TheSamba.com :: View topic - NEW here Need a little help. Bringing it back to life

Sun Oct 23, 2016 3:23 pm

Im helping my brother in law with his 73 bus. Im not a stranger to turning wrenches. Im a body man by trade and i have been building my own high performance engines , transissions and diffs for my 1972 cutlass i drag race for the better part of over a decade . I do on occasion build stuff for other people.

This bus has sat for about 6 years or so. It did run prior to being parked., We hooked up a battery to see if we could check for spark but the starter is dead in the water. I didnt bring enough tools so we will check for power now that i have a list of what tools to bring for next time. Looks like it has the weber manifold conversion and carb. On the engine end it sees like i got the work cut out for me with the starter , cleaning the carb , having the tank boiled and re sealed and just an over all general tune up. For now to goal is just to get it running. He has a spare 2000 cc engine which i plan on re building for him with just a little more oomph .

First issue i saw was brake lights come on when the brake is off and come off when pressed . Do they work off a pressure switch ???

Im totally green with old vw's so i dont know the ins and outs. But im not new to wrenching so im sure with some good advice we should be in business. Is there anything i should look out for ?? Common issues ? Any advice is greatly appreciated .

Sun Oct 23, 2016 4:35 pm

Best thing is to get a manual.
Either Bentley's, which is the "factory" manual or John Muir's "How to keep your Volkswagen alive-Idiot" manual which is better sometimes for those who are new to the air cooled VW.
I have both and they are indespensible.
Also, allow twice as much time as you think it will take on any project steps. That reduces stress.

Sun Oct 23, 2016 4:48 pm

It's a big job and you need to work through several things.

Brakes. Old fluid, leaking wheel cylinders, etc
Fuel lines. Change them
Fuel tank. Just hope it doesn't need to be boiled
Carburetor. Probably gummed up
Tail/brake lights. Clean all grounds and connections
Tires. Check them for dry rot
Battery. Check all cables, remove and clean and don't forget the tranny ground

Just don't expect to have it magically come back to life with a new battery and gas

Sun Oct 23, 2016 4:54 pm

Thanks guys. I do have the idiot book lol i just looked at his vw today for the first time so i was not expecting to do much besides looking at what we have to work with and tools and things i would need to bring to get us closer next time . I know to never rush things and like anything safety 1st so once we get it running brakes and fluids and lights will all be addressed . We are giving ourselves all winter to make it road ready. Which i feel should be realistic since here in chicago good driving weather does not come until may lol. Its actually in very good shape and very clean underneath. I have always wanted to build a vw but with 2 classics of my own space is hard to come by lol. So im not just doing this as a favor but as a way for me to learn something new that i have always wanted to mess with .

I have built many engines and brought my fair share of old cars back from the dead and have restored both my cars along with many cars i have done body work on and built engines and transmissions for. I know its a lot of work but not my first rodeo. I dont farm anything out for the most part ( usually just machining ) anything i do is built in my garage by me. Just like anything vw's have their quirks . But basic mechanics apply to most cars.

Sun Oct 23, 2016 5:05 pm

Okay, cool. We'll all try to help. So keep everything here in this one thread and try and do research here because many others have already been through this. Then try and make a list and prioritize it. Come back with your plan to attack the first item and run it by us. You can save time and money by using our knowledge which has been gained over years of making mistakes that we don't want you to make. You'll also need to find the best places to buy your parts. There are different qualities and prices of most parts and a lot of times you are money ahead by spending more for better quality.

Sun Oct 23, 2016 5:11 pm

Thats why im here. I am part of 2 other forums (olds) and (pontiac) there is a wealth of information out there that isnt found in books specific experiences odd situations etc etc. . Thanks again guys. For now we got work to do before we can even get close to hearing an engine run.

Sun Oct 23, 2016 5:20 pm

Posting pictures along with your questions really helps

Sun Oct 23, 2016 7:03 pm

Engines that have sat for a long time can have carbon fall off the piston head and jamb between the face of the piston and the cylinder head preventing the engine from turning over. You will just get a big clunk out of the starter as it engages. Dropped valve seats are also common which can also keep the engine from spinning over.

Sun Oct 23, 2016 8:50 pm

Post a pic of your Cutlas.

Mon Oct 24, 2016 12:19 am

richparker wrote: Post a pic of your Cutlas. Why? That would be an Oldsmobile. Let's see the 58 Bonneville, 64/65 GTO, or 69 Judge :shock:
Gotta say, my favorite was a 67 firebird 400 with tachometer on the hood.
Edit: What rich says, let's see the Cutlas you raced.

Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:16 am

Still learning how to post picture. this place is a bit trickier than other forums i am on. I still race this car it runs 12.50's pretty basic stuff nothing exotic but i am pushing the limits of the stock heads crank and rods. Hope the youtube links work. Yes its still oldsmobile powered none of that chevy engine stuff. its an olds 350. I dont wanna post pictures as i read the rules . This car is street driven and driven to the track and back. I may add i saved this car. It sat next to a barn for 10 years it needed floors , 1/4 panels , fender patches , door needed patches. It was at one painted the same color but it was crashed in 2010 and its a long story about how it looks now but anywho enjoy.

Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:19 am

If i can figure out how to post pictures i will post just a few good ones of both my cars and all the ones I took of the VW. I dont want to get off subject but since you asked i will share.

Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:27 am

It looks a little rough but it has no major rust the under body is mint except for the area under the battery which is common rust areas for any old vehicles.I think i figured it out.

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Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:37 am

Wow, that bus looks pretty solid for a midwest bus. It looks like it's going to be in good hands to bring her back to life. You've found a good site with lots of knowledgeable VW folks on it.

One thing you may consider doing is returning it back to a correct 73 type 4 engine by losing that center mounted carb that are not terribly popular. That set up can tend to run poorly, especially in colder weather. Those long intake runners are not heated so you get poor fuel delivery until the engine warms up.

Those engines came stock w/dual Solex carbs. Many folks source those stock carbs and associated parts. They rebuild the carbs and rebush the throttle shafts. When they are correctly set up and jetted, they run amazingly. There's still lots of used examples of these carbs and parts out there for reasonable prices too.

I look forward to you updates.

Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:44 am

Thats what i have been reading about the webers . Guys are not too fond of them. Im trying to use whats there as their funds are limited so we are trying to work with what we have. Evetually once i learn more about the engines i will build an engine with a little more power when their funds allow. Im working for free but i cant spend money thats not mine. Thanks for the kind words.

Mon Oct 24, 2016 11:37 am

There is no hose for the crankcase ventilation so you are going to be dumping oily fumes right on top of the engine. Best to connect the hose into the top of the aircleaner to give as much slope to the hose as possible.

Mon Oct 24, 2016 6:14 pm

Thanks for the heads up. One of my brother inlaws comments was the fumes . I dont think it was ever hooked up. once we get it running all those little things will have to be addressed . It will take some time but im excited and im sure with help from members here it will be what it should be. There are some issues with the heating system as well that are a bit sketchy but they will come in time. Like any project the mor eyou dig the more you will find and address.

I may add he has had this for almost 20 years but it has been sitting atleast 5. They used to drive it all over the midwest to music festivals and what not.

Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:08 pm

The Webber will be happier with a distributor in good working order and correct jetting. An early Ford Pinto aircleaner helps provide plumbing for cold weather heating and cold weather reliability.

Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:49 pm

Thats a suggestion i will have to try. We are trying to keep this low buck and use whats there. Thats not to say corners will be cut but work with what we have. We have a mint condition spare dist. and many sets of points and wires and plugs . he bought this with a ton of spare parts. We have the manifolds for the solex carbs and the carbs. Both in great shape.

Tue Nov 15, 2016 9:37 pm

Just a little update. I got the bus to run again !!! . Finally got the starter to turn over ( sticky solenoid) . Only ran a few seconds but it sounded super smooth. Carb needs a rebuild , Needs a full tune up and lots of wiring to re do. We are towing it back to my brother in laws place so i can get into it indoors as its getting cooler out .

Who offers a Webber rebuild kit ?