1979 VW Bus Westfalia - First Restoration Project

[AUBeatz]

Quick question - as I'm replacing the fuel hoses I've started to look at the small hoses that connect to the fuel injectors. The fuel injector harnesses are in the way of getting to the hoses/clamps easily. I noticed on ratwell's site that the harnesses can easily break if forced off and need a tool to properly remove them. Any suggestions/tips on replacing these fuel hoses? Or do most people replace them if/when they pull the engine? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[Cap10323]

It's not hard to disconnect the fuel injector harness from the fuel injectors without breaking it. Just be careful and pull from the connector body not the wire.

Once you do that, you can remove the nuts which retain the fuel injectors. And remove the whole fuel rail and injectors together as an assembly.


The fuel lines are likely crimped to the the injectors, so just use a pair of side cutters to cut the crimp off. Replace the short line, and put a normal clamp back on instead of a crimp.

It should look like this.

_________________
-Ian

'77 Westfalia - 2.0 F.I

[Wildthings]

You can use a small pick or pen knife to get under one end of the retaining spring for the injector plugs, just pry it up and set it off to one side of the groove. The plug should now pull off with little force.

It is possible that you have the new style plugs as I believe that some '79 may have had them, with the newer plugs you just push in on the retaining spring and that will force the ends out passed the retaining lugs on the injector.

[AUBeatz]

Cap and Wildthings - thank you so much! Your suggestions worked perfectly. Two of them I could pull off but the other two I had to use a small flat head screwdriver like you mentioned and rock it off.

Also, seems like the top metal piece closest to the injector isn't even a clamp...just like a small metal plate? Any advice for cleaning these up? I saw the some rubber seals online. The bigger one towards the base of the injectors actually look pretty good with no cracks. But, the top of the injectors I can see some small cracks in (see pic 2), is that the smaller rubber seal?

Thanks for the help!!

[Wildthings]

I just saw the little collar piece off at an angle with a hacksaw, and then grab it with vicegrips and rip the remaining bit I can't get to with the saw. Some people use dykes for the job and I think I remember someone saying they use a Dremel with a cut off blade.

While you have the injectors in hand you can take a file and file the bottoms of the retaining lugs at a slight angle so the plug comes off easier the next time around.

Be sure that whatever hose you are using is rated for use with fuel injection.

[Cap10323]

[AUBeatz]

Well, I think I made a huge mistake today. After replacing the seals on the injectors and installing new fuel hoses, while tightening the fuel injector brackets I snapped one of the bolts off. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

It’s the top injector in the picture.

[busdaddy]

Sounds like it's time to invest in an inch pound torque wrench.
The first question is how much of the stud is still protruding from the manifold?, you may be able to remove the remnants with vice grips if you can get ahold of it. If not then the options are drilling or MIG welding, are you fluent in either process?
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[AUBeatz]

[Cap10323]

Oof. That's a drag.

I would go ahead and remove half of the manifold. You don't need to take off the whole thing, just the one side.

You can try to remove the stud via drilling or welding a nut on there. But honestly I'd just buy another intake manifold off of the classifieds for a couple bucks.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2331360

While you're at it, replace the flexible intake boots that connect the runners to the throttle body.

At the end of the day, this isn't that bad IMO. There are far worse bolts to break
_________________
-Ian

'77 Westfalia - 2.0 F.I

[AUBeatz]

[Cap10323]

[AUBeatz]

Well, got the intake manifold in and installed it yesterday. Was much easier than I was expecting. Cap - I can't thank you enough for the suggestion to do that. So much easier than trying to fix the broken bolt.

Manifold is in, fuel injectors are installed after being cleaned and new seals, and all fuel hoses are complete at least in the engine bay. Next is to finish fuel hoses under the bus and install new fuel pump and filter.

My next question is - what to do with the gas tank? I'm starting to get a little worried I spent all this time replacing everything fuel related and when I put new gas in, some older gas/rust/particles get clogged in new filter/pump/hoses. I have drained the tank (by pulling old fuel hoses and letting it drain) and put a scope down the filler neck and this is what I could see. Not too sure what I'm looking at. Does this look bad to anyone? Looks like rust to me or maybe just dirt/sludge from sitting so long. Any suggestions? Should I just pull the tank and clean/seal, etc. or maybe pour something in it and shake the bus? Any tips appreciated, thanks!

[Jeff Geisen]

There’s a metal tube that threads into the bottom of the tank, where you removed the fuel line. Put a wrench on the collar and turn ccw to remove and completely drain the tank. Check the condition of the screen sock that covers the tube.
_________________
I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[busdaddy]

If it was only that easy, the removable outlet and sock filter ended in 1974, a 79 tank will have a welded in outlet with no sock. The tank can be removed without pulling the engine, some stuff has to come off the top and the mounts undone to lower it a few inches so you can sneak the tank out over it.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/search.php?searc..._chars=200

Once it's out read this:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=378770
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=566950
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[AUBeatz]

[AUBeatz]

Alright, wanted to give everyone an update on where I am. I decided to remove the old fuel tank without dropping or lowering the engine in order to replace the fuel tank. I would like to say that this is 100% possible and honestly not near as difficult as I expected. Anyone who is contemplating doing this due to their situation or where their bus is located it absolutely can be done and with quite ease I might add and I am not an experience mechanic by any means. I had the appropriate parts removed from the top of the engine, firewall removed, and fuel tank out within 2-3 hours.

I wanted to post this in order to help anyone who might be thinking about doing this in the future. I mainly used Daverham and Traveling Writer's method that they explained back in 2009 on the following thread. Thanks busdaddy for the link. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...p;start=20

First off, I believe that some amount of gas has been sitting in the tank for roughly 25 years. Based on some documentation I found in the bus I believe the last time the bus was driven was in the earlier 90's. As I've been going through and replacing all fuel lines, fuel pump, fuel filter, pulled fuel injectors to clean and replace seals - I finally got to the fuel tank. My thoughts were that if I've done all this work with the fuel system I would be doing myself a disservice by just throwing fresh fuel in the tank and "hoping for the best". I pulled the fuel lines connected to the bottom of the tank and drained it. Poured some fresh fuel into it (about 1/2 a gallon) and shook the bus as hard as I could while catching the gas in a milk jug underneath the bus. The first bit of gas that came out wasn't bad and I contemplated just putting on a new fuel filter and keeping an eye on it. Well, I left the milk jug underneath, came back the next day and saw this...

Not to mention the large black tar-like sludge that was on the ground that missed the container. After seeing this and reading many posts about how terrible it was to attempt to clean with muriatic acid then seal, etc. and how many folks spent days and weeks on end trying to clean it. I decided to just purchase a new tank from CIP1.com. Still waiting for the tank to arrive. Will definitely update this thread again once it comes in and I install.

The tank itself doesn't look too bad, but not pretty by any means. It prob could be cleaned but glad I chose to go ahead and replace it and the sender, especially after seeing the condition of this sender. Not thinking my gas gauge would've worked...

The first step I took in preparing to remove the tank was to remove the proper parts off of the top of the engine. You must remove the airbox, heater fan and heater pipes, S-boot, all rubber hoses connected to decel valve, distributor cap, spark plug wires, disconnect coil (don't have to remove just lower it), disconnect electrical connections on firewall and set aside. You DO NOT have to remove the throttle body, intake manifolds, or the metal pipe on the left side. This is what the top of my engine looked like before I pulled the tank.

Also, I did not have to bend the tin in the back of engine. Yes, it scraped but honestly not bad at all. The bolts that connected the tie down straps around the tank weren't bad to get off either. I think I got lucky in that mine weren't rusty and the straps themselves were in fantastic condition. I've read where other folks struggle to get these bolts off and the straps twist when they attempt to loosen the bolts. I did not have either of these issues and just sprayed the bolts with WD-40 before and honestly don't even think that was necessary. I used a deep 13mm socket on a pivot adaptor with some extensions to get to them. They definitely are in an awkward spot but with the right tools it wasn't too bad. Getting them back on will be fun though...

What it looked like with the tank out.

Notice the distributor cap is back on, I placed it back on after I removed the tank just to keep dust, etc from getting on the point.

In order to get the fuel filler neck off of the tank you must unscrew the clamp that connects the rubber connector from the metal pipe to the tank. Then you can shimmy the tank loose from the rubber connector. After tank was removed, I removed the screws from the metal piece on the outside of the bus where you fill the tank. Then, pry open the round metal piece on the right side of the engine bay. I had to disconnect the ECU and remove the two bolts holding it in place. Then, could easily wiggle the pipe and pull it through into the fuel tank bay to get it out. Once out inspect the tube and replace fuel filler neck and rubber connector that connects the metal pipe to the tank. Mine had the birds beak fuel filler neck. Unfortunately, it had some cracks on it (although not many) so I decided to replace it.

Hope this helps give confidence to anyone who is contemplating removing their fuel tank out over the engine. It is absolutely possible and not that difficult at all. Just be patient, go slow, and make sure not to yank it out and rip any cords along the way. The best advice I read was to lift it with both arms like a forklift, start turning it 90 degrees towards the left, after moving it some go under the bus and push up on the outlets making sure they clear the insulation and slowly keep turning until it is perpendicular to you, then just pull it straight out. It got hung up on the throttle body bolt at first but then I was able to wiggle it farther to the left where I got it perpendicular to me. Then, simply just pulled it straight out.

[busdaddy]

Spend some time with that new sender to calibrate it when it arrives, and don't toss out the old tank or sender, both look like they will clean up nicely, after trying to make "new" parts work you may choose to clean the old ones anyways.
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[AUBeatz]

[busdaddy]

It's a game of try it in the hole and see if it hangs up on anything, then connect the gauge wires with long extensions and try it with the tank upright and upside down to see what the gauge says, usually the arm and stop tabs need some tweaking to show full and empty. None of that can predict what the float will do once it soaks up gas and sinks, or when the wiring loses continuity, not many have had long term luck with those CIP senders.

Before you put the tank cover panel back on measure where the sender is and mark the floor under the mattress, that way you can cut the access hole in the right place first try if it comes to it.
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