We have owned the van ever since, as with any old car its had lots of work over the years but has not let us down in a big way however the last shop to do major work installed a VW of Canada engine in it that quickly started putting exhaust into the coolant. I drove it like this a bit with regular stops to let off some pressure but it had become unbearable and unreliable
I had purchased a parts van
but decided at 140,000 miles the 2.1 in it was getting a bit long in the tooth and figured I would save the case to build into a 2.2 so I gathered some windows and sealed it up to move it outside and open up some garage space (my parents didn’t like having 2 inoperable Vanagons in the garage taking up space)
Finally I decided to reseal the engine so out it came.
And after removing one head it was clear that the upper gaskets were junk and causing all the head ache
So I went to the parts van and got a nice set of heads and realized the pistons sat low in their cylinders
Low compression:
Standard Compression:
so the pistons and cylinders were going to come out the spare engine will be a 2.2 any how so I don’t need them and they are good original VW ones. well after pulling it apart I cut my thumb pretty bad on a piston ring and had to stop for a little bit but did get a set of AMC heads from fuser rebuild with new valves, and wanted fusers help rebuilding the bottom end but with my work schedule and fuser heading back to school it looks like its going to be a long time before that goes any where so I started thinking about buying another complete engine. I missed a few but finally an engine came up while I had the money plus it came with 4 Vanagon alloy wheels
something I had wanted to have so off to pick it up (not thinking I would be literally) 
well the hoist my grandfather simply bolted to the bed which had been tweaked a few times since install finally gave up I thought I had it solved with the chains however when I went to swing it into the bed down it came
now I had an engine on the ground and a long ways to lift it alone....Well after gathering some random stuff around where I was I managed to lift the engine up progressively until at last it and all its goodies were in the truck.
After getting it home and into my garage it was time to dig out the Vanagon
I did that and have since managed to get the engine mated to the trans and get it bolted to the van(no picture at the moment) next is plumbing and wiring and installing some tune up and new cooling parts
here is to hoping there are no major problems with this engine.so here is to the trials of getting it back together with the plates having been recently freed up (aka my brother smacked up his car posibly totalling it) the vanagon may go back on the road.
my grandparents will let me use it i wont brake it like the truck or ill fix it (probably bring some spare parts just in case.)
that and i need to find a goodvolvo wireing donor 
