My ascent (descent?) into the Vanagon world

[erichjelm]

I have recently purchased a 1982 VW Vanagon Diesel. I was in Alaska at the time and saw it on Craigslist so I sent the money home for someone to buy it in my stead. It ran but was a little rough. No problem, right? I return home and get started...
Upon removing the dash, there is a literal rat's nest in there with wires and fresh air hoses chewed through. It seems I had something more on my hands than expected. I wish I would've taken pictures of under the dash but I know another removal of the dash will be in my near future as I noticed a wire completely burnt and melted so I want to trace its origins and reconnect it where it needs to go. I spent a couple of hours looking for it but couldn't find it and wanted to work more on the engine before I spend too much time on dash lights (it was a grey and blue wire if I remember correctly).
When I pulled out the tail lights to check those connections for corrosion, it seems as if someone jumped a trailer harness into the lights by stripping them and wrapping a trailer harness around the stripped wires. That makes it a little ugly but it still worked. I did notice a few wires (with connections) that are just hanging there and not plugged into anything and couldn't find where they go with Bentley manual nor with the available diagram on this website.
Onto the engine bay...
I went to change the oil and less than a quart of black sludge came out. It was pretty ugly. So I changed the oil and the filter. Probably going to change it again pretty soon in hopes that it gets some of that old oil out.
I will definitely be asking some questions (and hopefully getting some answers) on the wiring because I have spent HOURS pouring over the Bentley manual and can't figure out what's going on. Right now, there are more pressing matters.
Currently, the vehicle isn't running. I thought it could be the glow plug relay as the wires are all corroded and there is one that isn't connected and just sort of hanging out. I checked the glow plugs with a volt meter and am getting 8-9 volts at each one of them. So that couldn't be it. The vehicle turns over but it sounds like it isn't getting fuel. The next step is going to be to diagnose the fuel pump and replace all the fuel lines.
Is there a way to diagnose the fuel pump?

After the weekend, I'll get back to working on the vehicle and hopefully get some pictures up and keep track of all the things I'm going to do to this van, starting with mechanical and (hopefully) getting into the interior.

tl;dr
I got bamboozled. I was working in Alaska and had a friend purchase a Vanagon for me and it was in a lot worse shape than I expected and was told to try here for some help.
So, first things first:
Is there a way to diagnose the diesel fuel pump to see if it's getting fuel?

[dobryan]

We are here to help. I am not proficient in diesel but there are folks here who are.

Tackle one system at a time. It sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you but keep at it and you'll get there.... and you will know your bus inside and out too.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2010 Subaru EJ25 (Vanaru) and Peloquin TBD

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[erichjelm]

I wanted diesel so bad that I'm still happy with the purchase but it's going to be a long journey before I can take it on a long journey. Haha. But not having to deal with smog regulations and CARB stuff for engine swaps still makes it worth it for me. So far...

[Gnarlodious]

[16CVs]

Sounds liked you came here a little late. You need to find someone that knows VW diesels. You might have just lost prime. You can crack open the nut on the injector and purge any air out, simple enough.
This is not like a Gas Van with tons of fuel lines. All you really have are small jumpers between the injectors and a return line.
Have you checked the solenoid on the fuel injection pump to see if it's clicking on. Lots of knowlwege around here, you just need some thick skin for the brutal honesty that manifests itself.
As always , we really like pictures.

Stacy
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Call anytime number 650 722 4914 .
Keep Your van running and upkept tastefully for the love of the hobby.
Don't let your van end up in an "abortions" thread.

[MarkWard]

Originally there would have been a clear hose between the filter and the pump. That really helps to check fuel supply problems. Air bubbles indicate a restriction or air leak.

Checking for voltage at the glow plugs doesn’t tell you if they are burnt out. You need an inductive amp meter. Initial amp draw can be very high but settle out at 36 amps if all 4 are working. Less would indicate one or more are burnt out. If you have the injectors out, you can visually check them.
As stated crack the injector lines loose at the injector. Crank the engine in short bursts. If the pump is delivering fuel it will eventually bubble up around the injector and you are ready to tighten them again and it should start at that point.

If you get it started, you should probably plan on replacing the timing belt if it wasn’t done recently. Diesels need like 400 psi compression. The lower it is the harder they are to start.

[djkeev]

I purchased mine for $3,000 knowing it needed engine work.
As a bonus it had sat for almost ten years so everything was rusty that needed to move.

I took three years to sort it out.

But...... I ended up with a beautiful Van that is all but perfect mechanically. (Well as perfect as can be expected considering the parts available to us today)

It was time well spent in my opinion.

Make a plan and go at it, one item at a time, enjoy the process.

Dave
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Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[Abscate]

If it’s a stock NA diesel 1982-1983 there isn’t a fuel pump, the injector pump pulls fuel from the tank, compresses it, and Sends it under high pressure tot the injectors

If you fool with the injectors and self inject your hand with diesel, the medical treatment is amputation.

Do not use ether to test run a diesel

You can try loosening the fittings a the last injector to see if yo can get air out of the fuel lines. If the pump is worn engine won’t run well.
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[MarkWard]

If you find you don’t have 12 volts to the pump cut off switch. You can temporarily run a jumper wire to the switch from the positive terminal of the battery. If the engine starts, you will need to disconnect your temporary wire to shut the engine off. You would still need to figure out why you weren’t getting power from the ignition switch.

[erichjelm]

This is my third VW but my first diesel so I appreciate the corrections (like "injection pump" instead of "fuel pump") as I am still learning everything. Thank you for that. It also helps to search for things when you're searching for the right things.
I tried loosening the banjo on top of the pump which I was guessing is the return line and got nothing coming out of it. I will try the injector fittings when I get back to the van. The lines are no longer clear which means I can't just see into it to see what's happening. It was running well when I first got it. No skips or anything but I know it had sat for a while. It also seems to be leaking some diesel out of the fuel lines underneath the van so I plan on changing them all out anyway.

A pump cutoff switch? I didn't know there was one. I'll have to go through the Bentley to check that out. It just seems to have died out of nowhere. It was running and I took it around town a couple of times and then one day I started it and put it in gear and it died when I went to take off and wouldn't start back up. All the wiring is so loose and corroded that I thought it could be something there. But I'll run through all these checks you guys have said and get back. I really appreciate all of the input! Thank you all.

[MarkWard]

The fuel cut off switch is threaded into the top of the pump directly above where the steel injector lines attach to the pump. That switch is what turns the pump on and off. It looks like an oil pressure switch with a single wire. When it has power the pump flows fuel to the injectors. When power is removed, fuel is cut and the engine shuts off.

[erichjelm]

[Abscate]

It has to be plugged in to run so if it was running the wire has fallen off.

Go back there and have someone turn the ignition switch on while you Listen for a click
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[erste]

Are you sure there's fuel in the tank?

You can use something like this Mityvac pump to pull fuel through the line and then reconnect it to the injection pump to eliminate most of the air. I carry one in case I ever run out of fuel. It's useful for filter changes too, which is the next thing I'd change if I were you.

Only draining less than 1 quart of oil out of the engine doesn't sound good.

Grey / blue wire is almost surely illumination, so just don't turn the dash lights on and you should be fine until you can sort that out.

[Bermoco]

I too bought an 82 diesel. It was not running. When I towed it home I stopped to put some fuel into the van because it was convenient. Something did not smell right when I opened the cap so I did not add fuel.

When I finally had time to work on it I found someone had filled the tank with gasoline that contaminated the diesel that was in it. I used a separate small gas can and used an outboard motor hose and primer bulb directly connected to the pump to purge out the pump while cranking with the injector lines cracked open by the injectors.
Once fuel started to come out of the injectors I tightened the lines and the engine started, ran rough for a while then smoothed out.

Not saying you have the same problem but it is a way to make sure your pump is primed and bypass the variables of bad fuel, clogged filters, and other problems.

Definitely want to make sure the solenoid on the pump is working. Have a good strong battery as diesels need to spin fast to start. And have a fire extinguisher handy even though diesel is not as flammable as gasoline.

Good luck

[MarkWard]

I carry a made up outboard fuel bulb with some hose and banjo bolt fittings that I can temporarily install between the filter and pump just for emergency priming. I also use it when I change my filter. For some reason the ALH pump won't stay running long enough to fill a dry replacement filter.

For the shop, I made up a small rig that lets me gravity feed fuel into the pump for priming. Once primed, it is very rare for a good pump to loose its prime at least in my experience.

The original diesel rabbit actually had a primer knob built into the fuel filter housing. I think Mercedes did something similar. The next year, that was deleted.

I suppose the wire could have fallen off the fuel cut off valve, but the majority I have seen have an eyelet terminal on the wire retained by a nut and wave washer. Not likely for that setup to fall off.

[Zeitgeist 13]

I have a small in line electric pump with a toggle switch in the engine compartment just for the purpose of priming whenever servicing the fuel system. I also installed translucent lines to/from the filter, so I can see the air bubbles moving through the system.
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Casey--

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

[erichjelm]

The van:

The engine bay:

The glow plug relay:

[valvecovergasket]

initial hiccups aside that looks like a really solid start

[Abscate]

That is as unmolested as they possibly come.

9.5/10

Relay is a bit cobbled but in most of CA you won't even need glow plugs - thats not the no-start cause.
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