TheSamba.com :: View topic - Camper Special Rebuild Thread (Solexes@hotmail.com)

Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:35 pm

Although in my instance - the one bus I bought that had sat with gas - I just emptied it out. then put in two gallons into it - and rocked the bus back and forth for about a 1/2 hour - then drained that out - then did that one more time - with fresh gas - and it came out clear. Installed lines - and went on my happy way.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:37 pm

Randy in Maine wrote: My suggestion on flushing the fuel tank to remove dead gas, varnish and rust would to do it like ratwell did.

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/FuelTankRestoration.html

Do it once and do it right and yes it requires removing the fuel tank. Easiest with the engine out and change out all of the hoses and vent lines including the big one, the fuel filler hose.

If your fuel gauge sending unit does not work, now is the time for that also.
Thanks Randy...I was afraid that would be the correct answer. :) Considering I don't know how long it's been sitting (PO said a year), it's the safest bet.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:39 pm

solexes@hotmail.com wrote: A lot of people pull the tank and treat it - I've heard of something along the lines of a sealant kit made by the people that make POR 15. Dunno if its any good tho.

You can take a gas can - fill it with gas, and run the intake and return fuel lines in through the top to get an idea if it'll run.
I may go that route first, just to see if it will start.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:56 pm

The two most previous 4th dimension Radio shows are required listening for all installers of my engines or kits!

We cover ALL that stuff from fuel tanks to throttle linkage..

Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:16 pm

Solexes,

Glad to see that you are going with a camper special. Let me know if I can help in any way. One more for the camper special team! :lol:

Now if we can only get Ratwell to build one! That is if we can get him to part with his hydraulic lifters. :D

Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:42 pm

casey79westfalia wrote: That is if we can get him to part with his hydraulic lifters. :D
I've driven the last 11 years with mine in my 2 liter and they seem to be holding up fine. :P (I've actually seen worse wear on a stock camshaft from a solid-liftered engine and they make a nice door stopper-note the worn cam lobe)

just do a good build and you will be happy no matter which special you end up with. :wink:

Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:48 pm

To all concerned....

I am not a moderator, nor can I set any type of rules for my own thread. However - I AM going to make a request BEFORE this degrades in any way:

1.) If you have questions about the kit and my experiences - great - ask away.

2.) If you have a PROBLEM with the kit, Raby, or anything else - please state why.

2a.) The reason for stating your problem is so that it can be addressed - and so I can look for any issues you all raise and report back what I see.

2b.) I will not respond to personal attacks against ANYONE - regardless of affiliation - pro, con, or neutral.

3.) I am looking to post my experiences as well as to look for any critique of what *I* do in this rebuild.

4.) Empirical evidence trumps opinion.

I would like to remind all here - I have made my decision - and I am not taking it back. I will use my experience to show people what an average Joe (me) has to go through in this kit. I do not expect it to be uber simple - but at the same time - I don't expect to have to challenge Jake in his assertions that this kit is complete, and is not overly hard to install (ie I wont have to go a ton of machining).

I would also like to remind EVERYONE - that should I come up against something dissatisfying - I WILL report it. I am very used to dealing with very large corporations and yelling at their head engineers about their obvious mistakes in creating security software. Jake - has my respect from everything I have seen in his machine work, finish work (as per pictures on other sights), and attitude. Remember - respect is earned - not gained.

I know this is "just a bunch of parts" but my father was a machinist. I know what goes into creating QUALITY parts. My father, Larry, made telecsope lens mounts for the University Of Arizona - one of the producers of many NASA telescopes. Ive seen what it takes to get quality. If I see something that is NOT quality - I will report it.

Should all of this fall apart - and nothing is "as advertised" and I am disappointed - such is life. I am willing to accept that. Thats NOT what I hope for - I am really hopping for this all to come thru. I am going to work on this kit like I would any other.

Now - to adress Ratwell...

Why do you say this kit underperforms?

Have you seen a kit or engine assembled from the kit in person?

If so - what was your experience.

I don't mean to step on toes here - but hey - lets be impartial about this for the most part.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:25 pm

Quote: I've driven the last 11 years with mine in my 2 liter and they seem to be holding up fine. Razz (I've actually seen worse wear on a stock camshaft from a solid-liftered engine and they make a nice door stopper-note the worn cam lobe

Hydraulic cams definately wear a cam more at an early age. My original engine had 43k miles on it and was dealer maintained and had extreme wear on the cam when I tore it down.

Funny how people will defend anything!

Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:29 pm

I'm fairly new to this forum, but there is some etiquette,
structure on forums much like a courtroom. And before
you claim I'm biased, I have no knowledge/prejudice good
or bad about Raby.

But I have to disagree about this Ryan, you started a thread
basically extolling the virtues about the camper kit all the
while claiming it's based on personal empirical experience.
First of all your experience is one instance so it's only
considered anecdotal, not statistically relevant. And you
haven't completed the install. So any statement at this
stage is premature. Second by making your statements you
have opened the floodgates, INVITING contradictory opinions.
So at this point telling everyone to restrain negative responses
is improper and a bit late.

In actuallity your thread probably should have been started in
the buyer's seller's forum. You started it here, live with the
responses.

Censorship has no place in a free society.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:53 pm

Obviously Mr. Ratwell and Mr. Raby have some issues between them and we can only see the occassional eruption on this board and wonder what's going on below the surface. But I can tell you, I respect both of them. Mr. Raby is building my next engine as we speak, and RATWELL's site (that he's obviously devoted hours upon hours to create) has helped me so many times I've lost track of my count. Having met neither, I can still not say enough good things about both of them.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:57 pm

Mr Lehr -

I appreciate your response - and in reply I will say "point taken" on several points. I did in fact start out extolling the virtues of Raby and his kit - however - so far - in my experience as I relate it - it has been positive. I have no basis for negativity yet - and so far - those who are nay-sayers have yet to back up their words.

I only issue the challenge for proof - nothing more.

I only relate my experience so far - which is stellar.

Trust me - I do work with big-name companies on a daily basis and have no problem telling a large company to go "stuff it" should the need arise.

Should the kit arrive incomplete - and shoddily constructed - people will hear about it. I'm sure Mr. Raby can appreciate feed back in any form - whether it be public or private - and ESPECIALLY if it is supported by evidence. Which is what this who post is about.

If I were to just post that I am assembling a kit people wouldn't say much. If I extolled my experiences positive - and refused to give up information - people might be upset at the end that it was Raby. I'm just laying out all of my information as it pertains to this Kit, and the Bay Window's community.

Ratwell...so thats exactly 9 times? Please - if I had $1,000 for every time a lot of people said the same thing - I'd be living in the Hamptons with personal servants. But I dont - so - cest la vie.

I can hardly blame Mr. Raby for standing up for his reputation - just as I can hardly blame you for doubting it. If you have experience with the kit and his claims - say so.

So far I have it on authority that four people or so who have his kit love it - and think it's worth it. While I have a LOT of people who say it's crap or over priced - yet haven't purchased it.

Let me say this about my personal philosophy --- while this is not a SMALL purchase for me - it is not inconsequential either. But I can not count up the number of times I've spent money on things that turned out to be crap. Should this turn out to be a failure - thats life - and I WILL say so. Pride has no place in this forum. Look in my gallery to see my first bus. I had no idea what I was doing then. Read about my posts about my 75 Deluxe Westy and how I fried her. Cest la vie. But - it was my fault. If anything in this is my fault - you all will hear of it. If it was Raby - you will hear of it.

I will be as impartial as I can be

Look - I understand some people will post snide remarks - and be negative. Cest la vie. If I stop posting for a while - then I stop. Cest la vie.

It isn't that I want to censor - hardly -

I just want us to observe - and view - and listen.

And give feedback if I should do something wrong - or if something looks wrong in my kit. Period.

Should I assemble the engine and find out - "Well - it doesn't perform as stated" then I will report that (I've driven a stock bus, a sick 2.0, and stock 2.0, and a mustang - as if that matters LOL). Like I said - I am posting this for your benefit as well as my own.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:05 pm

Ryan,
I look forward to your observations concerning all aspects of the Camper Special kit.

Every kit I sell generally sells 2-3 more kits to the non believers, or those that are on the fence and that would not happen if the results were not both astonishing in the performance aspect as well as "real"...

Some people have closed minds and simply are not open to any manipulation being carried out on the engine that they love for their vehicle.

It's those people that continue to push me to develop these engines and especially this combination to the level they are. Those people are my inspiration.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:10 pm

I'll definitally be following along. I got my order in to Jake about a week ago as well.
I have even less knowledge than Solexes but I'm good at figuring things out. Still, the more resources available the better.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:53 pm

Let me say its for people like gelos I'm posting. I'm willing to be the lab rat that ends up with huge flourescent eyes....

Mr. Ratwell - I have a ton of respect for you and your work and would appreciate input as to WHY you feel this way.

In my line of work - I've had INCREDIBLY reputible people say "Trust me" when the evidence is against them. This goes for both sides....

So far Mr Raby has a lot going for him in the regards of articles, and reviews by satisfied owners....and so far - my own personal experience....

Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:03 pm

Yup, drove my 77 Westy today cruising along up a steep Seattle hill...was thinking, " Wow, this is going right up this hill no problem like it used to"....now, I am going along in 3rd gear without any trouble or downshifting.

Great engine Jake and if anyone is thinking about one "try it you'll like it". Jake hand held me thru the configuration on my motor and send me tons of parts to complete it on time.

370F head temps! Wow I haven't gotten even close once to that.

BTW I spend my afternoon, wrenching on a guys 914 he just got. Spend most of the time correcting mistakes a "real shop" made on tuning up the car. Timing was set to 45degrees BTDC, ouch. Wouldn't idle, vac hoses all wrong, points set completely closed.etc...and he paid them for the work!

If anyone in the Seattle area wants to meet up, I am for it.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:15 pm

Great to hear solexes. You have made a great choice. Soon we will have yet another convert in the Camper Special club. Don't worry about Ratwell. He just hasn't had the opportunity to drive one yet. If he had,,,, he would own one too. Then he could round out his very fine website with some cool Camper Special info. As far as MrJunk goes,, there are many people on here that own and drive Camper Specials and they have all posted similar experiences.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:58 pm

My comment had nothing to do with the Camper Special,
I specifically said that I have no opinion either way.

My comment was in response to Solexes' request for
restraint in critical responses after he started saying
how great the Camper Special is. My comment was that
first, his statement was premature since he hasn't had
any experience with the Camper Special and second it's
hardly fair to say something is great without any evidence
then say to everyone don't say anything bad about it
without evidence.

Don't post a statement then say no criticism is allowed.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:01 pm

MrJunk wrote: Don't post a statement then say no criticism is allowed.

Techincally isn't this censorship too? :shock: How about he can post that he wants no criticism, but we can post what we want anyway.

Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:27 pm

So if a tree falls in the woods....

Or is it the sound of one hand clapping....

I'm soo confused. :?

Yes you're right, technically my statement is censorship.

Mea Culpa.

IFBwax, your suggestion works for me! :lol:

Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:35 pm

Well we're not only all VW people.. we're all VW BUS people. So despite our squabbles and difference of opinions we are all still collectively the coolest people on the planet. <<Notice lack of emoticon to show I really believe this!>> Well.. sort of.