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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16503
Location: Brookeville, MD
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 Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:14 am Post subject: Re: A few neat things I did on my Vanagon build... |
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| danfromsyr wrote: |
just an FYI, and I know you are all set up and leaving.
but you are running a 2wd. you can put a normal sized spare in the clamshell.
consider it a doughnut it'll be fine to get you around/down the road.
worse case is to put it on the pass front and move that tire to the blown out tire.
it may be just me, but i'm not a fan of strapping a tire to the fiberglass rack. |
FWIW you'll also lose about 2+ mpg due to extra wind resistance with a tire on top like that. btdt.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646
Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794 |
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SyncroHead 
Samba Member
Joined: May 23, 2005
Posts: 1141
Location: Northern Nevada
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| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:39 am Post subject: Re: A few neat things I did on my Vanagon build... |
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| crobox wrote: |
The spare tire carrier is too small for any of my tires, so I re-purposed that space to hold a jerry can.
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Nice work Christian!
IMPORTANT DANGER ALERT!!
I'd highly, highly recommend finding a new place for gas storage right away though. From experience I know this is a dangerous place for fuel. Years ago, I bought a very nice "donut-shaped" gas can to store inside my spare wheel in this same spot. (Back when my spare would fit there.) I even made a nice little fastening mechanism so the gas can would be held inside the wheel even when the wheel was out of the van and standing up. I wanted it very secure.
We'll it came time for me to use the spare gas one time and pulled down the wheel and retrieved the can. It was VERY hot. So hot that I knew I should not open it right away. After waiting about 15-20 minutes for it to cool down, I carefully cracked open the lid and experienced an immediate and awful geyser of hot gas vapor and hot gas spray which emptied about half of the can's contents in under1 second! 
Turns out that heat from the "coolant" lines and heat coming off the radiator do a great job of heating the gas can to a dangerous level. I was lucky there were no sources of ignition in the vicinity, because the explosion would have been catastrophic. Also, heating the can like this builds up the pressure inside the can and could even cause the can to burst while driving. These gas cans were not made to hold any significant pressure. A bursting gas can under your feet while driving along just can't end well.
So, please, please, learn from my experience and relocate your gas storage.
Jim Davis
_________________
"A Vanagon? It's not a car or a van. It's a hobby!"
Check out:
www.VANAVATION.com
www.SyncroSafari.org and
www.Vanagons.org
| sphet wrote: |
| I have *no* idea what the previous owner carried in his Westy... angry donkeys? |
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6829
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:41 am Post subject: Re: A few neat things I did on my Vanagon build... |
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| dobryan wrote: |
| danfromsyr wrote: |
just an FYI, and I know you are all set up and leaving.
but you are running a 2wd. you can put a normal sized spare in the clamshell.
consider it a doughnut it'll be fine to get you around/down the road.
worse case is to put it on the pass front and move that tire to the blown out tire.
it may be just me, but i'm not a fan of strapping a tire to the fiberglass rack. |
FWIW you'll also lose about 2+ mpg due to extra wind resistance with a tire on top like that. btdt. |
My 2¢ worth of free advice! Did you happen to see the Mel Gibson movie where he's chasing the bad guy on the hwy and the dude wrecks into jeep carrying a surfboard & the surfboard cut loose and went through his head... those tie down " Footman Loops" as they are called will not hold that tire if you have an accident and it is hurting your gas mileage.
At best run a rachet srtap through the tire and back to the roof rack.
I don't seriously entertain any hopes of it securing the tire, but it is more then the footman loops.
Enough of the negativity - good job on bringing it back to life.
_________________
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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crobox
Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2011
Posts: 56
Location: Taos, NM
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| Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:00 pm Post subject: Re: A few neat things I did on my Vanagon build... |
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SOS
Automatic transmission died.... outside of Breckenridge CO.
Can still go about 20mph forward... no reverse.
Anyone have an automatic sitting around in Colorado that they wanna sell me?
Or ideas / recommendations on how to get my hands on one...?
Or ideas about who might be able to rebuild this thing?
I've got my wife, 10-year old boy, and 3-month old puppy on board, and it's stressful to say the least. I write this now from the shoulder of a country road.
Thanks,
Christian |
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SyncroHead
Samba Member
Joined: May 23, 2005
Posts: 1141
Location: Northern Nevada
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| Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:20 am Post subject: Re: A few neat things I did on my Vanagon build... |
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| crobox wrote: |
SOS
Automatic transmission died.... outside of Breckenridge CO.
Can still go about 20mph forward... no reverse.
Anyone have an automatic sitting around in Colorado that they wanna sell me?
Or ideas / recommendations on how to get my hands on one...?
Or ideas about who might be able to rebuild this thing?
I've got my wife, 10-year old boy, and 3-month old puppy on board, and it's stressful to say the least. I write this now from the shoulder of a country road.
Thanks,
Christian |
I'd suggest contacting Van Cafe in Ft. Collins.
Van Cafe
1230 Blue Spruce Dr. Unit 5
Fort Collins, CO. 80524
Hours: M-F 8:00am - 5:00 pm MST
(970) 310-3441
_________________
"A Vanagon? It's not a car or a van. It's a hobby!"
Check out:
www.VANAVATION.com
www.SyncroSafari.org and
www.Vanagons.org
| sphet wrote: |
| I have *no* idea what the previous owner carried in his Westy... angry donkeys? |
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crobox
Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2011
Posts: 56
Location: Taos, NM
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| Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:29 am Post subject: Re: A few neat things I did on my Vanagon build... |
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Thanks Syncro head for the suggestion.
I ran another thread here yesterday about my predicament.
Got a lot of good advice and suggestions, but I have now resigned myself to towing the beast home to my shop 4.5 hours away and dealing with it there.
I talked to a lot of different shops yesterday. I’ve dealt with Van Cafe a lot during my rebuild this summer, but I will say... they are hard to get ahold of! I didn’t actually speak with them, but not for lack of trying.
Thanks again
_________________
1971 Datsun 240Z - 1980 International Scout Cummins 4BT conversion - 1990 Westy EJ25 conversion - 2007 KTM 525 - 2007 KTM 950SE - 1990 International DT466 4900 HIAB Flatbed
www.christianristow.com |
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designer
Samba Member
Joined: November 05, 2009
Posts: 484
Location: Idaho-but just the tip
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| Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:35 pm Post subject: Re: A few neat things I did on my Vanagon build... |
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| crobox wrote: |
Thanks Syncro head for the suggestion.
I’ve dealt with Van Cafe a lot during my rebuild this summer, but I will say... they are hard to get ahold of! I didn’t actually speak with them, but not for lack of trying. |
I've left countless message with them about some stuff not needed to get into here, but have I heard anything back? Nada.
Beautiful mods - I, too, am most fond of the windshield wiper one!
Sorry to hear of the bad trans ...
_________________
__________
87 Syncro Westy : 2.5l
"It is that annoying, accelerating downhill so I can make it up the next hill in the same gear. Foot to floor hoping I can get out of the way of other cars getting onto the highway." - somebody on here around 2013. |
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