Getting The 74 Westy Back On The Road- Oil Leak

Gilashot · Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:49 pm Post subject:

I have gotten most of the hardware out that I need in order to remove the fan shroud (only needed to use the ez-out twice), but I am getting stumped by the sheet metal alternator cover. I've removed everything that seems to be holding it on, but there is a carriage bolt on the lower left face that seems to be holding it on. Anyone know if there something else I need to do in order to free up this piece?

Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50352

The carriage bolt is the pivot bolt for the alternator. There is a nut on the other end that you have to remove. Not the easiest to access fastener out there.

Tcash · Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 7:49 pm Post subject:

#13 is on the right side of the fan housing. Is this the one?
Thanks to mayor ratwell

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Tcash

Gilashot · Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 4:41 pm Post subject:

Awesome guys. Figured it out and got the nut without too much trouble. We'll see about getting it back on the carriage bolt without removing the heat exchanger. It's tight in there! Hopefully tomorrow I will have the fan housing completely off and will be closer to fixing this leak.

Great parts schematic too! Where can I find those?

Tcash · Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 6:49 pm Post subject:

Gilashot · Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 8:05 pm Post subject:

Awesome!

Tcash · Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 8:51 pm Post subject:

Gilashot · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 5:38 pm Post subject:

Tons of great info, thanks!
Finally got the fan housing off this afternoon. Did have to grind off a few seized machine screw heads unfortunately though, and the bolt holding the alternator bracket to the head exchanger sheared off. More fun with the e-z out kit tomorrow!

Gilashot · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 5:41 pm Post subject:

On the top photo you can just make out a small bracket on the upper left hand side of the oil cooler. I had to bend this in order to get it off of one of the threaded studs on the forward fan housing.

Tomorrow I am planning to test the oil cooler using the compressed air and bucket of water method.

While everything is off I am planning on also replacing the oil filler mount gasket. I've searched and haven't come up with anything else I should replace now that I have the fan housing off. Anyone know of anything else I might as well do while I'm there (other than clean Laughing

)?

busdaddy · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 6:40 pm Post subject:

That clean area around the oil cooler seals says leak but it also extends up to the base of the pressure sender, hmmm..... Yes, change the oil filter adaptor gasket while you are in there, why not? Is the finned part of the cooler oily at all?

You can run it a few minutes with the shroud off after reinstalling the cooler to see if anything else is leaking, pay close attention to all the gallery plugs.
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Gilashot · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 7:34 pm Post subject:

I will install a new pressure sender while I am at it, just to be thorough.

The top of the oil cooler is a horrible mess of gunk (oil/mouse turds/etc...), and the bottom does have some fresh oil spread over the fins, but not a ton.

I wasn't sure if it would be ok to run it with the shroud off, that's a good tip and will definitely save some time if it's still leaking. If I'm running without the alternator turning, would it make sense to hook up the bus battery to the battery of another running car in order not to damage it? It's a brand new battery and I don't want to ruin it by mistake.

busdaddy · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 7:44 pm Post subject:

The ignition system draws very little, a few minutes without the alternator won't hurt the battery.
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Gilashot · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:42 am Post subject:

Waiting for parts in the mail, so I'm having a go at the brakes in the mean time. Rather than just flushing the fluid and adjusting them I thought I'd pull the rear drums off and see how worn they are.

With a little MAPP gas and a 2lb hammer the drum popped loose, but it won't come all the way off. I adjusted the shoes as loose as they will go, but the drum still only wiggles a little bit. Maybe a groove is worn in it and it's catching on the shoes? If so, how can it be removed?

(I did put a screwdriver into the inspection hole and was able to push the rear shoe farther away from the drum, but that still didn't get it off.)

Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50352

Gilashot · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:52 am Post subject:

They are backed off all the way, and it it still catching. Will they have to be cut off eventually!? Yikes.

Tcash · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:51 am Post subject:

Gilashot · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:09 pm Post subject:

The drum had plenty of play and also spins freely, so I don't think the shoes are stuck to it. I'm pretty sure they are catching on the edge of the drum due to a groove worn in the inner drum surface. Wondering if there is a way to compress them further than the star adjusters will allow.

Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50352

Back the adjustment for your parking brake off all the way as well.

Gilashot · Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2015 11:20 am Post subject:

Thanks for the help with the brakes folks.

Finally managed to replace the oil cooler seals and get everything put back together. I also have a bag of acorns that I took out from under the air filter housing. Too bad for the squirrel. Today I planned to run the bus for a while and check to see if the leak was fixed, but I was unable to as the bus now won't idle long enough.

The engine starts fine, and idles normally for about 30 seconds to a minute. The engine speed then drops and the bus idles slowly but steadily for about another 30 seconds. Then it really starts struggling and will stall about 15 seconds later. When working on this project a few ancient hoses crumbled and I haven't replaced them yet. I also don't have the smog pump attached yet as I am waiting for new hoses in the mail.

Vacuum leak? While the smog pump has never had a belt on it since I've owned the bus, it was still hooked up with various hoses going to and from it. I imagine some of these are vacuum hoses (which are now crumbled). There is also a broken hose that runs from under the air filter housing up to the right side of the air filter (between the air filter and the throttle body, see bottom right of photo).

So my longwinded question is as follows:
Could the broken hose under the air filter housing and the broken hoses going to and from the smog pump be the cause of the engine stalling, or should I be looking at something else while I wait for new hoses?

As always, thanks to everyone for the help.

busdaddy · Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2015 11:48 am Post subject:

Yes, anything attached to that central pipe system that's open or cracked is a vacuum leak, cap them off for test running purposes.
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.

Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

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Getting The 74 Westy Back On The Road- Oil Leak
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