My 78 Bus Project

[cmonSTART]

I thought I would start a post for my 78 Bus project, where I can consolidate all my progress and questions into one thread.

I picked it up this July from another VW enthusiast, which makes me the third owner of this one. It was reasonably well taken care of, but does need some work here and there. I just got it back from a friend's shop where we did the rear cross member and front beam. It looks OK for now, but there is a bit of bondo in the rockers I'm going to take care of in the spring.

There is what sounds like some valve clatter coming from the right side valve cover area. I replaced the lifters (bled well, absolutely no squishiness) but it's still there. I want to pull the engine to take care of some oil leaks, and when I do I'm probably going to pull the head - I half suspect I have a valve/guide issue in there. Engine runs well otherwise - I'm slowly taking care of vacuum leaks.

There is some cool engraving on the side windows. Was this factory, or something a PO did?

We're turning this into a light duty service vehicle for our business, but really want to change it as little as possible - keep the original paint, interior, etc.
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[Zelten]

That's not a project. That's a great looking bus! That flower engraving on the window is definitely a PO additive.
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1978 Delux Campmobile
03 Jetta TDI
15 Q7 TDI

[Tcash]

Boston Bob's history of Hydraulic Lifters

[cmonSTART]

Thanks, Tcash! I actually read through that not long ago - found the link from ratwell.com. I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes, but honestly I give it a 50/50 shot - I checked and one valve seems to move a bit sideways when the engine turns, and all lifters there on that side are pretty rock hard. Who knows, hopefully it will work.

I need to look into the oil feed to these heads. Can the engine be run briefly without the valve cover, and without making a huge mess of everything?

Zelten: Wait until I post the pictures of the underside and the rust issues! Looks great from the outside, but wow!
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[cmonSTART]

Question: Does the upper (outer?) valve train receive any oil from the oil pump? Valves, etc? It doesn't look like it in my Bently's - just want to make sure.
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[Wildthings]

[cmonSTART]

Great, thank you!
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[cmonSTART]

I set my clearance to .006 today and will run the engine for a while like that - hopefully it will work.

I ran my engine with the valve cover off for a bit today and wow the sound changed a lot. With no valve cover it sounds a lot like some sort of compression leak. The engine runs well, but I think I'm going to do some compression and leak down tests when I get a chance. Below is a video.


Link


The sound came through a bit odd, but you can still hear everything.
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[VDubTech]

Your valve clearances are WAY off. A stock 78 should have hydraulic lifters, which by your earlier posts it suggests you still do. Those are NOT set at .006, they are actually adjusted warm, and 1.5 turns past where the adjuster makes contact. Readjust them the right way and see how it sounds. You need to drive these things for a good half hour if it's been sitting any amount of time before the clatter will really go away. Drive it, don't let it sit there and idle.
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First Trip in the RustyBus:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=279077&highlight=

[cmonSTART]

Yes, I know. I'm following some advice above to help persuade the lifters to bleed themselves. I am driving the bus, the idle in the video was just me trying to diagnose the source of the sound some more. Within the next couple days I'll readjust the valves per the book and see if the sound has gone away or changed at all.
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[Tcash]

Sounds like and exhaust leak. Cover the tail pipe and see if you can hear or see where it is leaking.

[cmonSTART]

Ya, it really does sound like some sort of compression or exhaust leak with the valve cover off.. Removing the valve cover really changes the volume and nature of the sound.

Interesting stuff. I'll try covering the tailpipe when I have a chance again.
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[cmonSTART]

Anyone know where the center of the heater tube hole in the front crossmember should be located? A PO replaced the member, but didn't cut the hole. since I'm trying to put heat back into the bus I need to cut this hole again. Is it centered?


thanks. can't find this anywhere..
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[Wildthings]

[udidwht]

[cmonSTART]

I readjusted the valves and went 1.5 turns in - honestly it still sounds the same as before. I think I'm just going to back burner the issue and work on other stuff - like the heat.

Wildthings, I was toying with the idea of using some sort of booster fan. I will be running a BA6 once I reinstall it - I wasn't impressed by the volume of its fan when I tested it on the bench.. seems a bit weak. It works, but I would love to find another.

Since it was raining today I did oddball stuff inside the bus - fixed the ash tray, lubed the wiper system, straightened my seat belts, mounted my fire extinguisher, etc. I found one wire to my rear defroster broken, so I soldered that back together.
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[cmonSTART]

Heating questions:

I'm going through the BA6 on this thing, and in case I have to abandon the system, are there any available substitutes on the market - installable auxiliary gas heater systems?

I didn't realize this BA6 was missing parts. I also can't get the fuel pump to work. I'm getting voltage to it, but I can't get it to reliably click on the bench. Sometimes it does, but sometimes it's reluctant to do so.
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[Tcash]

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/1977eberspacher_ba6_repair_manual.php

[cmonSTART]

Thanks for that link, TCash! I remembered seeing that before, but couldn't find it anywhere now that I need it!
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[cmonSTART]

Poking and prodding the BA6 fuel pump gets right around 8 volts measured at the two wires which connect to it. I know the voltage is pulsed to the pump from the second set of points in the combustion fan, so that's probably what's giving me the voltage reading I'm getting instead of proper 12 volts. Sound right? I could be completely wrong here.

Still, bench testing the pump again it will only click with a GOOD power source, like a 12volt battery ON a charger, and even then it's intermittent. I've tried banging, oiling, and cleaning things, but there isn't much change.

So, to complete this BA6 I need a pump, a temperature sensor, and the output duct which the temperature sensor screws into.
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS