TheSamba.com :: View topic - 3 hippy dudes and a green bus= problems<-THE ORIGINAL

Tue Sep 07, 2004 4:27 am

You certainly deserve a medal for promoting Veedubbers everywhere! What other car could possibly incite total strangers to give up vast ammounts of time and energy, not to mention risking hassle from the police, to help a couple of people they only just met who got stuck with a total lemon?
Its stories like this that reaffirm the old bus/bug drivers spirit is still alive and well despite the effort of toe rags like the guy who sold this vehicle.
Good luck- we re-built a bus motor in a similiar state twice in a parking lot and the driving for parts is a nightmare- no pimps but lots of confused and amused pedestrians!

Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:37 am

This is a very interesting post, please keep us updated...

Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:43 am

Just a thought on the brakes - did you bleed them? If there's air in the brake lines, the vacuum boost might be working fine, there's just no hydraulic pressure. If the bus is in as crappy shape as it sounds, and sitting for a while, there could easily be air in the brake lines. If nothing else, the brake fluid is probably nasty and needs to be changed anyway. I'd look there if you haven't...if you have, then good luck finding the problem.

Tue Sep 07, 2004 6:52 am

It's 6:15 am. I didn't sleep well last night. I've been tossing and turning for the last 2 hours. It's time to get back to work...

Thanks for the info about the lifters. Since this engine has been slapped togather, is there a way to tell if these are ACUALLY hydrolic lifters? I've never seen any so I dont know what to look for.

Isn't there an adjustment for them as well? Something like "2 turns out" ??? I have an old Bently ( which is now missing.. :( So, I dont have info on this. Is it in the Idiots book? I'll check there.

I found out that the seller, when he found out that the guys wern't planning to have the vehical shipped back to Illinois, but insted, fly out to the west coast and travel back to Illinois, sent the bus to a storage facility and left a key there and never even met them! ( I might have already written about this... I'm frazzeled...) how low can you go!!??

I'll try to look into the brake bleed.

We just need to get this thing out of my area before the cops come back. Heres the interesting thing about the place that I live. In the two days we've been out in the street doing the work we have actually only seen four people walk by. I live IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY!!!!! This is the weirdest place on earth, I swear, I still cant believe some one would take the time to call the police. It's not like this is a rich area or there are people who actually are concerned with "keeping the neighborhood up". These guys commented on this and found it REALLY strange. It's like a ghost town but the street is lined with cars and all the lights are on. Whatever... I'm soooo over liveing here in this poop shed.

Thanks for all the post by everyone. It's been supportive. I noticed we've gotten lots of views too. All you lerkers out there, wadda ya think?

( I'havent been editing these post so my tuypos have gotten WAYYY out of hand.sorry) ( like that last sentance ..)

Tue Sep 07, 2004 7:09 am

Go to Section 1.6 of the Baywindow FAQ.

Also while on ratwells site, check out the BostonBob artical on hydraulic lifters.

Tue Sep 07, 2004 7:14 am

thanks randy. i just read the section. Should be easy. ( jinxed myself?) gotta get going. Later.

Tue Sep 07, 2004 7:59 am

Devon-Dyno-Soar118 wrote: You certainly deserve a medal for promoting Veedubbers everywhere! What other car could possibly incite total strangers to give up vast ammounts of time and energy, not to mention risking hassle from the police, to help a couple of people they only just met who got stuck with a total lemon?
Its stories like this that reaffirm the old bus/bug drivers spirit is still alive and well despite the effort of toe rags like the guy who sold this vehicle.

i couldn't agree more ... good for you for keeping this small piece of decent society perpetuated ... we could use a lot more ...

Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:10 am

CV bolts cannot resist vise-grips and a proper 6mm or 12 point socket in tandem. Bottomend, your initiative is amazing and appalling at the same time. If you have any questions please PM me.
Colin in Chicago @ BobD's

Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:42 am

Just got the rear of the engine put back togather. Went to parts store and bought PR seals. No brown viton. oh well. Found the alternator wire to the solenoid is really cut up and chaffed. I'm back in my place looking for elelctrical tape while the other guys are trying to fix the HUGH leak comming from the water tank. They woke up this morning with a soaking wet carpet!

I still need to look at the stop plate shifter thing. I dont have much of a clue how to do it 'cause Colin and I were super rushed to adjust mine a month ago. I'll give it a go anyway. This thing is nearly impossible to get into gear.

The best line so far this morning was;

Me; "so, how much weight can the upper bunck support"? Maybe a 100 pound girl?"

The drug residue guy; ( I'm not makeing this next part up) " dude! do you actually know a girl who is 100 pounds!!?"

I had to remind myself that they are from a part of the country where beef is not just a food....

Gotta get back up the hill!

(Colin, I've been telling them about you. They're heading to Ill. Wait for them!!!....PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Tue Sep 07, 2004 11:55 am

Got the PR tubes out . I'm cleaning them inside my place. It's nice to be out of the sun for half a minute...

I found out that we DO have hydrolic lifters. I've never seen one before but I pulled one out and it looked alot different than mine.

Question; the one I pulled out had a little wire clip holding the guts inside. This clip was a little bent so I took it out to straighten it and then... everything else came out! POP! I figured out how to get it back togather but I was wondering if I need to put oil inside. Is this what they mean by "pumping up"? I could definatly feel the effect of NOT having oil inside. Just with the air inside I wasn't able to push the inside piston down. Any pointer's will help.

Tue Sep 07, 2004 12:03 pm

Yes. Go here....

http://www.bostonengine.com/articles/hydraulicll.htm

Tue Sep 07, 2004 12:22 pm

Quote: All you lerkers out there, wadda ya think?

I'm utterly fascinated...that these guys would travel out to pick it up with nary a clue amongst them...that they were lucky enough to run into you and get so much help...I'm just hanging on the edge of my seat to find out if they ever make it back to Illinois!

Quote: I still need to look at the stop plate shifter thing.

As this is one of the few things I've done on my bus, I'll chip in with my two cents...loosen up the two bolts fore and aft of the shifter column, just a little...and get it in second gear (or whatever gear gives you the most trouble, mine was second). Tighten up a little, and make sure you can smoothly shift through the pattern...if not, loosen up a little and try again. If you can, tighten them fully. The books (Bentley & Muir both, from memory) suggest you might need to nudge the plate w/ a screwdriver while it's loose.

Dan

Tue Sep 07, 2004 12:44 pm

Thanks for the tip on the shifter thing. Colin stopped by last month and set mine up. He gave me a 30 second tutorial on it's adjusment. The stuff you just wrote jogged my meomory of the work to be done> thanks.

I'm about to head back out to put the PR tubes in. The old PR seals were hard and cracked. I'm hopeing my dipstick tube retrofit and the PR tube seal replacement as well as my special leakless valve cover replacement tricks will keep the oil company from chaseing them down to get them to invest in oil stock.

This thing is coming togather. If I would've know it was all this work I would've suggested a minor rebuild with an engine pull. It would've taken the same amout of time and I know I could've gotten this thing set up nice. oh well...hind sight.

I'm telling these guys about all the hits were getting and they think were famous now! They totally think it's cool that we can see the Hollywood sign from our place on the hill. Also, they asked me if I know anybody on the way to Illinois if they have problems. Anybody out there...?

Gotta run ( up the hill!)

Tue Sep 07, 2004 12:52 pm

Bottom,

Lubricate the seals with oil and use vise grips gently clamped on the tube to wiggle the tube into position with out tearing or pinching the seal. It usually takes three hand to do it.

Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:22 pm

Whoa, ive been readin this thing for a few days, Jeff you are the man. Im sure these dudes are never gonna forget you, and you proably have them complety hooked with the vw comunity now. Awesome.

I was wondering how this bus is rust wise? I mean if its a rust free bus, then maybe it is worth a little mechanical trouble? IMO it is anyway.

Tue Sep 07, 2004 2:33 pm

I read this post with a smile on my face. What a cool story! Before you send them on their way you may want to arm them with a AIRS(www.type2.com) list of people they can contact in case of any more trouble. Thanks for the entertaining read and for "hooking" a few more veedubbers.

Tue Sep 07, 2004 3:15 pm

Well, we've finanlly setteled on names....

Older brother ;" Leader"

guy who cant focus; ' Residue"

younger brother; "Water boy' (find's very creative way to be useless ;)

I'm simply known as "Grease'

I just had to make two trips up and down my hill ( 200 yards 22* incline) in the heat because Residue lost one of the spring clips for the PR tubes. When I got back up to the top to look for my keys ( I thought I had lost them ) Leader had two sticks of insense burning and they were all enjoying ' The Vibe". It ended up that Leader had used my keys to go inside to charge his phone. Whatever.... I love these guys! They go from trying to bust A** working for me to relaxing in a split second. As soon as I turn my back I start hearing chanting and stuff. This is the REAL deal! hippydom for sure!

They called the seller to try and ask for $300 back from the price and ( I'm not making this up) He's dying. He's got cancer and he is going into the hospital to have his lung pumped later tonihgt. Residue said it souldn't matter because "our bus is dying too, dude!" but Leader said we should all just chill out and give him a break. "We met Grease and for that we should all be thankfull."

We all got mad at Waterboy because he takes soooo long to hand us the tools. ( thats HIS job) I thougt I was the only one getting mad but every one spoke up. He's very nice and a very kind guy but I think he needs to eat some meat or something. He's very lathargic and kinda skinny.....

So anyway, I got the PR tubes in, rockers back on. Springs are going in as soon as I climb the hill for the 10th time today. Residue torqued the shocks. Brakes are adjusted. Waterboy cleaned out the water tank and fridge. (good job for him) and Leader is just SUPER positive all the time! Leader also made a tent over us so we're not baking in the sun. he tied it with plastic tape to the trees abnd bushes. These guy are 19, 20 and 24 years old FYI.

Some guy drove by and wanted to sell them another bus. The guy actully came up with a beer in his hand after getting out of the car. ....

Oh yea, We did the hydrolic lifter bleed thing too. It's amazing that at 6;15 this morning I knew NOTHING about these. Now I feel like I could do just about anything I need to to get one working ect... it's been a good day so far.

Tue Sep 07, 2004 6:05 pm

LMFAO, that 's classic.. you gotta get a pic of these guy's before this is over... :lol:

Tue Sep 07, 2004 6:07 pm

They sold us the wrong spark plugs. We had to make another shop run. Leader asked me " can we run the car with out 'em?" I immediatly put him on clean up detail.

While he was cleaning /looking around the bus he found $12 in coins! The next thing he said cracked me up... 'Dudes!! We're gonna be eatin' FAST FOOD tonight!" They have been eating nothing but PB & J for the last 5 days.!

I'm finishing up as we speak. I've still got to do the oil flush and change the tranny fluid. They bought a little pump for me as a gift to do the upside down tranny insertion trick. Nice guys....

I adjustsed the shift plate and Waterboy ( the designated driver) said it felt alot better. I thought it did too. Before this adjustment I couldn't get it into 1st or 2nd while stilling still. I'm scared to DEATH to try and start this beast..... Wish us luck every one! All you learkers out there, give us a shout!!!!!!!!!!

Tue Sep 07, 2004 6:33 pm

SOMEBODY just lost my spark plug wrench!!!!!!!!! I'm back down the hill looking for a substitute in my house. Somebody is gonna pay for this! I'm now gonna be changing tranny /oil in the dark at a FLAPS because of the time we've lost. Man this is almost too much for me to believe. We have to do everything twice. All the time. Everytime.

I wish Colin would get on here and tell people about this hill I've climbed up and down all day. I've worked up to being able to do a full run to the top at this point. There are parrots across the street and the guys thougth it's was an old Hispanic lady yelling or something. When I told them it's a couple of parrots, we all had a good laugh because they could believe it!