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AKWesty
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2014
Posts: 680
Location: Haines, Alaska
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 Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 9:31 am Post subject: |
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Blue Ridge Parkway...
If you plan to drive the scenic route between north GA and northern VA, look into driving the parkway. This is a beautiful drive with tremendous history.
Mabry Mill in VA is a great historical Grist Mill. Lots of wildlife along the drive as well.
We also stopped off in Mount Airy, NC. This is the birthplace of Andy Griffith and the town he modeled his TV show after. Neat town. They have done a fantastic job at revitalizing their downtown to support tourism. Worth the side trip.
Campground somewhere in NC. BTW...when we pull into a campground we now ask if they will be playing outside movies for the campground guests. If they do make sure you are no where near it. Trying to sleep while people are watching "Aliens" next door is not enjoyable.
_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's
www.CatchTheKraken.com
"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir |
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AndyBees
Samba Member
Joined: January 31, 2008
Posts: 2684
Location: Southeast Kentucky
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 10:54 am Post subject: |
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| AKWesty wrote: |
| Andy, that is a killer road side fix story. Pulling jugs, pistons, and valves out of a heap in the middle of Alaska and making the repairs over a weekend in Delta of all places is a great survival story. That sure trumps any of my roadside fixes so far! |
This is the only known photo of the incident. That's me on the creeper under there doing something... LOL
_________________
'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI, two trips to Alaska, 2014 & 16. 1989 Tin-top unmolested.
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine, seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. 1975 Bay hopeful. |
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Dampcamper
Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2013
Posts: 789
Location: Rainy Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 12:26 am Post subject: |
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| AKWesty wrote: |
Jackson, WY....
My 12 year old especially thought the womens underwear made out of beaver fur was worth the OH MY GOODNESS! when she saw it. At a mere $500 it was out of my price range. Probably wouldn't have fit anyway.
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Hey, in Texas they make them out of Armadillo hides, don't they? |
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IdahoDoug
Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010
Posts: 10357
Location: N. Idaho
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:39 pm Post subject: |
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We saw the beaver undies as well, about 5 years ago. Wonder if its the same pair for sale?...
DougM
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1993 Toyota LandCruiser, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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AKWesty
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2014
Posts: 680
Location: Haines, Alaska
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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Jackson, WY....
This is a neat little town just south of the Tetons. If you have a day to walk around and check out the stores, you will see some unique stuff. You may not be able to afford any of it but it is unique. My 12 year old especially thought the womens underwear made out of beaver fur was worth the OH MY GOODNESS! when she saw it. At a mere $500 it was out of my price range. Probably wouldn't have fit anyway.
The week before we arrived the Boy Scouts had their annual horn and antler auction. People from all around bring in their antler sheds that they have found and sell them to horn buyers. It is a big gathering and would have been really neat to see.
Here is a pic of the town square. Each corner has these arches made up of Elk antlers. Very unique.
Don't leave town before you take a ride around the block on the stagecoach.
_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's
www.CatchTheKraken.com
"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir |
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AKWesty
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2014
Posts: 680
Location: Haines, Alaska
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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Jon, thanks for the info on the trans temp. Knowledge is king here. At the time I was super concerned about my trans temps. I was willing to burn some brakes to make sure I didn't heat it up to much. A few Samba guys have weighed in with the same info and conclusions. Wish I had researched this more before the trip. Now I know.
Andy, that is a killer road side fix story. Pulling jugs, pistons, and valves out of a heap in the middle of Alaska and making the repairs over a weekend in Delta of all places is a great survival story. That sure trumps any of my roadside fixes so far!
_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's
www.CatchTheKraken.com
"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir |
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AndyBees
Samba Member
Joined: January 31, 2008
Posts: 2684
Location: Southeast Kentucky
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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| AKWesty wrote: |
| AndyBees wrote: |
I installed a new fuel tank on my Vanagon last week.
Back in '97, my '83 Air-cooled 2.0 Vanagon succumbed to a burnt exhaust valve about 175 miles into Alaska. I was towed to Delta Junction... happened on Friday afternoon, we were back on the road Monday morning.  |
Wow! Thats saying a lot. Delta Junction is not much more than a gas station. They must have had a really good mechanic. 
We laugh because one of the last things we did before pulling out of the driveway on our trip was to go online and sign up with AAA. All of our mishaps and we didn't use it. Murphy's law right?! |
Actually, the dude that towed us allowed me to use his huge garage, stay in apartment that someone had just moved out, and there was a VW Junk Yard about 9 miles north toward Fairbanks. So, "self" did most of the work. What tools I didn't have, he had! The Junk Yard had some new parts but I stripped an engine to get valves, jugs and pistons for the one side of the engine............ I was happy, and so was everybody else!
_________________
'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI, two trips to Alaska, 2014 & 16. 1989 Tin-top unmolested.
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine, seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. 1975 Bay hopeful. |
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Jon_slider
Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2007
Posts: 5091
Location: Santa Cruz, Crowdifornia
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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| AKWesty wrote: |
The Subaru was able to run up the mountain in 3rd if I pushed it but I felt that it was generating to much heat in the transaxle. I shifted down to 2nd and drove the switch backs while the cooling fan kept the engine coolant temp in check. Once on top I decided that my transaxle needed to cool down and the best way was to keep moving and drift down the mountain using only my brakes to slow the van...
Is it OK to ride your E-brake down the mountain passes? Has anyone else used this method? |
here is some new data from the transaxle temperature thread
1. a subaru 2.5 powered van travelling at 70mph for multiple hours was producing transaxle temps 88 degrees above ambient
2. the Van went up a 6% grade at 70mph, and tranny temp went to 102 over ambient (14F over flat ground temperature)
3. the van went down the other side at 70mph and at the bottom tranny temp was 87f over ambient (just 1 degree less than on flat ground)
Moral of the story, engine braking downhill does NOT produce the same tranny heat as going uphill. In fact, the tranny temp becomes the same as travelling on flat ground
Note also, that the same van on flat ground at 60mph produces a tranny temp that is 25 degrees lower than at 70mph
data here
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7264773&highlight=percent#7264773
second moral of the story, going uphill at less than 60mph will likely produce a temperature that is 11 degrees Lower than going 70mph on flat ground
therefore, I do not think going uphill in 3rd necessarily overheats the transaxle, and I do not think going downhill using engine braking overheats the transaxle
I recommend you verify your temperatures with a heat gun, before assuming the van is overheating the tranny, and I recommend you NOT use the brakes instead of the motor to go downhill
_________________
My Soapboxes: Inflation; Handling; Gearing; Decoupling; Swepco |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15410
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:35 am Post subject: |
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We stayed at T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in December. great non-commercialized region and awesome campground
just watch for the raccoons and armadillos (and sharp sandspurs in the dogs feet, OUCH)
great trip and great trip review..
many thanks AKWesty
| AKWesty wrote: |
Florida....
For as hot as it was in Georgia and Orlando, The FL coast is breezy and cool. I really thought by this point we may just burst into flames. Not the case. We had been to the beach many times in the past but not without AC. This was in Cape San Blas, FL. If you drop south of Tallahassee, FL there is a state park out on the Gulf. No commercialization and a fantastic state park. Don't expect much more than water, power, and some of the whitest sand I've seen. This was a great side trip.
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| Abscate wrote: |
| These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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ohhorob
Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2013
Posts: 217
Location: Santa Cruz
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 8:10 am Post subject: |
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[quote="AKWesty"]
| AndyBees wrote: |
| We laugh because one of the last things we did before pulling out of the driveway on our trip was to go online and sign up with AAA. All of our mishaps and we didn't use it. Murphy's law right?! |
I justify the AAA membership as emergency towing insurance, but found them extremely useful when a tyre blew out during a storm on a crowded I-15 North.
I pulled into the shoulder, and called them. They notified highway patrol, and sent a tech who in 15 minutes did what would have taken me an hour getting drenched on the business side of an eight lane highway shoulder!
- removed shredded left-rear
- rotated left-front to left-rear
- inflated the under-pressure spare
- and fitted it on left-front
I'm certain I would have spent some quality time dodging traffic in the rain fighting stubborn wheel nuts 
_________________
"Gundy" - '85 Westfalia
GoWesty 2300cc, Digijet |
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10518
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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Failed grommets and-or unseated roll over valves at fuel expansion tanks can be a point of entry for dirt and water. (don't ask how I know )
I imagine dirt can get in through failing grommets at top of the fuel tank.
Nice trip!
Neil.
| AKWesty wrote: |
I can only assume that it is coming out of the gas pumps. How the crud makes it through this screen pickup on the bottom of the tank and ended up getting caught in the white square prefilter, I don't know. It must have had a break in the pickup screen allowing the fuel pump to suck some through.
Vanagons do seem to be plagued with the gas tank crud scenario. Is it because we are driving around 30 year old vehicles with 30 years worth of gas station debris buildup. Maybe. My tank steel is in great shape but still had the blocked pickup. Seems like gas station crud is the only cause left. |
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
(VW Gas I4)
1988 Westy DIY 50º ABA
VE7TBN |
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AKWesty
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2014
Posts: 680
Location: Haines, Alaska
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| AndyBees wrote: |
I installed a new fuel tank on my Vanagon last week.
Back in '97, my '83 Air-cooled 2.0 Vanagon succumbed to a burnt exhaust valve about 175 miles into Alaska. I was towed to Delta Junction... happened on Friday afternoon, we were back on the road Monday morning. |
Wow! Thats saying a lot. Delta Junction is not much more than a gas station. They must have had a really good mechanic.
We laugh because one of the last things we did before pulling out of the driveway on our trip was to go online and sign up with AAA. All of our mishaps and we didn't use it. Murphy's law right?!
_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's
www.CatchTheKraken.com
"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir |
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AKWesty
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2014
Posts: 680
Location: Haines, Alaska
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Syncro Jael wrote: |
I should be there this Friday on the 4th of July.
Think it will be crowded?  |
We enjoyed the museum quite a bit. The history of Rushmore's construction is amazing. We hung around for the lighting at night as well. Rushmore is an amazing piece of art created over a 40 year span and 90% of it shaped by dynamite!
Crowded? You can count on it.
_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's
www.CatchTheKraken.com
"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir |
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AKWesty
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2014
Posts: 680
Location: Haines, Alaska
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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Florida....
For as hot as it was in Georgia and Orlando, The FL coast is breezy and cool. I really thought by this point we may just burst into flames. Not the case. We had been to the beach many times in the past but not without AC. This was in Cape San Blas, FL. If you drop south of Tallahassee, FL there is a state park out on the Gulf. No commercialization and a fantastic state park. Don't expect much more than water, power, and some of the whitest sand I've seen. This was a great side trip.
_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's
www.CatchTheKraken.com
"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir |
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AndyBees
Samba Member
Joined: January 31, 2008
Posts: 2684
Location: Southeast Kentucky
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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I installed a new fuel tank on my Vanagon last week.
Back in '97, my '83 Air-cooled 2.0 Vanagon succumbed to a burnt exhaust valve about 175 miles into Alaska. I was towed to Delta Junction... happened on Friday afternoon, we were back on the road Monday morning.
_________________
'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI, two trips to Alaska, 2014 & 16. 1989 Tin-top unmolested.
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine, seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. 1975 Bay hopeful. |
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jobenaus
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2014
Posts: 100
Location: Yukon
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| AKWesty wrote: |
| jobenaus wrote: |
Wow! You must have the patience of Job! If my vacation had this many vehicle issues I'd have thought I just had the holiday from Hell!  |
Yea, I hear ya. At times my perspective on this trip headed south quick. All in all we had a great time. I expected that I would need to work the kinks out along the way keeping in mind that this was the vans first big trip since the PO used it 10 years prior.
Here is a highlight. This is a great place to eat dinner. Wait for it.....Wait for it..... Good times.
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Good on you for staying calm and focussed! I would have learned a whole bunch of new words that I would probably be better off not knowing. |
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kalispell365
Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2010
Posts: 889
Location: PNW
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Syncro Jael wrote: |
Been there done that on the Syncro Solstice. My son in laws Westy had those same issues. Cap on top of the overflow tank was off and that last HUGE muddy water crossing did him in! His pre filter was clogged completely off. A quick trip to NAPA and replacement filters. I let the fuel tank run till the RED Moab dirt ran clean. Fixed!
| kalispell365 wrote: |
ALSO- your motor is probably not burning the oil just from the rings, as these get older, they seem to blow oil out the pcv valve and eat it through the intake. The first cause of this is too much oil in the crankcase. All EJ22 motors do well with 4 quarts in there.  |
That is interesting that you would comment on this. When I clean the air cleaner I take of the entire intake tube at the throttle body. I always notice a film of oil in the tube. PVC valve? Crankcase breathers?
I keep 5 quarts in the system. But notice it uses more oil when keeping it topped off. 
Thanks again for the EJ22 comments!!  |
Hey again,
The stock capacity is 4.3qt....try 4quarts and see if it is better. A telltale sign is when the van burns off like a quart rather quickly without any smoking, and then the burning slows. The oil is being aerated (sp?) into a mist and pulled thru the pcv and burned so there isn't easy evidence vs. really bad rings with smoking, which is somewhat rare with EJ22.
_________________
1983 Diesel Vanagon Westfalia chassis with Subaru 2.2l |
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Syncro Jael
Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2013
Posts: 2204
Location: Utah
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 10:24 am Post subject: |
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| AKWesty wrote: |
Here is a highlight. This is a great place to eat dinner. Wait for it.....Wait for it..... Good times.
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Nice pic!
I should be there this Friday on the 4th of July.
Think it will be crowded?
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia Hightop - NAHT
Subaru EJ25 Forged Frankenmotor, Triple Knob.
Jael = (Mountain Goat) |
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AKWesty
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2014
Posts: 680
Location: Haines, Alaska
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 9:36 am Post subject: |
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| IdahoDoug wrote: |
Wow - where do these fuel tanks get all the crud people seem to find in them? Does the top of the tank collect dirt for some accidental design reason and then the deterioration of the vent system cause it? I'd think the front tank location would collect LESS than normal cars, yet the Vanagon is the only vehicle I've owned that seems known for getting crud in.
Doug |
Here is some insight to provide some food for thought. When I pulled the old white square prefilter it was full of scale and crud. When I pulled the fuel tank the inside metal was nice and bright. No scaling and/or rust. The very small filtered pickup on the bottom of the tank had the same scale and junk all around it. I can only assume that it is coming out of the gas pumps. How the crud makes it through this screen pickup on the bottom of the tank and ended up getting caught in the white square prefilter, I don't know. It must have had a break in the pickup screen allowing the fuel pump to suck some through.
Vanagons do seem to be plagued with the gas tank crud scenario. Is it because we are driving around 30 year old vehicles with 30 years worth of gas station debris buildup. Maybe. My tank steel is in great shape but still had the blocked pickup. Seems like gas station crud is the only cause left.
_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's
www.CatchTheKraken.com
"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir |
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AKWesty
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2014
Posts: 680
Location: Haines, Alaska
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 9:23 am Post subject: |
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| jobenaus wrote: |
| Wow! You must have the patience of Job! If my vacation had this many vehicle issues I'd have thought I just had the holiday from Hell! |
Yea, I hear ya. At times my perspective on this trip headed south quick. All in all we had a great time. I expected that I would need to work the kinks out along the way keeping in mind that this was the vans first big trip since the PO used it 10 years prior.
Here is a highlight. This is a great place to eat dinner. Wait for it.....Wait for it..... Good times.
_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's
www.CatchTheKraken.com
"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir |
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