TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Aug 16, 2016 6:27 pm

mondshine wrote: I looked, and can't find any 16mm hex / 12.7mm reach spark plugs.
According to my Bosch chart, they would be F7BC (if there was such a thing).

I asked a guy about this at my favorite local store today and he didn't think there was such a thing either. Thanks for checking it out though. :) I keep thinking I'm going to warm it up and then open the lid and stick a fan in there to see what happens, just haven't taken the time.

Sun Sep 18, 2016 3:19 pm

I discovered this ethanol free gas last week in a town about 30 minutes away while I was fueling my diesel delivery truck. I suspect it's there because of a large marina that's nearby on an 11,000 acre artificial lake.

I've been driving the old gas out of the thing and today Julie and I drove there and filled up.

We drove the 30 minutes home mostly running 60 mph give or take, got the oil temp up to 210. Got home and put it straight in the garage and watched. Guess what? No gas smell, no dripping carbs. As usual after 15 or 20 minutes the carbs and manifolds were too hot to touch, no apparent gas boiling now. I'm not sure it's practical to drive there for gas all the time but I might more than not.

Mon Sep 19, 2016 6:18 am

I drive plenty of old stuff.

http://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=IL

there is an app for that.

Ethanol free gas will solve 95% of your fuel problems.

Mon Sep 19, 2016 8:10 am

That's really interesting, thanks for the link. Indeed the station I was at is on that list. Ironically the sole Decatur, IL station, which is where I'm at, is the company that my grandfather sold our own fuel oil/diesel/gasoline retail business to when we went to propane only sales in the 80s. It's an unmanned credit card station that they operate next to their main facility. They have since become one of our major competitors for residential propane sales. I could actually buy it wholesale myself but I couldn't use it in the quantity I would have to buy it in and I don't want to get into selling it. The tax/regulation requirements for road use fuel are something I don't need in my life. We very occasionally sell some propane for road use and it's a pita.

Mon Sep 19, 2016 12:13 pm

We've had one station in town that sells ethanol free gas for a few years. I use it in the Thing and all the landscaping equipment.

Hawaii finally removed the ethanol requirement earlier this year because no one in the islands ever produced any. For some reason all the stations are still selling the power robbing crap.

Mon Sep 19, 2016 4:25 pm

I downloaded the pure gas app, kinda neat. Then I checked out the station in Decatur and there it is

Thats cool, thanks again! :D

Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:12 am

What a comparison for the pricing on that fuel!! Obviously one is priced Specifically for the lake folks! Lol....

On a brighter note, I used that website linked above and found a station closer to me, that carries "real gas"!!! I'll give them a shot, as the one I had been using must buy the "barely ethanol free" stuff.....

Everyone keep in mind, not all real gas is created equal! It can be anywhere from 0-9% ethanol, and still considered ethanol free..... So, if you try some and it just doesn't seem to be much better than the regular junk, then Please try another station, the benefits will be Very obvious when you find the good stuff!!

Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:01 pm

GI Joe wrote: What a comparison for the pricing on that fuel!! Obviously one is priced Specifically for the lake folks! Lol....
I noticed that, but I don't care, I'll pay!

GI Joe wrote: Everyone keep in mind, not all real gas is created equal! It can be anywhere from 0-9% ethanol, and still considered ethanol free..... So, if you try some and it just doesn't seem to be much better than the regular junk, then Please try another station, the benefits will be Very obvious when you find the good stuff!!
I did not realize this, but it doesn't surprise me.

Tue Oct 30, 2018 5:55 pm

New from The Thing Shop. Bumpers

For my bumpers

I didn't know I needed these. Glad I found out :wink:

Sun Mar 17, 2019 5:55 pm

Today

Test

:D

Sat Apr 13, 2019 8:08 pm

I decided to do something about my sticky throttle action. It works fine around town but if I drive at speed for an extended time it doesn't always come back down to idle. I've been messing with springs etc. and can't get happy with it.
I started by getting rid of my old push-pull linkage and installing a Sync-Link system. This thing is really neat. It was easy to install and is an absolute joy to adjust.

Next I pulled the pedals. That clutch hook is working on wearing through.

New pedals, with an X-Celerator Speed Wheel 2 kit installed. The X-Celerator kit is really nicely made, I like it.

The new clutch/brake assembly is not so great, I installed and removed it a half dozen times before I got it to all work right. I'm really good at it now. I had to recess the accelerator wheel pin more, it was sticking out where it goes against the tunnel. Replaced the stripped grease zerk that fell out, altered the stop on the clutch pedal to put it even with the brake, ground some off where it rubbed the floor, bent around on it to make the pedal faces relatively square with each other. I would have just used my original set if it wasn't in such bad shape. I had planned to replace the clutch cable too, but I couldn't pull it back through the old not so flexible bowden tube so I decided best to leave it until I order some more parts.

Installed:

It seems to be working pretty good now. I keep catching my foot on the center console, I'm going to have to do something about that.

Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:58 am

What do you think of the synclink system?

I’ve thought about using it but can decide if it’s worth the cost.

Sun Apr 14, 2019 7:07 am

Hyatt181 wrote: What do you think of the synclink system?

I’ve thought about using it but can decide if it’s worth the cost.

So far I'm pretty impressed with it. All the parts are really nicely machined, I suspect the cost is justified in order to make a profit. The cable itself reminds me of high end bicycle cable with the inner nylon sleeve but larger. I bought the version for a shroud with heat pipes even though I don't have them, I like the top mounting plate and didn't feel I had room for the side brackets next to the wider stock shroud.

Side bracket version from the Samba ad:

One thing that I had hesitated about was the cable installs from the rear to the pedal, so I was thinking this sounds like a pain for engine removal. It turns out it's a non issue, you only have to turn the carb wheel by hand to get some cable slack and unhook it from its slot on the wheel. The cable end is small enough to fit through the cable nut, bracket etc. I've run the cable through a grommet in a hole in the firewall next to the engine, so once undone from the wheel it's out of the way. I put some tight fitting spiral wire loom around it to protect the cable jacket from rubbing.

It has a much lighter pedal feel than my push/pull linkage, even before I put my new pedals in. I've only test driven it once, we'll see how it goes with time but I'm happy so far. :D

Edit: To clarify the cable from the front of the car and the cable between the carbs are two separate cables attached to the wheel, it only looks like one cable wrapped around the wheel.

Sun Apr 14, 2019 8:38 am

Thanks

I hadn’t realized how close the bracket is to the fan shroud.

I see why you went for the set up you did.

Where does the sheath around the cable stop?

Sun Apr 14, 2019 11:43 am

Do you know if the the normal synclink would hit the fan shroud for sure?

What manifolds are you using (wondering due to height)

Thanks

Sun Apr 14, 2019 11:49 am

Hyatt181 wrote: Thanks

I hadn’t realized how close the bracket is to the fan shroud.

I see why you went for the set up you did.

Where does the sheath around the cable stop?

It goes all the way to the metal tunnel tube. It attaches with an included adapter that fits the tube. That's some more of my plastic wire loom around the cable in the first picture.

So under here the cable isn't attached to anything that moves, engine or transmission.

Sun Apr 14, 2019 11:59 am

I just installed blue plug wires, because...well....um...
But hey blue plug wires!

For 1984 Ford Escort, if anyone cares. Ford Escort distributor cap fits the MSD distributor too, oddly the rotor does not.

Cylinder tin boots from an old set of wires.

It's just a slow Sunday so I'm messing with stuff, it's raining out.

Sun Apr 14, 2019 12:10 pm

Hyatt181 wrote: Do you know if the the normal synclink would hit the fan shroud for sure?

What manifolds are you using (wondering due to height)

Thanks

I don't know for sure that it would hit, but working my carb mounting nuts on the inside is somewhat trying the way it is so I wasn't enthusiastic. The carbs are Spanish made 40IDFs. The manifolds came with the kit, I don't know much beyond that. Bought from Aircooled.net.

Sun Apr 14, 2019 12:16 pm

I think they might fit, certainly you could make them fit with a little "additional machining" if necessary.

Sun Apr 14, 2019 4:50 pm

Nice looking engine Kevin.
I have to say that your fuel pressure gauge would make me nervous as a cat; thinking about things that might go wrong on those long drives.

Maybe it's just me, but when I'm all alone in the middle of nowhere (and the music is not a'blastin') my mind wanders toward losing a bolt, or an oil hose, or some other kind of surprise.
I suppose I have been very fortunate so far.
I hope to see you guys in North Carolina!