TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:13 pm

I'm a newcomer to the forum and this is my first Volkswagen ever. Always been a fan but have maybe seen 1 vanagon in my entire life here (NC), so they are fairly hard to come by.. especially in decent condition. I'm starting out as someone with fairly basic mechanical skills (can change my oil, tires and pump gas basically). I'm up for the challenge and hope to take it all in..

I picked her up 2 days ago for only $2300 and I've never been more happy owning a vehicle in my life. It was originally owned by a guy known as "the vw guy", who spent 15 years taking care of her very well. I was he was planning an I-40 trip across the country and rebuilt the motor roughly 3 years ago. Unfortunately he passed away and the vehicle was passed onto a family member who had no interest and couldn't drive it.

Pros:
Great body
Idle is smooth
New fuel lines
engine rebuild 3 years ago (less than 2k miles on it since)
clutch is in great shape
Recent new distributor, spark plugs, 1 month old battery.
Has started every time. Hasn't cut off.
Very minimal rust
Decent paint all around
All interior lights, headlights, turn signals are 100% functional
Recent motor rebuild
Stove, fridge, sink are 100% functional and clean.
Suspension seems to be in great shape. Rides great, no strange noises.
All doors lock, side windows work, chairs swivel, no tears.
Pop top has no holes/tears. 100% functional.

Cons:
Linkage needs to be adjusted. Mainly 1st/reverse. (all gears work.. none grind.. doesn't fall out of gear) It sat for 1 year and just the little driving I've done in the past 2 days has really improved getting into 1st gear. I was and still do usually have to put it in reverse and slide over into first with a bit of wiggling. Today I was able to go straight into 1st from Neutral which gave me some relief. I'm just hoping it's not internal.

Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:40 pm

:bay_blue: First welcome to the fun! 2nd a VW bus and daly transportation don't go together! But good luck. Starting with a carburetor verses fuel injection, yes sometimes you have to pump the gas pedal and hit the key twice to start it. Looks like a great bus for the money. Grease up the shift linkage, check the trans. oil ,after years may be low or dirty. Get your self a bentley manual. Come back here with future problems, we will try to help. Glad your fuel lines are done! I would run a can of carb. cleaner through it to. :D

Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:56 pm

bringing my reply over from the other post.. it's just more friendly & VW specific in this vanagon themed bar than the rides forum

danfromsyr wrote: that's a nice looking rig, but I've always had an affinity for the baby blue vans.
looks like you got a fairly decent deal, and while the progressive carb & 009 Distributor aren't ideal if properly tuned they will certainly be sufficient.
a 10mile commute is fine, I often find myself driving my westy to work in the summer, it's nice to have my own "kitchen" or escape pod for lunches w/o the compadries you work with.. or for a private lounge for those you prefer a more personal discussion.. the cool kids don't hang out in the cafeteria afterall.

you should share this post over on the Vanagon forum here, many other's there would like to view your van and share in their experiance or knowledge.

best of all keep on motoring.. and while other styles of VW can take you out into the country and get away from it all, only a VW Westy can really immerse you in the blend of comforts & country both sunny days and stormy weather..

Dan in NY

Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:14 pm

Not to suggest you keep moving around the Samba, but as a general rule I would use this Vanagon section for most things about your Van and when you need help with your progressive carb I would post on the Bay window forum as Vanagon owners are for the most part more familiar with the stock fuel injection setup.

Search the many threads about Trans fluid and the endless debates. Also read the stickies.

The Van looks great. Good Luck.

Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:45 pm

Thanks everyone.. Luckily a haynes manual and general volkswagon repair book was included. But I'll look out for a bentley one as well.

I bought some carb cleaner and it's been running through.. seems a bit smoother already.

I do have one issue.. the original owner passed and his daughter did put 5 gallons of diesel roughly 2 years ago by accident. Since then it has had the right fuel.. and did completely run out of gas twice since then due to the fuel lines needing replaced (they are now thank god).

I've been looking into dropping the tank but I'd rather not unless it's necessary. The only issues are sometimes a slight hesitation right after I shift into 2nd/3rd.. but goes away once rpm's pick up.

My next plans are to adjust linkage/trans fluid and get a new fuel pump..

Anyone ever tried NGK BP6ET spark plugs? I read over at http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5170296 that they benefited a lot of peoples idle/slight.

Then I'll be looking to get the engine breathing better.. and whatever else I find/you guys recommend to get a little bit more power! My first car (CRX hf) was a carb and had the same amount of horsepower but 3500 lbs lighter!! :lol:

Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:51 pm

this may very well be a characteristic of the 009 & progresive carb combo.
problem is the 009 Distributor is an industrial type VW distributor, that goes from regular to Max advance very quickly. and the oem van distrubutor would have a Vacuum advance that would advance timing to match engine load.. you can get a brand new SVDA distributor, but someone with better knowledge can help if you want.
and that the progressive carb with the long intake runners, is difficult to keep the fuel atomized wspecially during the atmospheric events inside the intake tubes when the throttle body plate is opened/closed..

you may just have to live with it, the good news is that these run better a little rich and the aircooled motor is happier running a little rich.. the EPA not so happy about it.

81'Westfalia wrote: The only issues are sometimes a slight hesitation right after I shift into 2nd/3rd.. but goes away once rpm's pick up.

Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:03 pm

You stole that van! As far as the shifting is concerned, I had the same problem after mine sat for some time. There is an oval adjustment on the shifter plate under the cabin boot. A screwdriver and some playing may set the shifter straight. A proper adjustment will bring the shifter spring back to straight even with 3rd and 4th gear. Have fun with her, and let me know if you plan on camping in N. Ga!

Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:11 pm

Georgiafrog wrote: You stole that van! As far as the shifting is concerned, I had the same problem after mine sat for some time. There is an oval adjustment on the shifter plate under the cabin boot. A screwdriver and some playing may set the shifter straight. A proper adjustment will bring the shifter spring back to straight even with 3rd and 4th gear. Have fun with her, and let me know if you plan on camping in N. Ga!
Well I certainly didn't feel as good when I test drove it. I kept rethinking the decision after getting so frustrated over it being near impossible to get into 1st. Luckily I went out for a second drive and that's when it started loosening up and knew it wasn't internal.

I'm going to attempt to tackle it tomorrow.. I came across this guidehttp://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_14_9/vanagon_shifter.html but does that also go for 80-83's?
The adjusting part does seem a bit vague to myself seeing as I've never laid my eyes or attempted it but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

As far as the lubricating to get rid of the scratchy/rusty noise just when moving the shifter at all, is it necessary to jack up the van to remove the spare/gain access? I'm sure at least some of the bushings/plastic pieces will be worn so I'm thinking I should just buy an entire kit and replace it all while I'm in there.

& I'll be sure to let you know.. I've been wanting to do some exploring in northern g.a. I definitely can't wait to get out somewhere in Pisgah in the next few weeks and put her to use :D.

Sat Apr 07, 2012 6:27 am

You may get icing problems with that carb set up in cool humid conditions. Carburetors need heat to work well, and the aftermarket progressive systems lack any heat source at all. I have run a progressive on a Bay for many years and they do work, but are typically bitchy when cold. There are good threads in both the bay window and performance forums on how to get these to run better.

The one thing they do tend to do well is to start easily. When cold you need to put the throttle to the floor once before cranking to set the choke (maybe do this twice or more once the temperature is below freezing). For hot starting each rig will be a little different, so you may have to experiment a little with how much throttle to give it, if any.

You might just keep an eye out for a complete FI system. They aren't all that hard to reinstall and are pretty dependable.

Sat Apr 07, 2012 7:06 am

Congrats on a great find and welcome to the madness. As you tinker, adjust and correct just remember the van has to get to know you, too! Ride on!

Sat Apr 07, 2012 11:23 am

Wildthings wrote: You may get icing problems with that carb set up in cool humid conditions. Carburetors need heat to work well, and the aftermarket progressive systems lack any heat source at all. I have run a progressive on a Bay for many years and they do work, but are typically bitchy when cold. There are good threads in both the bay window and performance forums on how to get these to run better.

The one thing they do tend to do well is to start easily. When cold you need to put the throttle to the floor once before cranking to set the choke (maybe do this twice or more once the temperature is below freezing). For hot starting each rig will be a little different, so you may have to experiment a little with how much throttle to give it, if any.

You might just keep an eye out for a complete FI system. They aren't all that hard to reinstall and are pretty dependable.

I'm leaning towards a dual carb/svda setup at the moment. As far as the current setup icing, I wouldn't know as the temps haven't dropped below 55 since I've had her.

Sat Apr 07, 2012 11:42 am

I'm being told to post in different sections by various people. According to the mods I need to stick to this thread when it comes to all my question seeing as they locked my other one where I was actually getting help/advice. Here's my last post on the locked thread, hoping I get a response here..

Quote: DarthWeber wrote:
Dual carbs dude. Not really what you want to hear but that's the only way to do it right unless you want to track down all the FI stuff that was taken off before. A single center mount carb will never work right on that engine because there is no way to get the needed heat to the intake manifold. With dual carbs you eliminate that problem and will get better drivability, more power and better fuel mileage. And duals work very well with SVDA distributors.

Thanks for the help. I've spent the past few hours looking at other peoples setups but I'm really boggled to be honest. If the engine runs well for the most part at the moment, and I upgrade to SVDA and a specific dual carb.. will I more than likely run into more issues. I know there's always a chance too but this is my current DD and I don't want to be stranded waiting on it :S

Is this a relatively easy switch (single carb & 009 to dual carb & svda)? I have an appointment the 20th of this month for a reputable vw shop in town.. so I'd love to get the parts and have them set it up. I'm just worried of the unknown price.. I'm getting the feeling it's basically just switched out and the carb tuned.. but I'm not sure if this is a complex problem or something that most shops can do in a short period of time/not much labor cost.

I'm going to continue looking around and might take some more pictures of the current setup. Any recommendations/tips/links would be great. Is this something I could do with $500 to spend?

Sat Apr 07, 2012 11:56 am

81'Westfalia wrote: I'm leaning towards a dual carb/svda setup at the moment. As far as the current setup icing, I wouldn't know as the temps haven't dropped below 55 since I've had her.

Icing can happen in humid conditions up to around 70°, but probably will not cause too much of a problem in the temperatures you are seeing. If you are happy with the way it runs I would not consider going to duals. They often don't run all that well, are prone to popping and spitting, and if one or two barrels runs leaner than the others, it is all too easy to burn up a cylinder or two. I would say to stick with the progressive until you can find a complete FI system.

Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:16 pm

81'Westfalia wrote: I'm being told to post in different sections by various people. According to the mods I need to stick to this thread when it comes to all my question seeing as they locked my other one where I was actually getting help/advice. ...
Crazy ... Instead of starting a new thread for each question, find an existing thread that is most similar to your question, and post there. Should prevent a thread lock. This one will probably not catch the eye of the Carb / FI specialists. Also as mentioned, there are many more people that will know about carbs in the Bay forum: US Vanagons did not come that way, and few here reverted back to them. Maybe in the Bay forum there is a single barrel carb thread, or a single to double conversion thread, or a carb to FI thread.

Sat Apr 07, 2012 1:00 pm

Wildthings wrote: 81'Westfalia wrote: I'm leaning towards a dual carb/svda setup at the moment. As far as the current setup icing, I wouldn't know as the temps haven't dropped below 55 since I've had her.

Icing can happen in humid conditions up to around 70°, but probably will not cause too much of a problem in the temperatures you are seeing. If you are happy with the way it runs I would not consider going to duals. They often don't run all that well, are prone to popping and spitting, and if one or two barrels runs leaner than the others, it is all too easy to burn up a cylinder or two. I would say to stick with the progressive until you can find a complete FI system.

Well humidity is rough here in North Carolina but as for now I'll just stick with my current setup as it gets the job done and seems to be running smooth but fairly slow. If it ever gives out I'll be going back to FI, or if money is there maybe a 2.5 swap.

But maybe I shouldn't even post this, because I'm sure someone has posted the idea of going back to FI, or doing a 2.5 swap if they have money.. or the humidity in south eastern U.S. Are the mods going to lock this for simply having a discussion that has been discussed by others previously....?

Sat Apr 07, 2012 1:37 pm

81'Westfalia wrote: Are the mods going to lock this for simply having a discussion that has been discussed by others previously....?

Probably not, but the mods are people with unique personalities so you ever know.

Sat Apr 07, 2012 3:06 pm

I took some pictures hoping you guys can give me some pointers what I'm dealing with. As far as the plastic ball being cracked (see picture), would that cause it hard to get into 1st gear, but leave reverse, 3rd/4th fairly normal? Also some odd things underneath like the 2 hanging black seals that are loose.. and the open pipe. I'd like some clarification on! Thanks

Sat Apr 07, 2012 3:27 pm

I know, I know! At least for the open pipes. Those are where the "accordion" tubes should be to connect the heat exchangers to the heater duct work. The open pipe pointing straight down is where the heated air goes when the temperature lever (2nd lever down in the Climate Controls) is turned to cold. In the cold position, the hot air is diverted out instead of through the heater ductwork.

Sat Apr 07, 2012 3:34 pm

GreenMachineVW wrote: I know, I know! At least for the open pipes. Those are where the "accordion" tubes should be to connect the heat exchangers to the heater duct work. The open pipe pointing straight down is where the heated air goes when the temperature lever (2nd lever down in the Climate Controls) is turned to cold. In the cold position, the hot air is diverted out instead of through the heater ductwork.

I see.. So by not having the "accordion" tube connected I'm not getting the right ventilation or something? Can heat/defrost still work without this?

Sat Apr 07, 2012 3:35 pm

81'Westfalia wrote: ... I'm stoked and very curious to get into this thing but want to do it right!

Cons:
I'm not a mechanic, live in an apartment and putting all my marbles in this thing for it to be a reliable daily driver (10 miles to work and back 5 days a week) and the occasional trip to the mountains (1 hour drive)

It might be my eyes, but looking at RH of image, the casing on connector end of red wire to coil looks a little singed or corroded. Might be something to check.

Edit: I realize you weren't asking about this. And, I should have looked closer. Thought that if that wire failed, it might leave you stranded. It looks like a + wire running to something other than the ignition. Goes to carb choke?

Congrats on your purchase!

Neil.