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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 8:31 am Post subject: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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I finally decided to create a thread about my Vanagon.
Here is a ten year old pic from back when I was pushing the limits and learning the van. I baby it a lot more now. That pic is on the way to my friends cabin at War Eagle mountain above Silver City. I plan to put a Westy top and kitchen in it. My wife and I go camping a lot so I'm working on making it as reliable as possible and setup for our needs.
The basic rundown as it is now;
87 Tintop Syncro non locker (plan to add peloquin dif upon trans rebuild)
I have a RJE 2316cc Rocky Jennings custom engine in it with the Tencent/RJE vacuum switching throttle switch module. AA Trans sport viscous coupler. CLK Alloys, RMW swing away carrier. I'm working on getting all the mechanics fixed up before I tackle the front seam rust and rear 1/4 dent.
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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 8:34 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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joetiger Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005 Posts: 5078 Location: denver
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 8:43 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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Watching with great interest! I'm considering similar conversion plans for mine.
It came to me with a Peloquin; I'll let you know how well or not well it performs after Solstice... _________________ Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 9:05 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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If I had $ I would put a peloquin in the front too. Not many people have done that.
When my dad had his repair shop we installed quite a few ATB differentials with perfect success and happy customers.
My Nokian Rotiiva 215/70R16 tires are worn out so I'm in the market for new tires. I'm either going with BFG AT, Rotiiva again, or Cooper AT. Buying 5 tires at a time is a big investment for me. $yncro. |
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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 10:41 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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I have a Kelty carport tent. Once setup I can move it easily and put it on the side or back of the van. It takes some time to setup but is nice once up. I want an ARB someday.
Since that pic I have a SA headlight setup and truck mirrors added.
Steve |
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ALIKA T3 Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2009 Posts: 6351 Location: Honolulu,Hawaii and France
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Sodo Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007 Posts: 9605 Location: Western WA
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 7:23 pm Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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Steve Arndt wrote: |
...I would put a peloquin in the front too. |
This is on my list.... I heard from two people who have them, that you can't feel it in the steering. Well, if you never get in a situation where the Peloquin locks, then of course you wouldn't feel it.
So how do we vet that observation? _________________
'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb |
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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2018 7:57 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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Received the Vintage Speed torque elbow. This replaces the J pipe and 2 into 1 cast merge. Real mandrel bends, perfect tig welds, nice smooth merged design. Should add a couple horsepower across the board. I bought it from aircooled.net they are the biggest vintage speed reseller.
Steve |
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Steve M. Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013 Posts: 6829 Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2018 8:12 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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Gees...how much is that pretty lil' thing from Vintage speed? _________________ This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.
There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them. |
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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Jake de Villiers Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007 Posts: 5911 Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 7:41 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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Long merge installed.
steve |
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mikemtnbike Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2015 Posts: 2795 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 7:57 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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It looks beautiful, but is there a noticeable performance improvement?
I've been having a b*tch of a time eliminating a tiny exhaust leak at that junction. _________________ 1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual |
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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 8:12 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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It has more mid range punch. I've only taken around the block not to my dyno hill or any top end runs yet. It is louder and I can feel more exhaust pulse out the tale pipe. This leads me to think the timing of the exhaust pulses is stronger and better. A try Y 4-2-1 exhaust benefits from long secondaries like this pipe has. |
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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 9:06 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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Greetings.
Well I joined the club of snapped off alternator bracket studs. That sucks.
So I did a simple fix up to feel like I was accomplishing something. Replaced the rotten old breather hose.
_________________ Steve
Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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uberaudi Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2013 Posts: 502 Location: Hi-top Country
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 10:51 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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Great fix! I need to do the same. I usually end up taking some welding rod, coiling it up and inserting it into the hose to prevent it from collapsing. |
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bobbyblack Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015 Posts: 4349 Location: United States, Iowa
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 11:04 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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Have you gone to the 1.25:1 rockers and swivel feet, by chance? I'd like to hear if those, together with the vintage speed piece are also noticeable improvement. _________________ '87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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jberger Samba Member
Joined: November 17, 2003 Posts: 2476
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 11:47 am Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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bobbyblack wrote: |
Have you gone to the 1.25:1 rockers and swivel feet, by chance? I'd like to hear if those, together with the vintage speed piece are also noticeable improvement. |
His engine is a RJE 2.3 which should have Rocky's cam installed which requires ratio rockers. |
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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:01 pm Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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CB ratio rockers, RJE cam. Runs great. I can easily feel a difference in pulling power and acceleration since adding the vintage speed 2 into 1 torque elbow last month. Best 200 bucks I've ever spent from a performance standpoint. _________________ Steve
Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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Steve Arndt Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005 Posts: 1780 Location: Boise, Idaho
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Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:59 pm Post subject: Re: Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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I installed an adjustable voltage regulator that I bought from aircooled dot net. Works nice. Running 14.2 at the batter now instead of 13.7 volts.
My alternator came loose and broke both studs off flush with the block. I have to take a bunch of stuff off to drill and extract the studs. The oil filler pipe. To get that off the engine hangar has to come off. My muffler is a welded on cobble so I can't get it off to get the mustache hangar off. So I bought both regular and monster alt supports from gowesty. I installed those and welded my unsupported stock alt bracket to the monster bracket. It is all holding great and much more stable than it was stock. I will probably make a brace like is show on the samba and tie it further into the power steering mount at the rear too.
Been camping with it the last two weekends in a row. Oh, I just dumped another can of R134a in my system to keep it cold. My conversion fitting valve is audible leaking w the service cap off so I have to fix that. At 8 bucks a can I just recharge it periodically. _________________ Steve
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