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Steve Arndt
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005
Posts: 1798
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: 1798
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: 5276
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"
'91 Wolfsburg Carat "Barchetta"
'02 Baja-ish Beetle "Bubbles"
"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
Justice for Megan: https://linktr.ee/justiceformegantrussell |
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Steve Arndt
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005
Posts: 1798
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: 1798
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: 7342
Location: Honolulu,Hawaii and France
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 10949
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, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop, EJ25, cooled filtered (original) gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb
All Vanagons should do this:
Add direct starter-to-chassis cable THEN delete ground strap at front transaxle mount.
The best time to do this mod was in 2010. The second best time is TODAY.
If your starter is slow, this is MORE important. |
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Steve Arndt
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005
Posts: 1798
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: 6938
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: 1798
Location: Boise, Idaho
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Jake de Villiers
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007
Posts: 5938
Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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Steve Arndt
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2005
Posts: 1798
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: 2956
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: 1798
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: 1798
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.
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Steve
Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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uberaudi
Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2013
Posts: 663
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: 4719
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: 1798
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: 1798
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
Steve's 87 Syncro project |
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