What did YOU do to your van today?

[fishgo]

[fxr]

[BCE56]

Finished two projects today.

The sagging AC duct has been bugging me for a while.
This repair was suggested in a Samba thread. Not sure if anyone has done it so I decided to give it a try. (I have a spare duct but don't look forward to dropping the whole assembly.)
Working upside down and drilling by braille was trickier than I expected but I managed to do it without perforating the roof skin.
I used 3 1/2" lagscrews, rubber gaskets and steel washers as shown, and some packing above the duct to preload the joint.
FWIW the roof crossbraces are pretty substantial, about 1/16" steel and approx. 2" wide at the lowest surface. There is about 3/4" clearance between the bottom of the crossbrace and roof sheetmetal.
(The small holes in the center duct didn't work due to the interior gussets at rear of the duct.)
Test drive shows big improvement, rattles cut by about 90%.
Bottom line- an effective and inexpensive repair.

It is still hot around here. Windows are tinted but inside gets over 100 deg while Van is in direct sunlight.
So I applied insulation to the side windows. This is thermal barrier from the local upholstery shop. One side reflective Mylar backed with 1/2" felt. Attached w/ a thin layer of 3M weatherstrip adhesive to window gaskets. (Most glues don't adhere to Mylar- ask me how I know...)
Initial results suggest interior temps reduced by 10-15 degrees.

On to the next fiasco!!

_________________
=BCE56=

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

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

[bobbyblack]

Finished the 'physical install' of the '86 EJ22 block. Previously I had left things a bit loose, so as to get all bolts in place before tightening up. I had paused to let the kids jump to, but its been stalled again as school and work have taken up their slack, I guess. Anyway, KEP install is progressing slowly, but at least the bolt-up is done to the bell housing, and the Torque Converter is bolted. Exhaust header is in. Time to fiddle with the plumbing... Hope to get it to start in a few days, so I can drive it out of the shop where I winter my Floss. Or, I will again get a chain and drag it out. Whoooop!
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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

[kamzcab86]

Bought a pair of 4" LED strips. Installed one into the closet with a magnetic reed switch... but, where to put the other one?

Running off a 9V battery encased in a little plastic box stuck to the fridge ceiling, wired to another magnetic reed switch.
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~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子

[jlrftype7]

Installed my new radiator from Van Cafe, a new radiator switch to go with it and wire brushed the fan shroud and radiator support brackets before painting them.
I cleaned and painted the spare tire rods as well since I had the carrier down and out for the Radiator work.
Sanded and painted the lower front grill,replaced the screws for the clips that hold it on, and installed the 3 piece set of air deflectors that I think are from GoWesty , which thankfully replace my missing cardboard ones from VW( what was left of them).

Took Cleaner Wax to the nose and front doors of my Van to see what was lurking under the neglected paint..ll
I’ll post pictures tomorrow morning
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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

[jlrftype7]

old leaking Radiator, might be original for all I know...

_________________
'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

[jlrftype7]

New shiny and leakfree part from Van Café...

_________________
'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

[Paulbeard]

[fxr]

[jlrftype7]

New part installed, along with new rubber mounting washers, fresh hardware for the bolted brackets that support the Radiator and lower section of the A/C Condenser. I used my Snap-On Crud Thug wire brush tool to remove loose paint and rust from the Shroud and the mounting brackets.
With the cooling fan also removed, it was time to repaint all those parts.
1 coat of Red Primer and two coats of Satin Black later, and it's back in the Vanagon. New Radiator switch, and 3 new cooling direction flaps from Van Café/ Gowesty to mount on the bottom and sides of the radiator, completing the job.
Sanded and painted the lower grill, After trying several trim paints on the upper grill, I used Krylon for Plastic on the Lower grill and was totally happy with it for coverage and color sheen...

_________________
'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

[jlrftype7]

Results of some of the oxidation removed from the paint. Much more to do, rust work and paint work, but it was nice to finally look at some shiny paint for a change....

_________________
'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

[AZ Landshaper]

Good looking Assuan brown ^^^^^


Took the weekender down to ACe and found a 3/16” e clip and a washer and secured the shifter cable to my trans. The previous owner had disassembled the entire van so this was just one more step towards reliability. This last week alone I’ve been completing my suby conversion and every friggin time I get in the van the cable has fallen off the tranny lever. No more of that BS.
FIXED.
Have a good weekend fellow cult members.
_________________
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.

[teej]

When we bought our van, we paid local a shop to install headlight relays. The result was brighter lights yes, with hi beams 100w outers and 100w inners.


Only much later, after a resistive ground connection led to some crispiness, did I learn step two of the upgrade should have been installing ceramic 9004 connectors. I also made local grounds for the lights, and replaced the 100w inners with 55w Osram Nightbreaker H3 bulb in the hi beam inners (per rec from thatvwbusguy in a different thread) to help protect the old wiring, which I have now fused at 15A. Have not tested the lower watt bulb at night yet.

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1986+ Wolfsburg Weekender Pop-Top 2.3 WBX Manual Trans

[dhaavers]

^^^ NICE!

PLEASE tell us you did heat shrink to seal the blue connectors in your 4th pic...???

Anyway yeah...you got on it way before I did... :

Jay came to my rescue the same way with the same fine fix...he's the guru of gurus!

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

[teej]

[dhaavers]

^^^ Indeed...

On topic: yesterday I hooked up & tested my "new" (used) MAC timing light I came across
for a deal on eBay... I had no concerns now, but cursory results indicate my timing is in fact
good so at least I've set a baseline. Now when I need it, I already have it...

- Dave

PS:
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[4mymalamute]

Replaced rear (one side today...next side this next week) brake line with stainless, painted out side of drum black (took it off and sanded it down), replaced shoes and the hard brake line (stripped the bolts uhg). Looks good and will hopefully finish the entire project next week. Did all fronts last weekend....oh and will install the new 944 axles this coming weekend as well.

[AZ Landshaper]

Cleared up some scraping noises that were emanating from my rear passenger tire. Turns out the little groove that the drum travels through had become slightly bent and was rubbing.... No more of that BS Now super quiet.

Planning to secure the fuel tank and change my fuel pump manana. Its the loudest fuel pump this side of the Mississippi.
_________________
Support Small Business.

-------------------------------------------------------
85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.

[Dave Wood]

Pulled my windshield to fix the small dime sized rust holes in the corners. Holes repaired then I user POR-15 patch along the whole bottom window frame to ensure no further rust would develop.

Was worried about getting it back in by myself but it was pretty easy. I'm actually surprised that the little rubber flap part of the seal is pretty much all that's holding that windshield in.

Next I'm replacing the non-stock antenna from an OEM replacement I found on flea-bay. Hopefully no more wet floors.
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Dave
87 Vanagon GL