ENGINE BIG TIME PROBLEMS!

[LeeT25]

Hello I am a newbie!

I bought a lemon of a water cooled 1983 T25 last August and have only driven it twice with bad results.

After a new cooling system, rad, pipes etc, new clutch and over £1000 later I drove it up to Birmingham going just a few miles before the fan belt broke.

What possibly could have been a simple fan belt turned into the AA and RAC (I have membership of both for outbound and return journeys) saying that your could move the flywheel independently which would indicate the engine is knackered.

It has since sat at the garage awaiting my decision what to do.

So my questions to all you VW fans who have had many years experience in T25's etc are:

1. Has anyone experienced this before?
2. Is it dead or could it simply be something loose - other than the crankshaft?!
3. Where is the best place to get a replacement 1.9 petrol engine.
4. Could the LPG conversion killed it as well (I have never used it)?
5. Should I not have put unleaded in the engine (I have done under 50 miles using this grade of fuel).

It also needs a new gearbox as it jumps out of first and the trailing arms are filled with filler. I so wish I could fill the guy who sold it to me with the same substance!

Big lesson learnt - don't buy a VW in a hurry!

Thank you in advance

Lee

[Aidan]

1. I'm guessing here that they felt play at the pulley end and could observe the flywheel through the observation hole and it was also moving/moveable in which case it needs proper investigation which means gearbox out to check flywheel end float, a good mechanic who know's these vehicles should be able to give you a prognosis
2.could be....
3. Elite VW have done right by me previously, do a search on here for recon engine and you'll find a wealth of comments and advise on the various suppliers
4. If you didn't use it then no, but lpg'd vans that were shagged/badly set up to start with don't generally improve with lpging and non serviced/messed with/abused lpg set ups can be bad for engine
5. unleaded is fine for waterboxer

good luck with it

[Damien]

Whereabouts in the world are you? might be able to recommend someone local to have a looksie