and discuss what from all reports is a great engine option.

engine builder invited but will probably be too busy answering incoming mail
Love this. I've been meaning to try to host a Seattle-area Vanagon rally/meetup, and this is probably a good chance. If anyone wants to help organize, PM me and we'll get this setup.

Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:56 pm

mariusstrom wrote: The tencentlife engine sitting in front of the old and tired waterboxer.

Now that's engine porn. Nice!

Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:27 pm

FNGRUVN wrote: Now that's engine porn. Nice!
Nah, engine porn will be when it's sitting in the van and running. That's coming in a few days. :)

Thu Sep 22, 2011 5:22 am

mariusstrom wrote: FNGRUVN wrote: Now that's engine porn. Nice!
Nah, engine porn will be when it's sitting in the van and running. That's coming in a few days. :)
I like naked engine porn 8)
( I even like the little blue pasties :oops: )

Thu Sep 22, 2011 5:59 am

yup, thats a waterboxer.

Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:16 am

Dude, that's a Vanistan waterboxer!

Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:35 am

yup, thats a Vanistan waterboxer.

:D

Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:33 am

dudes... beautiful ! ! !

I am very very close to order one but stop short because I lost my job....

oh well...

Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:47 am

That is a good looking motor and of course won't be good looking "only".... isn't that right Chris?

Thu Sep 22, 2011 1:22 pm

wow, that gorgeous 8)

heck, the one in the back don't look that dirty either :o

Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:38 pm

Well, got a voicemail from the mechanic this afternoon that sounded pretty ominous: "Give me a call, I've got some good news and bad news."

I gave him a ring, and he explained that the new engine was dripping oil after filling it up (before priming the pump). I gave tencentlife a call and left probably the most confusing voicemail ever, and drove up to the mechanic.

Upon arriving, it turned out that one of the pushrod tube seals had been pinched a little bit. This was complicated by the fact that we chose to put the pushtube cover tin on, and the WBX-aust sits pretty tight up in that area... we didn't want to drop the exhaust to get to the seal. Chris gave me a call back, we talked through some options - and decided to pop the valve cover and push the pushrod tube from inside the head. We did, and the seal popped right back into place, and killed the oil drip. Glad this was all.

The mechanic was productive - he put the engine back in, replaced most everything in the cooling system, pressure tested it, and was putting the new gas tank in when I arrived.

Here's the new engine installed (I really need to bring a better camera up there to take a proper photo):

The mechanic had a new borescope camera, and so we looked inside the old tank. Suffice to say that I'm very happy with my choice to replace it. I looked at the old tank sitting off to the side, and now I can clearly see why I smelled fuel every fillup:

Pretty bad stuff. The mechanic will button up the fuel system install and bleed the cooling system in the morning. I'll head up there late morning and we'll prime the oil system and crank the engine for the first time to get the camshaft work-hardened and then go for a spin to get the piston rings seated. Hopefully the rest goes as well as the install has so far.

Chris, thanks for returning my call so quick today!

Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:42 pm

Oh, and more humor on this install...

My mechanic installed the tencentlife oil cooler kit earlier in the day while I wasn't around. He fished out the old air intake line in the D-pillar, and noticed it seemed.. odd. Part of the old line had completely destroyed itself, plugging the line, causing the rest of it to collapse in on itself.

I took this photo 4 days after I bought the bus 1.5 years ago, and now it's explained:

I'm amazed at how hard the air intake on the bus must have been working, cause not much air was getting in through the usual channels...

Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:07 pm

bluefirefly wrote: That is a good looking motor and of course won't be good looking "only".... isn't that right Chris?

I try to make them just as pretty on the inside.

Marius, I felt pretty sure that seal would just pop into place, they usually do. Glad you guys were able to compress the tube thru the rocker box. Sounds like you've read the instructions too.

Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:38 pm

tencentlife wrote: Sounds like you've read the instructions too.

Many, many times. :)

Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:53 pm

Can I assume that the blue hoses crossing over the engine are for the oil cooler?

Hans

Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:04 pm

hdenter wrote: Can I assume that the blue hoses crossing over the engine are for the oil cooler?
Correct. I'll get better pictures tomorrow of all the components. Might even bring gear to take a video tour of the entire system.

Fri Sep 23, 2011 1:12 pm

Fri Sep 23, 2011 1:17 pm

This engine only gets sweeter! The S/S tuned exhaust sounds even better. No complaint so far, heading up I-70 this weekend, the eisenhower tunnel haul will be my longest uphill battle so far! Stoked!