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T3 Pilot
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2011
Posts: 1507
Location: Deep South of the Great White North
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bobbyblack 
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4348
Location: United States, Iowa
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 Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 7:53 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Those look real sweet! Thanks for the hint!
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15143
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 5:48 am Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Bobby, those are all installed backwards. the tubes have a slight slope towards the block.. so oil drains.
in that orientation the oil sits against the O-ring seals and well. over time it's going to get by some..
remove them, replace the O-rings and put the larger tube toward the block..
but yeah I like the spring loaded ones better..
| bobbyblack wrote: |
Played a little game of "how many fingers is Flossie holding behind her back?" as I had been observing a drip on the passenger side push rod tube cover.
I had guessed one, maybe two... wrong! THREE!!!
Contemplating options.
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bobbyblack
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4348
Location: United States, Iowa
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| Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:48 am Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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| danfromsyr wrote: |
Bobby, those are all installed backwards. the tubes have a slight slope towards the block.. so oil drains.
in that orientation the oil sits against the O-ring seals and well. over time it's going to get by some..
remove them, replace the O-rings and put the larger tube toward the block..
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Well, crap! Dan, are you sure? When I was doing that job, I had a guess at perhaps this would come true some day, however I had several clues:
1: the ends of the tubes are different sizes. The seals for each end is different. I had several dozen to play with, as the PO had done this a couple of times, minimum... I was just following suit on what he had in place, really.
2: Following #1, there are actually 2 different styles of tubes in this mix. Obviously I tried to stay with each type within it's group when doing the remove/clean/install on the head reseal, but it has become entirely obvious that I should have ordered the OEM one piece tubes. And, no I am not going through the re-seal again just to put one-piece tubes in, even if that is the "right way" to solve this.
3: These are spring loaded units, they have double o-ring seals, and in fact I went through them all and replaced the o-rings. On another note: these things are extremely sharp. Also, I was clued in by #1, AND the part where installing these the other way proved impossible, as gripping them adequately to shove them into place for expansion via spring after snapping into the holes was quite difficult, there would be no way I could get enough clamping force on the small end to achieve installation in the opposite direction.
I guess it is possible I was using my hands to do these ops, and instead there is a tool. That could explain it. I still can't get past the part where the size of the end/rubber seal are end-for-end different, just like the one piece OEMs.
I am guessing that the issue we are experiencing is that these replacements were offered in the way-back, and did not conform to the well-thought-out, properly designed units that are on the market today. I'd have a guess at a flash-in-the-pan outfit that the PO got a couple sets from in the early '90s which did not heed the engineering principals mentioned above. (maybe JC-Whitney?)
Its also possible that I have mixed all of the info above up with a variety of other engines I have worked on, but I am pretty sure I remember this rebuild fairly well. I also guess it is true that i didn't Mic the ends to be entirely sure they were indeed different. It seemed sort of obvious just by eye, and slipping the replacement end-rubbers on. Which, really, means nothing.
I can give it another try going the other direction. I'm game. I have to pull the rockers, etc anyway, and pull these pesky ones out. Its funny tho, 5 of 8 are clean and dry.
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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BCE56
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2013
Posts: 358
Location: So Cal
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 6:31 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Got the Syncro back from the shop in preparation for my summer road trip.
Replaced the heater hoses (way overdue) and bypassed the rear heater. Repaired a couple of minor leaks, drained and replaced the coolant, bled, pressure tested and drive tested for leaks- so far so good. Upon inspection the plastic pipes appear in good condition so expensive replacement is postponed for now. Replaced the radiator deflector baffles.
Checked CVJ bolts and boots, tightened exh. bolts and others. Changed oil and filter and lubed shift linkage.
It's about ready to hit the road, purring like a kitten.
Then the clock died. I'll look into this when I have the instrument panel apart to install LED bulbs.
Ordered GW A/C reinforcement brackets. The rear cover has some alarming cracks. The tubes are kinda shaky too...
..............
UPDATE 9/21:
Installed the A/C brackets. Just in the nick of time! One side had failed completely since I placed the order. 20 bucks well spent.
After some local driving, overflow tank needed only about a pint of coolant- I think system is bled adequately.
Round two on the taillights: (Previous effort was a bust.) Ordered a 4-pack of internet LED running lights, these with 360' as well as rear-facing elements. Maybe brake lights next.
Haven't pulled the dash yet. I hope the dead clock is just a connection problem, otherwise it will get a stick-on.
Summer road trip has been postponed due to scheduling issues w/ my contacts in CO. Looks like it will be an Autumn road trip this year, weather permitting.
_________________
=BCE56=
'86 Syncro tintop
EJ22, OBD II early SC adapter plate conversion
Side project: '69 Frankenbug "It's alive!"
Last edited by BCE56 on Thu Sep 21, 2017 6:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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bobbyblack
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4348
Location: United States, Iowa
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| Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2017 6:46 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Finished my skylight screen/Velcro replacement project.
Before:
After:
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32576
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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singletrackrod
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2011
Posts: 77
Location: Southern Oregon Coast
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 1:47 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Before
After
New Powerflex bushings at outer RR, steering rack, lower sway bar linkage and lower control arms. New control arm boots, ball joints, hubs and a Big Brake kit.
Looking forward to getting her aligned and then finding a curvy canyon road.
_________________
Ella '89 Full Camper - bit by bit I'm importing the pieces from my wrecked '87
Louise '87 Full Camper - bought her new - zero hours 2.5L subie conversion. She had more add-ons and mods than I could ever count. (lost in an accident 10/25/2020)
'08 Stage 2 STI (sold)
'04 Forester XT
'00 4Runner Limited (sold) |
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campism
Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007
Posts: 4491
Location: Richmond VA
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 3:51 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Barum tires on a Vanagon? Last time I saw Barums they were bicycle tubulars about 30 years ago.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic |
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singletrackrod
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2011
Posts: 77
Location: Southern Oregon Coast
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| Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:47 am Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Yeah, I couldn't find any Clement's or Vittoria's. This is my second set of Barums. They seem to wear pretty wear and carry an XL load rating.
_________________
Ella '89 Full Camper - bit by bit I'm importing the pieces from my wrecked '87
Louise '87 Full Camper - bought her new - zero hours 2.5L subie conversion. She had more add-ons and mods than I could ever count. (lost in an accident 10/25/2020)
'08 Stage 2 STI (sold)
'04 Forester XT
'00 4Runner Limited (sold) |
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campism
Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007
Posts: 4491
Location: Richmond VA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 8:23 am Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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If you have not already done so, you might want to add some details (size you use, load rating, price, vendor link, etc.--and PIX, don't forget the PIX) about these tires to the existing tire sticky. It always helps to have more information about suitable tires for our beloved vehicles. Thanks!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=584507
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic |
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16CVs
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2004
Posts: 4024
Location: Redwood City, California
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| Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 9:17 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Drove my van as the Odometer rolled past 367000 miles. I may have done a few things to it along the way but I can't remember them all.
Stacy
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia Triple knob (bastard)
1989 Syncro Tristar Triple knob "Swedish"
2013 Jetta Hybrid a true "Zwitter"
Samba member # 14980
Call anytime number 650 722 4914 .
Keep Your van running and upkept tastefully for the love of the hobby.
Don't let your van end up in an "abortions" thread. |
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AZ Landshaper
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2009
Posts: 1698
Location: The Old Pueblo
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| Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 12:56 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Converted from the old square style fuel filter to the newer cylindrical style. Used a 1/2 to 3/4" PEX fitting to bridge the different sized hoses. Hoping the cavitation noise goes away.
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Support Small Business.
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85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug. |
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yellowjacket
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2007
Posts: 141
Location: NCWA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 8:39 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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2 1/2 days of sanding the front end, having the two holes in the windshield frame patched/welded and the front end painted. Installed a new windshield and seal today, after watching GoWesty's video on how to do this. Found it was better for me to start pulling the rope from the bottom instead of from the top as in the video. Put the big tube bumper, lower front grille, antenna and wiper shafts on. Installed Porsche dual nozzle windshield washers and new hoses. Another day or so should have everything back on and ready for a trip to Utah next week.
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86 Syncro Westy - Bostig RG11
71 Squareback |
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BCE56
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2013
Posts: 358
Location: So Cal
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| Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 6:28 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Yesterday I began replacing running light bulbs with LEDs. As both sockets are powered, I had bought a 4-pack. These are marked 8W. I was unable to remove the inboard bulbs (sockets marked 32 CP) so only installed the outboard (8 CP) ones. Tested before reassembly and found neither bulb in the righthand housing worked. Odd, they worked before...
I monkeyed around with it for a while with no success, and retreated flummoxed.
Mixed myself a toddy or two to enhance cogitation as I considered how to proceed. A quick look at schematics reminded me there are two 10 amp fuses for running lights- left and right, front and rear are fused separately.
Finished the last of my toddy and went out for further testing.
Hit the dash switch and sure enough the right front marker did not light.
So. Check the fuse, dummy.
Yep, #7 was fried. Stuck in another fuse which also fried instantly.
Now what? I know there's a short, but where?
Today I tackled it again. I removed the harness from the lamp housing, and replaced the fuse. Aha! Now the front marker worked so I know the short is in the lamp housing. I could see nothing wrong with the outboard socket, no damage or corrosion anywhere.
I had to destroy the inboard bulb to remove it. Inside, rather than a spring contact like all the other sockets, there was just a loose wire with a small brass button terminal. This had apparently shifted, shorting the bulb, and wedging the base.
Success!
I checked the LH housing and found the same type of terminal. These seem to be factory installed rather than jury-rigged. There is some doubt as to whether the inboard lamps are operational on Vanagons delivered to the US. FWIW, my lamp housings are stamped "USA".
Live and learn...
On to the next fiasco!
_________________
=BCE56=
'86 Syncro tintop
EJ22, OBD II early SC adapter plate conversion
Side project: '69 Frankenbug "It's alive!" |
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MacDude
Samba Member
Joined: July 26, 2014
Posts: 101
Location: Bonny Doon
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| Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:06 am Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Upgraded the headlights on my wife’s van. She is a bit night blind and the original square headlights were so inadequate.
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'84 Wolfsburg Westfalia
'90 White Multivan (currently not running) |
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Paulbeard
Samba Member
Joined: July 10, 2015
Posts: 2604
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 12:10 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Not exactly today, as it took several blocks of time over a few days. I replaced my starter with a SR0408X starter from Summit Racing and the adapter plate from Karl Mullendore, along with Jay Brown's pigtail to wire it up.
It was a pain to get the old one out, lots of PBlaster and bad language over a few days. It might be the OG starter…
It seemed well-seated.
Finally broke the bottom nut loose on Thursday (after three soakings of PBlaster and a few trials) and got the top one off this morning. Not a lot of good leverage to be had for any of this but eventually persistence furthered.
Had to grind out the new starter (  ) to fit the adapter plate and that took some time. But once that was done, it was pretty easy to put in and rewire. I am glad I ordered the pigtail as the OG wire terminal was in rough shape.
Took more time to get that monster Group 41 battery back in the hole, after I stuffed the vents with scrubbies, that it did to get the starter in.
The first test firing was terrifying, the new starter is so powerful. I think it slows to an idle after it catches… 
So all is well, I hope. No more need for percussive maintenance in parking lots or otherwise feeling like I need to re-evaluate my life choices.
If you're gonna do it, I think this way makes the most sense: get the most grunt-y starter you can and refresh that old wiring while you are in there.
EDIT: I just found that I get two years of roadside assistance with this purchase via https://register.roadsideprotect.com/bosch/terms.php If you bought a starter or alternator from Bosh, you might do well to sign up.
_________________
Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs
— dhaavers
Last edited by Paulbeard on Sun Oct 08, 2017 10:36 am; edited 1 time in total |
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fxr
Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2014
Posts: 2319
Location: Bay area CA
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| Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 12:34 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Having been given the clue by a Vanagon owner elsewhere, I fitted a small (5A) fuse to bridge across the battery isolator switch. So the clock still runs, and I can use the radio while working on electrics. Any idiocy on my part and the fuse just blows without any damage to any other bits. The bonus is that when used to help theft prevention, any thief won't realise the battery main feed has been switched off until they attempt to start the van - whereupon the van becomes completely dead.
Next up, fitting a 'fake alarm' flashing LED to the kill-switch that's across the fuel pump.
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Jim Crowther
1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
Vespa GTS 300 |
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vwpervert
Samba Member
Joined: March 06, 2005
Posts: 18
Location: Federal Way WA
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| Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 12:24 am Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Went to 16" wheels and tires from 14". What a huge change in ride quality and drivability. My Westy, has a Subaru 2.2 conversion and the 16" wheels and tires makes it so much more enjoyable. In my opinion this is a "must" do for this conversion. Wheels are form a 2005 Mercedes Benz C240, 16" 7J 31ET. Got longer rear studs from T3, along with some of his cool wheel caps. The fit is perfect, no rubbing what so ever. Very happy 
Before 195/75/R14
After 215/65/R16
Before
After
Nokian Rotiiva 215/65/R16
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'61 Beetle
'66 Sunroof Beetle
'67 Beetle
'67 Squareback
'70 Karmann Ghia
'71 Small Poptop Riviera
'90 Westy EJ22 |
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BCE56
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2013
Posts: 358
Location: So Cal
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| Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 1:39 pm Post subject: Re: What did YOU do to your van today? |
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Finally got around yesterday to upgrading inst. panel bulbs with white LEDs from GW.
I am very happy with the results. Nice, clean look and they are variable.
I had to proceed with extreme caution due to fragile and brittle condition of everything under the cover.
I also attempted to restore function to the digital clock- hoping it was simply a bad connection, but no dice. Clock appears to be DOA. Ordered a stick-on from the internet...
The bulb on my locker panel had burned out yesterday AM. So I pulled the cover plate, used one of the inst. bulbs and saved the other 3 for future use.
This would have been an easy fix but three of the standoff/mounting tabs for the circuit board were broken (naturally) and repositioning the board was tricky.
Is it my imagination or is every repair on Vanagons an order of magnitude more difficult than expected?
I get a lot of satisfaction from fixing stuff like this. Then I start wondering what will break next.
On to the next fiasco!
_________________
=BCE56=
'86 Syncro tintop
EJ22, OBD II early SC adapter plate conversion
Side project: '69 Frankenbug "It's alive!" |
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