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Vanagon Hints

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Coolant Bottle

Size of coolant bottle level sensor O-ring is 1 1/8 x 7/8 x 1/8 (AKA #27)

Coolant Pump Belt

Size of coolant pump vee belt is .53" wide x 26.5" circumference, part #17265. This applies to the 1983 stock Vanagon with the 2-part belt system. I was able to install it to perfect tightness with 3 of the spacers.

Speedometer Cable Clips

My Vanagon speedometer quit working. Turned out to be the square end of the wheel hub was not gripping. I went to the hardware store and got two of the 3/16 "E-clips". I squeezed them closed a little more with pliers and slid both in the slot. I believe two will engage the square rod positively, as it was pretty loose. Watch out, the clips have a way of disappearing while you are holding them with needlenose pliers.

I tried the 1/8th clips, but while I was pushing hard they disappeared. They should be forced go manufacture them in blaze orange. Except they would sell less of them, so it will never happen.

Prime a Diesel Pump

~ You may need to do this when:

Of course, you could install an electric fuel pump before the filter or under the tank.

The usual technique is:

DON'T TAKE THE TUBE OFF THE BARB unless you are replacing the tube which is a lot of work.

The diesel injectors take a 27mm deep well socket. I have a NAPA NTD627M and it has worked well for years. Snap-On S6104A is also a good tool.

Fuel Hoses

~ The fuel hose from the filter to the injection pump should be Polyethylene 3/8OD, ¼ID 30 inches for the line in, 14 inches for the return line. Found at hardware stores, NOT auto parts stores. Polyethylene is stiff and translucent-whitish so you can see your fuel feed. After several years it slowly turns opaque white and you will wish you had a better hose installed. Biodiesel burners beware: Polyethylene is NOT suitable for biodiesel 100. If you want the optimum tube order the nylon from Greaseworks. The nylon hose is biodiesel safe and remains clear even after years of hot running.
Tubing is stiff so soak the tube end in hot water to push over the barbed metal. No clamps are necessary. The nylon tube is especially challenging to fit over the barbs without kinking and ruining the tube.
Getting the old tube off the barbed ends is a challenge. Melt them off by heating and pulling. Use of a knife is unwise since scoring the barb can allow air to enter the tube which is under a mild vacuum.
Clean all parts religiously using spray WD40 before assembly.
Prime the tube before attaching to the filter end using any means possible.

The return tube from injectors is NAPA 4219 LC Fuel Line PCV 3.2mm Performs to J30R7. I use the Viton® tube from Greaseworks. For injector details see this page.

Diesel starting tricks

~ When you slightly loosen the nuts do you have fuel squirting out under pressure? Air in the steel tubes can cause a "bounce" effect in the fuel, be sure to expel all air by allowing it to squirt for a while by cranking with the nuts loose. The fuel spraying out of slightly loosened nuts should be finely atomized. Since air is compressible any bubble will prevent a snappy spray pattern.

How's the compression? Has oil blown out the air filter box in the past?

If the engine has a block heater (and it should), warm it up for a while before cranking. It makes a huge difference, especially in humid weather.

Try this trick. Soak a rag in gasoline and stretch it over the intake while cranking. Messy but effective.

Here's another trick, pour some clean motor oil in each cylinder, enough to seal the rings for a while. That should give you extra compression.

If all else fails, give the recalcitrant van a good stiff pull.

Altitude Adjustment

~ Adjust the delivery rate of the injection pump for altitude.

Adjust the horizontal screw (with locknut) that is above where the injector lines exit the pump. A metal collar is crimped over the adjustment screw at the factory to limit rotation. With the engine off, remove the collar and loosen the locknut being careful not to move the adjusting screw. Mark the original position of the screw so you return to the stock setting if necessary. By turning the screw clockwise, IIRC, the level of fuel delivery is increased. Only turn the screw in very small increments; a slight adjustment can make a big difference. You can tell if you are going in the direction you want by monitoring the idle speed. The idle will increase when you are increasing the fuel delivery; decrease with a reduction in fuel delivery. This also means that the idle speed will need to be adjusted to get the engine to idle at stock RPM. Do NOT rotate the screw past its limit or bad things can happen to your engine.

Brakes

Use a 1/4 inside diameter vinyl tube to bleed the brakes and clutch.

Wipers

~ On the Vanagon, wiper arms turn on their shafts from ice, snow or heavy cats doing Tarzan swings on your windshield wipers. This is actually a safety of sorts in the design. The inside spline areas of the wiper arms are made of very soft metal. The shafts have a tapered spline made of harder metal. When you tighten the arm onto the shaft you're actually cutting fresh splines into the metal of the wiper arm. If it gets hung up and strips, it's just the soft metal of the arm that gives; you can take it off, clean out the splines on the shaft, and assemble. It will sit a tiny bit lower each time this happens. If it ever bottoms out and won't grip, it's time for a new arm (or shim the splines with aluminum foil!)

For a quick on-the-road fix try loosening the 10mm nut under the plastic cap of the wiper shaft (assuming they still exist), then reposition and tighten the nut.

To fix it right, take the wiper arms off completely and use a sharp Xacto or razor blade to gouge the splines out. They fill up with oxidized metal over the years and the splines no longer grip. Once you clean out the splines they grip good as new.

Clutch pedal squeak

This drove me crazy for a few months! I was able to use yankee ingenuity to lube the clevis above the master cylinder, which is where the Vanagon clutch typically squeaks from. Remove the plastic steering column cover, peel down the carpet. This takes multiple hands, so squeeze a small mirror between the rubber column boot and sheet metal you won't have to hold the mirror. I used a thin silicone surgical tube mounted on a bent length of hanger wire, the oil can tube fits inside nicely. I bent the wire into a c shape to control the aiming. I attached the tube to the top with tiny zip ties, and using a flashlight aimed for the clevis pin up behind the crossmember.

I filled the end of the surgical tube with a stiff moly bicycle chain oil which I also use for the linkage underneath the van. Then as a propellant I used the WD40. I realize this is a messy solution, so if and when the squeak returns I hope to do a better job. Not too sure what effect petroleum oil would have on the brake cylinder running down in there, so I tried to be sparing as possible.

This takes some doing but definitely worth the time! No more squeaky clutch pedal!