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adv rider
Samba Member
Joined: September 09, 2012
Posts: 288
Location: Everett,wa
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 Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2014 11:53 pm Post subject: Ownership history |
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I have been wondering if there is any good, reliable way to find the history on my vanagon.
such as: how many owners, is it an original poptop- some welded sections look suspect to me, Has my trans eve been rebuilt/ upgraded ?
And my most important ? at the moment- what engine # am I on? #2,#3 ?
Changing oil today, I could clearly see copper/brass sparkling in bottom of oil drain pan. My odo read 300,900, and engine has Canadian reman sticker. but I would like to know at what mileage was it replaced.
I figure the engine could have from 100,000-200,000 miles. She runs strong, quiet. But that's what scares me.
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86' Wolfsburg weekender 2.1, 4spd, , merian brown |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 12:34 am Post subject: Re: Ownership history |
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| adv rider wrote: |
I have been wondering if there is any good, reliable way to find the history on my vanagon.
such as: how many owners, is it an original poptop- some welded sections look suspect to me, Has my trans eve been rebuilt/ upgraded ?
And my most important ? at the moment- what engine # am I on? #2,#3 ?
Changing oil today, I could clearly see copper/brass sparkling in bottom of oil drain pan. My odo read 300,900, and engine has Canadian reman sticker. but I would like to know at what mileage was it replaced.
I figure the engine could have from 100,000-200,000 miles. She runs strong, quiet. But that's what scares me. |
If you were actually seeing flakes of copper and brass in the oil it is a good bet you wouldn't have a quiet running engine that makes normal oil pressure.
If you have good oil pressure and your compression is in spec, don't worry too much about the condition of your engine, just go out there and put some miles on it. |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32633
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 9810
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:37 am Post subject: |
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Your best hope, possibly only hope, is to talk to the person you got the van from and ask them who they got it from. Repeat as needed until you trace the history or lose the thread.
On one of my old cars I went back 40 years before I got to a long-gone used car lot - end of trail.
As for the 'gold dust' in the oil -- some very fine particles are not too worrisome though I would think this would be more common on the transaxle oil change than an engine oil change. |
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Vanagon Nut
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Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10379
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:15 am Post subject: |
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I'd wondered the same thing about my "low miles" '88. Canadian equivalent of Carfax yielded no useful info. Same for emissions history since vehicle was in areas that didn't require emissions testing. Have you done Carfax or emissions history check? Emissions may have noted mileage.
Check the heads. On mine, one appears to have been changed. It's a different brand than other head. Given the leaks at transmission, I have to wonder if the entire drivetrain was changed. But then seals age with time.
I guess I'm saying that there's lots of factors involved. eg I've changed the speedometer in my '81 3x's.
The Canadian reman programme has had a checkered past. Search VWoC here. Or VW of Canada.
Neil.
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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
VE7TBN |
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seventyfo
Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2007
Posts: 916
Location: Ocoee FL
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| Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:16 am Post subject: |
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Sometimes you're better off not knowing the history. I bought my van from a lifelong VW mechanic who got the van from the second owner. It sat at his place for 6 years before I bought it. Some time after I had it running and driving I called him about some issue which I don't recall now. He related that the folks he got the van from could have done a better job maintaining the van, and also that they were "naturists" who spent most of the time living out of the van at the local nudist colony/ranch/whatever  ! When I told my wife about it she said " So that's why the thing smells like ass". I gave it a good scrubbing after I first got it, and have since given it another thorough cleaning 
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85 Vanagon GL Westy GW 2.2 (Rebuilt by YT)
"I don't know you well enough to care about your comments". Watkins Cravey |
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adv rider
Samba Member
Joined: September 09, 2012
Posts: 288
Location: Everett,wa
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| Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Ahwahnee wrote: |
Your best hope, possibly only hope, is to talk to the person you got the van from and ask them who they got it from. Repeat as needed until you trace the history or lose the thread.
As for the 'gold dust' in the oil -- some very fine particles are not too worrisome though I would think this would be more common on the transaxle oil change than an engine oil change. |
That made me think about previous owner. I did not want to ask the shop that I bought van from- Long ugly story. But I just remembered that the shop never took van into their name, and signed the title with the previous owners name. Nice huh-REAL DIRT BALLS. So its time to dig out the bill of sale,and start making phone calls.
As far as compression last check was 130/140 for all of them. But... the oil buzzer would come on randomly, so I bought oil pressure guage. Disconnected sender,but never installed guage  But running great, I revver' up to 5k on most shifts, she gets 25-27 mpg on hiway, if I stay at 60mph.
Going on another trip this Friday loaded up with my dirtbike hanging off the back. Going to the DESERT 100 in Odessa,wa. I have road service if it comes down to it.
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86' Wolfsburg weekender 2.1, 4spd, , merian brown |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2014 3:39 am Post subject: |
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| adv rider wrote: |
As far as compression last check was 130/140 for all of them. But... the oil buzzer would come on randomly, so I bought oil pressure guage. Disconnected sender,but never installed guage |
Just be aware that low oil pressure at a hot idle is the only warning you will get of pending rod bolt failure, and that if you loose a rod you will likely end up with an unrebuildable core.  |
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boroko
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Joined: September 11, 2012
Posts: 326
Location: S.W. Michigan
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| Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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BTDT. Short of an oil pressure gauge, that is usually the only warning you will get...ie:after 15 or 20 minutes of running, you slow for a stop and get the buzzer and light at idle. Its time to park it.
That said, there are a few times when it involves the dual pressure oil senders going wonky, but don't count on it. General consensus is 10# per 1000 rpm to keep it alive.
A simple way to verify is to remove a sender and temporarily install a cheap gauge and check.
Bo
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'87 SyncroWesty: Smokey the Turtle, '85 SubiWesty: Chappie, '84 GTI, '86 GTI in full Rally trim,
previous: 2 Syncro tin tops, 2 Vanagons, 3 busses, 3 Ghias, 2 Jettas, a 411, a gas and a diesel Bunny and about 25 Beetles, one that only drove left. |
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