| Author |
Message |
Papatruck
Samba Member
Joined: December 10, 2018
Posts: 18
Location: Mid Missouri
|
 Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 8:25 am Post subject: Just purchased ~ What to do first? |
 |
|
| Found an 81 vanagonL has been setting for 25 years. With 89000 miles. I have a fair amount of mechanical skill have always done most of the maintenance of my vehicles myself and have owned a couple of bugs in the past. But this is the first fuel injected vw. Had a 924 a while back but didn't get much into it plus it was nothing like this critter. Could someone get me started in the right direction so I don't make to many unnecessary any costly mistakes. I have not tried starting it yet but it does turn over. Thanks for any advice. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16504
Location: Brookeville, MD
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 8:59 am Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
You will get lots of advice.
I'd start with the fuel system. DO NOT TRY to start it until you have drained out all the old fuel and replaced it with at least 5 gallons of fresh fuel. If the old fuel is gummy you'll need to remove the tank and clean it out first. Replace the fuel filter. Replace the fuel hoses with proper rated lines. I'd also send out the injectors for cleaning.
Then give it a good tune up.
Change the oil and filter.
New starting battery.
Pull the power to the fuel pump and turn the engine over using the starter for 10 or 20 seconds to build oil pressure. Reconnect power to the fuel pump, cross your fingers, and see if it runs....
This may be overkill but you only get one chance for the first time to start it after sitting for 25 years.
And all this assumes the wiring has not been eaten by rodents.
Good luck and welcome to the samba. 
_________________
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 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Igeo
Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2018
Posts: 888
Location: Oakland, CA
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 9:02 am Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
edit---Just saw the above post- I was late in responding---
Others will add on, but I think it's safe to say that changing out all fuel lines and fuel filter would be high on the to do list. Do a Google seacrh for vanagon fuel line replacement.
Mine had water in the fuel tank. If it were me, I'd drain the tank via the line that feed the fuel filter, then pour a gallon or so of fresh gas through it. Then re-attach your fule line and put 4 gallons of fresh fuel in there before you try and start it.
Change the oil and filter, flush the hydraulic system (brakes and clutch) and change the plugs/cap/rotor and wires. Take your time-I had my new to me '87 up on 4 jack stands for 2 months while I checked all systems in my "spare" time.
_________________
1987 Westfalia 2.1 WBX Manual |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
leecat
Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2012
Posts: 773
Location: Regina
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:00 am Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
Nice find! Ditto on the above fuel system comments - my van too had been stored for almost 20 years, and I've had a lot of long-term-storage issues in bringing her back to life. My fuel tank still reeks like 50 year old paint stripper.
I'd really check the brake hoses for rot/squishiness - all my brake hoses were rotten, and every last bleed screw snapped right off. My calipers were rusty boat anchors and every steel brake-line-to-hose connection broke right off without a second thought, even with the 'proper' brake wrench and tons of pre-soaking with penetrator oil. The rubber on my wheel cylinders just crumbled. I ended up replacing my entire braking system front-to-back.
I've also had lots of issues with bad electrical connections due to storage - tail-light bulbs, headlight switch, high-beam switch...everything was full of cobwebs and mild corrosion inside and worked wonky or not at all, and needed a ton of electrical cleaner.
I'd hunt down all the ground wires all over too - all of mine were rusty as heck and covered in that blue/green corrosion.
Plus, of course, the obligatory mouse condos above the headliner.
You probably though also reap the benefits of lower mileage and long-term storage: No body rust and immaculate interior. I'd way rather be fixing grounds and replacing brake hoses instead of replacing the lower foot of metal all around the van.
Good luck and welcome to The Collective!! Sometimes I just sit in my van and brim with love for it - they really are like no other vehicle!!
OH!!! And pick up a Bentley manual, if you don't already have!!! Even an electronic copy if you must, until you get a paper one. Totally invaluable, especially for the wiring diagrams. Most other stuff you can puzzle out, but without wiring diagrams you're up the creek.
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
VicVan
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2015
Posts: 1845
Location: Vancouver Island, BC
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16504
Location: Brookeville, MD
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 11:07 am Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
Drain the coolant and check to see if there's any smoke left in the fuel system. Old rubber fuel system bits hide smoke. The ignition switch also hides smoke. Old vans hide lots of smoke.
_________________
Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Papatruck
Samba Member
Joined: December 10, 2018
Posts: 18
Location: Mid Missouri
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 11:13 am Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
| Thanks for the advice and so quick. I've though of some of the stuff but a lot I haven't thank you very much and also for the links and the mention of the Bently book I'll get one right away. Someone mentioned about the injectors is there a way of cleaning them myself or were should I send them to be cleaned. Again thanks alot. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
vanagonjr
Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010
Posts: 3431
Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16504
Location: Brookeville, MD
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 11:42 am Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
| Papatruck wrote: |
| Thanks for the advice and so quick. I've though of some of the stuff but a lot I haven't thank you very much and also for the links and the mention of the Bently book I'll get one right away. Someone mentioned about the injectors is there a way of cleaning them myself or were should I send them to be cleaned. Again thanks alot. |
The injectors are best sent out. It is not a matter of just cleaning. There are parts that are replaced and they are tested as well.
Here is an example of one good place, there are others as well.
https://www.witchhunter.com/injectorserv1.php
_________________
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 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jeffrey Lee
Samba Member
Joined: February 04, 2014
Posts: 1488
Location: Wisconsin
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 1:07 pm Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
When re-starting vehicles that have been parked for an extended time, after dumping the old fuel I like to install a generic, aftermarket, transparent fuel filter in the supply line immediately after the tank. This will pre-filter the fuel before it contaminates the rest of the system, and allow you to see whatever crud is in there. This pre-filter may quickly become plugged up, so buy a handful of them.
When you refill the tank with fresh fuel, use a fuel system cleaner like Berryman's.
Good luck, and welcome!
_________________
Camp Westfalia
Camping Tips • Newsletter • Cool Campervan Apparel
www.CampWestfalia.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
9.5isCanadian
Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2017
Posts: 465
Location: In your blind spot.
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 1:39 pm Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
11 replies and no one mentions (at least not that I saw)
THE
MOST
IMPORTANT
first step when inquiring about a freshly purchased family member.
Must post pictures so we can all relish in your new found joy.
I wanna look and say 'yeah that's pretty sweet' and remember my fist time.
That's all I have to add 'cause all the key suggestions have already been covered.
Good times ahead
_________________
9 1/2 - missing a few pieces.
1987 Getaway Hightop
1980 Sunroof Vanagon
2018 BMW R Nine T
2012 Golf tdi |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DanHoug
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2016
Posts: 4791
Location: Bemidji, MN
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 2:25 pm Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
| Jeffrey Lee wrote: |
When re-starting vehicles that have been parked for an extended time, after dumping the old fuel I like to install a generic, aftermarket, transparent fuel filter in the supply line immediately after the tank. This will pre-filter the fuel before it contaminates the rest of the system, and allow you to see whatever crud is in there. This pre-filter may quickly become plugged up, so buy a handful of them.
When you refill the tank with fresh fuel, use a fuel system cleaner like Berryman's.
Good luck, and welcome! |
with it sitting 25 years, the above is good advice. that suction line between the tank and the fuel pump is 1/2" so buy the appropriate filter.
depending on how full the tank was when it was parked, you could have minimal fuel sludge or a whole tank of goo. sniff the gas filler, if it smells strongly of varnish, you may need to consider a new fuel tank as it will be very difficult to clean.
do this... (and do it before firing up the fuel pump!!) remove the 1/2" line between the fuel tank outlet and the inlet to the pump. have a new section of line ready, doesn't need to be fuel injection pressure rated. see what condition the fuel is that comes out. it may be anything from a dark, foul smelling oil to absolutely nothing. if nothing, rock the van side to side and see if you hear any fuel in the tank, it could have sludged up the outlet. but a dry, rust free tank would be best case scenario.
were it me, i'd borrow the inspection camera from a FLAPS, NAPA usually has a loaner, and look down the fuel fill tube to see what the tank looks like.
_________________
-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.
'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd
Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Buggeee
Samba Member
Joined: December 22, 2016
Posts: 4419
Location: Stuck in Ohio
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 3:26 pm Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
The fuel lines, all of them, are always immediately recommended by everyone in this Vanagon world here because the fuel injection system is under very high pressure (like 65 pounds or something compared to the 3 pounds or something that our bugs have). Engine fires are the result of the old lines spraying out a mist when they fail. All of the old fuel lines will be brittle and will have cracks on the inside even if they look smooth on the outside. At least mine did, sitting for 12 years until it came home this summer.
The fuel line replacement kits are for the rubber hose parts of the system. There are also some runs of hard plastic lines in the system that are not included so don't cut those out thinking the rubber hose will reach it all, it doesn't (ask me how I know). Lucky for me, there is a hard plastic line kit as well, for only $25 bucks, from Go Westy.
As long as the tank is dropped, you might as well replace the rubber seals and vent grommets and rubber lines that are part of the fuel tank filling and venting system. Its a pain so you might as well get it all done while the tank is dropped. Otherwise when you fill up you may find gas pouring all over the ground. That's why mine got parked by the PO so long ago.
New tanks are cheap, btw, and there are plastic screens and weird stuff down in the belly of them so I would recommend just getting a new tank and being sure about it. There are two kinds of tanks. One kind, early "Federal" models until 83 I think, have a wider metal filler neck going down to the tank. The other kind, "California" and later models have a tapered plastic neck going down to a narrower hole in the tank. So, spec your tank.
Common parts houses are Go Westy, Bus Depot, Vanagain.com, Van Cafe...
As long as the tank is down, replace the middle shifter rod bushing. Its plastic, like the Beetles, and you have to drop the tank to get to it so...
Oh, and the fuel pressure regulator. 50 bucks or so and as long as you have the lines off its also a fire prevention replacement as it can fail by creating much greater pressure or by low pressure, from the threads talking anyway.
Oh, and the fuel injection seals, little rubber washers two per injector, cheap and you'll have them out anyway.
Anyway that's what pops to mind as I've been initiated just this summer.
Have fun chasing the demons and vacuum leaks. Tee hee hee. It's tedious I found, but also worth it. A couple months of painstaking work with the multi-meter tracking stuff down and mine is finally running like a top. Its really awesome to start one of these fuel injected motors in the cold. Starts right up and idles fine immediately.
Enjoy
P.S. Mine's Air Cooled.
_________________
1966 Sportsmobile Camper https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
72 Super Duper http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=672387
(adopted out) 61 Turkis Pile https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728764
| SnowDaySyncro wrote: |
| Every setback is an opportunity to learn stuff and to buy new tools. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 3:55 pm Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
| dobryan wrote: |
| Yep, Merian does an excellent guide. |
send beer to:
666th Floor - Giganto Towers
in Greater Metropolitan Nimrod, Orygun
_________________
.... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Papatruck
Samba Member
Joined: December 10, 2018
Posts: 18
Location: Mid Missouri
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 4:11 pm Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
| Yes thank you I have read that tread it is very helpful but I also like to get fresh input from multiple people with different points of view and experiences then I can get a good rounded idea of where to start and concentrate my efforts. Thanks everyone. Also can someone please tell me where to get the Bently manual everyone keeps suggesting I tried to find it but struck out. Maybe I didn't call it the right thing. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16504
Location: Brookeville, MD
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 4:37 pm Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
| Papatruck wrote: |
| Yes thank you I have read that tread it is very helpful but I also like to get fresh input from multiple people with different points of view and experiences then I can get a good rounded idea of where to start and concentrate my efforts. Thanks everyone. Also can someone please tell me where to get the Bently manual everyone keeps suggesting I tried to find it but struck out. Maybe I didn't call it the right thing. |
Getting "input from multiple people with different points of view and experiences" on technical matters is not a good idea. Every yahoo on the internet will tell you all sorts of crazy things.
Do the safety items first and rely on people with engineering knowledge (like.... unh VW's engineers) unless you have very good reasons not to.
_________________
.... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Papatruck
Samba Member
Joined: December 10, 2018
Posts: 18
Location: Mid Missouri
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 4:50 pm Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
| I've been around the block a few times. My bs meter is well calibrated from 6 decades of driving junk but I appreciate your words of caution I will be careful to use sound judgment in the use of the advice I get. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50351
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 7:06 pm Post subject: Re: Just purchased what to do first? |
|
|
| While not as satisfying as getting to hear the engine purr, stopping is more important than going, so put working on your brakes, including change the flexible brake hoses, right at the top of the list. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
