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Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:52 pm

busdaddy wrote: For the heater sticking out of the kick panel I guess it'd be a problem if your grilfriend had long legs and big feet, otherwise I doubt it'd bug anyone, VW thought a bulge was OK when they installed the headlight washer tank.
http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/932636.jpg

As for the cable ends there's things called bug nuts or B nuts that clamp on to the end of the cable like the throttle or valve end of the heater cables and have a stud to go through the hole on the lever, like this: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/cablendbnut.php No doubt there's some available locally, truck PTO and tractor throttles for example.

Wow thanks for the info on those cable end things! Looks like a solution to some questionable designs. When i was given the clip to hold the cables in place behind the dash last year I tried the leg heater flap lever. A couple of times and SNAP! It wasn't seized or even stiff. It was probably just a little bent near the lever.

Headlight washers. Never knew they did a model with them. That looks like about the amount of cut in I'd be looking at. Perhaps a shade more but not going any higher than the vent or as far across.
That brings me to a related question. Is the styrofoam sheet on the inside of the nose OE or something the PO put there?

Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:57 pm

RatCamper wrote: . Is the styrofoam sheet on the inside of the nose OE or something the PO put there?
VW put it there.

Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:32 am

Are silicone cuffs also required at the front end of the accordion tubes connections, or just at the back where they connect to flappers?

Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:35 am

They are cheap, a least the last time I bought some they were. They are necessary to get good fit on both ends and probably needed to handle the heat on both ends as well.

Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:48 pm

this thing - are the little spaces supposed to be filled witha black wax-lioke substance or is that just old congealed grease? are these little gaps made for holding grease? plain old grease best for use in here?

091 trans cross shaft starter side bushing

Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:30 am

Sorry if this has been answered 97 times elsewhere, but in my searches I have not been able to find a carbureator to english Berlitz book. I assume the letters in PIC, PICT, ICT, IDF, IDA, PDIC, DSM3R (oops!) are abbriviations which have a meaning pertaing to the carburetors design. Any suggestions from the 324,987 Sambanistas who are more expert than myself.

Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:51 pm

ok,here it is...
are all the distributors designed to twist for timing adjustments ?
mine seems as if bolts in direct

1972 w / pertronix under the cap

Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:56 pm

pozz907420 wrote: ok,here it is...
are all the distributors designed to twist for timing adjustments ?
mine seems as if bolts in direct

1972 w / pertronix under the cap
Yes they all turn, look under the body for a sideways nut to loosen (sometimes really long on a type 4).

Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:00 pm

rustbus wrote: this thing - are the little spaces supposed to be filled witha black wax-lioke substance or is that just old congealed grease? are these little gaps made for holding grease? plain old grease best for use in here?

091 trans cross shaft starter side bushing
They likely had graphite or a mixture of it in them when new but grease will do if you clean it well first.

Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:03 pm

TinTopWesty wrote: Sorry if this has been answered 97 times elsewhere, but in my searches I have not been able to find a carbureator to english Berlitz book. I assume the letters in PIC, PICT, ICT, IDF, IDA, PDIC, DSM3R (oops!) are abbriviations which have a meaning pertaing to the carburetors design. Any suggestions from the 324,987 Sambanistas who are more expert than myself.
I can't find it right now but the letters denote things like choke style, idle system, etc...., different manufacturers use different letters as well so Solex doesn't link up with Weber.

Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:19 pm

On my 74 bay the engine tin foam gasket looks like it had a joint that was held together, barely I might add, by maybe silicone? The silicone has let loose. First off, is the foam normally one piece with a single joint?
Or is the foam one continuous piece? What can I use to seal up the open joint which is about an inch or so?

Fri Jun 08, 2012 9:24 pm

crushie wrote: On my 74 bay the engine tin foam gasket looks like it had a joint that was held together, barely I might add, by maybe silicone? The silicone has let loose. First off, is the foam normally one piece with a single joint?
Or is the foam one continuous piece? What can I use to seal up the open joint which is about an inch or so?

The original seal was kind of sideways "H" shaped in appearance. It was one piece. If you have some homemade piece of crap then it would be best to just buy a new one. I think they are about $35 these days and will last for 5-8 years depending on how hot they get and how oil saturated they are.

Sat Jun 09, 2012 1:54 pm

busdaddy wrote: pozz907420 wrote: ok,here it is...
are all the distributors designed to twist for timing adjustments ?
mine seems as if bolts in direct

1972 w / pertronix under the cap
Yes they all turn, look under the body for a sideways nut to loosen (sometimes really long on a type 4).

got that figured out yesterday.It took a little adjusting.Now the bus feels powerful.LOL.My DD is a 500 horse CAT 988b loader so this old bus is that much more fun. thnx for the help

Sat Jun 09, 2012 3:49 pm

pozz907420 wrote: busdaddy wrote: pozz907420 wrote: ok,here it is...
are all the distributors designed to twist for timing adjustments ?
mine seems as if bolts in direct

1972 w / pertronix under the cap
Yes they all turn, look under the body for a sideways nut to loosen (sometimes really long on a type 4).
[image]

got that figured out yesterday.It took a little adjusting.Now the bus feels powerful.LOL.My DD is a 500 horse CAT 988b loader so this old bus is that much more fun. thnx for the help
Did you set it to exactly 28 degrees BTDC @ ~3500 RPM with the hoses off?, or just eyeball it?

Timing by ear so it "feels more powerful" results in this:

Sat Jun 09, 2012 8:26 pm

busdaddy wrote:

Did you set it to exactly 28 degrees BTDC @ ~3500 RPM with the hoses off?, or just eyeball it?

OK, if I time my STOCK '78 2,0 liter to 28-32 degrees BTDC @ 3500 RPM, with the hoses off, does it matter that my timing at idle (950 RPM) reads like 2 degrees ATDC vice 7.5 degrees BTDC?

Barry sends

Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:18 pm

honeybus wrote: busdaddy wrote:

Did you set it to exactly 28 degrees BTDC @ ~3500 RPM with the hoses off?, or just eyeball it?

OK, if I time my STOCK '78 2,0 liter to 28-32 degrees BTDC @ 3500 RPM, with the hoses off, does it matter that my timing at idle (950 RPM) reads like 2 degrees ATDC vice 7.5 degrees BTDC?

Barry sends

do you drive around at idle, or with the engine revved up? ;) what it does while your driving is the most important. the distributor is worn from when it was new, and will have less of a total advance range, and you still want to have top end performance, so time it for that, and dont worry about the idle. :)

Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:39 am

busdaddy wrote: pozz907420 wrote: busdaddy wrote: pozz907420 wrote: ok,here it is...
are all the distributors designed to twist for timing adjustments ?
mine seems as if bolts in direct

1972 w / pertronix under the cap
Yes they all turn, look under the body for a sideways nut to loosen (sometimes really long on a type 4).
[image]

got that figured out yesterday.It took a little adjusting.Now the bus feels powerful.LOL.My DD is a 500 horse CAT 988b loader so this old bus is that much more fun. thnx for the help
Did you set it to exactly 28 degrees BTDC @ ~3500 RPM with the hoses off?, or just eyeball it?

Timing by ear so it "feels more powerful" results in this:

i used a timing light.No hoses,mech advance only/It maxes out at 28.I "deto'd" out my HD v twin going by ear before

Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:25 am

Stuartzickefoose wrote: honeybus wrote: busdaddy wrote:

Did you set it to exactly 28 degrees BTDC @ ~3500 RPM with the hoses off?, or just eyeball it?

OK, if I time my STOCK '78 2,0 liter to 28-32 degrees BTDC @ 3500 RPM, with the hoses off, does it matter that my timing at idle (950 RPM) reads like 2 degrees ATDC vice 7.5 degrees BTDC?

Barry sends

do you drive around at idle, or with the engine revved up? ;) what it does while your driving is the most important. the distributor is worn from when it was new, and will have less of a total advance range, and you still want to have top end performance, so time it for that, and dont worry about the idle. :)

Thanks. You make sense.

I just came on this thread last night, and I have stupid questions which I hope to get good answers.

Why do the timing with Vacuum hose disconnected? Bentley seems to say to have vacuum hose connected:

Ignition timing (1976 and later — except 1979 and later Calif. cars from vin 226 2077 584) 7.5° before TDC with vacuum hoses connected

http://www.bentleypublishers.com/gallery.do?code=V279&galleryId=2528

The Jim Thompson page seems to say to do the 1978 Federal with vacuum hose connected:

Bus & Pickup Late 1976-1978 All States, 1979 Federal * 2000

Timing Set At:: 7.5deg BTDC @ 850-950 rpm (Man Trans), 900-1000 rpm (Auto Trans) w/strobe, vacuum hose connected
Advance/Retard Range: Vacuum: 8.5-11deg Adv @ 7.9 In. Hg; Centrifugal: 8-13deg @ 1600 rpm, 20.5-24.5 @ 3400 rpm

http://www.oldvolkshome.com/ignition.htm#B7679

Again, this is a stock 1978 GE engine with SVDA (single vacuum, dual advance??).

I am seeking a bit of insight for this removal of the vacuum hose, other than 'it removes the vacuum advance from the picture / influence, so you are getting the true mechanical advance reading, like a 009 distributor.'

I mean, my example could be a valid response, but it means nothing to me. I have a stupid question and I need a really basic response.

PS. My issue is that my range of advance is too great. I was reaching 30 degrees advance BTDC at about 2500 RPM with vacuum hose disconnected, so the timing was retarded from 9 degrees BTDC to -2 degrees BTDC (which means, to me, 2 degrees ATDC).

Thanks Barry sends

Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:32 am

honeybus wrote: OK, if I time my STOCK '78 2,0 liter to 28-32 degrees BTDC @ 3500 RPM, with the hoses off, does it matter that my timing at idle (950 RPM) reads like 2 degrees ATDC vice 7.5 degrees BTDC?

What distributor are you running? You say hoses off (as in 2 hoses?) which would mean you have a double vacuum distributor so 2° ATDC at idle would be close to book spec.

Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:43 am

Why are parts falling off my 1978 VW camper?

Did I do something really bad, karma (busma) wise? Was I a naughty child? Am I being punished for being too good? Do the VW buses constantly following me really need that CV Joint that came disconnected, or the screws coming out if my door hinges and dash board.

Do fuel line hose clamps normally unscrew after 1,623 miles and light bulbs fall out of their socket at that point. [Reminder to self: check the fuel clamps UNDER the gas tank, & those behind the firewall / breast plate, plus the gas tank,,,]

I wonder if I will make it to a 2,000 mile checkup, when both front caliper came loose at 200 miles? And discovered at 1,200 miles when the 'clunking' noise became worrisome to my passengers. Every bump in the road = CLUNK.

Why are things constantly coming loose on my recently restored 1978 VW camper?

Barry sends