'82 Vanagon CA/Fed Mash-Up Audit
Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 7:32 am
I suppose it's time for a first post. :) This might be a bit of a weird one as it's not, "It's running poorly, help!!" but more, "it's running pretty great but things are not all right; but are they alright?"
So I've got an '82 Westy that I bought a number of years ago (from a flipper..lots of red flags, but, hindsight et al), used relatively trouble free as an only car for two years after throwing some money at the brakes and suspension; and then after moving to California for a job, it sat in CARB time-out as I agonized about what to do with it (including all flavors of legal engine swaps, or if maybe it was just time to sell).
Fate took a turn and my better half got a job here in the mitten state last year; it was surreal that I just needed to fork over ~$45, and I was back on the road. Anyway, all the long stories aside, I'm trying to get this thing whipped in to shape for use next year.
Dropped in a new battery, oil change, air filter, fuel filter, and it fired right up, even with 2016 vintage California gas still in the tank. Burned that off, and then put in some fresh ethanol-free go juice. Off to a good start, minus the tank reseal job I had done maybe needing re-done (garage positively reeked of gas and the following weekend..."I swear I put more in than that last week!").
Anyway, here's the breakdown:
- California van, manual transmission
- CA ECU & AFM
- No idle regulator box
- I think the engine harness (and relays?) may be Federal, not sure - no idle box hookup; could just be hacked up?
- Aftermarket vacuum advance distributor (Pertronix it looks like)
- Some sort of aftermarket coil - measured 2.7-2.8 ohms across the terminals; this is the Federal spec..?
- Federal exhaust, with an aftermarket cat and O2 sensor on the inlet side (connected)
- Charcoal/evap stuff all disconnected and/or missing
- Throttle body elbow ports all plugged
- Engine breather routed to where I think the gas tank vent originally went to on the air box
- No decel valve
State of tune aside, is any of the above anything to worry about? Comments, concerns?
So I've got an '82 Westy that I bought a number of years ago (from a flipper..lots of red flags, but, hindsight et al), used relatively trouble free as an only car for two years after throwing some money at the brakes and suspension; and then after moving to California for a job, it sat in CARB time-out as I agonized about what to do with it (including all flavors of legal engine swaps, or if maybe it was just time to sell).
Fate took a turn and my better half got a job here in the mitten state last year; it was surreal that I just needed to fork over ~$45, and I was back on the road. Anyway, all the long stories aside, I'm trying to get this thing whipped in to shape for use next year.
Dropped in a new battery, oil change, air filter, fuel filter, and it fired right up, even with 2016 vintage California gas still in the tank. Burned that off, and then put in some fresh ethanol-free go juice. Off to a good start, minus the tank reseal job I had done maybe needing re-done (garage positively reeked of gas and the following weekend..."I swear I put more in than that last week!").
Anyway, here's the breakdown:
- California van, manual transmission
- CA ECU & AFM
- No idle regulator box
- I think the engine harness (and relays?) may be Federal, not sure - no idle box hookup; could just be hacked up?
- Aftermarket vacuum advance distributor (Pertronix it looks like)
- Some sort of aftermarket coil - measured 2.7-2.8 ohms across the terminals; this is the Federal spec..?
- Federal exhaust, with an aftermarket cat and O2 sensor on the inlet side (connected)
- Charcoal/evap stuff all disconnected and/or missing
- Throttle body elbow ports all plugged
- Engine breather routed to where I think the gas tank vent originally went to on the air box
- No decel valve
State of tune aside, is any of the above anything to worry about? Comments, concerns?