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dabaron Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018 Posts: 2559 Location: Philly, mang
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Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 1:41 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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should i post the photos of all the duct tape "upgrades" i found on my Westy when i bought it?
my favorite adhoc Westy problem solving moment was this... why wait for a nice mounting bracket when you can send it with cardboard?
_________________ 1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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Captain Pike Samba Member
Joined: December 30, 2003 Posts: 3336 Location: Talos IV, Piedmont Arizona
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Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 3:02 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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Push button start _________________ LEARN TO SELF RESCUE
59 Panel bus, 1966 Single cab. 73' 181. 73 Westy. 91' H6 Vanagon 3.3L.
.....................All Current....................... |
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dhaavers Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010 Posts: 7751 Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 4:49 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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vwwestyman wrote: |
… Usually my "flywheel lock" involves some amount of cursing and then some amount of doing something like drilling holes in a piece of angle iron. Last one was welding a couple bolts to a piece of flat bar to be "studs" to engage two bolt holes on the flex plate of an auto Vanagon. |
^^^ Too much work, man…simplify, simplify…
- Dave
PS: A couple more from my archives, may even have shared elsewhere recently …
Pilot bearing puller:
- Simple stove bolt, head filed to oval shape, put it in & pull the sucker out…cheap & effective.
DIY lock-in-place rear hatch ventilator:
- Total cost, new: $0.37
Carry on, see you on the road! _________________ 86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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Christopholi Samba Member
Joined: May 16, 2011 Posts: 232 Location: Vancouver, BC, CANADA
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Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 10:32 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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Does utilizing the wife to push start us all the way home from Syncrofest with a dead starter count? _________________ 1988 Tintop Wolfsburg Special Edition - "Meatloaf"
RMW 2.5 Subaru, SubaruGears 5MT 4.44 w/LSD, Coast Mountain Hightop |
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ZsZ Samba Member
Joined: December 11, 2010 Posts: 1644 Location: Budapest Hungary, Europe
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 12:50 am Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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In the first year on the first long trip I lost a front outer wheel bearing. In Albania, in the middle of nowhere.
The rollers just shattered and the whole wheel was wobbling.
Cleaned the debris, put in in reverse order so the big washer was making contact with the outer race. Filled with grease and was able to slowly get to the next town (~15kms) to a mechanic who put in new bearings. _________________ Zoltan
1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
Van since 2006, engine since 2008 |
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syncroserge Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2005 Posts: 553 Location: Okotos, Alberta, Canada
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 8:37 am Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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Christopholi wrote: |
Does utilizing the wife to push start us all the way home from Syncrofest with a dead starter count? |
Not that high on the MacGyver scale...but definitely the top prize in the
Vanagon Wife of the Year Award ! |
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DuncanS Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013 Posts: 4583 Location: New Hampshire
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 9:14 am Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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dhaavers wrote: |
DIY lock-in-place rear hatch ventilator:
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How exactly does that fit, and do you get any exhaust into the cab because of the station wagon effect?
Duncan |
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Synergy Solutions Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2022 Posts: 80 Location: SoCal
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2022 9:00 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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https://www.busdepot.com/333000143 _________________ Im a Mobile Aircooled VW mechanic, and work on old and new cars alike. Specialty in Camper busses/Vans, TDI, and FI diagnosis and repair.
(206) 841 7324 |
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16CVs Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2004 Posts: 4024 Location: Redwood City, California
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2022 10:08 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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I had the studs for the Alternator strip in the case. While waiting for the GW repair kit (which is excellent) I needed to keep driving my truck. So to keep the alternator in place I braced a 1x6 Between the Alternator and the body and it worked so well I almost didn't fix it.
Stacy
_________________ 1987 Syncro Westfalia Triple knob (bastard)
1989 Syncro Tristar Triple knob "Swedish"
2013 Jetta Hybrid a true "Zwitter"
Samba member # 14980
Call anytime number 650 722 4914 .
Keep Your van running and upkept tastefully for the love of the hobby.
Don't let your van end up in an "abortions" thread.
Last edited by 16CVs on Mon Dec 26, 2022 10:36 am; edited 1 time in total |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32561 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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shadetreemech Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2005 Posts: 777 Location: Claremont, CA
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2022 11:22 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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The Van didn't have a propane tank or regulator for the stove or a water tank, pump or faucet. For the sink, I bought a Shur-Flo faucet, a stainless steel submersible pump and some tubing made my own:
_________________ '84 GL 1.9
'01 Volvo V70 T5
'88 Westy - "MZDRTHY"
Last edited by shadetreemech on Sun Jan 01, 2023 3:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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DuncanS Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013 Posts: 4583 Location: New Hampshire
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 6:42 am Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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That's not MacGyvering. That's a great completion to an unfinished project.
Duncan |
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dhaavers Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010 Posts: 7751 Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 1:19 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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djkeev wrote: |
DuncanS wrote: |
dhaavers wrote: |
DIY lock-in-place rear hatch ventilator:
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How exactly does that fit, and do you get any exhaust into the cab because of the station wagon effect?
Duncan |
It is used to prop the rear hatch open a bit for air flow while sleeping. |
Yes, use only when parked, but actually I use this most on warm weather driving
days when I HAVE to park in full sun…I also crack front windows & skylight vent.
Any amount of ventilation helps keep the van from excess solar gain & closer to
ambient, making it much more tolerable to climb back in to continue the trip…
- Dave _________________ 86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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DuncanS Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013 Posts: 4583 Location: New Hampshire
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Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 2:00 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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Among others, there are these two solutions. Rear dropdown opening window which has a screen. Because it's on the side opposite the exhaust--maybe--it doesn't get any into the car from the station wagon effect. Screened for night time sleeping.
And
Duncan |
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juanb Samba Member
Joined: December 03, 2009 Posts: 535 Location: San Francisco, CA
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Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 2:55 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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I haven’t posted here in a while, but I have two from our trip down to South America:
In Panama I was having the engine intermittently cut off, in what seemed an electrical issue. The van would sometimes start again, some times not. Eventually I found that the mount for the hall sensor next to the distributor had cracked and there was a short against the metal housing.
I had a spare distributor but no way to do timing and no confidence to eye ball it. So I fixed it with a latex glove and some zip ties. The fix worked with zero issues for over a month until I found a mechanic with a timing gun in Colombia.
The other one was more of a quality of life thing. We were carrying this heavy photo tripod with a quick release. In Mexico I had a welder build a plate that I could use to mount the front table to the tripod. Instant beach table that fits in the cutlery drawer 🙂
_________________ 1989 Westy AT, 2.2 GoWesty.
We drove it to Argentina: http://www.vanenvan.com |
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Synergy Solutions Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2022 Posts: 80 Location: SoCal
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2023 5:21 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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DuncanS wrote: |
Among others, there are these two solutions. Rear dropdown opening window which has a screen. Because it's on the side opposite the exhaust--maybe--it doesn't get any into the car from the station wagon effect. Screened for night time sleeping.
And
Duncan |
Details on the first one?! _________________ Im a Mobile Aircooled VW mechanic, and work on old and new cars alike. Specialty in Camper busses/Vans, TDI, and FI diagnosis and repair.
(206) 841 7324 |
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DuncanS Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013 Posts: 4583 Location: New Hampshire
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LobWedge Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2023 Posts: 9 Location: Canada
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Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2023 12:35 pm Post subject: Re: The things we MacGyver on our vans |
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First post here. Great forum!
I rigged up custom cupholders on my '91 Westy over the ashtray opening years ago, and just yesterday I did a rebuild of a front turn signal socket by removing the rusted blades and making replacments from heavy gauge sheet metal. _________________ '91 Westy |
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