Club 80-90 Forums

I had a pretty good chat with AW Engineering in Darwin Lancs late last year. I was looking for a cylinder head for an ecodiesel (long story) but also asked him about his rebuilt engines. Maybe an option would be to get an engine delivered to your man to swap over and send the old one back as it reduces the engine cost?

Depends if you want a direct replacement or something with a bit more oomph.

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The current plan is to purchase a Vege rebuilt engine (probably from JK), as they seem to be the only one that fits new cylinder heads. Price is about £2500, plus VAT, plus £600 exchange surcharge, which you get back when you send them your (busted) engine. So it's about £3000 to buy, and then the cost to fit it, plus fluids and gaskets, and various extras (like a new radiator), and any other bits that need replacing while we're at it. Total cost could hit £5000 quite easily, which is an awful lot of money. I realise it's keeping a RHD syncro on the road, but still.
Alternatives are fitting a second hand engine (but could be a case of out of the frying pan into the fire), getting the current one rebuilt (much the same cost, but would take longer), fitting something non-stock (golf or subaru), or (ahem) ....selling it as it is. What's a syncro with a knackered engine worth, though?

Bloody hell, £5000 is a lot of money, if it was me and money was tight i would if could buy a 2.1, how good that engine will be god knows?? It will havea warrenty so thats good. I would go down the AGG route, reading about it here seems to be a good bet, will probably cost half maybe. Dont sell unless you have to. Just think the the van is testing your loyalty

I'm going to place a wanted ad on here, for a decent 2.1 engine. Maybe someone has one they want to move on...

Okay, some progress, and some good news! Managed to get the van looked at by my friendly local, and he's quite happy that the head seals are sound. It's running well, without any lumps or misfires. The cloud is being caused by burning oil, so that's going to need looking at, but he agrees with me that there is no water in the oil, and no oil in the coolant. So we're going to book it in for a oil and filter change, oil pressure check, replace some pipes (oil breather pipe is flat), check the oil pressure sender (buzzer), and fix the dodgy cable. He's also going to change the coolant while he's at it.
So it might not need a new engine after all, which is good news. It also goes to show that I don't know much about these things, and that an experienced eye is worth a week's worth of googling symptoms....

Burning oil is a sign of a tired engine
did your garage do a compression or leak down test?

when I had white clouds from the exhaust is was a crack in the cylinder head leaking into the exhaust compression test was fine nothing wrong with gaskets and only did it hot.

Have you driven in since?
Does it do it hot and cold or only hot?

I haven't driven the bus since the initial incident. It's going into the garage shortly, and he's going to carry out all of the usual compression and oil pressure tests.

worth taking an intererest in the tests and reporting the findings on here.
Ths collective knoledge on here is more than your mechanic has ( but you might not want to tell him that)

personally I'd drive it and see what happens ( check fluid levels 1st)

Burning oil is blue, white is water or on a diesel engine unburnt diesel.

Oldiebut goodie wrote:Burning oil is blue, white is water or on a diesel engine unburnt diesel.

but as you are already aware I know nothing about diesels

It just struck me as odd that the 'mechanic' says that it is burning oil which is contrary to the "Big white exhaust cloud".

also strange its not been driven yet a mechanic has looked at it
mobile mechanic perhaps
surely it must have been started?

Is the engine burning brake fluid from a faulty brake booster?

Just to clarify, the mechanic who came to my house to look at the bus was the guy I usually go to. It's Chris from Volksengineering in Cardiff, and all he does all day is work on classic VWs, including a great deal of T25s. He's looked after my bus since I had it, and my old beetle before that, and I'm happy he knows what he's doing.
He started the engine, ran it briefly to assess it, then switched it off. After checking the oil, water and various pipes, he ran it again, this time until it warmed up, and the radiator kicked in. When revved, it produces a large cloud of what I would say was white exhaust.
He told me that there's nothing to suggest that any head seals had gone, but clearly the engine is burning oil, and that needs to be looked at. I dare say he has a plan in mind.
More updates as we have them.

Tough one, been to Chris a few times. Nice guy, i would trust him if he can save you from having to get a new engine. Got me out of a jam once in Penarth when the van would not start. Good hes got a plan but i suppose it all depends on that compression test. Keep us posted

Its tough knowing what to do sometimes, esp when some say onething and another says something else, get it down there let him have a decent look, diagnose problem, then make desicion. Like you say if its engine rebuild time i doubt he has the time and i would go elsewhere