What did YOU do to your van today?

[vanis13]

[bobbyblack]

** Edited for the next day too now that it's Sunday and nobody posted anything else since my last post.. See below. **

So, it might be one of the last days I have where I wake up and its been a freeze overnight to the point I can get enough traction (on frozen soil/grass) and not dig through to slop and ruin my plan to move every bus on my land. Beautiful day, and a lot of fandom with my parents and kids yukkin git up.

Then i put a new coil in the '86 Westy. I had a spare kind of dangling in the engine bay. Found some new friends to help with getting a coil replaced... The last three times I've replaced a coil, it's taken me something like 2 hours. Today, I got it done in 30 minutes with the help of the fingertip of a shop glove, a short stub of pencil, and a longer threaded shaft of some sort, a longer bolt would also do just fine.

Changed oil and filter on the '87 Westy. It's still damn cold in the AM's here in IA, so still my Winter oil of choice.

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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[Sodo]

Power Steering reservoir was a hassle. I had big trouble getting the lid unscrewed, but figured out that if you
squeeze (flex) the lid & threads with a large channellock, a section at a time,
all the way around, it releases the lock on the threads.
But then I broke the nipple off, so had to buy a new reservoir ($80 BusDepot).
I blew the lines out with compressed air and refilled with lovely fresh ATF.

I cranked the engine (killswitch) without starting a few sessions until the level "remained" and that was all I did.
Once it quit dropping, I started the engine and all good, no "power-steering sounds".

Its pretty easy to change just the reservoir fluid periodically.
Now that i don't have leaks maybe I should work that into my maintenance regime.

I Installed my new power steering rack too.
I have never changed my power steering fluid, but it's always been clean-looking, due to the leaks.
Always hated those leaks.
It was leaking at the steering shaft, not at the boots.
That suggests to me that the rack is still OK condition (225k miles).

Now it's dark, I'm tired and I'm eating Peach cobbler.
I know you wanna see a pic of the cobbler.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[dhaavers]

^^^ New PS filter, since you were in there?

- Dave
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[Mckinleyvillian]

Started the process of removing what were once vinyl stripes on the van. This didn’t go well, so instead i cleaned then up and began covering them with new black vinyl striping. Ive got one long stretch to go but damn does it look better. Im now hesitating throwing my 15s and solar panel on this weekend cuz it will look too good Kinda like it not looking too good but not too bad

Here is a comparison. Rounded section under exterior sliding door panel was a true PITA and in glad to have a big roll of this 3m vinyl.


Before

After

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so many roads i know
all i want is one to take me home

85 Vanagon GL 1.9 stick

[TomInAlaska]

Not today per se, but a few days ago added an anti-back-flow flapper valve to the filler neck to prevent burping gas when filling the tank. It was a little unnerving cutting the neck apart but everything went back together smoothly and it worked like a charm when I filled up with gas yesterday. No burps or spills or anything when letting the pump shut itself off.
_________________
'73 Super Beetle (resto-mod/rally look, 1776)

'84 GL adventure van project (1.9L, 4speed) https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=755844&highlight=

[jlrftype7]

[bobbyblack]

[jlrftype7]

[TheWestyDude]

I taught myself to sew, made door cards, and upholstered my front and back seats.

Than I made 3D images of the armrest bolt covers and printed them out as a test run

I have way more how-to pictures on my Google Drive that I can share.
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~The Westy Dude ~
This aggression will not stand, man.

[VeeDubn]

[BCE56]

Checked odd noises from right rear. Found crunchy outer joint and torn inner boot.
Bearings seem OK, no noticeable off-axis wobble.
Ordered CVJ/boot kits today.
_________________
=BCE56=

'86 Syncro tintop
EJ22, OBD II early SC adapter plate conversion

Side project: '69 Frankenbug "It's alive!"

[siolence]

Took off the PO's well done, but aged mods.
- Cut off the GoWesty spare carrier mod to custom rear bumper.
- Cleaned up dash wiring for stereo, sub, installed GW cig lighter and CB.
Mocked up new jeep wrangler tube front bumper.

[/img]

[campism]

I think I got my water leak fixed. The drip had become a dribble and my attempt to remove the hose clamp broke the plastic nipple on the head fitting for the return line. Did the same thing to a perfectly good fuel pump many years ago.

Hate plastic bits like that.

After my failed attempt to patch the break I ordered a metal replacement from Vanagain and finally got the time to address it today. You can see the little sleeve I tried to JB Weld in the original piece, with a little more goop slathered on the outside. Didn't work but it might have been the old O-ring.

It leaked when I moved the van to the garage for this project and did not leak afterward so I guess that's a win.

Also discovered this severed connector, probably by a belt. Something else to fix.

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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[bobbyblack]

'Lunch Break' today was spent verifying that my radiator fan switch has bit the big one. I can jump the wires in the plug, and the proper operation of the fan speeds work as expected. I used my VOM to verify that the switch circuit does not close for either low or high speed fan operation.

This happened sometime since last Fall, I know for sure it worked a few times while crawling through traffic snarls in Minneapolis, and while waiting in long lines for 'fast food'.

I wonder if the DoubleCheese (parts bus) has a functional switch. Perhaps I can test that out over the weekend! I need to find the temp values for normal switch function. I suppose I have to actually open one of my green books.
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[jlrftype7]

Painted the defrost vents and the front door handle trim surrounds with SEM Bluebird Brown. Not a match for the metal dash, but they’re all the same color now instead of sun burned various shades of brown. And I can also change the color yet again if I find a closer brown.

Replaced Passenger Side sliding window seals. Felt and the upper rubber channel.
Will do the drivers probably at work later next week since rain has come in earlier than I thought the forecast was showing for Sunday
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[TomInAlaska]

Pulled the windshield to replace the severely cracked glass and to clean up any rust under the rubber (mercifully, there was only some surface pitting and no cancer!) and pulled the dash to reseal the leaky heater core.
_________________
'73 Super Beetle (resto-mod/rally look, 1776)

'84 GL adventure van project (1.9L, 4speed) https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=755844&highlight=

[WillRB]

Installed a Gary Lee Rack and heavier duty door struts (200lbs).

[Kdj]

Finally got started mocking up my big front brakes.

These are on early spindles, so i still have to machine the backside of caliper mounting boss
But at least I'm prety sure they will fit under my 15" wheels! Also have to drill out the caliper brackets and get proper hardwear.

[pathao]