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To hell with a gas gauge!
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twinwindows
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:30 pm    Post subject: To hell with a gas gauge! Reply with quote

I hit a road block on the restoration on my 1957 23 deluxe.

The Bowden cable for the gas reserve is stuck in the guide tube. I tried sticking a metal bar stock in from the back end and after smacking it with a hammer I managed to get at lest two feet out of it from the front after trying to pull the rest out because the cover is coiled what was left went back inside the tube. After hitting the bar it stopped moving and felt like I was hitting rock bottom, Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this or should I just remove the center belly pan and replace the complete tube?

This is the last part before we start to prep and paint the complete belly sealing wax red I need this working because I refuse to stick any kind of gas gauge on the bus and want it working like it should be.

The choke cable did the same thing but I wont be using that.
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jerry.t
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

you need a stronger solvant, other than that paint lifting
shit you are
spraying down that tube,

and a thin wire with a sharp point on the end might work also. use it to poke down there and try to break the blockage...
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vw57drvr
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I will tell what I have learned dealing with beetles. When they are stuck that bad, about the only way to remove them is to start un coiling the tube, and pulling. Once we figured that out, I was able to remove mine in about 45 minutes. un coiling allows you to break the rusted sections loose with more leverage. Hope that helps.
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gatorwyatt
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i had the same problem with my binz and i took clutch cable lengths and stuck them in the electric drill i have and spun the cable like it was a big snake or drain tool.it took awhile but it came out.i also uncoiled the outer sheath in the kombi by pulling it out and it releived enough pressure the rest eventually pulled out but it was also a bitch.try my first method.it should work.
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Aaron
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

1st I'd get some real penetrating oil it the tube. Can you get air to go through? If yes then blow the oil all the way through with compressed air. If not work on getting air through first so you know the entire tube is soaked. I'd be worried that I'd make it worse by wedging stuff in the tube and banging on it.
If you can't get air through it you could make a pressure bleeder sett-up out of a bike tube, fill the tube with oil and see if that helps.
The last thing you want is to have to pull the belly pan and replace the tube. Even on a non-bellypan bus I think it would be a real pain to replace that thing, it 's so long and goes through so many things.
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Aaron
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just re-read/understood your post about the coiled cover recoiling into the tube.....never mind my above advise, sounds like you're screwed.
Have you tried going at it from the other direction now with something that will flex, a bit of steel cable that just fits in the tube would be perfect.
good luck....
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Rain's Westy
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had the same problem with my 56 samba ... I eventualy just clamped a vice grip on the end of the cable and pulled... and pulled !!! the hole thing came unwound from in the tube in a long coil but it came out!! once the cable housing starts to unwind it comes out pretty easy.
In my wildest dreams the would the underside of my bus look as clean as your photos...! ... at least you have a belly pan to think about having to remove... mine fell on my head along with a bunch of mouse nests and dirt the first time I was under the bus...!


Last edited by Rain's Westy on Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:28 pm; edited 2 times in total
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twinwindows
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did the compressed air thing already and a lot of wet dirt came flying out. gatorwyatt you mentioned you put something on the end of a drill, what was that?

OGRAG I tried that also if I cant find a way to get this son of a bitch out soon its open heart surgery on the bus.
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twinwindows
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mike spadafora wrote:
I had the same problem with my 56 samba ... I eventualy just clamped a vice grip on the end of the cable and pulled... and pulled !!! the hole thing came unwound from in the tube in a long coil but it came out!!
In my wildest dreams the would the underside of my bus look as clean as your photos...! ... at least you have a belly pan to think about having to remove... mine fell on my head along with a bunch of mouse nests and dirt the first time I was under the bus...!


Damn! see that's why I dont want to pull the pan or pans off cos they are ok
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Rain's Westy
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

my bus was a hell of allot rustier then yours and my cable came out . you should have it easy. Is the wire in the center of the boden tube (the inner wire that moves back and forth) gone or is it stuck in the tube? if you can peal back the outer coil tube and yank out the inner wire first it will make the outer tube unwind faster . you may have to put a lot of brute force on pulling out the wire but it will come out. If it is stuck or broken then the outer tube will comer out anyhow but it will take more pull to get it out.
good luck!
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Rain's Westy
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

twinwindowsJHC wrote:
mike spadafora wrote:
I had the same problem with my 56 samba ... I eventualy just clamped a vice grip on the end of the cable and pulled... and pulled !!! the hole thing came unwound from in the tube in a long coil but it came out!!
In my wildest dreams the would the underside of my bus look as clean as your photos...! ... at least you have a belly pan to think about having to remove... mine fell on my head along with a bunch of mouse nests and dirt the first time I was under the bus...!


Damn! see that's why I dont want to pull the pan or pans off cos they are ok
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envy!!!! Shocked
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Bryan67
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Forget the WD40 and get some PB Blaster.
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Ian
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Personally, I think it's gunna be even harder now because it's all crumpled together and jammed into that tube when you tried to push it with a piece of metal??? Rolling Eyes
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crofty
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gas reserve? Why do you care a few gallons will last you years getting it on and off a trailer! Smile


I'd try PB blaster too. WD40 is a good idea but not strong enough. I'd suggest some mild heat but i don't think it would matter as the belly pans are in the way.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Forget the WD-40 and PB Blaster, see my signature.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

twinwindowsJHC wrote:
I did the compressed air thing already and a lot of wet dirt came flying out. gatorwyatt you mentioned you put something on the end of a drill, what was that?

OGRAG I tried that also if I cant find a way to get this son of a bitch out soon its open heart surgery on the bus.


i took long sections of clutch cable with the pedal end cut off and stuck the trans end in the drill chuck and dont forget the drill can only spin one way or else it will un twist the clutch cable on you.
i would also soak the shit out of it with any thing stronger than wd40.
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jpstine
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The best penetrating oil I have ever used was simple Brake Fluid
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jpstine wrote:
The best penetrating oil I have ever used was simple Brake Fluid


Yeah, except it smells nasty, destroys latex gloves, and eats the paint off your vehicle.....
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

campingbox wrote:
jpstine wrote:
The best penetrating oil I have ever used was simple Brake Fluid


Yeah, except it smells nasty, destroys latex gloves, and eats the paint off your vehicle.....


Kinda like twinwindowsJHC
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twinwindows
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok so today this is what I did... I put a longer metal rod to an electric drill I also cut some edges on the start of it to help and added some heat, the cable came back out the front about 2 inches enough to grab a hold of it and started pulling until it broke once again only to go back in deeper then ever before.
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I found these pictures on the web and if you look closely the tube looks like it has a bend to it on a 23 with belly pans so I will need to find something with a little more flex but still retain stiffness to push what`s left in the tube the hell out! can anyone provide me with a schematic picture of the tubes and their direction of aim inside an early bus with belly pans?
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Yeah, everyone's now doing it GFK style . . . everythinig is covert until the finished product is revealed.
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