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Message |
cmyoch
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2017
Posts: 83
Location: Smithton, IL
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 Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2025 5:04 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| do.dah wrote: |
Original vanagon rear brake cylinders have springs inside them, to push the pistons outward. If you still have those, you'll want to try and save/rebuild them.
There are a few threads here about rear brake cylinders. |
I'll make a note of this when we tackle the brake system.
_________________
1974 Super Beetle (Factory Sunroof)
1974 Super Beetle Convertible
1984 Vanagon GL (Factory Sunroof)
Jack of all trades. Master of none! |
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do.dah
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2015
Posts: 864
Location: Washington
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| Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2025 12:15 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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Original vanagon rear brake cylinders have springs inside them, to push the pistons outward. If you still have those, you'll want to try and save/rebuild them.
There are a few threads here about rear brake cylinders. |
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jlrftype7
Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2018
Posts: 4779
Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2025 11:36 am Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| cmyoch wrote: |
| bobbyblack wrote: |
I thought about the brakes issue a while, and can offer this advice: get the full hard line kit and soft lines too. Get new rear cylinders, at the very least for the back end. The whole kit of rear brakes parts would be a better plan. It is possible to rebuild the front calipers, sometimes the older ones are not available or are so expensive, you'll poop. Anyway, rebuilding them is not complicated, it just takes time. Get them off and soaking in your favorite rust buster, like Kroil, or Liquid Wrench, or your own favorite. DON'T even try to put a wrench on the bleeders until you have soaked them for at least a month. While bathing them, find the rebuild kit, and as often as they are available, they are also out of stock, so get on the order ASAP. Reminds me, order new bleeder valves, they are not all that expensive, and you will most likely break the ones in the calipers, and have to carefully drill (left handed drill bits) then pick out the remaining threads when you get close. Then chase or tap to clean them up. Your Master Cylinder will also be shot. While it is possible to rebuild one of those too, it is far less expensive to purchase a new one (and a spare).
Oh, I don't know if you've heard, but the tintop with a sunroof is pretty desirable, there weren't all that many sold in the first place, and too many have been recycled.
Expect EVERY fastener to fight you, use plenty of your favorite penetrating fluid, start right away, and hit them all a few times over a couple weeks.
I absolutely LOVE that you are going to make this a family endeavor. My three kids, well, now they are young adults, have loved wrenching with me on our fleet. Its been an excellent thing to engage them in, and I feel so much better when they take one of ours on weeks long trips.
Just one more thing tho. Compression testing on a cold engine can show vastly different numbers than on a warm one.
Hope things go well, cheers!!
-bobby |
Thank you for the suggestion. I am now agreeing that not knowing what I'll be tackling when I get into the brakes, I'm better off just biting the bullet and rebuild the entire system. The frame and floor pans look really solid underneath but other small items look pretty rusty. I'm guessing the hard lines are in the "pretty rusty" camp which is why one of them blew. I'll order new master cylinders. Is the clutch hydraulic and on it's own system as well? I'm not sure which system I'll tackle first after verifying we have a running engine. Thanks for the reminder to hit all fasteners with penetrating oil starting now. I'm guaranteed to break one or many and I'm glad to know I'm not alone. |
Yes, clutch is Hydraulic, unlike the previous Air Cooled Models. Ties into the Brake Fluid Reservoir for Fluid.
So, once you repair the Brake System, and get it full of fresh fluid, then bleed /flush the Clutch System to renew its fluid.
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto |
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cmyoch
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2017
Posts: 83
Location: Smithton, IL
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 10:12 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| jlrftype7 wrote: |
| cmyoch wrote: |
| jimf909 wrote: |
That's a good looking van!
1984 was pre-clear coat so that paint will buff out nicely if you need a diversion from the safety work that needs to be at the top of the priority list.
AutoVentures in Wisconsin Dells is localish and may be a good Vanagon resource for you at some point. They do focus on Subie conversions so ignore that part of their business if you're sticking with the wbx.
That driver's seat has a very odd wear pattern. I wonder if a pup co-piloted from that position. Seat covers, reupholstering or replacement seats (Vanagon, Euorvan, Chrysler Town and Country, etc.) are options.
Never put passenger tires on a Vanagon, only tires with a load rating that meets specs. Handling suffers greatly with passenger car tires.
Have fun! |
We're in Illinois but the family that owned it was originally in Wisconsin. I wondered about the tear in the seat as well. Thanks for mentioning the tires. I didn't think yet about load rating for handling. |
Years ago there used to be some VW salvage yards in the St Louis MO area and surrounding areas, but they're probably long gone.
The little module you wondered about is probably exactly as E1 suggested, the Idle Stabilization Module, designed to use Timing of the Engine to control Idle speed. You can have the connectors plugged into each other that go to it, and the Vanagon should still start and run , since that's how you set the Timing on the engine, bypassing the Module, then plugging it back in once you're set on Timing.
Loss of Spark, Hall effect unit inside the Distributor, connector or wires for it as well.
Kind of rare to lose the Ign Coil on the Earlier Digijet Vans, but yours can be tested with a Multi-Meter regardless.
Ignition switches go bad, so you can start with checking you HAVE power to the Coil, Terminal 15 on the Coil, with the Key ON. No power to the coil?
Buy a Bentley Manual or use the Technical Pull Down Menu at the Top Right of the Samba page to scroll to your '84/'85 Wiring Diagram.
Ground points that are critical on your engine , besides the main engine ground at the nose of your transmission- more on that later
On Top of the Drivers Cyl head, you should see a mass of Brown wires bolted to the head- harder to see if the A/C compressor is installed, but there, regardless. Usually a wire, or braided cable comes off this connection point and goes over to under the Ign Coil. Both bolted connections need to be corrosion free.
Sometimes it's easier to sand a little paint off around the threads of the body nut/sheet metal under the coil, getting to bare metal , and make that carry your grounding, versus relying on the rusted threads of the stock body nut to still work.
Welcome to the Samba.....  |
This is fantastic. I appreciate the guide to get me started. The PO told me there were no fuel delivery issues and the cooling system was addressed. He firmly believes the no start issue is electrical. I'm hoping this will be a fairly easy fix.
_________________
1974 Super Beetle (Factory Sunroof)
1974 Super Beetle Convertible
1984 Vanagon GL (Factory Sunroof)
Jack of all trades. Master of none! |
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cmyoch
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2017
Posts: 83
Location: Smithton, IL
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 10:01 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| bobbyblack wrote: |
I thought about the brakes issue a while, and can offer this advice: get the full hard line kit and soft lines too. Get new rear cylinders, at the very least for the back end. The whole kit of rear brakes parts would be a better plan. It is possible to rebuild the front calipers, sometimes the older ones are not available or are so expensive, you'll poop. Anyway, rebuilding them is not complicated, it just takes time. Get them off and soaking in your favorite rust buster, like Kroil, or Liquid Wrench, or your own favorite. DON'T even try to put a wrench on the bleeders until you have soaked them for at least a month. While bathing them, find the rebuild kit, and as often as they are available, they are also out of stock, so get on the order ASAP. Reminds me, order new bleeder valves, they are not all that expensive, and you will most likely break the ones in the calipers, and have to carefully drill (left handed drill bits) then pick out the remaining threads when you get close. Then chase or tap to clean them up. Your Master Cylinder will also be shot. While it is possible to rebuild one of those too, it is far less expensive to purchase a new one (and a spare).
Oh, I don't know if you've heard, but the tintop with a sunroof is pretty desirable, there weren't all that many sold in the first place, and too many have been recycled.
Expect EVERY fastener to fight you, use plenty of your favorite penetrating fluid, start right away, and hit them all a few times over a couple weeks.
I absolutely LOVE that you are going to make this a family endeavor. My three kids, well, now they are young adults, have loved wrenching with me on our fleet. Its been an excellent thing to engage them in, and I feel so much better when they take one of ours on weeks long trips.
Just one more thing tho. Compression testing on a cold engine can show vastly different numbers than on a warm one.
Hope things go well, cheers!!
-bobby |
Thank you for the suggestion. I am now agreeing that not knowing what I'll be tackling when I get into the brakes, I'm better off just biting the bullet and rebuild the entire system. The frame and floor pans look really solid underneath but other small items look pretty rusty. I'm guessing the hard lines are in the "pretty rusty" camp which is why one of them blew. I'll order new master cylinders. Is the clutch hydraulic and on it's own system as well? I'm not sure which system I'll tackle first after verifying we have a running engine. Thanks for the reminder to hit all fasteners with penetrating oil starting now. I'm guaranteed to break one or many and I'm glad to know I'm not alone.
_________________
1974 Super Beetle (Factory Sunroof)
1974 Super Beetle Convertible
1984 Vanagon GL (Factory Sunroof)
Jack of all trades. Master of none! |
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cmyoch
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2017
Posts: 83
Location: Smithton, IL
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 9:50 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| space wrote: |
"I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community!"
Be careful what you wish for 
Luckily theres a very good parts network for these vans
I would probably drop the tank, clean it or replace, change the hoses on top (as well as the other fuel lines) clean the Ground trees
Change coolant and trans fluid as well as oil change
T |
Turns out the fuel tank was replaced right before it was parked. Knowing I'd have to drop the tank to replace the brake lines, He gave me a set of seals for the top of the tank saying that the existing ones always tear when removing the fuel, return, and vent lines.
_________________
1974 Super Beetle (Factory Sunroof)
1974 Super Beetle Convertible
1984 Vanagon GL (Factory Sunroof)
Jack of all trades. Master of none! |
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jlrftype7
Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2018
Posts: 4779
Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 4:04 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| cmyoch wrote: |
| jimf909 wrote: |
That's a good looking van!
1984 was pre-clear coat so that paint will buff out nicely if you need a diversion from the safety work that needs to be at the top of the priority list.
AutoVentures in Wisconsin Dells is localish and may be a good Vanagon resource for you at some point. They do focus on Subie conversions so ignore that part of their business if you're sticking with the wbx.
That driver's seat has a very odd wear pattern. I wonder if a pup co-piloted from that position. Seat covers, reupholstering or replacement seats (Vanagon, Euorvan, Chrysler Town and Country, etc.) are options.
Never put passenger tires on a Vanagon, only tires with a load rating that meets specs. Handling suffers greatly with passenger car tires.
Have fun! |
We're in Illinois but the family that owned it was originally in Wisconsin. I wondered about the tear in the seat as well. Thanks for mentioning the tires. I didn't think yet about load rating for handling. |
Years ago there used to be some VW salvage yards in the St Louis MO area and surrounding areas, but they're probably long gone.
The little module you wondered about is probably exactly as E1 suggested, the Idle Stabilization Module, designed to use Timing of the Engine to control Idle speed. You can have the connectors plugged into each other that go to it, and the Vanagon should still start and run , since that's how you set the Timing on the engine, bypassing the Module, then plugging it back in once you're set on Timing.
Loss of Spark, Hall effect unit inside the Distributor, connector or wires for it as well.
Kind of rare to lose the Ign Coil on the Earlier Digijet Vans, but yours can be tested with a Multi-Meter regardless.
Ignition switches go bad, so you can start with checking you HAVE power to the Coil, Terminal 15 on the Coil, with the Key ON. No power to the coil?
Buy a Bentley Manual or use the Technical Pull Down Menu at the Top Right of the Samba page to scroll to your '84/'85 Wiring Diagram.
Ground points that are critical on your engine , besides the main engine ground at the nose of your transmission- more on that later
On Top of the Drivers Cyl head, you should see a mass of Brown wires bolted to the head- harder to see if the A/C compressor is installed, but there, regardless. Usually a wire, or braided cable comes off this connection point and goes over to under the Ign Coil. Both bolted connections need to be corrosion free.
Sometimes it's easier to sand a little paint off around the threads of the body nut/sheet metal under the coil, getting to bare metal , and make that carry your grounding, versus relying on the rusted threads of the stock body nut to still work.
Welcome to the Samba.....
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 8779
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 3:08 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| cmyoch wrote: |
| E1 wrote: |
Oh My Gods, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE???
Welcome to the Busylum, where being sane is a massive disadvantage.
Digijet was used through the 1985 model year, Digifant after and through 1992 (they were only imported to here through 1991).
While many if not most new owners choose a more-maintained van, perhaps you’ve done you and your son right here. It’s typical otherwise to replace stuff as necessary, whereas your learning curve — though steep — will have you summiting much earlier… and it’ll be a great bonding adventure in offering deep experience.
All meaning, COOL and WELCOME!
PM me anytime I can help. |
The PO kept mentioning Digijet. I need to research what I really have in our possession. We are a glutton for punishment with older vehicles that we have to learn the hard way. BUT, this is also our education moving forward. |
Sorry if I confused… Yes, Digijet indeed came on ‘84 vans and is almost certainly what’s on yours. Pretty rare that it’s been swapped to Digifant, unless it’s been converted to a 2.1 engine — and rare even then.
A clue is it having a square air filter box — which you have. Another is it having an idle stabilizer on driver’s side firewall, in green (stock), gray (not sure), or black (aftermarket). The Bentley will show what that looks like.
_________________
If ever twice as rich, we’re gettin’ a double-wide
’84 “Westfailure”/2.1 Digijet/5.43 Ring & Pinion/Peloquin/D-rated BFG KO2s
AI has spoken to further illiteracy, to steal, to cheat, and to replace humans
The caveman’s first question to the headhunter: “Hey, you got any coffee?” |
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bobbyblack 
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4699
Location: United States, Iowa
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 2:08 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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I thought about the brakes issue a while, and can offer this advice: get the full hard line kit and soft lines too. Get new rear cylinders, at the very least for the back end. The whole kit of rear brakes parts would be a better plan. It is possible to rebuild the front calipers, sometimes the older ones are not available or are so expensive, you'll poop. Anyway, rebuilding them is not complicated, it just takes time. Get them off and soaking in your favorite rust buster, like Kroil, or Liquid Wrench, or your own favorite. DON'T even try to put a wrench on the bleeders until you have soaked them for at least a month. While bathing them, find the rebuild kit, and as often as they are available, they are also out of stock, so get on the order ASAP. Reminds me, order new bleeder valves, they are not all that expensive, and you will most likely break the ones in the calipers, and have to carefully drill (left handed drill bits) then pick out the remaining threads when you get close. Then chase or tap to clean them up. Your Master Cylinder will also be shot. While it is possible to rebuild one of those too, it is far less expensive to purchase a new one (and a spare).
Oh, I don't know if you've heard, but the tintop with a sunroof is pretty desirable, there weren't all that many sold in the first place, and too many have been recycled.
Expect EVERY fastener to fight you, use plenty of your favorite penetrating fluid, start right away, and hit them all a few times over a couple weeks.
I absolutely LOVE that you are going to make this a family endeavor. My three kids, well, now they are young adults, have loved wrenching with me on our fleet. Its been an excellent thing to engage them in, and I feel so much better when they take one of ours on weeks long trips.
Just one more thing tho. Compression testing on a cold engine can show vastly different numbers than on a warm one.
Hope things go well, cheers!!
-bobby
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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space
Samba Member
Joined: November 19, 2017
Posts: 828
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 1:49 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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"I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community!"
Be careful what you wish for
Luckily theres a very good parts network for these vans
I would probably drop the tank, clean it or replace, change the hoses on top (as well as the other fuel lines) clean the Ground trees
Change coolant and trans fluid as well as oil change
T
_________________
82 westy
w:
2.5 JDM Subie
Rear discs |
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vanagonjr
Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010
Posts: 3676
Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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cmyoch
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2017
Posts: 83
Location: Smithton, IL
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| jimf909 wrote: |
That's a good looking van!
1984 was pre-clear coat so that paint will buff out nicely if you need a diversion from the safety work that needs to be at the top of the priority list.
AutoVentures in Wisconsin Dells is localish and may be a good Vanagon resource for you at some point. They do focus on Subie conversions so ignore that part of their business if you're sticking with the wbx.
That driver's seat has a very odd wear pattern. I wonder if a pup co-piloted from that position. Seat covers, reupholstering or replacement seats (Vanagon, Euorvan, Chrysler Town and Country, etc.) are options.
Never put passenger tires on a Vanagon, only tires with a load rating that meets specs. Handling suffers greatly with passenger car tires.
Have fun! |
We're in Illinois but the family that owned it was originally in Wisconsin. I wondered about the tear in the seat as well. Thanks for mentioning the tires. I didn't think yet about load rating for handling.
_________________
1974 Super Beetle (Factory Sunroof)
1974 Super Beetle Convertible
1984 Vanagon GL (Factory Sunroof)
Jack of all trades. Master of none! |
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jimf909
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 8266
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 1:28 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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That's a good looking van!
1984 was pre-clear coat so that paint will buff out nicely if you need a diversion from the safety work that needs to be at the top of the priority list.
AutoVentures in Wisconsin Dells is localish and may be a good Vanagon resource for you at some point. They do focus on Subie conversions so ignore that part of their business if you're sticking with the wbx.
That driver's seat has a very odd wear pattern. I wonder if a pup co-piloted from that position. Seat covers, reupholstering or replacement seats (Vanagon, Euorvan, Chrysler Town and Country, etc.) are options.
Never put passenger tires on a Vanagon, only tires with a load rating that meets specs. Handling suffers greatly with passenger car tires.
Have fun!
_________________
- Jim
| Butcher wrote: |
| This is the main fault with DIY'ers, they get together on these forums and pat themselves on their backs spreading bad information. |
Guilty as charged.
Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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cmyoch
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2017
Posts: 83
Location: Smithton, IL
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 1:23 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| bobbyblack wrote: |
From the engine bay pic, I can say it has the 1.9 coolant system. That does NOT mean the engine block is a 1.9, since you CAN get a 2.1 block into the mix, just ask E1!!
I would also assume, that the other words used in context would indeed have you looking at Digijet,
Here's a link to get you started (from the FAQ's)
https://www.loam.org/vw/Vanagon/VanagonProTraining/FuelSystems/
The other mentionalbe I have is one similar to my own experience; how does a break in a rear brakes line cause front brakes to fail? I just don't understand it, but I have the opposite, my '86 tintop blew a front hard line, and there are no hydraulic brakes. It confuses me, since there are supposed to be failsafes that keep that from happening.
I do have an early T3, an 83.5 so I have a rough idea about the layout. I have never even tried to fire it up, and really don't want to until I have the time and resources, and all my other T3's and KG and Notch up and running. So, that will put me in my 70's at least...
The "Module" you are referencing could be the "computer" or ECU, or it could be a relay. E1 will know that much better than me, but I can snap photos of mine if you need, too.
As others have said, Welcome! We are glad you are here, and we are here to offer help (or at least try to keep you from going entirely the wrong way, if we can)
-bobby |
You're right, I will not know what I have until I dig in and verify. I'm solely going off the PO's information. As for the brakes, the PO said the line was broke and all the fluid drained. I didn't think to ask how the brake system is set up. If it blew out over the fuel tank, that would be front brakes only? It could also be that since it sat so long, the rears bled down as well? I have no clue.
The module is not the ECU because I looked up what one would cost if I had to replace and I know by the images I saw, that was not what was mentioned. I'll snap a picture and attach it later.
_________________
1974 Super Beetle (Factory Sunroof)
1974 Super Beetle Convertible
1984 Vanagon GL (Factory Sunroof)
Jack of all trades. Master of none! |
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cmyoch
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2017
Posts: 83
Location: Smithton, IL
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 1:15 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| 16CVs wrote: |
Crusty and irritable, did someone call my name? Welcome to the madness!
There is a lot of knowledge in these forums. Rarely does something come up that has not been seen and answered 20 times.
Learn to use the FAQ's They are easy to use and always lots of good reading. If you have a question after reading about your subject then post it to that thread and then it will come to the top and it will be responded to.
Good luck, coming in as Vanagon newby with a VW background is great. You're starting with the best WBX engine there is.
With a van of that age and description, I'd have a serious look at the fuel lines and any plastic in the cooling system. The hoses seem to last forever, but the plastic ages and cracks and leaves you walking.
Stacy |
Yes, I plan on spending some time in the FAQs to get more familiar. Since it has sat for so long, fuel lines, grounds, connectors, wires, etc. will all get looked over.
_________________
1974 Super Beetle (Factory Sunroof)
1974 Super Beetle Convertible
1984 Vanagon GL (Factory Sunroof)
Jack of all trades. Master of none! |
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cmyoch
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2017
Posts: 83
Location: Smithton, IL
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 1:13 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| Crooked Designer wrote: |
Congrats on the van. Looks cool. Might be worth calling around to the van shops in WI to figure out who worked on it last. Might give you a good record of what was done.
Also, be sure to check out the Essentials FAQ thread and yes, the Bentley has been mega helpful. |
I was quick enough to jot down the name of the shop in Sheboygan Falls, WI. I figured I would call at some point.
_________________
1974 Super Beetle (Factory Sunroof)
1974 Super Beetle Convertible
1984 Vanagon GL (Factory Sunroof)
Jack of all trades. Master of none! |
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cmyoch
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2017
Posts: 83
Location: Smithton, IL
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 1:11 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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| E1 wrote: |
Oh My Gods, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE???
Welcome to the Busylum, where being sane is a massive disadvantage.
Digijet was used through the 1985 model year, Digifant after and through 1992 (they were only imported to here through 1991).
While many if not most new owners choose a more-maintained van, perhaps you’ve done you and your son right here. It’s typical otherwise to replace stuff as necessary, whereas your learning curve — though steep — will have you summiting much earlier… and it’ll be a great bonding adventure in offering deep experience.
All meaning, COOL and WELCOME!
PM me anytime I can help. |
The PO kept mentioning Digijet. I need to research what I really have in our possession. We are a glutton for punishment with older vehicles that we have to learn the hard way. BUT, this is also our education moving forward.
_________________
1974 Super Beetle (Factory Sunroof)
1974 Super Beetle Convertible
1984 Vanagon GL (Factory Sunroof)
Jack of all trades. Master of none! |
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| Back to top |
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RicMcK
Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2023
Posts: 285
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 1:08 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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Check and or replace all the fuel lines (engine bay first)!!! Failed fuel line (s) is/are a major cause of dead for vanagons' and the same vintage VW's (goes up in flames), next to loosing coolant. Most annoying thing is dirty electrical grounds.
Remember it's a 40 YO vehicle and they need some TLC. 
Welcome to the club
_________________
Rick McK
Seattle
89 Westfalia-2.2L WBX "VINNY"
2006 TDI Jetta
1936 Ford Pick up
70 tin top, 700k mi when sold in 91
58 split window bug - (first car) long gone. |
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 8603
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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Oh, man. Flashback to 4th grade. I will never forget the lucky day I got to ride shotgun in Mrs. Adams' (teacher) brand new two-tone blue Vanagon on a field trip... same interior as yours too (hers had the full wheel covers, though). She drove it for over a decade, but, sadly, didn't really take care of it after the "newness" wore off... based on how it looked the last time I ever saw it, it probably ended up in a SoCal junkyard.
Anyway, congrats! Let the headaches fun begin! 
_________________
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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bobbyblack
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4699
Location: United States, Iowa
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 12:32 pm Post subject: Re: I'm Now Part Of The Vanagon Community! |
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From the engine bay pic, I can say it has the 1.9 coolant system. That does NOT mean the engine block is a 1.9, since you CAN get a 2.1 block into the mix, just ask E1!!
I would also assume, that the other words used in context would indeed have you looking at Digijet,
Here's a link to get you started (from the FAQ's)
https://www.loam.org/vw/Vanagon/VanagonProTraining/FuelSystems/
The other mentionalbe I have is one similar to my own experience; how does a break in a rear brakes line cause front brakes to fail? I just don't understand it, but I have the opposite, my '86 tintop blew a front hard line, and there are no hydraulic brakes. It confuses me, since there are supposed to be failsafes that keep that from happening.
I do have an early T3, an 83.5 so I have a rough idea about the layout. I have never even tried to fire it up, and really don't want to until I have the time and resources, and all my other T3's and KG and Notch up and running. So, that will put me in my 70's at least...
The "Module" you are referencing could be the "computer" or ECU, or it could be a relay. E1 will know that much better than me, but I can snap photos of mine if you need, too.
As others have said, Welcome! We are glad you are here, and we are here to offer help (or at least try to keep you from going entirely the wrong way, if we can)
-bobby
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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