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tencentlife
Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2006
Posts: 10078
Location: Abiquiu, NM, USA
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 Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Avon Skin So Soft: the only substance known to man that will keep no-see-ums from biting. All the Eldo construction workers swear by it. You smell like a cheap French hooker, and your skin has a nice oily sheen, but at least you're not covered in tiny red welts that itch like hell. |
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oasis
Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2002
Posts: 2168
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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Favorite repair on my '85 was a coolant leak that soaked the inside behind the front seats. Fearing it was some bizarre prelude to the dreaded head gasket repair, it turned out to be a one-dollar plastic valve that broke allowing the coolant to splash through the rear heater.
The worst repair was getting the air conditioner fixed. Twice. At the time we owned it, the a/c was more than just a desirable option since we didn't own extra cars. (Our EuroVan had its compressor give out, too, before we sold it. I would be just as happy if there was no a/c on our next Vanagon.)
_________________
Now: 2003 New Beetle Turbo S / 1990 Single Cab Transporter / 2014 Tiguan R-Line 4motion / 2013 Tiguan S / 2002 Golf GLS TDI
Past: 1974 Thing Acapulco / 2009 Eos Komfort / 1997 Jetta GT / 2002 Cabrio GLX / 2002 Passat GLS / 1971 Super Beetle / 1993 EuroVan MV Westfalia / 1981 Pickup LX / 1985 Vanagon / 1986 Jetta GLI |
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Wellington
Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2004
Posts: 1889
Location: Montreal
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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bacwami, your experience is exactly why I won't take any of mt cars to a mechanic, how do they pass you a bill, when they have just damaged something??
psych-illogical, can you elaborate on the oil cooler install, this is something I plan to do as well, what engine was it on? |
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deprivation
Samba Member
Joined: September 14, 2006
Posts: 1220
Location: Austin, Texas
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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I just got my van recently and even though it was certified okay by a real live VW mechanic in Austin, Texas, it turned out that my heap needs lots of work. I'll tell you more about the VW shop later - bastards. I digress.
So anything I do at this point is a nightmare AND a pleasure because I really don't know what I'm doing but I love learning. I just ask for advice and follow the Bentley/Haynes rules.
But my first real bit of work was to replace the master cylinder and I have to say that felt pretty damn good. It didn't solve my soft pedal problem and that's okay because now I know that my MC is 100%. But that leads into the nightmare: If the peal is still soft I need to adjust the rears but they won't adjust so I decide to pull the drums but they're stuck to the hubs so I pull the hubs and by now I'm committed to at least new shoes because I have about a gallon of PB Blaster all over the place and the castle nuts are practically welded into place...ah, well. But then the first nut is off (thanks to my EMPI 46mm nut remover and a hammer) and the nightmare turns in to a sweet sort of feeling - you know the one.
When things connect and work and I feel very much a part of a bigger thing. The history of the car, the engineers that made it, the men that built it, the crappy mechanic that ruined it, the future use of the vehicle. It's kinda weird.
Did that answer the question at all?
In any event, don't under any circumstances go to Austin VeeDub. Seriously. Just don't.
_________________
1986 Westy 2WD auto a.k.a. "The Old Girl"
www.kittenfart.com |
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Bambus
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2007
Posts: 104
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Bill W wrote: |
| Is there a difference? |
yes. TIME. Give a horror-story breakdown fix enough years and the story magically takes on a more pleasurable aspect. Especially if the beautiful traveling companion woman turns out to be trooper/keeper/wife etc.
I've had the sheared-CV-bolts incident on the road too, with the fabled beautiful traveling companion riding shotgun. At a stoplight in Palatka FL, light goes green, throttle eases on, clutch eases out, BONK! In one bodily movement i throw the shifter into N, fling open my door, and push the bus off the road. In seconds i'm under the van with a flashlight-- right axle is flopping on the outer/hub side, its CV held on by a single remaining bolt. It's after sunset in a small town, shops are closed/closing. I scan the area: there's an AutoZone 100 yards away- yes!
Race over there and scour their feeble excuse for hardware bins. No 8mm bolts long enough to work. Crap. Nearer to the van is a full-service Exxon station (with 2 shop bays: very rare then-- 1998-- almost nonexistent now) and they have been watching my antics. I frustratedly kick the imaginary can as i walk from AutoZone to the station. I tell the mech what the issue is, that i need at least four 8mm CV bolts-- he rummages around the shop and comes up with 5 Honda CV bolts. They are the correct length and instead of being recessed allen-head, the have 10mm external hex heads. I can tell by looking at them that they are the correct length and thread pitch, so i'm getting excited. I thank him and pull out my wallet-- he says fuggedaboutit, no charge. I insist, he says "Go fix yr bus."
Get back to the van and start the surgery. My GF is entertaining herself by reading/studying her history books. Priceless-- she was not fazed in the least. I get the tools ready-- back then i carried pretty much every tool i owned with me all the time, *including* my spare hardware box and my small tap and die set. Good thing: I had to re-tap and freshen several of the bolt tappings in the hub flange. This was a true bitch due to the outer joint's placement inside the rear a-arm. I somehow managed, by flashlight after dark. Put some loctite on the new Honda bolts, and snugged them up. We hit the road gently, expecting more drama down the road. We motor off into the Florida night, and miles go by with no more fuss.
Those Honda bolts and that same CV joint were on the van when i sold it 3 years and 15K later. I always wanted to buy a bulk supply of those bolts-- they seem to make much more sense than the allen head CV bolts.
And a big +1 on the Skin-so-soft. It's as essential to a road-going tool box as rags and handcleaner.
PS: i've made it a long-running policy to buy gas and stuff from that same Exxon station in Palatka whenever i pass thru there, even if i don't need gas, just to give thanks for their generosity. That's how the Road works |
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msinabottle
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2005
Posts: 3492
Location: Denver Area, Colorado
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:25 pm Post subject: Hmmm... |
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All right, one of the worst nightmare was described in the post, 'Winston LITERALLY Becomes a Wasserboxer,' when I installed a flush and fill Tee into the fuel return line and literally flooded the engine. Another humdinger was trying to screw the fittings into place on Winston's fridge--that took two hours and ended up with the copper tubing for my propane system rupturing.
The easiest repair with the best results was almost certainly putting in those two Hella H4's I found among my father's things, where they had been for twenty years. GAD, did that and Terry's relays make a difference in driving Winston at night. The HARDEST repair I ever did that had a pleasurable outcome was...
Well... It involved...
THE TORQUE WRENCH FROM HELL!
Winston's rolling along beautifully on those rims, for a fact, and did well today on some rather flooded streets.
Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence." |
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McVanagon
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1684
Location: Northern part of the Virginia
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:27 am Post subject: |
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I think the repairs I hate the most are ones that turn out to be three times as involved as you
- set aside time for
- bought the parts for
- have the tools for.
For example:
1) You hear a slight CV clunk, and that night, you lay underneath the car at dusk to tighten up all the CV bolts........
Fast forward to midnight, your rear hub assembly is on the bench, and you are trying to drill out a broken stud extractor from the flange.
2) While bleeding the brakes, you end up holding a sheared off brake bleeder in your hand.
_________________
'69 Mike
'85 GL
'87 Wolfsburg Hardtop |
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lovedavdubs
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2004
Posts: 1597
Location: New York, NY.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:38 am Post subject: |
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| McVanagon wrote: |
I think the repairs I hate the most are ones that turn out to be three times as involved as you
- set aside time for
- bought the parts for
- have the tools for.
For example:
1) You hear a slight CV clunk, and that night, you lay underneath the car at dusk to tighten up all the CV bolts........
Fast forward to midnight, your rear hub assembly is on the bench, and you are trying to drill out a broken stud extractor from the flange.
2) While bleeding the brakes, you end up holding a sheared off brake bleeder in your hand. |
Soooooo true  
I replaced ONLY my clutch slave cyl. knowing full well that my master cyl. would soon follow it. What the hell. If it aint broke...So I waited. Even though I had the part in hand. Six months passed and I lost the master cyl. No big deal, I had the part. Half hour later, old one was out and new one in. Just needed to do a quick bleed. Wouldn't you know it. I snapped the bleeder screw off in my new-ish slave cyl. Long story short. I had to replace the slave cyl. twice in six months.
_________________
82 Air-cooled Westy (Lola)...My other vehicle is a subway. |
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kayakwesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2007
Posts: 687
Location: East Tennessee
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:10 am Post subject: |
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my 2 best...was fixing my A/C, and taking the interior out to fight seam rust
MY WORSE AND I WILL KILL THE ENGINEER WHEN I FIND HIM!
Was replacing the heater/fresh air/ cables in the dash. Adjusting and hooking those up...I don't know who that guy was that came up with that design, I hope he is flipping burgers now! what a P.O.S design
_________________
1984 Westy 2.0 Jetta ABA Motor/1.8 head converted to auto tranny, with 180,000 on body, 55K on engine and transmission
B.5.5 Passat Wagen with 30v V6-67000 Miles
DAS AUTO
CHANGE YOUR FUEL LINES!
A post without pictures is useless
http://www.kayakwesty.com
http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/ |
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?Waldo?
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2006
Posts: 9752
Location: Where?
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:32 am Post subject: |
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That's kinda funny. I've replaced them all with the dash in place and not found it overly difficult. Adjustment is fairly easy as well. I prefer the cable system over vacuum ones. To each their own.
Andrew |
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