New Westy Owner - Few specific questions

[matt_j]

Hi all,

I've spent some time over the past few weeks reading up on the samba and I've already learned a lot. (Even about the search function, sorry about the questions)

I recently purchased an 84' Westy in what seems like pretty great condition. The interior is very very clean. Exterior has a few bumps with one or two concerning spots and a larger dent. 208,000k on a rebuilt engine and transmission (done around 180k) roughly 5 years ago. The previous owner was an 80 year old woman who could no longer drive it, handed it down to her son in and and daughter who used it maybe a hand full of times in the past 2 years. It had been regularly maintained by them and garaged most of its life. I took it in to a VW mechanic in town that had known it for the last decade and had it looked over. He said he couldn't find anything wrong with it, was very familiar with the van and said that I 'got a good one'.

I'm willing to dump some time and money in to it to get it in to decent shape and I'm looking to you guys to sort of help with any advice. I've got a few minor problems and a few questions. I'm about to place a gowesty order for a few odds and ends and if there's anything recommended let me know.

I've read about the horrifying fuel line issue but I'm imagining that they were replaced when the engine was rebuilt?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_j/7043880469/


There's a larger dent on the driver side at the rear I'd love to have some body work done and this repaired but it seems like a tricky spot. I'm guessing that's why it was never dealt with. I've got one rust spot on the front of the van above the grill that started from a paint chip. Any temporary solutions before I can get some body work and paint done?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_j/6897784856/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_j/7043880293/

One burner has this problem... getting too much air/propane I guess. Any tips on how to fix?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_j/6897785034/


Here she is...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_j/7043880233/

I tried to get the fridge going tonight and it didn't seem to light. I saw a flash of orange flame from within the viewing hole inside after trying to light it but it didn't seem to start up after that. Normal?

I'd love to have her painted, clean up the body and install new bumpers (maybe the steel go westys?). I also plan to replace all of the water tank lines just to keep things clean. With my limited knowledge so far I can only tackle simple things and cosmetic stuff. Is it worth upgrading to 15" wheels eventually?

Thanks guys!

[kamzcab86]

Welcome to your new obsession!
_________________
~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2000 Jetta VR6

[photogdave]

Definitely change your fuel lines again. It can't hurt.
The dent doesn't look to bad actually, but the rust above the grill is strange. I've never seen it there before.
cheapautobody.ca could probably fix those up for under a grand I'll bet. The shop I mention in my pm, which is a proper shop with good quality standards, probably closer to $1500 depending on how you want the paint done.
If you have good quality , properly rated tires I wouldn't worry about 15" rims. IF you need new tires anyway it's a sound upgrade.
Keep trying with the fridge. It might take 20-30 pumps to get it going the first time!
Dave
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[colins84]

Hey Matt! Welcome.

I will speak to what I know here.

With your fridge, It will probably be a good idea to take that thing out of the van and give it a good cleaning. Mine was having the same issue that yours is. After completely cleaning mine, it will now light and stay lit after about 4-6 pumps of air. This video is what I followed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKtn2Yjkbco

When you do take the fridge out, you are going to crack the screw covers on the front of the cabinets. They are sold out at the moment, but go ahead and put them in your wish list for when they do come available.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=20312&category_id=213&category_parent_id=



I am desperately needing new tires. There has been a thread recently created by vermontgirl. I have found it very helpful in thinking about the 14"/15" debate. Especially on a 2WD not doing a ton of off road.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=505545&highlight=tires


Keep us in the loop with how things are on the van!
_________________
1985 Westfalia
2001 Volvo XC70

[matt_j]

Thanks guys. I'm going to assume that that rust spot on the front above the grill is probably from a larger paint chip that was never repaired. I'm definitely going to look in to tackling the body damage and getting a paint job though.

As for the fridge, I had planned on taking it out and giving it a clean, that video is super helpful.

Tire tread is fine right now so I'll just research more about the 14-15" upgrades and see if it makes sense down the road. I'd still love to get some new bumpers on to replace the dented chrome ones. Other than that I'll probably get some new hook up boxes, headlights, few interior things, and other odds and ends from go westy to help clean it up over all. Excited to have a new hobby. If I could only figure out that stove issue...

[Mang]

Just a thought, but be sure you're really working the fridge to get it going.

My PO said "it never worked" and after about an hour of following the procedure over and over, it eventually lit.
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'87 Westy 2.1 WBX

[danfromsyr]

we find that it starts much easier if you let it pre-chill (re: pre heat the backside) on 110v for a few hours..

but if never serviced a removal and a cleaning of the combustion chamber as well as verify flame pattern (you can hook it to a standard BBQ & hose W/regulator to bench test it)
_________________
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[RBEmerson]

On the fridge...

1 ) Blow out the vent line (the metal thing sticking out of the grill under the fridge door). Use an air hose or "air in a can'. You can try a vacuum cleaner, too, if you can get a passable seal between the vent and the vacuum cleaner. This is a one-time event to clear cobwebs, etc. out of the burner if it's been idle for weeks, months or years.

2 ) Start the fridge running on 110 VAC. The idea here is to get warm air moving in the vent (ends in the stainless steel thing on the side of the van). Figure on letting it run, with the thermostat set to maximum cold, for at least 2-3 hours.

3 ) (2-3 hours later...) Start one of the stove burners and let it run for at least 2-3 minutes. This ensures gas is flowing through all of the plumbing.

4 ) Turn off the stove, and set the thermostat to OFF or start-up (twist counter-clockwise as far as it will turn).

5 ) Turn the gas valve to ON, push the gas button (the right-most of the 110 VAC, 12 VDC, and gas buttons), and give the air pump 5-10 strokes. At this point the orange light will start blinking and you may hear the igniter clicking.

6 ) Holding the start button (to the right of the air pump knob) in, pump the air pump briskly ("like ya mean it"), and watch the orange light. It will go out when the burner lights off. There is no limit to the number of pump strokes allowed, although 10-20 strokes should do the job. Once the burner is lit, do not release the start button! Hold it in for at least 10 seconds after the orange light goes out.

7 ) Once the orange light goes out, and the start button has been held in for at least 10 seconds, let the button go. The orange light should not re-light unless the flame goes out. If the orange light starts blinking again, go back to step 6.

8 ) After a minute or two with the burner running at the start-up setting (thermostat fully counter-clockwise), turn the thermostat clockwise fully. Watch the orange light as you do this. If the light starts blinking, turn the thermostat back to start-up (fully counter-clockwise) and go back to step 6. Once the burner warms up a bit, it'll take the maximum setting.

If you can't get the fridge started after pre-heating with 2-3 hours of 110 VAC use, try it again, doubling the time you let things warm up. Unless the stove has problems, the above procedure should work for you.

We just spent about seven weeks on the road and, once we had the fridge up and running at home, ran in gas mode while driving and during stops. At night, when we had a plug-in, we used 110 VAC, and went back to gas the next morning. We stopped at a couple of friends' houses along the way and plugged in the night before we planned to leave.

On a couple of occasions I forgot to restart the fridge after leaving a camp site and still got things running an hour or two later. Also, on a few particularly windy days, the burner went out while we were driving; I was able to re-start the fridge without much bother.

Overall, our fridge worked well even in the Florida Keys, with air temps hitting the mid to upper 80's. Aside from the initial pre-heat drill after letting the van stand for a few days, we had very few delays in starting the fridge. Once running, with the thermostat set to full cooling, temps were about 40-45F in the Keys.

- - - -

Fridge burner light...
In our '90 Westy, there are three LED's for the water tank level (green, yellow, red) and an additional green LED under the bottom, red LED. This green LED lights up when the burner starts running. When the burner first lights off, the LED will be very dim (shade it with your hand to see if it's lit). As the burner area heats up, the LED will get brighter. The LED is, I assume, powered by a thermocouple near the flame. The hotter the burner, the more power from the thermocouple, and the brighter the LED. Once the burner has been on for 10-15 minutes, it'll be bright enough to check if the fridge is still running. No green LED - time to re-start the burner.

I'm not sure if all Westys have this LED or that it's under the water level LED's. In any case, look for it.
_________________
Not all who wander are lost. Which still leaves room for a few lost wanderers...
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'90 Westy - "The Silver Flash"

[matt_j]

Tackling the fridge this morning so hopefully I can get it going. I removed the backseat the other day and cleaned out the 25 years of gunk and things lost in to the abyss. I also removed the already disconnected and re-routed rear heater that was just sitting in there eating up space. What does everyone typically do to cover the hole in the bottom of the seat storage area?

Any tips on the burner/propane issue anyone?

[matt_j]

Oh yes, one more problem came up while removing the rear bench seat. One of the two bolts that bolt the seat in to the body above the engine compartment area was seized and removing it may have stripped whatever threading in the body. Any solution for this? Is there some sort of toggle bolt I could use?

[RBEmerson]

Played briefly with the control valve stems (the stem for the right burner was a DIY replacement and the cover on the left burner was cracked). I quickly came to the conclusion that the potential for problems, during DIY surgery, was not trivial.

First, based on the photo, do both burners look the same? That is, is the diffuser on the burner present (the photo suggests it is) and is it fully seated like the one on the right?

Have you taken the front cover off? Remove the LED panel and disconnect the plug. Remove the two large nuts (one behind each knob). There are two side screws (one on each side of the cabinet) and, IIRC, three screws under the upper lip that hold the grey plate in place. Remove the screws and wiggle the plate loose.

There is a pot metal casting with two small screws that holds each burner valve shaft. If this is cracked, that might (or might not) be the source of the leak. Looking at the flame, though, my guess is you're getting too much gas, not too much air. AFAIK, your only option is to find a replacement burner assembly in the classified ads here. Good luck!

IMHO, you're probably better off to not use the stove until you can find a replacement. And, uh, I do hope you're not smelling gas when the LPG tank valve is open and the stove valve is closed...

- - -

ADDED: Hmmmm... is the left air vent (the round tube that opens to the front plate) clear? It's possible it's blocked with... well, maybe you don't want to know what. Anyway, I'd look in there with a bright light to ensure the tube is completely clear and open. Also, think about lifting the left burner cap and comparing it with what's under the right burner cap. Ditto for the right burner's air vent, too.
_________________
Not all who wander are lost. Which still leaves room for a few lost wanderers...
- - - - -
'90 Westy - "The Silver Flash"

[matt_j]

Both burners look the same and nothing under either cap looks different from the other. I haven't taken front cover off but I can check that out now.

Don't worry, not smelling any gas with the tank valve open. I'd be a little more worried.

[RBEmerson]

Darn. I was hoping you'd find some sort of blockage. This points more and more to a boogered valve. Once you get the plate off and look at the valve stem, you'll see things get complicated beyond that point. Good luck!
_________________
Not all who wander are lost. Which still leaves room for a few lost wanderers...
- - - - -
'90 Westy - "The Silver Flash"

[matt_j]

Well I just took the fridge out and cleaned everything. I couldn't get the fridge to light after cleaning but I also wasn't able to pre-run it off 110vac. (Old neighborhood, no garages or outlets on 100 year old homes). Not sure if the fan is working or not. I did manage to clean quite a bit out of the combustion chamber so maybe if I'm able to warm it up I'll have a better chance at lighting.

Another negative note... I found a small amount of rust back there behind the fridge due of course to the fiberglass insulation. Scraped away with a screwdriver and was only able to make one small hole. Probably half the size of my pinky finger nail. Most of it doesn't seem to be that bad. Rip everything out and fill and use POR15 I'm guessing? Where else should i be looking for little rust spots.

Is it a big deal to not replace the fiberglass insulation?

I'll post some photographs this evening hopefully to give a better idea of things.

[joseph928]

Rear heater, to fill the hole, get it fixed and put it back in you will need it. Unless you live in Phoenix . I would never want a van without one, to nice when cold! This is one of the reasons to buy a waterboxer , to have heat!
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1987 syncro westy tin top sun roof GW2.3 rear locker decoupler custom bumper roof rack Gary Lee tire rack lift south african grill big brakes rhein alloy 15 BFG AT 617 gears ShadyBoy awning 140 watt rear 85 watt front solar mppt truckfridge automatic fire extinguishing system - 2010 Subaru turbo - 1993 Toyota 4x4 truck - 1999 Harley - Dodge 4500 4x4- 1987 tin top westy Jetta 2.0 ABA 1.8 head, 55 watt solar automatic fire extinguishing system -Just sold my 84 Westy

[matt_j]

Not super worried about a rear heater. Right now I think I'd rather just have the storage space.

Here's the dreaded kitchen rust...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7129/7062853775_ec74bf320e_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5075/7062853695_4c6746d21e_b.jpg

Seems like I could just brush it down and POR15 everything. Any good solutions for filling that small hole?