TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Mar 19, 2020 8:43 am

Diesel tank 'fuel out' line comes at the bottom of the tank. if it's the same in your tank then you will have no problem.
Make sure fuel lines are air proof.

Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:05 pm

After getting the engine back into the 57 oval. I spent some quality time on the Vanagon swap. I finished grafting the TDI wiring harness into the vanagon and I have tidied up the wiring a bit. This included mounting the brake and clutch switches that are used by the ECU both for the cruise control but also for a throttle safety cutoff. It will automatically momentarily disable the throttle if you press the clutch or the brake pedal. I also managed the installation of the throttle potentiometer. I puzzled over how to install this thing for many months. First thinking of putting it in the engine compartment and using the stock, but shortened, accelerator cable. I just didn't like that set up, especially considering that the potentiometer is not weather sealed and tends to not react will with water infiltration. So, I spent several long periods of time looking at the existing pedal set up and came up with a setup that I found will work well. First, installed a spring under the van to pull the accelerator pedal to an upright condition when at rest. I then fabricated 2 "L brackets" to mount the potentiometer. One bracket connects to the "radiator bulge" next to the pedal and the other connects to the dash cross member. To connect the potentiometer cable to the pedal, I used a long bolt that passes through the pedal from left to right. It only has threads on the right side where it is double nutted to the pedal. One nut on the inside and a Nylock nut on the outside so that I can adjust tension on the whole assembly. The bolt passes through the potentiometer cable end with metal and plastic washers on both sides to allow it to rotate on the bolt when the pedal is pressed. This way I get full movement on the potentiometer for full throttle range. Of course, I won't know for certain until I actually start the van but it seems to work well. Still need to install the under dash AC unit and finish wiring it up. I intend to take a bit of time to remove and install the van's windows with new rubber so that I can install the cabinetry in the back then get back on the dash. Here are some pictures.

Tue May 05, 2020 7:20 pm

Just wanted to drop some pictures of the curtains my wife altered for my camper. I bought several packages of dark brown blackout curtains at Wally World and she altered them to fit the windows. I also repaired the screens for the sliding glass windows by inlaying a screen frame like you would use on a regular house window, inside the snap in frame from the vanagon. This way, if the screens every get damaged, it is an easy 5 minute replacement. Tomorrow I intend to install the heater valve I bought with has a bypass function to send all the water back to the engine when the heater is off and also loosely install the heating and ventilation cables and controls. Hayden

Tue May 05, 2020 8:11 pm

The curtains certainly look nice from here.

Are they also brown as viewed from the outside? I'll be interesting to hear how well the black things out as compared to the originals.

Wed May 06, 2020 6:54 am

Curtains are white on the outside. I suppose you could turn them so that the white is on the inside. I think they should work really well since the curtains that I removed from the van were a very open weave design. I will try and take a picture of what they look like from the outside. I am also going to install a type of window film that goes on the outside of all the back windows. It is the stuff that you see on busses that have advertisements all over them. You can see out but it is very difficult to see in. Hayden

Wed May 06, 2020 7:09 am

Cool. I kinda figured they might be white on teh other side. Sounds like you have a plan to make the outside look good. I think I would want to at least have the option of making it look stock-ish from the outside.

Though, for blackout, currently all I've been doing is shoving some strips of Refletix between the curtain and window. No magnets or clips or anything, just kinda using the strip to hold it in place.

Incidentally, I know I've read comments on here about how that stuff doesn't really make a big difference. I have to beg to differ on that. This past winter in January and February I spent two weekends in Colorado in my Bus. I used the strips and when I took them down in the morning to get ready to drive, the inside of the Bus became noticeably colder pretty quickly.

Wed May 06, 2020 7:25 am

In the picture, I have pieces of reflectix behind the curtains. It does work well. I used to have pop up campers and I would make pieces to go between the inside zippered windows and the screens. Made a huge difference in both heat rejection in the summer and heat retention in the winter.

Wed May 06, 2020 9:23 am

Yeah, the original refletix I used in the Bus was to help reduce draftiness with the pop top up. Just three large pieces that were cut to press fit on the inside and be supported by the pop top legs.

I've been considering that they could probably be set up on the outside to promote heat rejection in the summer.

Wed May 13, 2020 6:56 pm

Getting stuff done! I have gotten both of the siding windows rebuilt and installed the one over the stove. Here is an interior pic of the curtains over the stove and sink area. Yes, they are a bit shorter than the back window curtains due to the inlet grate on the back of the stove. I also took a picture of the curtains from outside to show what they look like as well as the rear window with a piece of Refectix installed between the window and the curtain. I also got to work on the replacement sliding door turning the white door into a medium blue door. I hope to get the door installed by the weekend and get the last window in the van. I have ordered some A/C hoses and fittings and will begin the process of installing the AC next week I hope. Will keep you all updated as things change.

Sat May 30, 2020 3:47 pm

IT Runs!!! :P :P :P :P :P More details and maybe a video later!

Sat May 30, 2020 3:50 pm

Nice! Congrats!

Sat May 30, 2020 6:57 pm

Anyone tell me how to upload a video? I tried to upload it to the gallery but it wouldn’t let me hayden

Sat May 30, 2020 7:14 pm

Upload to YouTube and then use the YouTube tags in menu above

Sat May 30, 2020 7:51 pm

lets see if this works!!!

https://youtu.be/4j8tDVaB5VI

Sat May 30, 2020 8:00 pm

Does not work; says video is set to private.

Sat May 30, 2020 8:08 pm

Should work now.

Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:08 pm

A few more interior pics. Big thing was installing two RV LED light fixtures. Really lights up the place!!

Thu Jun 04, 2020 9:37 pm

dieseltdi wrote: lets see if this works!!!

https://youtu.be/4j8tDVaB5VI

Rad! What a great feeling to start it up for the first time successfully, good work!
Threads like these make me want to drink beer and then accidentally buy a tdi for my own swap.

Fri Jun 05, 2020 5:20 am

uberaudi wrote: dieseltdi wrote: lets see if this works!!!

https://youtu.be/4j8tDVaB5VI

Rad! What a great feeling to start it up for the first time successfully, good work!
Threads like these make me want to drink beer and then accidentally buy a tdi for my own swap.

...I've got a 2002 Golf TDI that the clutch went out on, and I don't intend to put back together... (Lotta other stuff worn out on the car.)

Go buy some beer!

Fri Jun 12, 2020 8:09 pm

Since I found myself WOP (waiting on parts). I decided to go ahead and bleed the brakes and clutch slave cylinder since all the new parts have been on the van for quite a while. Any way, I used my pressure bleeder and everything worked out just fine. Bright, clean, clear, bubble free brake fluid from all the bleed ports. Problem? Brakes were still really mushy and when I started the van, the pedal would go straight to the floor. I spent hours looking at posts about vanagon brake bleeding and noticed that there was a certain group of people, like me, that no matter what they did, the brakes would not bleed properly and they had no brakes. I was about to pull the brand new master cylinder and replace it when my son, the ASE Certified Level 1 master tech, stopped by for a short visit. I told him my problem and explained that I had done everything by the book but nothing worked. He looked under the front of the van and said, "Did you use the upper bleed valve on the disc brakes when you bled them?" I responded, "What upper bleed valve?" Well you can guess the rest. I had been trying to bleed the calipers from the drain bleed valve on the bottom of the caliper instead of the correct bleed valve at the top. DOH!!!!!