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Wed Jul 23, 2025 12:51 pm

riceye wrote: ...in 2012 at 172,000 miles after some really negative comments about Redline here on our forum. A little over 50,000 miles. This was the plug at that time:

....Anyway, here is the plug yesterday. I've accumulated about 65,000 miles since the 2012 fluid change.

Knock on wood!

so you use that 50x41/2 box to knock on ;-P

what's the story on that box, you've had it a while. a little more patina over the last 13 years.

Wed Jul 23, 2025 1:23 pm

vanis13 wrote: riceye wrote: ...in 2012 at 172,000 miles after some really negative comments about Redline here on our forum. A little over 50,000 miles. This was the plug at that time:

....Anyway, here is the plug yesterday. I've accumulated about 65,000 miles since the 2012 fluid change.

Knock on wood!

so you use that 50x41/2 box to knock on ;-P

what's the story on that box, you've had it a while. a little more patina over the last 13 years.

Haha! Yeah, it was my father-in-law's. He used to love a good cigar.

It's just the right size to contain my evening chilling-out fun supplies.

Sun Jul 27, 2025 4:54 pm

Had a strange source of heat out of the passenger floor duct area at speed. But drivers side only gave ambient air temps while driving.

I’d already adjusted the 10cc heater valve cable a few weeks ago, and that got rid of the really small amount of hot air out of the drivers side once adjusted.

So, I went to the next step and added an in line shut valve in the heater hose under the dash this morning. Ran the engine , ran the heater, checked the floor vent output with valve on and off. No heat from the passenger vent.
Hmm, then I spotted the real culprit… #-o

The big oval rubber grommet in the floor where hoses and cables run through, was no longer fully seated. Hot air from the Radiator was flying up through the gap, not a heater core issue.
Then wrapped the grommet to the floor with aluminum duct tape and added a small piece of Reflectix to act as one more heat shield against the body and behind the plastic ductwork.

Test drove on Lake Shore , only cool air out of the passenger and drivers floor vents- success.

Wed Jul 30, 2025 6:57 am

First time getting to post here since having my last van 20 years ago!

Did the following on my new-to-me 83,5 Westy this week...
- Spark plugs and wires
- Distributor cap, rotor, o-ring
- Fuel lines, injector seals, rails and filter
- Vacuum lines
- Coolant flush and refill
- Breather tower o-ring
- Hookup boxes
- Roof seals
- H4 Hellas with LEDs
- Washed the curtains (for the first time ever?)

Was idling piss poor when I drove it home 500 miles. Oil pressure lights on idle and just had to feather the gas to keep it alive on the line. Considering half of the vacuum lines were crumbled to dust I'm surprised it drove at all. It idles sooooo much better now and no more warning lights.

I created a couple new gremlins in the process (as is tradition), but I'll leave those for another thread.

Wed Jul 30, 2025 7:08 am

^^^ Sweet! Looks damn clean, nice rig!

8)

- Dave

Wed Jul 30, 2025 6:37 pm

Packed up a bus load of gig gear to trolley into town for a backyard (in town) party where my (our?) band played for "The Fest" .. annual thing, usually happens at my place, but adult beverages and 6 miles from town don't seem to get the party goers to stop by.

So, with a minimal gig rig packed, and inbound towards town, I started hearing the too obvious sounds of brake pad liners having gone too long. So, I'm hopeful that within 10 days, I can resolve this, likely the first brake rehab in this T3's life (80K on the odometer), in time to send the R1, with my kids, towards their camping destination. Only 6 hours each way!!

I'm keeping my hopes up that I can find all my bits and pieces to put this back on the road in worthy condition for the next month

Oh, ya.. I do have trippleA and other options to get R1 home again, regardless!

Wed Jul 30, 2025 8:35 pm

Go, Bobby, go! :lol: :wink:

- Dave

Fri Aug 01, 2025 6:06 am

Took a deep breath and cut a new opening in the coat closet. The hole is sized for a fridge door, but I have a roll-up tambour door I’ll be installing. Also added two shelves to maximize use of the space.
I’ve ordered the trim from Bus Depot, does anyone know what size router slotting bit is needed?

Fri Aug 01, 2025 7:38 am

Slowly but surely making progress, it’s been unpleasantly hot here lately. I finally began painting my 16” wheels. I’d forgotten that I bought a dark gray paint, but I’m still happy with the results. It takes about one can per wheel.

I also degreased the engine, i know its not perfect, but its much better than when i started. Yes, I did cover the intake ports with some gorilla tape, this is after it was dry and everything was uncovered.

Fri Aug 01, 2025 8:44 am

AlfromNH wrote: Took a deep breath and cut a new opening in the coat closet. The hole is sized for a fridge door, but I have a roll-up tambour door I’ll be installing. Also added two shelves to maximize use of the space.
I’ve ordered the trim from Bus Depot, does anyone know what size router slotting bit is needed?

More info on tambour door you are going to use please. Also a follow up when done. This is on my list of thing to do.

Fri Aug 01, 2025 9:01 am

AlfromNH wrote: Took a deep breath and cut a new opening in the coat closet. The hole is sized for a fridge door, but I have a roll-up tambour door I’ll be installing. Also added two shelves to maximize use of the space.
I’ve ordered the trim from Bus Depot, does anyone know what size router slotting bit is needed?

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679125&postorder=asc

Fri Aug 01, 2025 2:56 pm

Kdj wrote:
More info on tambour door you are going to use please. Also a follow up when done. This is on my list of thing to do.

I saw a post a while back from someone who did this. I showed it to a buddy of mine and he made one for his van, and made one for me also.

Here’s a pic of what he gave me. I’ll start a new thread when I get the tracks and begin the install

Fri Aug 01, 2025 5:02 pm

^^^ Fabric backing, or similar? I’m not intimately familiar with tambour doors… :oops:

- Dave

Sat Aug 02, 2025 3:06 pm

Installed a rebuilt Maval Power Steering Rack and Pinion and scheduled an alignment.

The last one lasted 5 years.

Sat Aug 02, 2025 3:13 pm

AAZ Brake Boost Repair - Oil in the line.

Ended up a while ago putting a check valve about 20” away from the brake boost vacuum pump after thinking the connection to the pump, that had broken off, wasn’t anything more than a connection. I had fabbed up something from some plumbing parts at the time.

Today I installed another check valve at the vacuum pump with some 1/2” plumbing pex to accept the check valve I got off of amazon and an insert of some sprinkler hose or something to take the connection down to 3/8”. We’ll see how it holds up.

Jeff

Sat Aug 02, 2025 4:28 pm

Washed and Waxed the Vanagon. By hand no less. I could have broken out one of several buffers, but didn’t , I kept it manual today.

Sat Aug 02, 2025 6:42 pm

I replaced the old engine cover foam with Dynamat Hood Liner.

IMG_3340

Sun Aug 03, 2025 4:48 pm

Today's project was to replace the old and warped front rotors. This is a G60 Small-Car brake setup. I sourced new rotors and pads from Rock Auto.

Tue Aug 05, 2025 7:15 am

Dealer installed air conditioning switch repair.

Just a bit of a road hack repair on the a/c switch. The ground overheated itself off over time so after taking the switch apart and cleaning it up I’m using some copper RTV and some creative electrical tape work to hold the ground in position until I get the proper GoWesty switch.

Jeff

Wed Aug 06, 2025 7:32 pm

Drained a water tank that has been full of the same water for 20 years.

:-&

Must have been some hard water. The minerals had settled to the bottom like sand.