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jhicken 
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Joined: October 24, 2003
Posts: 7358
Location: Flagtown, NJ
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 Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:56 pm Post subject: Newbee - I got a bus!!! |
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This is my first post in the Type II forums, be gentle.
A '79 transporter literally just fell into my lap. I got a call about someone who needed to give away her mom's bus. They sold the house and it's been sitting in their garage for over 11 years and they no longer have any place to store it. Overall it seems to be in pretty good shape. Original tan over orange paint, no major damage and rust appears to be minimal. Needs a battery tray, some attention to the bottom of the slider door, and a few pinholes just behind the slider on the cargo floor. Other than that it's solid. Interior is near mint, no rips or tears and everything is complete. It even has air conditioning! It's been garaged since 2001 when the original owner parked it because it "wasn't running so well." It has 151,000 original miles on the motor so I'm sure a new one is in my near future.
I'm looking for a solid resource to rebuild the 2.0. It has the original FI on it and I have no idea it's condition. I'd prefer to keep it stock so I figure that I'll be cleaning the fuel system and replacing most of the vacuum lines to start. I'd love to get a Raby motor, but 12k isn't in the budget. Any advice or recommendations are very much appreciated.
-jeffrey
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Last edited by jhicken on Wed May 23, 2012 9:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Wildthings
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Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 19941
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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You should definitely check the engine over carefully before making the decision to have it rebuilt. All it might need is a good tune up. An engine won't "run so well" with bad distributor cap or a burnt set of points.
These engine will last a long time if not overheated. I now have about 250K miles on my 1800 since it was last rebuilt and it is still running well enough and have known others engines to make it over 300K. |
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secretsubmariner
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Joined: January 08, 2011
Posts: 1807
Location: Midtown, watching cops lights go by. 74112
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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HOW DARE YOU
make a post like that and not include any pictures. 
Congrats on the 79!
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-Tony
1978 Champagne- "Lord Puber"- first love.
1978 Champagne- "Scuttlebutt"
1978 Deluxe Auto Westfalia- "Samsquantch"
| Amskeptic wrote: | | Anybody dissing any year air-cooled Volkswagen is not on board. |
| germansupplyscott wrote: | | i like auto transmissions in buses. it's a lot easier to roll a joint while driving with an automatic. |
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Manfreds78bay
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Joined: February 27, 2009
Posts: 330
Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Lucky duck. |
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Malokin Martin
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Joined: August 19, 2007
Posts: 1104
Location: E-burg
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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Stan is keeping the Boston Bob engine dream alive. It's a drive, but would be worth it for a stock rebuild option... It looks like he's made a few VW shows in NJ from the pictures in his add.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=614073 |
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drober23
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Joined: April 01, 2009
Posts: 774
Location: Detroit, MI
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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What Wildthings said! Don't make any decisions until you have taken some compression readings.
And pics or it didn't happen!
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DJ
'75 Westfalia, '79 Deluxe, and some others...
(more busses than sense)
In a time of chimpanzees I was a monkey |
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manikmike
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Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 488
Location: Gainesville, FL
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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If you have the space, time and patience (not necessarily in that order), you can do it (diagnose/ repair/ rebuild) with one or two texts and the info/ advice here.
If not, Stan or Suburban Engine (http://www.suburbanengine.com/motors.html) are a couple hour's car ride away.
Oh, and - Pics!
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Mike
79 Rivi, 2.0L FI
G'Ville, FL |
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kamara
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Joined: January 27, 2008
Posts: 117
Location: Tallahasee, Fl.
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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250k? 300k? never heard that before. Must be a special rebuild kit of Raby's or HAMMs.......Everything I read says that a bus engine is lucky to get 100k......maybe thats for a t1 engine in an early bus, not t4?
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I am the driver - from dust to dust." J. Clegg |
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Wildthings
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Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 19941
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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| kamara wrote: | | 250k? 300k? never heard that before. Must be a special rebuild kit of Raby's or HAMMs.......Everything I read says that a bus engine is lucky to get 100k......maybe thats for a t1 engine in an early bus, not t4? |
Nothing very special about it. Don't really remember what parts went into my T4 rebuild as its been 22 years ago now, but as close to OEM as I could get at the time. The heads actually have many more than 250K miles on them as they came from a 412 and already had a ton of miles by the time I got them. I have always done everything I can to keep the cooling system operating better than it came from the factory, have what I believe to be a better crankcase ventilation system than stock, have run synthetics for the last 15 years, and have run a progressive carb that has consistently run better than most fuel systems out there.
I have had good luck when I have run T1 engines as well, but I firmly believe that the Type 4 is a superior power plant. |
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Tcash
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Joined: July 20, 2011
Posts: 547
Location: San Jose California
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Congrats, I would get it running and sort out any fuel, electrical and injection problems. Before you stick a rebuilt motor in there and burn it up. As suggested adjust the valves and do a compression test and a vacuum test. Never know |
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jhicken
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Joined: October 24, 2003
Posts: 7358
Location: Flagtown, NJ
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:53 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, I'll go through it completely before making the leap, this is all new territory for me so I'm just looking to get all my ducks in a row. As for Stan, I didn't even think of him, I saw him Sunday at e-town so I'll be sure to talk with him if it comes to that. Although I'm sure I'll have my time behind the wheel, this is gonna be the wifes ride so it's my job to make it bulletproof. I got a handful of pics with it still where it's been napping for the last decade that I'll post tomorrow.
-jeffrey
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drozdenko
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Joined: July 18, 2005
Posts: 156
Location: CT
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| Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 4:16 am Post subject: |
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I saw Stan last year at the terryville show i talked with him on my 2.0 rebuild. he said he personally doesn't do them but told me that Gary @ Suburban Engine rebuilds them for him. So i opted for that route. I'm about 2 weeks away from getting mine back, all good so far so we'll see when I get it back and install it.
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'79 Westy 2.0L "Hiltrude"
'01 WE Jetta 1.8T
'02 Passat GLS 1.8T (Sold)
'96 Jetta Trek (Sold)
'88 Gti-16V (Sold) |
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jhicken
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Joined: October 24, 2003
Posts: 7358
Location: Flagtown, NJ
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| Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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Finally picked up my new find and brought it over to a friends shop
It's been sleeping here for over a decade
On the back of a friends trailer
First time it's seen sunshine in quite a long time.
A shot of the near mint interior
BONUS! it's got A/C [gonna be fun trying to get that working again].
First order of biz is to see if we can get it running. Then the fun begins!
-jeffrey
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Wildthings
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| Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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| From the looks of the seats, it must have been kept out of the sun for most of its existence. Wish mine were half that nice. |
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jhicken
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Location: Flagtown, NJ
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El_Güero
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Joined: August 02, 2006
Posts: 569
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| Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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Congrats on the Bus!!
take care of the rust, get the engine running, Flip it for the right price, get a used cheap honda for the wifey and a westy....
Welcome to the meanest part of the Samba, you will get dirt just by posting such pics of a very nice unmolested bus. 
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jhicken
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Location: Flagtown, NJ
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Kirk
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Joined: December 05, 2003
Posts: 4766
Location: North Texas
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| Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome. That looks great! Love that color combo.
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jhicken
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2003
Posts: 7358
Location: Flagtown, NJ
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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Great news, with a new fuel pump, plugs, points and a new battery we got it running. Compression came out;
1. = 135#
2. = 125#
3. = 75#
4. = 125#.
Not bad for 151,000 original miles. I know cylinder 3 is a bit low but maybe it'll come back up a little with a some use [it's been parked for almost 12 years]. Regardless, it runs really smooth. Took it for a quick spin around the block and the trans shifted smoothly with no howling and other scary sounds [bonus]. So for the moment it doesn't look like I'll be needing a rebuild right away.
So far so good. Running down to the DMV tomorrow to finalize the registration and then I'm gonna spend a little quality time cleaning it up a bit and make a plan to attack the rust.
-jeffrey
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jtauxe
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Joined: September 30, 2004
Posts: 2163
Location: Northern New Mexico
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 9:33 pm Post subject: Re: Newbee - I got a bus!!! |
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| jhicken wrote: | | A '79 transporter literally just fell into my lap. |
Literally? Wow, that must have hurt. 
But congrats on getting what looks to be a fine bus for your intro. You are way ahead on the curve! 
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John
"The bus came by and I got on. That's when it all began..." - Garcia/Weir/Kreutzman
Long gone: 1969 and '78 CE Transporters, Westies: 71, 76, 77, 76, 77, 71, 73, 77
For sale: 1974 Westy Automatic
Current projects: 1975 Single Cab, 1978 RHD Double Cab 2.0-L FI
http://vw.tauxe.net |
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