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Vanagon Running Problems

Mar 31st 2022

One of the most common themes of our website questions relate to running problems. There is version A, "Where I live they have never seen a Vanagon and although I trust my mechanic, I don't think he knows what he is doing" or version B, "Where I live they have never seen a Vanagon and although I think the mechanic knows what he is doing, I don't trust him". Then we are usually asked if we think that a diagnostic tool will help them. Surprisingly, …
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Vanagon Oil Pressure Problems

Mar 31st 2022

Diagnosis and Treatment of Vanagon Oil Pressure ProblemsYou're happily cruising along in your Vanagon, music playing, engine humming, sweetheart smiling, dog with his head out the window, and ears flapping. "Bliss," you think, "does it get any better than this?"Then it happens: the oil pressure idiot-light starts blinking and the buzzer goes off. Your heart leaps to your throat. Did you just throw a rod? Burn a main bearing? Hit a big rock that p …
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Early Big Brake Kit

Mar 31st 2022

The kit for the 80-thru-85 vans was sold with used uprights until we ran out of used ones. We then sold the kit without the uprights and made the customer search for a set.The reason why you had to switch the uprights was the bolt spacing for the caliper on the early upright was too close together and wouldn't fit the more modern caliper. On 2wd vans, the hub is part of the brake rotor, and the bearings press into it. This kit used a hub like a S …
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Vanagon Door Seals

Mar 31st 2022

Q: How do I deal with my door weather-stripping?! The whistling noise drives me crazy while I am cruising down the freewayA: There are a few variables that we need to consider when it comes to weather-stripping. There are multiple seals and there are vehicles with chrome trim strips and vehicles without them. Here, we will try to map-out the various plans of attack. The most common seals that wear are the outer window scraper (driver & p …
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Vanagon Diesel High Torque Starter

Mar 31st 2022

The starter in a diesel 1.6L is a high-torque starter to begin with, so there is no need to swap it out when doing the swap to 1.9L AHU engine. In fact, the AHU should have less compression than the normally aspirated 1.6L because it is turbocharged. With that being said, If you want to upgrade to a more modern starter, you will need the following: Bosch Hi Torque StarterHi Torque Starter AdapterHigh Torque Starter Plug HarnessBack to Vanagon Kn …
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