1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Big lumps of metals and spanners.

Moderators: User administrators, Moderators

User avatar
ghost123uk
Registered user
Posts: 6857
Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 10:15
80-90 Mem No: 2585
Location: John in Malpas, in the very S. W. part of Cheshire.
Contact:

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by ghost123uk »

chrisbeck wrote:does this sound like its had deisel put in instead of petrol, anybody?
Did you fill up with fuel before you left to go on your trip?

Aye, that is a possibility and as mentioned above, a serious mechanical fault with the bores/pistons etc would normally be blue some.

By the way Ros, the guy who just posted above named "ajsimmo" (Andrew) is a very trusted VW T25 expert and runs his own T25 specialist business near Grantham. It would be bad forum etiquette for him to say that, but as a satisfied customer, I can :wink: Mind you not saying he will have a look and not sure how far he is from you either, but he/they know their stuff :)
Got a new van, but it's a 165bhp T4 [shock horror] Accurate LPG Station map here

Ros
Registered user
Posts: 1
Joined: 14 May 2014, 15:07
80-90 Mem No: 0

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by Ros »

No, there definitely wasn't diesel in it - we filled up before leaving on Friday but I absolutely didn't put diesel in. The breakdown occurred Sunday.

I've just remembered now, there was still oil in it - I think the RAC guy looked on the motorway and there was still oil, about as much as there had been. I haven't checked again since Sunday. But there was a tube next to the oil dipstick that just ended that he said should have carried on somewhere.

User avatar
LeeME3
Registered user
Posts: 712
Joined: 31 May 2012, 22:50
80-90 Mem No: 11225
Location: LE17

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by LeeME3 »

Where is the van now? Someone on here will be able to take a look / point you to a trusted garage.
1986 1.9DG WBX LPG, 4 spd manual. Westy poptop. Renogy lithium leisure. 175W solar. CR50 fridge. Propex. RX8 seats.

User avatar
HarryMann
Admin/Mod
Posts: 9579
Joined: 30 Sep 2005, 11:40
80-90 Mem No: 379
Location: Herts, UK

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by HarryMann »

Yes rule no. 1 with Aircooled VWs

Take it someone who knows about Aircooled VW buses
The 80-90 Tech Wikipedia Your 1st port of call :idea

1.9TD Syncro Doka / Syncro Kastenwagen / 16" Kombi Camper
Syncronaut No. 1

User avatar
ermie571
Registered user
Posts: 4970
Joined: 11 Oct 2005, 11:11
80-90 Mem No: 2129
Location: Minster-on-Sea, Kent: Member 2129 07784052288

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by ermie571 »

Ros,

the 2lt engine has a breather hose....this may be the tube that "should go somewhere". It may well be the one that goes to the open....allowing the engine to breathe. I had one on mine, anyway, and no-one ever told me it should go anywhere other than where it was going...ie to the atmosohere.

Em
x
2.1 DJ 1990 Caravelle (died and gone to heaven)
2.0 AGG (1997 ish) 1984 transporter LPG

chrisbeck
Registered user
Posts: 81
Joined: 22 Aug 2012, 19:22
80-90 Mem No: 0

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by chrisbeck »

Ok, only ever seen white smoke from the exhaust on an air cooled when cold, and then its just condense from the exhaust.
Even a really bad air cooled will try to run if its not seized, hence why i said about the possibility of deisel in the fuel.
As has been said you need to determine what engine it actually is, and get it to a good garage for comp test.
When i used to work on these in the 80s and 90s I used to see a lot of absolutely buggerd ones but provided they still had a spark, fuel, and air, they would still try to run even if only badly.
Fuel problems are common on the t25, rusty fuel tanks, poss water in fuel, all things that should be checked if there is no obvious external damage to the engine, like a con rod poking through the crank case, however i suspect having been in a t25 that chucked a rod you would have definately known about it.
Also if it had got that hot these things tend to let oil out of every possible gasket and deposit it all over the back of the van and engine bay, so all might not be lost.

988mick
Registered user
Posts: 15
Joined: 04 Feb 2012, 17:00
80-90 Mem No: 10796
Location: Dublin

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by 988mick »

Sounds like diesel to me.maybe disconnect the pipe at the fuel filter and drain some into a bottle and see if it's diesel.if it is drain the tank and fill to the gills with petrol and change the plugs and she should run albeit a bit smokey for a while but should be fine.
83 1y Westie club joker hitop
77 panel van
74 late westy
71 early westy
Honda 1000 blade
Ktm 640

H Julia
Registered user
Posts: 119
Joined: 16 Jul 2011, 23:28
80-90 Mem No: 9943
Location: Edinburgh

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by H Julia »

Hi there

I had a baptism of fire as a newbie with my 1981 air cooled t25 - I hadn't discovered the forum at this point and learnt lots the hard and expensive way! Anyway eventually I was pointed in the direction of a air cooled specialist engine builder in Eyemouth. Long way from you but think he takes of engines from far afield. If I had discovered him earlier I would have saved myself an awful lot of money! If you'd like any more info pm me.

Good luck and hope you get it sorted.

Julia
1981 2.0 l air cooled Devon

User avatar
ghost123uk
Registered user
Posts: 6857
Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 10:15
80-90 Mem No: 2585
Location: John in Malpas, in the very S. W. part of Cheshire.
Contact:

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by ghost123uk »

Timeline =

chrisbeck wrote:does this sound like its had Diesel put in instead of petrol, anybody?

Ros wrote:No, there definitely wasn't diesel in it - we filled up before leaving on Friday but I absolutely didn't put diesel in.

988mick wrote:Sounds like diesel to me.

:wink:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

H Julia wrote:I was pointed in the direction of an air cooled specialist engine builder in Eyemouth..... If you'd like any more info pm me

Hey there Julia, don't keep it private ;) - If you recommend them please post their name address, phone number and what they do and I will also add them to our "wiki" list of T25 recommended garages,


H Julia wrote:Long way from you but think he takes of engines from far afield.

Tis a bit = 330 miles :shock:
Got a new van, but it's a 165bhp T4 [shock horror] Accurate LPG Station map here

User avatar
ajsimmo
Trader
Posts: 2698
Joined: 23 Mar 2009, 14:06
80-90 Mem No: 6542
Location: Isle of Arran
Contact:

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by ajsimmo »

That'll almost certainly be Laurie Pettit. He's from up Berwick way.
Very highly regarded in the Aircooled world. I have found getting hold of him can sometimes be a challenge!
The Campershack - (website paused)
WBX Rebuilds & Upgrades from the beautiful Isle of Arran

User avatar
ghost123uk
Registered user
Posts: 6857
Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 10:15
80-90 Mem No: 2585
Location: John in Malpas, in the very S. W. part of Cheshire.
Contact:

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by ghost123uk »

ajsimmo wrote:That'll almost certainly be Laurie Pettit. He's from up Berwick way.

Is he thumps up or thumbs down these days (answer by pm :lol: ) talking of which, check your works emails ;)
Got a new van, but it's a 165bhp T4 [shock horror] Accurate LPG Station map here

Ros
Registered user
Posts: 1
Joined: 14 May 2014, 15:07
80-90 Mem No: 0

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by Ros »

Thank you for the replies. When I started the van on Friday there was some white smoke that my stepson commented on. We then went and filled up about half a tank, using the green pump. We drove from Oxford to Brighton - just over 100 miles. About 2/3 of the way on a big hill the van lost power significantly, felt sluggish, but recovered as soon as we hit the top and was fine after that, no issues, no white smoke, nothing - it seemd normal, even on some smaller hills, apart from the fact that the timing has always been very high - it idles like it's revving. I was a bit worried about it losing power like that - it seemed wrong, but I don't know enough to diagnose, but checked the oil on Sunday just in case it needed some. Two days in Brighton driving around, no issues. Then we put in about £30 petrol (tank was just under a half) (green pump again) and went to go home. on the same hill on the way back on the M25, that's when the big smoke and all happened. If I had actually put diesel in, how long would it have taken to manifest? There is a tiny dab of oil in the vehicle now, and the engine rolls over with a wheeze, but oil and battery lights come on, so I quit that quickly. I will try and check what's in the fuel tank, but I've never touched a diesel pump and am always careful to check I've got the right one. Don't they have bigger nozzles anyway?

User avatar
ermie571
Registered user
Posts: 4970
Joined: 11 Oct 2005, 11:11
80-90 Mem No: 2129
Location: Minster-on-Sea, Kent: Member 2129 07784052288

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by ermie571 »

I know the big hill on the M25 you are talking about - around Junction 8. My air cooled hated that! My water cooled don't appreciate it either. :-(

have you tried topping up the oil to halfway between min and max? The fact that it tries indicates the engine isn't siezed.

should be idling at 900 revs or thereabouts I think.

(that's watercooled. I think my Aircooled was about the same)

Em
xx
2.1 DJ 1990 Caravelle (died and gone to heaven)
2.0 AGG (1997 ish) 1984 transporter LPG

User avatar
marlinowner
Registered user
Posts: 1530
Joined: 28 Jan 2014, 12:02
80-90 Mem No: 13646
Location: Scottish Borders

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by marlinowner »

Diesel in petrol would have shown up almost instantly, at least it did when I did it! Older vehicles have a large diameter filler so diesel nozzle will fit. When there was leaded and unleaded petrol, cars with catalytic converters had small diameter fillers so you could only put in unleaded, as the lead poisoned the catalytic converter. Leaded petrol and diesel used the same size nozzles.
1993 SA VW T25/T3 2.5i Microbus/homebrew camper
1981/1968 Marlin Kitcar TR6 Engine

User avatar
ghost123uk
Registered user
Posts: 6857
Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 10:15
80-90 Mem No: 2585
Location: John in Malpas, in the very S. W. part of Cheshire.
Contact:

Re: 1981 T25 engine blew up! Advice needed.

Post by ghost123uk »

marlinowner wrote:Diesel in petrol would have shown up almost instantly,

Agreed so forget about that one now. One less thing to worry about ! Fear not, I am sure you will get this sorted without breaking the bank. Repairing an air cooled VW engine is not rocket science to someone with experience of them
Got a new van, but it's a 165bhp T4 [shock horror] Accurate LPG Station map here

Locked