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kamzcab86 Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008 Posts: 7893 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:32 am Post subject: |
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Gear oil was leaking out of the pan thanks to a crappy, goopy sealant job by the shop who did the rebuild while in owner #3's possession. Decided to replace the goop with an OEM gasket and put new oil in; my first major repair job to my new-to-me van. Long story short: As careful as I was, I took a gear oil bath anyway and cursed Volkswagen for not putting a drain plug in. _________________ ~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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vanagonjr Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 3425 Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:40 am Post subject: |
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Gnarlodious wrote: |
Buying it. |
Ok - you win. But I'll go on.
I have driven with the pop-top up...twice.
The 2nd time I managed to take down the power line to my friends garage. Luckily no real damage to the van or the power line.
I've thought of making a tag that hangs on the latch that says something like "Pop-Top is up you dummy!" . When you put the up, then you move it to the steering wheel so one cannot drive off stupidly into the sunset with a lot of wind noise. _________________ John - 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"
Flint reversed 1.8T W/Passat 5-Speed
LiMBO (late model bus club) www.limbobus.org
LiMBO is on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/
FAQ thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798 |
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GWTWTLW Samba Member
Joined: April 22, 2008 Posts: 2174 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:45 am Post subject: |
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I haven't driven with my top up (yet!) but I have driven off twice with my rocket box open. Both times, people let me know pretty quickly so no yard sale. _________________ 89 Syncro Westy - GW 2.5, now with a double knob job
@gwtwtlw |
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nmerrill Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2014 Posts: 387 Location: Vermont
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:50 am Post subject: |
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alaskadan wrote: |
Had a 69 econoline van. Fuel issues. Pulled engine cover stuck old mcdonalds cup onto aircleaner screw sticking out of carb. Poked a couple small holes in the bottom (jets ha ha )and proceeded to drive it home keeping the cup topped off with gas! Think i was 18 or 19. |
Ha! That brings back memories ...
Pop (grandfather) had a econoline camper too. One time we were headed home from a camp week and had some sort of issue - fuel pump? don't recall.
Pop pulled the engine cover, pulled the air cleaner, and gave me a coke can full of gas.
"pour a little in at a time"
I was at least 8 or 9.
"Pour some more in!"
The roar of the big V right in my face, while "dumping" gas down the throat was something I'll never forget.
It was a long ride home! Great learning experience.
Pop was good for those. |
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SCM Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011 Posts: 3102 Location: Bozeman MT
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:18 am Post subject: |
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vanagonjr wrote: |
[ "Pop-Top is up you dummy!" . When you put the up, then you move it to the steering wheel so one cannot drive off stupidly into the sunset with a lot of wind noise. |
This is what I do. Google "Voile Strap". I wrap one around the pop-top strut mechanism as a redundant safety in case the latch ever fails. When I remove the strap to pop the top I put the strap on the steering wheel. _________________ '91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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tarandusVDub Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2010 Posts: 1649 Location: Between Here and There
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:21 am Post subject: |
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SCM wrote: |
vanagonjr wrote: |
[ "Pop-Top is up you dummy!" . When you put the up, then you move it to the steering wheel so one cannot drive off stupidly into the sunset with a lot of wind noise. |
This is what I do. Google "Voile Strap". I wrap one around the pop-top strut mechanism as a redundant safety in case the latch ever fails. When I remove the strap to pop the top I put the strap on the steering wheel. |
Funny ~ I use that strap too, but I've never put it on the steering wheel. Thanks for the idea! One of the dogs will surely make off with it though... _________________ 1990 Syncro 16" DoppleKabine 2.1 DJ 112i
________________________
Sold: 1972 Bay Campmobile; 1984 Westy, base model, 2WD. |
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insyncro Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 15086 Location: New York
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:33 am Post subject: |
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Gnarlodious wrote: |
Buying it. |
Selling a few too many nice Syncros |
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maryloucb Samba Member
Joined: June 22, 2012 Posts: 204 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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On our very first camping trip in the van I got to a campsite, put the van in park and turned off the engine and set the parking brake. While I got out to survey the campsite I left my 3 year old son in the van. He was up by the front seats and started fiddling around with the shifter. Of course he took it out of park and this is when I discovered that the parking brake did not work. It started rolling slowly toward a significant hill headed for a bunch of trees (with my son still in there.) I had to run alongside, open the door, jump in and slam on the brakes! My heart has never beat that fast before or after and it scared the hell out of my son. Luckily he was traumatized so he will never touch the shifter again! |
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campism Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007 Posts: 4485 Location: Richmond VA
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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vanagonjr wrote: |
I've thought of making a tag that hangs on the latch that says something like "Pop-Top is up you dummy!" . When you put the up, then you move it to the steering wheel so one cannot drive off stupidly into the sunset with a lot of wind noise. |
Find yourself one of these or make one and use it.
_________________ '87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic |
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jfu057 Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2012 Posts: 96 Location: Greensboro
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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I recently had engine work done at a shop without getting a full quote up front....
how much brake cleaner did they use!?
Sadly, I had done the work myself already and thought I screwed it up some how. Turns out the place where I had the head rebuilt at just failed to do it properly. Or at least that is what i was told by the shop after I gave up my credit card.
In the words of the Magliozzi brothers, "Replace. Do not rebuild." |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22573 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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campism wrote: |
vanagonjr wrote: |
I've thought of making a tag that hangs on the latch that says something like "Pop-Top is up you dummy!" . When you put the up, then you move it to the steering wheel so one cannot drive off stupidly into the sunset with a lot of wind noise. |
Find yourself one of these or make one and use it.
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Maybe someone can sell the opposite of the GPWS on airplanes..instead of
"Pull up"
it can say
"Pull Down" _________________ .ssS! |
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RainierSyncro Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2013 Posts: 806 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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Tried to pass a slow semi on I-90 before road construction cut the freeway down to one lane. I drafted the semi and then made my move. Hopefully I would have enough momentum to get it done. Nope. The second I moved over into the other lane, that's when the the line of safety cones started. I nailed one at 65. It cracked the lower grill, went under the van, blew out one of the fiberglass side panels and left it's mark on the right rear tire. I checked the rear view mirror and saw the cone sliding upright towards the shoulder and the fiberglass panel about 10 feet in the air going into the bushes. It must have ricocheted off a guard rail. Nobody was behind me, so no witnesses.
Last edited by RainierSyncro on Fri Jan 30, 2015 12:59 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Gauche1968 Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2006 Posts: 1518
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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0to60in6min wrote: |
back then, long ago in the '70, I had a 1974 bus... after a few months of ownership the bus had some clanking noises... yeah I didn't know back then but now I know it was CV joints...
anyway I bring it to a mechanic.. he recommends a new engine... and yes... I did have a new engine... because of CV joint noises...
how stupid was this? aargh I was young, restless and stupid...
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Young, but apparently not broke? _________________ 1984 Vanagon GL
1984 Vanagon Westy |
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Gauche1968 Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2006 Posts: 1518
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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maryloucb wrote: |
On our very first camping trip in the van I got to a campsite, put the van in park and turned off the engine and set the parking brake. While I got out to survey the campsite I left my 3 year old son in the van. He was up by the front seats and started fiddling around with the shifter. Of course he took it out of park and this is when I discovered that the parking brake did not work. It started rolling slowly toward a significant hill headed for a bunch of trees (with my son still in there.) I had to run alongside, open the door, jump in and slam on the brakes! My heart has never beat that fast before or after and it scared the hell out of my son. Luckily he was traumatized so he will never touch the shifter again! |
Trauma is the best teacher..... _________________ 1984 Vanagon GL
1984 Vanagon Westy |
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tomkat73 Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2011 Posts: 124 Location: White Salmon, WA
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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Like wecm31 - I had the top popped on The Silver Slug to take some pictures for insurance purposes. I took my pictures, got distracted by a phone call - and promptly tried to park the Silver Slug in the carport with the top up.
Unfortunately - I ripped the canvas, crunched the fiberglass and bent the raise bar a tad (I was evidently in a hurry). My dogs and neighbors heard the full extent of my expletive vocabulary that afternoon...prefaced by:
"YOU @#$%&* DUMMY!!!"
Kirk at NorthWesty installed a used top (from another Samba member) and a new 3 window canvas in less than a week - for a very reasonable cost (less my comprehensive insurance deductible).
The new owner benefitted from my stupidity...gotta get me one of those "Remove Before Flight" streamers! _________________ Tom
90 Bordeaux (Wine Wagon) Syncro Westy
87 Flash Silver (Silver Slug) Syncro Westy (1996-2011)
86 Bronze Beige Metallic Westy (Tourist Delivery - 1996) |
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j_dirge Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2007 Posts: 4641 Location: Twain Harte, CA
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 7:15 pm Post subject: |
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I once turned the ignition over with the key.. with a 24" breaker bar and socket still ON the main pulley bolt.
Lessons learned:
A starter motor is very strong..
and
The dipstick tube is not as robust as one might think
Broke that bad-boy pulley nut loose in the process, too!
_________________ -89 GL Westy, SVX.. finally.
-57 pan f/g buggy with a 67 pancake Type 3 "S"
"Jimi Hendrix owned one. Richard Nixon did not"
-Grand Tour, Season 1, episodes 4 and 5
danfromsyr wrote: |
those are straight line runs with light weight race cars for only 1/4mile at a time..
not pushing a loaded brick up a mountain pass with a family of 4+ inside expecting to have an event free vacation..
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surfer d Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2010 Posts: 14 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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Cracked the fuel tank in Anza Borrego Desert....Couple years ago was in the Carrizo Badlands heading back to the mud caves. Usually I go camping with just the dog and I, this trip had my brother a friend and lots of gear. I usually have a good eye of what rocks I can get over without problems. Not thinking about the added weight which would lower the ride height, cruising along pretty fast we came up on a rock sticking up out of the ground. I said to my buddy in the front seat "check the ground clearance", then WHAM!! A hard loud thud was heard from underneath, thought the rock hit the spare tire cover, didn't think much of it. As we got back into the mud caves at lower speeds started to smell gas. Parked and looked under the van, she was peeing a nice stream of fuel. We were about 12 miles from the main road on a weekday. Whole was about the size of my pinky nail. I put my finger on it to stop the leak, thought for a moment. Needed something to plug the hole, had a pack of Orbits gum in the glove box. we all started chomping on the gum. I worked it into a ball, softly pushed it into the hole than smoothed it out. the leak stopped. We drove all the way back to San Diego with the orbits gum only letting the smallest of drips out....Orbits gum, keep a pack in the van just in case. |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16474 Location: Brookeville, MD
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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While on my back semi under the bus I literally ran over my stomach with the rear wheel of my '71 bus. Please disconnect the battery when working on the hot lead to the starter solenoid with the bus in gear and a crappy ebrake. It was a good thing that I was skinny and in shape back then (1986). I had a few seconds to watch it crawl across my midsection and think that this was going to be a sucky way to die... _________________ Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646
Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794 |
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dhaavers Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010 Posts: 7733 Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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OK, here's the story: a few years ago, the wife let daughter drive the van for the first time in a long time "for practice"...
She apparently tried starting in 3rd...without me around to act as "spotter", she kept at it for a few minutes (I'm told)...
Without success & smelling hot clutch, daughter gave up & the wife drove the van home "like normal"... ~10 miles.
I get out to the garage the next day & I see there's a new problem - clutch won't go to the floor...
I tried starting the van anyway (in gear, clutch depressed, foot on brakes) & was greeted with a resounding
SCREECH as the WHEELS SPUN OUT, VAN BUCKED, BRAKES CAUGHT, ENGINE STALLED...
...then all was again silent.
WHOA.
Thankfully, the back of the garage & the front of the van were still as they had been. Only moved less than a foot...
That verified that the clutch was fragged and I would soon start on my first ever clutch job...
I was VERY glad I had gone through the complete brake system the previous spring...disaster averted...
- Dave _________________ 86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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t3 kopf Samba Member
Joined: October 22, 2012 Posts: 1114 Location: over by 'der
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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OH, I just remembered the stupidest decision I have ever made (so far) in vanagonland.
Back in my aircooled days, I was a misinformed young man who believed that all h20 vanagons were doomed to ultimate failure and air cooled vws were the only vws that had any qualifications. I was driving an aircooled '80. After a couple years, the transmission reached its end and starting popping out of gear to the point where it wouldn't drive anymore. I decided that, what the hell, my first engine build was also in order while I was replacing the transmission. That went quite well and I was proud of myself for the full bottom to top rebuild but I was having trouble finding another transmission that I could afford when a guy at a shop made me a nice offer. A red rust free '85 vanagon tintop with a blown engine and a good transmission for 200 dollars. I had it towed home 60 miles for 90 dollars. I then pulled the transmission and had a guy back home help me mate it to the A/C vanagon which was a bit tough whith the shift rod and nose cone differences but it worked out. I then took the red, rust free 200 dollar 85 vanagon and GAVE IT AWAY. I coulda bought a damned wbx and put it in that 85 van or had it rebuilt and probably would still be driving it today.
So then guess what happens? While my great rebuilt type 4 engine was still in the break in process, I had my then girlfriend turn the key while I was in back and she stepped on the gas and the throttle return spring broke, the pedal hit the floor and that was all she wrote. _________________ '90 Carat w/ '95 phase 1 EJ22 OBD2 conversion |
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