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Greystar
Samba Member
Joined: July 11, 2007
Posts: 48
Location: CT
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 Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 6:55 am Post subject: |
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Inspiring! Looks great! Now to my van...
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'87 syncro gl |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 17127
Location: Brookeville, MD
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Phishman068
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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jimeg
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007
Posts: 510
Location: PNW
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Phishman068
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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Phishman068
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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| Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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A bit more progress!
The seams behind the interior panels that showed any rust were ground clean as best they could be, painted with some junk rattle can (but still better than nothing right?) then blasted with Fluid Film once the paint was fully cured. After almost a month of having the Fluid Film sprayed on the inside seam, I found it weeping its way out through the seams on the exterior! I am SOOOOOOO impressed with this product. No notable odor and actively coating and penetrating!
So today I got around to purchasing a Gallon of the stuff and spraying it out of my Upol Shultz gun on the entire bottom of the van. It took about 2/3 of a gallon to cover the van entirely including "fogging" the areas I couldn't quite spray and blasting into all the cavities of the frame. It bubbles up when it hits rust and flows amazingly well. Before spraying I heated the fluid Film to about 150* and will let it bake in the sun a few days (as well as not driving it in wet conditions for at least a week) to allow it to work it's way into the nooks and crannies.
This is truly the solution to making these vans last forever. Yep, i'll probably have to blast it once a year, but i'm fine with that! Heck, i'll even blast it one more time before winter comes along, why not? But this batch I want to soak in.
Here are a few pics from the bottom.
Breaking in the new garage with a few busses! Winter bus on the left, A local friend's new bus on the right (had to go through it and give it a once over).
A coat of wax can do good things....
[/list]
_________________
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559766&highlight=winter+rust
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482402&highlight=sunroof+syncro
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569774
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6864936#6864936
"Along with the ability to go fast, one looses the desire to hurry." |
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Phishman068
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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Phishman068
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 4:44 am Post subject: |
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Fear leads to anger,
Anger leads to hate,
Hate leads to suffering. |
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Phishman068
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Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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Light heat at my shop would be seconds of oxy/acetylene with a fine tip.
Very precise and will not cook anything unless it is operator error.
Yah, Mapp will get it hot, but take way too long and chance torching parts nearby.
Just trying to help.
Rock on  |
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Phishman068
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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Craig,
I ain't teasin' Bro with this pic:
See at the 6 o'clock postion, just below where the lower ball joint connects?
That's the end of the radius rod.
I heat right their.
If you look up from under the arm you will see the provision in the casting that is threaded on the inside...more light heat.
Hope this helps. |
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Phishman068
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Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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Ah 2wds and late Syncros with the cast lowers that have the threaded receiver for the radius rod....  bitches
At least the 2wds have a hex area for a wrench, the Syncros don't.
What's that tell ya'....leave them along....haha 
My only advise is lube and heat, but light heat, strip the threads in the cast portion and you are smoked  |
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Phishman068
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Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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Phishman068
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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IIRC, 27mm for the radius rod nuts.
Both of the Corter Syncro rods snapped in half when I went to remove them.
Fun, fun, fun with rusty vans.
Didn't you replace a rod over the winter? |
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Phishman068
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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| Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 7:53 pm Post subject: |
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Progress has been made!
While waiting for new metal to arrive I found that my front suspension sucks. It was rock solid and my upper control arms wouldn't move, even with a sledge hammer! Well thanks to some good friends, I've got new upper control arms on and they move properly, as well as new upper ball joints and freshly installed Weitec sport springs.
Cleaned up and painted the area behind the new rocker panel while the giant hole gave me access. All metal ground down with a flapper disk until shiny, pitted material was primed with etch primer, and all was top coated with enamel paint. This area will be thoroughly soaked in Fluid Film once all is done.
My new material arrived finally! Since all the metal above the lower horizontal seam is in good shape, and the horizontal panel behind the interior panel shows no major rust, I decided not to install the entire new rocker panel, as it would have left my new seam exposed. It sure would have been easier... but in the end i'm very happy with the results! I cut the new panel along the lower horizontal seam, cleaned it all up, and welded it in place painstakingly one tack weld at a time. Butt welding sucks when the panel is 4' long! It takes forever!!!
Ground down with a thin coat of the good stuff, much more sanding left in this image. Probably half of that material removed.
This corner was more or less missing in this hidden panel back in the wheel well. Again, another surprise that needed to be fixed! So, I ended up cutting the wheel arch back further than I originally intended (and now will have a seam showing.... .not sure what i'm going to do about that yet) and went at it. Here's the freshly built corner.
All seams then ground, liberally slimed up with seam sealer, and will be top coated with some kind of undercoating material (not yet decided).
New wheel arch section tacked in place.
Dealt with all the rust on the rear end. Ground down, acid etched, and top coated.
The front horizontal seam, known to rust out, was not at all bad on this one. Wire wheeled down, etched, primed, and top coated.
Hopefully I can rebuild the radius rods and get the wheels back on soon! Anyone know what size wrench is needed to remove the radius rod? I belive it's a 25mm?
Hopefully we can get it painted up early next week, in for alignment, and BACK ON THE ROAD!
_________________
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559766&highlight=winter+rust
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482402&highlight=sunroof+syncro
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569774
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6864936#6864936
"Along with the ability to go fast, one looses the desire to hurry." |
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Phishman068
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1996
Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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| Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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That area was ground clean with a wire wheel and then a flapper disk, treated with an acid etch, then an etch primer. I recon it won't return.
Some more progress has been made.
I went back to the paint store and tossed them yet another $60 or so that I don't have budgeted towards this project for another $20+ can of primer (hi build Upol this time), some gloves, and a high quilty micro filler.
Fill, sand, (degrease, prime) repeat.
I hate this process!
It's not perfect, it's not quite professional, but its my first bus work, and i'm proud of it. I spent a summer doing autobody 5 years ago, but never anything from start to finish. I'm happy with the results, and by the time the textured finish is sprayed, it will look top notch. The Upol raptor is an amazing product for leveling and reducing imperfections. It really rocks!
Also, tough as nails.
The products i've used so far on this project i've been very impressed with. Certainly higher quality than the "professional" products we used at the body shop i used to work at. The primer doesn't wash off with grease and wax remover, nor does the filler. The filler sets up fast and is tough as can be, yet sands nicely if you hit it at the right point in the cure. The seam sealer is mega sticky and yet remains pliable, paintable, and sandable. GOOD STUFF ALL AROUND!
Sadly though, today I also touched the front suspension and found that both front upper control arms do not move freely, and barely move with an 8lb sledge. Looks like i'll have to pull them and replace the upper bushings. : /
Again, well out of budget. I had to heat the bolts on the upper ball joints to get them off, so those joints are likely in need of a replacement as well (though no play in them), again, out of budget. At this rate i'll never afford tires for the syncro, and it will sit all summer before going into winter storage (and this winter bus will continue to get love, money, and attention. There's something VERY backwards with this situation.....)
_________________
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559766&highlight=winter+rust
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482402&highlight=sunroof+syncro
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569774
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6864936#6864936
"Along with the ability to go fast, one looses the desire to hurry." |
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