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1978 Champagne first bus
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secretsubmariner
Champagne Wrangler


Joined: January 08, 2011
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:29 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Thanks for the words of encouragement, guys! Very Happy

As promised, tins and tubes (I'm playing catch up with the updates)
My rockers didn't match so my buddy graciously swapped me parts so I have the correct rockers on each side. My tubes and tins aren't looking brand new, which I like. This is going to be a utilitarian vehicle, not a show pony. The survivalist look and patina really vibes with the rest of the car.

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For the sake of longevity and safety I replaced the gas tank hose with the famed sprinter hose, and bought a scary-cheap fuel elbow.


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This is the rust converter I've been using, it's so great for treating surface rust. My tank had some orange streaking and stuff so I took care of that while it was out.
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Convenient Fuel Elbow Access! Thanks, PO!
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Sprinter hose and cut tank straps, Thanks, PO!
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The pre-cut holes in my cheapy elbow did not line up with the screw holes.
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Thanks to Boesen for sending me these really nice luggage area panels a long time ago, they are finally installed!
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All I really have left is sorting out my remaining tin. Some needs cleaning still. I need to actually replace some bolts for the exhaust and whatnot. Finish up the fan shroud and make sure the alternator is all refreshed.
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1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI
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airschooled
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 10:00 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Dude, dropping an album and finishing the long block at the same time?


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secretsubmariner wrote:

My rockers didn't match so my buddy graciously swapped me parts so I have the correct rockers on each side.


Just to confirm- can you share a picture of your current rocker setups? T4 intake and exhaust rockers are tilted differently on purpose, and we want to make sure yours didn't get swapped without good reason.

RobbieBueno
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secretsubmariner
Champagne Wrangler


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 09, 2017 11:34 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

asiab3 wrote:
Dude, dropping an album and finishing the long block at the same time?

That album is getting an addendum this fall!

LOL I'm working on a BITCHING new custom toy right now too Very Happy

I'm not with the engine at the moment but I'll snap pics of each head for you next time I'm over there.

The good reason for swapping - the 3/4 head had a spacer on the rockers. The 1/2 head had a spring spacer thing on the rockers. Hm..I may have that backwards..it's been a week or two. I made them match with the extra parts we had around.
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1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI
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airschooled
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 09, 2017 12:02 pm    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Ooooooh gotcha. Yeah, the solid lifter Type 4 engines use the rocker shafts with the visible spring style. Hydraulic lifter rockers have a chunky spacer and a wavy/spring washer. I thought you swapped the tilted rockers around for some reason. Classic Robbie, thinking worst case scenario....

Speaking of worst case scenario... Off to play saxophone,
Robbie
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secretsubmariner
Champagne Wrangler


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:58 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

asiab3 wrote:
Ooooooh gotcha. Yeah, the solid lifter Type 4 engines use the rocker shafts with the visible spring style. Hydraulic lifter rockers have a chunky spacer and a wavy/spring washer. I thought you swapped the tilted rockers around for some reason. Classic Robbie, thinking worst case scenario....

Speaking of worst case scenario... Off to play saxophone,
Robbie


Confirmed, I have chunky spacer wavy washer set up.

How about a Bass and Sax duet?

Chunk Spacer & Wavy Washer

Wink
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1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI
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secretsubmariner
Champagne Wrangler


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 6:46 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Last night was down in the mucky muck. Accounting for my tins and making note of what I have and what I need to find in my stuff to install the engine. If I can get a good inventory, then dressing the engine is happening this weekend.

My tins, some before cleaning, some after:
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A lovely photo from elsewhere on thesamba:
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I scraped and scrubbed last night, and everything is almost to my liking. Nothing is going to be perfectly clean, but for max cooling I wanted the thick oil+red dirt mixture off the nooks and crannies. When it all goes back together I'm aiming for a survivor look. I am putting some quick paint on some of the underside stuff as I convert surface rust here and there, as you can see by my air deflector things.

Heartbreak, moving everything to escape and then moving everything to grow, the loss, the turmoil, the hard work from these past two years. Yet the sun sets and rises on every day reminding me that my problems are so small. And this cat, Mr. Man Hamilton, just wants me to pet it. I've missed this view.


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1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI
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Kirk
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 14, 2017 11:01 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Great update and what a cool kitty!
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secretsubmariner
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 6:31 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Thanks kirk!

I've been busy with all kinds of stuff lately. I was missing the thermostat cable which put me hold, thanks to my friendly local vw parts store that was resolved quickly. Then I was missing the oil cooler tin seal. Found that in a box of parts - still very supple so I reused. I also found nuts, washers, bolts, and screws of all sizes in multiple...containers. Some were in my electrical parts, some were in two carb air filters, some were in ziploc baggies that were in various states of deterioration. So I rounded all of them up. With all of them in one place, it's pretty easy to get started. So I did.

Jake Raby says he usually replaces these...I laughed
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420! Cool
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Sorry for the crappy quality photos, my potato was running out of battery life.

This brings us up to date, where I will now ask a few questions.
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1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI
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secretsubmariner
Champagne Wrangler


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:58 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

The project was on hold for a few days...

I have not been eating my wheaties. I couldn't break the 80ft lb bolts on the flywheel to get to the rear main. My buddy came by and got them for me.

I will hopefully have this thing dressed up and ready for installation by the weekend. Then it's on to battery, tires, carb rebuild and axles.

I'm excited to get back to the car itself. The engine is fun but I want a new project. lol
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1970 Auto Fastback FI
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Stuartzickefoose
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 10:30 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

make sure you put the engine hanger bar on before the exhaust.


been to texas lately? Wink
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secretsubmariner
Champagne Wrangler


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 01, 2017 12:17 pm    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Stuartzickefoose wrote:
make sure you put the engine hanger bar on before the exhaust.


been to texas lately? Wink


Thanks Stu. Lol.

My cousin is getting married there in March, hoping to see our boy Bala around then.
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1970 Auto Fastback FI
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secretsubmariner
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 5:37 pm    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

I finished up the remaining tasks that were mandatory while the engine is out.

I installed new cuffs and bellows on the rear shift rod, new shift rod bushing up front, now it's all new parts from the shifter to the transmission. I'll do some adjusting after we install the transmission but I have the wire to do the grub and stuff so I'm feeling pretty prepared. Here's where I was feeling the job out. I wound up installing this and removing a few times before I got it the way it's supposed to go.

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Next, I finally fixed these, no after pic tho unfortunately:
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I used some exhaust hanger stuff and some fasteners from the FLAPS to connect the pieces. Just did some measuring and drilling and now the tank won't budge. I just don't have the resources or the time to weld the straps together like stock. Here is the engine bay, ready to receive:
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Coming up: Engine install, solutions for a gimpy axle
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mike77777
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:37 pm    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Just read your thread from page one. You are one determined guy. Kudos on keeping your vision alive. Have been doing some repair on my 77 lately[since august], fresh paint, engine out for an oil cooler replacement, and an alternator replacement. did a thoro cleaning while it was out.I have had this one for about 10 years now, was white over red, then grey for a while, now a happy white over blue. Suprisingly rust free for living around Portland. Should have her running soon, need to adjust the fuel pump pressure regulator, hook up the fuel lines, and drive it around the block. Have had various people living in her over the years. Purists may cringe , It has been a ton of fun camping in this ride. Used it as a delivery vehicle for 3 years , lost luggage from Portland airport to anywhere in a 200 mile radius. any how, some pics of progress. This one is the BEER edition, no Champaigne.
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secretsubmariner
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 3:27 pm    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Lookin good man, keep it up!
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 7:09 pm    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Great job. Had forgotten I sold you those panels years ago. Probably almost 5 years or so I think. Glad they worked for you. Saw your thread pop up tonight and remembered. That bus is still at that junkyard actually. All thats left earlier this year was the dash. Body is still solid as day one, but they won't sell the shell. Glad all of those parts I removed off it are being put to use worldwide.

On your tank straps...I had the same thing on our 75. I just riveted flat steel to join the broken parts together.

Great job though and nice album! Wink
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secretsubmariner
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:17 pm    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Boesen wrote:
Great job. Had forgotten I sold you those panels years ago. Probably almost 5 years or so I think. Glad they worked for you. Saw your thread pop up tonight and remembered. That bus is still at that junkyard actually. All thats left earlier this year was the dash. Body is still solid as day one, but they won't sell the shell. Glad all of those parts I removed off it are being put to use worldwide.

On your tank straps...I had the same thing on our 75. I just riveted flat steel to join the broken parts together.

Great job though and nice album! Wink


Haha yeah, it probably was about 5 years...man. Hope you're doing well! I think of you and your kindness from time to time, much I like do with lots of the great people on this site.

And thank you very much! Lots more work and music coming up soon. Razz
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1970 Auto Fastback FI
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secretsubmariner
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:09 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

When putting the engine back together, I accidentally used the special D-head starter bolt to mount the bottom bracket of the alternator. That was not very zen of me. So the engine is completely dressed except the carb, and now I have to take some of it back apart to put that special bolt in the right place. Then it will be ready to install. It's already mated to the transmission, that bolt is the last piece of my puzzle for now.

Today, I transferred the title to the Cherokee Nation for the low price of $21.50. The tag was about 2 years expired so I saved roughly $200+ by switching instead of renewing with the state of OK. That made me belly laugh out loud when I got back in the car at the Cherokee Nation Tag Office. LOLOLOLOL

So now we're up to date on tags, tank's clean, shifter rod couplings are all done, tires are in the works, I need a fuel sender for the tank and a better battery...I know I've been saying this for like, 6 years....but we're getting close!
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1970 Auto Fastback FI
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secretsubmariner
Champagne Wrangler


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:59 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Tires ordered and received, fuel sender will be here by Thursday next week.

Battery and bolts for the engine to the frame will probably come this weekend.

Looks like nice weather coming up...

Mr. Man has little care for anything
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A brief summary of my tire journey:

A friend of mine had a slightly used set of General Grabbers that he offered at a friend price. I plan on only driving highways and roads, so Grabbers aren't for this project. I love the way they make a bus look though. So I started looking at the road tires the General brand offers...meh. Then I remember everyone busting a nut over Hankook RA08's a while back. I stumbled upon the Hankook Vantra LT RA18. It's load range C, appropriate for light trucks, I was already sold. Then I saw the reviews. Tons of fellow bus drivers from early bays to Vanagons wrote reviews swearing by them. I knew I had found the ones. $85 each on amazon free shipping to my work and then my office smelled like a new shoe store all day. Score.
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1970 Auto Fastback FI
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williamM
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 11:19 am    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Have some of those on Grey whale and found the stiff side walls hide low air pressure- SOO- can no longer just "look" at the tires for pressure info- now have to actually use a gauge - Just something to consider-- nice work by the way.-
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secretsubmariner
Champagne Wrangler


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2018 3:00 pm    Post subject: Re: 1978 Champagne first bus Reply with quote

Lil update:

Tires are all done, blue Bosch coil has arrived, now I have to wait for a day of no rain so I can install the engine.
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1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI
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