Introduction, Thank you and Friendly PSA

[Burphy]

Greetings! Long time lurker, first time poster, wanted to pay it forward a bit since I have learned so much from this amazing community! First off, I am on my second Vanagon... "Second?!," you ask? "Must be nice to have 2 Vanagons!" Well, friends... a friendly public service announcement/reminder to ***CHANGE YOUR FUEL LINES NOW!!!!!*** (If you haven't in the last 5 yrs).
A little background on me and the fam and how we got the Vanagon bug...
My wife and I visited some of her family that lives in Oahu back in 2007, and rather than stay with relatives, we found a guy who rented Vanagons/Westys, so we did just that and instead of couches and/or hotels, got camp sites and traveled all over the island. One particular part of the deal sealer was waking up at a site on the North Shore, with the ocean breaking about 20 feet from us... We knew we had to have one of these amazing vehicles. Fast forward about 20 yrs (and 3 kids later)... stumbled on Vanagon on local CL, and seller put add in strange place, so didn't get a lot of immediate attention. Was a 1986 Vanagon Country Homes Camper, had a 1997 Jetta engine. I was first person to contact him, went and saw the Van in dead of upstate NY winter. Had cash in hand next day and drove it home. Spent countless hours and lots of dough getting it up to speed. Many great improvements and answers to my questions from searching this forum (from you good folks!). Took the Vanagon to local indy mechanic with excellent reputation in preparation for a road trip from Syracuse, NY to Acadia National Park in Maine, and requested NYS inspection and "to go through it and get it road worthy." Well, other than an oil change and a steering rack boot, the van was given a clean bill of health and we set off on our trip. We had a magical trip and Van performed flawlessly, without even a hiccup. After returning home, parked van and it sat for 5 days. Decided to drive out 30mins to see my folks, and en route, with my 3 kids strapped into their car seats on back bench seat, we smelled strong smell of gas and could see smoke coming from engine. We were able to get off highway and to a parking lot safely, but AAA couldn't get to us for a few hours, so we had a picnic dinner and I and the kids got a ride home from my sister's partner, while my wife and sister stayed to wait for AAA. The AAA guy was green and requested that my wife back the van up (start it up) so he could get it on the flatbed. My wife (wanting to take care of this and get back home) obliged and started the van, which quickly exploded and erupted in flames. She was able to sprint out of van to safety (the AAA guy was 100 yards away, hiding at this point). No one was hurt, but this scenario could have ended up deadly (rear engine van with kids in harnessed car seats sitting over engine only a few hours prior to explosion). I have attached pictures below to remind folks, CHANGE YOUR FUEL LINES NOW!!!

I was blessed to find our new van, "Azul," from a samba member last year, shortly after this incident. This gentleman took outstanding care of this van, with many upgrades, and he was not looking to make a quick $, but rather pass this van onto another family that would enjoy it as much as he and his family did.
Azul is a 1990 full Westfalia camper, 2wd, 4 speed manual with 1994 Subaru Legacy EJ 22 engine, 16 inch wheels with small car performance Audi big disc brakes around. I have replaced all of the fuel lines, and I just replaced the clutch master and slave cylinders (master was leaking a bit and slave boot was torn, so I figured to be safe...) and bled system, with nice, smooth shifting. All of this, as well as the many upgrades to old van (ex: aux battery set up) and to our new van (jack bombay pop top shocks, new tent, artificial rain gutters with Thule feet and roof top box set up) are in no small part due to this great forum/community... Standing on the shoulders of Giants! Thank you to all who take the time to post to this forum to help out hacks like me to be able to do the amazing things you all do with your vans and to get them road worthy!

We have another road trip planned in one week form Syracuse, NY to Outer banks in NC, to Asheville, to Philly, then up to southern Maine. My to do list for tonight: repair E brake (rod snapped at equalizer, and VW club of Central NY capt and Samba member extraordinaire, DANfromSYR has been too good to me with another outstandingly helpful repair plan to splint the existing rod with new threaded rod and secure with cable clamps, new lock nuts), attach artificial rain gutters and build the front hanging cot! I still have a week before trip (while working full time)...

I am sure I will have more questions in the near future, and appreciate you all in advance for your help. Maybe I will see some of you out on the road this summer...

TLDR: CHANGE YOUR FUEL LINES NOW!!!! (AND EVERY 5 YEARS, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY)..
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[4Gears4Tires]

The blue one is a much nicer looking van. I hope AAA paid for the other one. I've had a car burn down too. Replacing fuel lines is not hard and it's very necessary for long term durability. It is not fun watching your project go up in flames. I'm glad no one was hurt.
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'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition

[dobryan]

I feel for you! I lost my westy in 2008 to an engine fire. I had totally rebuilt it, new fuel lines too, and shit happens.

I am a lifer so of course I bought some more and am living my dream.

I hope you are too.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[Steve M.]

geez...that just sucks. Glad it's working out okay for you and the family.
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This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[Alaskaberrys]

Great story! (other than the scary bad burning van bit - glad no one was hurt!). The great part is that you guys still love vanagons.

Shit indeed happens - and may happen a tad more frequently to vanagon owners (or any antique collector that actually uses their antiques!) - but learning from that and still enjoying a great camping vehicle makes me smile (and reminds me the fuel lines are due to be changed… PSA acknowledged! )
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'91 Westfalia, Bordeaux Red Pearl 2.1L 2wd Auto
'91 T3 Syncro Doka, Escorial Green 1.9L TD AAZ “Gremian” (to provoke, irritate, exasperate, vex...)

[Abscate]

I had an incident with my New Beetle in Buffalo earlier this year and got a flat tow to Waterloo, Select Auto

They had two vanagon in for service and a decent OldVW guru in the shop, talked with him for a bit

It’s getting pretty bleak herein upstate. Andrew Flint is the only guy good near me, in Albany area.
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.ssS!

[Burphy]

Thanks, guys. Indeed, I realize that a multitude of bad shit can happen with these vehicles at any given moment, regardless of all of the care and attention paid to them on a regular basis (well into the night...)- but, with that said, Vanagons F'ing rule! Glad to be part of this community. Abscate, I recall a post from a guy from CO who was traveling through Upstate, NY and had his clutch crap out. He ended up seeing a mechanic that now works at Select Euro Cars in Waterloo, a fellow who was on the samba and was able to assist. I plan to take my Van there in the event of major work required. thanks for the tip.

[danfromsyr]

I'm not sure vinnie is old enough to be referred to as a 'old guru'

I'm glad your keeping your spirits up and persevering through such a frightening event.
I'm also surprised that a tiico swapped van caught fire, not that it can't happen. it certainly can. but that swap has significantly less connections that can pose a risk.

and that finding your 'pheonix' is a sort of kismet moment. right van, right OP right time.

hope to catch ya around the CNY block sometime again.

Dan

[Zeitgeist 13]

Change your fuel lines AND convert to diesel. Problem solved.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[Abscate]