The Vanagon Dictionary

English · machine-assisted draft

Gaps between the piston rings, which must be offset to prevent oil from entering the combustion chamber

• engine
• piston

English · machine-assisted draft

The component that regulates airflow into the engine and the switches that monitor throttle position

• throttle
• switches

English · machine-assisted draft

Gaskets used to seal connection between cylinder head and exhaust manifold

• engine
• exhaust

English · machine-assisted draft

Exhaust pipe located before the rear silencer in Vanagon/T25, excluding Syncro models

• exhaust
• vanagon
• waterboxer

English · machine-assisted draft

A rod connecting the piston to the crankshaft, allowing the piston to move freely up and down in the cylinder.

• engine
• piston
• crankshaft

English · machine-assisted draft

A switch that signals the engine computer when the throttle is in the idle or full throttle position

• engine
• throttle

English · machine-assisted draft

Original type of tire used on VWs through the mid 1960s, with plies that run diagonally from one bead to the other.

• tire
• engine

English · machine-assisted draft

Volkswagen’s electronic fuel-injection and engine-management system used in North American Vanagons from 1986 onward according to Gerry’s terminology FAQ. The archived FAQ distinguishes it from Digijet, which it associates with 1983.5–1985 Vanagons; Gerry’s technical bulletin index also lists Digifant topics for 1986–1991 models. Verify year, engine, and market before using system-specific parts or procedures.

• engine
• management

English · source definition

Air Flow Meter. the silver box next to the air cleaner box on the fuel injection model buses . it measured the volume of air entering the intake system, and allowed the computer to adjust the amount of gasoline required.

English · machine-assisted draft

An engine that circulates liquid coolant through passages and a radiator to carry heat away. Gerry’s Vanagon spark-plug reference lists DH water-cooled engines with Digijet for 1983–1985 and MV engines with Digifant for 1986–1991. Verify engine code, market, and model year; this archived table is an identification aid, not a complete application chart.

• engine
• water-cooled

English · machine-assisted draft

Community name for Volkswagen’s water-cooled, horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine family used in Vanagons. Gerry’s technical index covers 1.9 L and 2.1 L versions and year-specific service topics. A January 2004 archive thread describes an owner’s 1983 1.9 L Waterboxer running roughly when cold but normally after warming up; it records the symptom and discussion, not a universal cause or fix. Identify the engine code and model year before using parts or service information.

• engine
• water-cooled

English · machine-assisted draft

An engine that rejects heat directly to moving air rather than circulating liquid coolant. Gerry’s spark-plug reference separates bus applications by engine code and period: ED/GD/GE for 1975–1979 and CV for 1980–1983, including California models. A May 2002 Gerry discussion titled “83 Air Cooled - Production dates” concerns an owner’s September 1983 Westfalia and the difficulty of finding comparable 1983 examples; it is a period-specific production question, not a universal fitment chart.

• engine
• air-cooled