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Captain Pike
Samba Member
Joined: December 30, 2003
Posts: 3432
Location: Talos IV, Piedmont Arizona
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 Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 4:32 am Post subject: Re: Broken down in Tennessee - looking for help |
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Pull the injector plug. Square ports drop seats. Look at the rockers to see. Then check the bay window forum for engine specific advice and/or a wrench who can help. Replacing the head is easy.
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LEARN TO SELF RESCUE
59 Panel bus, 1966 Single cab. 73' 181. 73 Westy. 91' H6 Vanagon 3.3L.
....Bad Sneakers.... |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 18578
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2025 2:37 pm Post subject: Re: Broken down in Tennessee - looking for help |
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| Captain Pike wrote: |
| Pull the injector plug. Square ports drop seats. Look at the rockers to see. Then check the bay window forum for engine specific advice and/or a wrench who can help. Replacing the head is easy. |
For a first timer I wouldn’t describe replacing the cylinder head on a 2.0 air cooled as easy. A lot of things need to go right. |
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AndyBees
Samba Member
Joined: January 31, 2008
Posts: 2579
Location: Southeast Kentucky
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2025 3:12 pm Post subject: Re: Broken down in Tennessee - looking for help |
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| MarkWard wrote: |
| Captain Pike wrote: |
| Pull the injector plug. Square ports drop seats. Look at the rockers to see. Then check the bay window forum for engine specific advice and/or a wrench who can help. Replacing the head is easy. |
For a first timer I wouldn’t describe replacing the cylinder head on a 2.0 air cooled as easy. A lot of things need to go right. |
Yes, I agree.
I hope the OP comes back provides an update.
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI, two trips to Alaska, 2014 & 16. 1989 Tin-top unmolested.
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine, seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. 1975 Bay hopeful. |
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swissarmychainsaw
Samba Member
Joined: March 02, 2019
Posts: 334
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2025 6:31 pm Post subject: Re: Broken down in Tennessee - looking for help |
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The big question to me is: do you have tools and mechanical skills to deal with this yourself.
I would assume that owning an aircooled vanagon you'd be a professional mechanic by now! 
But if not, I would: Rent a Uhaul truck and trailer and just drive it to a reputable mechanic on your way (or at your destination). Or you drop ALL that off at the mechanic and rent a mini-van to finish your vacation, giving the mechanic time to fix your van.
But I would 100% go to harbor freight and get two tools to complete the diagnosis:
1. https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=borescope -- this will allow you to look at the piston and see if it has a big hole in it or not.
2. https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=leakdown A leak down tester will tell you exactly where this cylinder is failing.
Intake, exhaust, rings.
Once you know this, you can make a smart decision about where to get it fixed.
Tabernac! |
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Abscate 
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 23600
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2025 6:43 pm Post subject: Re: Broken down in Tennessee - looking for help |
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You need a healthy checkbook on the road to deal with a major engine problem.
Uhaul back to base for repairs. Said checkbook is necessary, not sufficient, for mission success.
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AndyBees
Samba Member
Joined: January 31, 2008
Posts: 2579
Location: Southeast Kentucky
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2025 10:45 pm Post subject: Re: Broken down in Tennessee - looking for help |
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| Abscate wrote: |
You need a healthy checkbook on the road to deal with a major engine problem.
Uhaul back to base for repairs. Said checkbook is necessary, not sufficient, for mission success. |
Yes, sort of ..... depending on skills, available tools, parts, luck, etc.
Below is the only photo taken of me doing major 2.0 Air-cool Engine repairs in Delta Junction, Alaska, 1997. The engine burned a valve after the top compression ring broke and mostly came out in pieces. The 2nd ring was broke but in its groove. (As I may have mentioned previously, I was adding a lot of oil.) A local junk yard had all I needed including a new gasket kit. The owner of the wrecker allowed me to use his garage. Total cost, including two nights in one of his vacant apartments and tow, was less than $500. Yeah, I got away with a good deal. We finished the remaining three weeks of our road tripping vacation.
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI, two trips to Alaska, 2014 & 16. 1989 Tin-top unmolested.
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine, seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. 1975 Bay hopeful. |
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