TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Feb 19, 2025 9:06 pm

As some of you may have seen in my previous thread and owing to the failure of the group to talk me out of it, I am now the proud owner of one silver 1986 Syncro tintop affectionately dubbed NSYNC by the previous owner.

It's sporting a Eurospec engine swap of unknown age or mileage using (from what I understand) a factory fresh 2.0L engine normally found in an early to mid 90s Jetta and what looks like very good quality conversion parts. I will say that it runs great and has significantly more power than my '84 with its stock 1.9L waterboxer.

The front interior is in very good shape. Think typical blue seats/carpet and black dash. The rear cabin was a custom camping setup with a bench seat from a Ford Econoline using custom fabbed adapter brackets bolted down in the middle seat position and a large sleeping platform behind that. I've actually already swapped my 'weekender' rear interior from the '84 into this van and vise-versa. Much more useful for my purposed. I still need to make a mounting setup for my swing away table. That's definitely high on the list. I may or may not do something similar to the '84 with a house power system. I don't think I ever actually used that one so we'll see.

I got in a good work session today and straightened a few things out that have jumped out at me so far. First was the horrible alignment. I knew it must've been pretty far off on the test ride when it was all over the road and that the seller told me he had recently replaced all the ball joints and tie-rod ends and had tried to 'get it close'. I haven't looked at the caster or camber yet, but the toe-in was very toed-in. I did a quick and dirty adjustment with a tape measure and it actually handles pretty well now.

I also addressed a pretty severe gear oil/grease leak from the right inboard CV boot. At first I thought it was a torn boot, but turns out the center of the flange cap was broke out somehow. <shrugs> I put a couple new ones in my next GoWesty cart and RTV'ed the old one back in for now. Since I was under there I figured now was the time to check the oil level and see what the magnet looked like. I have to admit I was a bit nervous pulling it out, but extremely relieved to see it:

And a quick view of the oil that escaped, there was a little brass glitter but I'll take it:

There is also some evidence that leads me to think that somebody has been inside the transaxle. Mostly that there a couple of seams that have just a little bit of rtv peaking out. I plan to pull it and the front diff for a rebuild and front locker install at some point in the next year or so. I also suspect that the VC is getting weak.

The other major issue I took care of was the loose and rusty gas pedal mounting area. Happily it ended up just being surface rust and dirt. I ripped out the sound-deadening (which wasn't glued down any more) and scraped and wirebrushed all the scale and loose paint. Some Por-15 rust converter/sealer should hopefully stop any further deterioration. Now if I can just keep the padding from getting soaked... Anyway, I decided to improve the pedal mounting arrangement. I added a couple of 1/4-20 riv-nuts (with a dab of JBWeld for good measure) and have a vastly more solid mount than the wood screws in the sheet metal it was before.

I've had it for less than a week so these are still my first impressions but I think its a very solid van. It has a few more issues to iron out with the biggest being a huge driveline vibration that I think is due to the engine swap; it appears that the mounting bars are only 1/2 spaced down for the Syncro engine drop making the rear pinion angle steeper than factory. I'll break out the angle finder tomorrow.Maybe try to add or pull shims at the front diff mounts.

Thu Feb 20, 2025 6:56 am

I’m looking forward to this thread (after watching us collectively fail at dissuading you from buying it).

I just got a new syncro a couple of weeks ago and all I’ve managed to do is clean out the “spares”, clean the cloth seats, and make a list of items to fix. But I don’t have a garage so I’m more weather constrained than others.

Oh, almost forgot I found the detachable radio face plate and got the radio working :-)

I see three hookups on the side of the van, are they for power and water?

Thu Feb 20, 2025 7:11 am

You should note that the upper front control arms are not reversible. If they are upside down the alignment will remain out of spec. I've made this mistake before. Reference the below pic, the strut needs to be forward of the shock.

Nice job on getting started quickly on the maintenance! I found that BG Ultraguard really made a difference in my trans.

Thu Feb 20, 2025 7:50 am

There was a member “insyncro” that over time was banned. Your vans name reminded me of him. He had a wealth of information and parts, but had an unusual way of sharing. Good luck with the build. I’m not a fan of POR 15. Some swear by it. I like to use Ospho, followed up with Rustoleum.

Thu Feb 20, 2025 7:52 am

4Gears4Tires wrote: Reference the below pic, the strut needs to be forward of the shock.

I think he meant the ball joint should be forward of the shock.

Thu Feb 20, 2025 8:23 am

Looks like a super clean find, nice! Has it been repainted or just garage kept all these years?

Thu Feb 20, 2025 9:13 am

Subscribed to follow along!

Thu Feb 20, 2025 10:11 am

uberaudi wrote: Looks like a super clean find, nice! Has it been repainted or just garage kept all these years?

Yeah, the body is in really nice shape, virtually zero rust (that I've found so far) and only a couple of small dents and dings. Seems like it spent most of the last 15 or 20 years in Fairbanks which is both a fairly dry climate and no salt or anything on the roads in the winter. There are a couple of old parking permits for UAF on the windshield and the previous owner bought it from a guy way out in the boonies up there (I actually remember seeing the marketplace listing for it years ago when I was first looking for vans).

And the story on the vent/hookups I got was that the previous-previous owner in Fairbanks was in the process of installing a Westy interior and never finished. I might try to patch those holes back up and repaint that panel, or just try to make sure they don't leak and ignore them for now. Who knows, maybe one day I'll come across a good donor for a poptop and a full Westy interior and finish the camper conversion. 8)

And I could be wrong, but I suspect that the vast majority of the paint is factory. The jambs and interior match the outside exactly, there are the ghosts of pin-striping above and below the belt line, and there is the faded and weathered grey stripe in the belt line itself. And the factory warning sticker above the fuel filler is still there. I haven't looked at the info tag to decode the paint color, btw. The previous owner did do a little seam sealing and touching up around some of the weatherstripping, most notably around the lower windshield corners that could be blended in a little better (always remove your masking tape before the paint dries so the lines are less obvious :wink: ) but I am extremely pleased with the overall condition of the body.

Anywho, there are several LARGE shipments currently enroute, so watch this space. I'm not saying this van is going to get remote reservoir shocks, but I'm not not saying that either. :twisted:

Thu Feb 20, 2025 12:15 pm

TomInAlaska wrote: affectionately dubbed NSYNC by the previous owner.

One of these decals

better be on that sweet van somewhere. :twisted:

Thu Feb 20, 2025 1:04 pm

I don't think I'd want to name anything I own after a mediocre 90's boy band, but hey, to each their own

Thu Feb 20, 2025 1:30 pm

From the photos the paint looks to be LP7Y [X9] Flash Silver. I had not heard the PO's name for my first T3, so my kids decided to name it... I learned my lesson there. Now I use their paint code as their name, and it is easily stamped onto my keys, since I have literally a dozen keys that look nearly identical. So, my '87 keys have X9, my Pastel White have R1, etc... Also it is interesting that some of the dealer -- two character -- portion of the paint code have a great sound to them. When I got the R1 bus, it was intended to be a family fun bus, for trips that needed to accommodate more family members / generations than my first bus had worked when it was just me and my 3 children. Now they are grown, and starting their own families, so the aptly sound R1 sounds out to be something like Our One. When the J2 bus is back on the road, we'll have some damn fine options ;-)

After looking into the PO's back story and finding his daughters, I reached out to them to ask what he had called the bus, they said "El Camparo"

Great looking bus there Tom!! Way to go!!

Thu Feb 20, 2025 1:41 pm

skills@eurocarsplus wrote: I don't think I'd want to name anything I own after a mediocre 90's boy band, but hey, to each their own

Agreed, but...wasn't one of their more famous songs titled, "Buy, Buy, Buy"? Seems appropriate for a Syncro (or any other Vanagon) to me.

Fri Feb 21, 2025 7:16 am

TomInAlaska wrote:
And the story on the vent/hookups I got was that the previous-previous owner in Fairbanks was in the process of installing a Westy interior and never finished. I might try to patch those holes back up and repaint that panel, or just try to make sure they don't leak and ignore them for now.

If the hookups are done well I'd just be sure they will not leak and leave them for another project. Solar hookup, compressed air port, electric cord hook up, etc.

Fri Feb 21, 2025 8:58 am

That’s a nice looking Vanagon, Tom! That 8 valve engine is the best of that generation and the install looks clean. Will be watching your progress!

Fri Feb 21, 2025 5:01 pm

More work is underway:

I've been wanting truck mirrors for a while. 8)

Next on the list in addressing the driveline vibrations. Never having driven a Syncro before, I didn't know what to expect, but to be honest, it felt like it was trying to shake itself apart above like 15 mph. I initially chalked it up to the engine swap throwing off the u-joint angles and crawled under the van prepared to move/remove spacers or even modify the engine mounting bars. Imagine my surprise when I found that the u-joints were out of phase! No wonder it was shaking so bad! I quickly unbolted the rubber donut from the main propshaft body and rotated the u-joints to be in phase. I did drive it a few miles yesterday and the vibrations were vastly improved, but still a there. While fixing the phasing, I noted rust/dust coming from around the cracked and partially missing rubber seals of the joint itself. After a little research I ran to Napa this morning and picked up a Neapco 813 which seems to be the most readily available pretty-close substitute. The caps are less of a press fit and more of a slip fit. I think its more meant for tractor pto work and less automotive. I did apply a little bearing retaining compound (what we use at the bike shop to keep "press fit" bearing cups in place in carbon frames) to help hold it in place and have my fingers crossed. While I had the propshaft out, I scrapped and cleaned as much of the unevenly sprayed on rubberized undercoating off as possible. Its probably not enough weight to throw the thing out of balance but every little bit helps, right? The U-joint I used is a greasable type with the zerk fitting in the middle of the cross which obviously won't fit. I'm testing an idea of replacing the standard zerk with a flush mount needle-type fitting. I'm hoping that by unbolting the propshaft and rocking the flange over as much as possible, there'll be just enough room to get a needle in there to pump some grease into the joint. Worst case scenario, I have to buy a whole propshaft with regular ujoints.

Fri Feb 21, 2025 5:32 pm

Oh, I also noticed that after unbolting the propshaft at the transaxle, I was able to turn it slowly by hand but the faster I tried, the more resistance the VC gave me. Can I assume that's a good sign?

Sat Feb 22, 2025 11:00 pm

TomInAlaska wrote: it felt like it was trying to shake itself apart above like 15 mph.
Count your blessings. Sort of. That's why the guy sold it.
Usually the nosecone is broken when that happens and sometimes all the oil dumps out.
Sometimes it drops the driveline on the highway.

TomInAlaska wrote: Imagine my surprise when I found that the u-joints were out of phase! No wonder it was shaking so bad! I quickly unbolted the rubber donut from the main propshaft body and rotated the u-joints to be in phase.

Out of phase?
So someone unbolted that rubber Guibo and put it back together in the wrong (of the six) holes?

There are brass bushings in there that go bad, and if they do, it prevents the driveshaft from being balanced. There is "legend" but I've never heard of a way to replace those bushings if they go bad. People have tried stuff, but was it actually quiet after the repair? I doubt it.

Did you check bushings condition and re-grease them?

TomInAlaska wrote: I did drive it a few miles yesterday and the vibrations were vastly improved, but still a there. The driveshaft vibrates at 45-50mph. Pretty easy to identify driveshaft vibration by the speed.

The rule of thumb that I heard from Syncro master Tom Lengyel: If at night, the headlights you see in the rear view mirror are little circles, you have to remove the driveshaft.
Look at a decoupler at Van Cafe. The core-charge for a bad nosecone is $1500. That's how rare nosecones are, they're unobtanium.
Vibrating driveshaft will ruin the nosecone.

Don't fook around driving a vibrating driveshaft or you too will be disposing of your Syncro, never to Syncro again.

TomInAlaska wrote: Neapco 813 which seems to be the most readily available pretty-close substitute. The caps are less of a press fit and more of a slip fit. I think its more meant for tractor pto work and less automotive.

It's a tight press-fit. Perhaps your yokes are damaged by driving it out of balance/offset by the ruined bearings.
That driveshaft sounds like a dangerous item to bolt onto this van.

TomInAlaska wrote: While I had the propshaft out, I scrapped and cleaned as much of the unevenly sprayed on rubberized undercoating off as possible. Its probably not enough weight to throw the thing out of balance but every little bit helps, right?
Look for some balancing weights on your shaft. See how small they are? Imagine their weight .vs. the weight of the undercoating.
Undercoating on a shaft that spins 4,000 RPM can definitely cause vibration.

This van was owned buy someone who was clearly not checking in with knowledgable Syncro folk.
The Syncro was probably a nightmare for that owner.

TomInAlaska wrote: I'm hoping that by unbolting the propshaft and rocking the flange over as much as possible, there'll be just enough room to get a needle in there to pump some grease into the joint.

I bet drilling a 3/32 hole and buy a Plews-type needle grease adapter is better. You just jam the tapered point into a hole and pump grease in. Then wipeclean and cover the hole with Permatex Ultra Gray. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1591410.jpg.

I don't think there's much hope for that driveshaft. The yokes won't hold a bearing cup - there's no way to hold it "at center". If it goes off-center, it will vibrate and ruin stuff.

TomInAlaska wrote: Worst case scenario, I have to buy a whole propshaft with regular ujoints.
I'd go directly to that solution.
Don't drive at all unless the driveshaft is totally smooth and quiet.

Sat Feb 22, 2025 11:22 pm

Sodo wrote:
Out of phase?
So someone unbolted that rubber Guibo and put it back together in the wrong (of the six) holes?

Unless Syncro propshafts are different than everything I've seen about how driveshafts are setup, yep, somebody unbolted the guibo and clocked it 90* out. The inner yokes were not in-line when I pulled it. I'll look into how to check the condition of the bushings and regrease them, but the guibo/yoke spun easily and felt very smooth so hopefully its still good.

Sodo wrote:
The rule of thumb that I heard from Syncro master Tom Lengyel: If at night, the headlights you see in the rear view mirror are little circles, you have to remove the driveshaft.
Look at a decoupler at Van Cafe. The core-charge for a bad nosecone is $1500. That's how rare nosecones are, they're unobtanium.
Vibrating driveshaft will ruin the nosecone.

Don't fook around driving a vibrating driveshaft or you too will be disposing of your Syncro, never to Syncro again.

Sodo wrote:
...
That driveshaft sounds like a dangerous item to bolt onto this van.

....

I'd go directly to that solution.
Don't drive at all if the driveshaft isn't smooth and quiet.

That's sounding more like wisdom the more I think about it.

I'll attempt a very short drive to work tomorrow (less than 2 miles round trip on neighborhood streets) and if there's any hint of vibes, I'll just go ahead and get a brand new shaft ordered. There's a decent budget for this project, so I should absolutely not be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Sun Feb 23, 2025 11:40 am

TomInAlaska wrote: Oh, I also noticed that after unbolting the propshaft at the transaxle, I was able to turn it slowly by hand but the faster I tried, the more resistance the VC gave me. Can I assume that's a good sign?
Yes.

Doing a true rebuild of the stock Syncro driveline is almost impossible without some serious work due to the internal bushing inaccessibility.
(edit, just to give an idea of the work: https://shufti.blog/?s=Giubo
Others have resorted to cutting the driveline and re-welding to access the bushing)

Replacing it with a slip yoke driveline makes life much easier, especially with an engine conversion.
I have a new in box driveline available for sale, but shipping from SE British Columbia to Alaska might be very expensive!

Of course once you have a good driveline the task of getting it properly aligned can be a bit of a challenge. Check out the various threads on Syncro driveshaft vibrations.

Tue Feb 25, 2025 8:44 pm

Anybody know if this downpipe/headpipe is still available?

I've reached out to FAS since they have a lot of parts and info on various inline 4 swap and they're looking into it (thanks again guys!) but I just saw that Van Cafe (and RockAuto it turns out) sells the 'correct' flange gasket but not the head pipe itself. They do list a really nice looking stainless steel header but its for a manifold with a six bolt flange, mine is four. :roll:

Unless by a small miracle the FAS guys get back to me with news that a new one of these is sitting on a shelf, I'm gonna pull it out and try to weld up the cracks. I'd like there to be the possibility of a replacement if I really booger this one up, but I suppose in the worst case scenario, I figure out what manifold works with Van Cafe's header and do some more upgrading. :lol: