UPDATE - VANARU CONVERSION - IT's ALIVE!

[Steve M.]

You could try a wooden dowel or any long rod type of material- pipe, broom handle, etc. to make a stethoscope to listen to the engine.
Place one end in contact with the engine case at various points and cylinder heads and cup the other end in your hand letting the end stick through and put this in your ear.

You should be able to hear separate parts as they move like the rocker arms, tappets, main bearings or define the location of the knocking.
_________________
This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

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

[Ahwahnee]

[Steve M.]

[IdahoDoug]

Its actually a good safety item though for 4 bucks. As often as i have done it myself, poking one end of a wood dowel into a spinning machine with the other end pointed at your brain is unwise. It works better also. My two centavos...
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[DanHoug]

another technique that gives a different sound and is quite directional is to use a length of heater hose and put one end up to your ear. then 'sniff' around with the open end. it doesn't have the high noise floor of a stethoscope and can pinpoint certain noises. and if you hit a pulley, won't jam the screwdriver thru your skull.

-dan

[Steve M.]

[Abscate]

You can pull a brake hose of your neighbors car - its free...
_________________
.ssS!

[Navy_Flyer]

After sitting in my driveway since November, and staring at it every day hoping to drop the engine and get to the bottom of this, the real cold-spell hit us and hasn't let up. Here in central VA, we've had single-digit lows with wind-chill in the negative numbers..... so I rented a tow dolly and took it to my favorite mechs to diagnose in their warm, heated repair shop! Will report what is found (hopefully minor)... ok I can hope.

_________________
1987 Westfalia, Automatic. EJ25 VANARU Conversion

[Navy_Flyer]

Well Sambanista fans, not so good knews from my mechanic.... the engine is kaput... so... I have my spare engine ready to drop in, and we go around this circle one more time.... rebuilt engine in, old one out, start rebuild. Luckily it does not appear any damage done - I shut it down immediately upon the loud noise. We'll see once I get it cracked open.... for now, it's refresh with rebuilt and back on the road.
_________________
1987 Westfalia, Automatic. EJ25 VANARU Conversion

[Abscate]

We will have you on that number 2 wire in a jiffy.

If you Look over your front end , Call the ball joints


_________________
.ssS!

[johnnyjewel]

I'm late on this, but, in the last few months, I took my '86 to a mechanic with horrible clanking and knocking. I was sure the WBX was shot. Turns out it was a water pump. With the "dead" water pump in my hands, there was hardly any play, but it sure did clatter!
_________________
1986 Vanagon Westfalia Weekender
1958 MG Magnette
2017 Subaru Impreza Hatch

"Everybody matters or nobody matters." Hieronymus Bosch

[Navy_Flyer]

[IdahoDoug]

Ah, bummer. I have been in this exact loop - last year. Happily, I've been enjoying it immensely after getting it sorted out and upping my game on the rebuild. Keep us posted. Are you going to drop this engine, or the mechanic?
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Navy_Flyer]

[Navy_Flyer]

[Navy_Flyer]

IT'S ALIVE! Just got the call from my mechanic that he's got my rebuilt engine in, and it's running! He has to fix a couple of leaking head nuts, but other than that, it started right up. The rebuild was sitting 'dry' (no oil/fluids) in my outdoor shed for 2.5 years awaiting the 'call to duty', so me thinks that the soft (yellow) 'gasket' sealant that I used on the head nuts (provided in the gasket kit) probably just dried out. Hope that's all - but he's going to remove them all, reseal and re-torque. Hopefully, all fingers and toes crossed, I'll be driving by the end of the week...
_________________
1987 Westfalia, Automatic. EJ25 VANARU Conversion

[IdahoDoug]

Awesome! That's got to be pretty exciting. Heck, it's got me thinking of driving the van on errands later today just in your honor!!! The long distance fly-by..

Doug
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Navy_Flyer]

[Navy_Flyer]

Well, it WAS alive.... during the test run, thought the head nuts were leaking. It turns out they were not leaking and I had them torqued and sealed correctly. However upon further examination a hairline crack was discovered just above the intake port - on both heads. Mech says he's never seen that before, and never on both heads. Hmmmm.... small delay as we prep the heads from the bad engine to swap over to the good........ oh well, if it's not one thing, it's bound to be the other!
_________________
1987 Westfalia, Automatic. EJ25 VANARU Conversion

[IdahoDoug]

Weird. So the cracks were outboard of where the intakes bolt on? That is a strange place. At some point you should post up a pic of where these cracks are. Strange enough I've literally never heard of that location. Do you think there's a possibility the block was frozen in its past? I don't know why but blocks I've seen frozen (from a lifetime spent in northern climates) more often had cracks higher up vs the bottom. Maybe some physics quirk of lower pressure causing the top to freeze last and thus its expansion had nowhere to go? Dunno. (shrugs).

Bummer that's happening, man. It feels like deja vu to me. I absolutely cannot wait for the smile on your face video of you driving it again!!!!! You have such a great attitude (at least that's what comes across on the forum) in the face of adversity, you totally deserve to sport that smile - heh.

I think we veteran Samba types should put our heads together and come up with a roving "best attitude of the year" trophy and it should go to you first.

Doug
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader