Riviera Camper Project

Eskimotom · Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:29 pm Post subject:

Hey Chris & Kerrianne, Eskimo Tom checking in, I bring home my 71 Sportmobile home tomorrow AM from the Cities.

It has the same style pop top but without the cap over the cab.

Give me a call, I'm a bay window owner once again. I miss my 76 which went to someone in South Dakota about 7 years ago.

BellePlaine · Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 6:04 am Post subject:

I can't speak for others but I find that putting the bus away for the winter help re-engergize my motivation for projects. If I had to drive this thing year-round, I'd probably hate it.

Also, I hire Amskeptic each year to help me with my projects; lately I've viewed his visit as deadline of which to have my projects completed by. That way I can use him as a double-check/fine tune. A day with Colin is like a day at VW school. When the professor comes around, I want to have my term project ready to present. Very Happy

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'75 Riviera

Whether you are a novice or know your way around an ACVW, a day with Amskeptic is money well spent. My mechanical ability/knowledge/bus is always better after Colin visits.
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Marya · Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:35 am Post subject:

You are amazing, for so many reasons. I'm so, so impressed. So are you an engineer or what?! And where you get the energy, focus, drive... I just can't imagine. You make me feel like the laziest, stupidest (!) waste of a human being!!! Type Z, that's me! Laughing

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1970, Riviera, 1600 cc type I [single port]

BellePlaine · Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2015 8:33 pm Post subject:

It's been years since I've updated this thread so here's the latest.

Last summer, on a camping trip a few hundred miles from home in Northern Wisconsin, the cam shaft got sloppy with the cam shaft gear causing us to finish our vacation in a rental car.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

I was contemplating having an engine rebuilt or doing it myself when I found this engine for sale from aeromech.

It's a used engine with unknown hours and sat for years in a shop. It had been rebuilt at some point but not by aeromech. Anyway, the compression and flywheel endplay was great and I even saw a YouTube video of it running.

So as soon as we had some nice Minnesota weather, I dropped my old engine.

And cut a well for a new CHT sender ring and swapped the Progressive for stock fuel injection.

I took the pressure plate off and discovered that everything was a rusty mess.

This is a 215 set up and the disc from my old engine is a 210 so I don't really want to reuse it. I've sent the flywheel and pressure plate out to be glass-bead blasted and I just ordered a new disc. Question; once I get this flywheel/pp back, should I take it to a machine shop to have it checked for balance?

I'm also sitting on my thumbs thinking about what should be done, if anything, to these galley plugs since they are out in the open. JB Weld and move on, I guess.

Besides preparing this engine, I'm doing other projects. I've installed OP and OT gauges (already had the CHT gauge).

And I wired these aux gauge lights to the headlight switch via a Radio Shack resistor because I wanted to reduce the load on my original headlight switch.

Some more information about that project here:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2...p;start=20

While I was at it, I installed double 87 headlight relays and rewired the headlights from the starter to the lamps. I included a fog light circuit to use sometime in the future.

Another question; should I run 8 amp fuses on all wires: power from the starter to the relays, and power from the relays to the headlamps?

One more thing; I had a dual pole VDO oil pressure sender calibrated and the idiot light switch modified to go off at 4 psi, which is closer to stock then as it was.

Unfortunately, I don't have a photo if it mounted to the engine but here's photo of the guts.

I opened the cover carefully with a dremel cutting wheel.

So there's the Spring 2015 update. The 002 5-rib transmission input shaft seal is leaking so I have to replace that. And then as soon as I get the flywheel situation sorted out I think that I'll be driving again soon.
_________________
'75 Riviera

Whether you are a novice or know your way around an ACVW, a day with Amskeptic is money well spent. My mechanical ability/knowledge/bus is always better after Colin visits.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/memberlist.php

BellePlaine · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 3:06 pm Post subject:

Just a quick update to this old thread.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=526482
_________________
'75 Riviera

Whether you are a novice or know your way around an ACVW, a day with Amskeptic is money well spent. My mechanical ability/knowledge/bus is always better after Colin visits.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/memberlist.php

vdubman71 · Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 8:13 am Post subject:

I know this thread has been dead for about 4 months, but just wanted to say what a great job you have done on this bus. I'm a home brewer too and thought yout keg idea was awesome! Also the swivel seat! Thats one mod I want to do ASAP. Good work happy camping!

BellePlaine · Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 8:02 am Post subject:

Thanks, but I can't take credit for the idea. If I was to do it again, I would not have cut out the base of the luggage rack but just the sides to the fit the tire. Holding it down with the footman loops would have probably worked just fine.

And hey, since I've dusted off this thread, let me show you what else I've been up to:

I cut out my passenger bulkhead and had a swivel seat base and the triangle gusset welded in. Over the winter I repadded a set of late Westy seats to install. Now I have a swivel seat and more importantly, extra seating room for my four-person family.

_________________
'75 Riviera

Whether you are a novice or know your way around an ACVW, a day with Amskeptic is money well spent. My mechanical ability/knowledge/bus is always better after Colin visits.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/memberlist.php

kampalm · Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 10:25 pm Post subject:

I have been wanting to get my spare off of the front of my bus and I really like how it turned out for you though I think I would go with cargo straps hooked to re-inforced footman loops. That is a great inovation!
_________________
74 Riviera, 1800 type IV, Weber Progressive (and proud of it), SVDA

skid · Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 1:21 pm Post subject:

I really like that spare tire mod you did!
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'71 Westfalia

chazz79 · Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 12:44 pm Post subject:

that looks good overall. I've been trying to come up with some place to put a spare for my riviera conversion. I don't want to hang anything off the nose of my bus. The shape of your cut out is probobly enough to keep the tire secure. I'd find a cargo net out of an suv in the bone yard and cut it down to fit your footman loops in the rack.
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One day as a lion, or a lifetime as lamb

The green monster in bits and peices: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=332556&highlight=green+monster

BellePlaine · Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 9:30 am Post subject:

Stuartzickefoose · Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 9:10 am Post subject:

i like it! how much did you pay originaly for the busses each? how much have you spent?

Stuart
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Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
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barefootwestie · Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 8:58 am Post subject:

Certainly a great looking install. My concern would be the weight of the tire on the roof in a central point, instead of spread out over a larger area...along with the JBWeld. But, it does look clean.
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My Bus Restoration Blog
https://myvolkswagenbus.com/

1973 Westfalia
"Getting better....one repair at a time."

Other VW's owned through the years, in no particular order:
'67 Beetle,
'67 Ghia Hardtop,
'72 Ghia Convertible,
'72 Westfalia

BellePlaine · Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 7:54 am Post subject:

I think that I was more optimistic about JB Weld then realistic. In hindsight, I agree that there are better options. I kind of like your strap idea. In the meantime, the tire is fitted moderately tight in its home.

Thanks, but don't worry about the steering coupler. I finished that job up long ago.
_________________
'75 Riviera

Whether you are a novice or know your way around an ACVW, a day with Amskeptic is money well spent. My mechanical ability/knowledge/bus is always better after Colin visits.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/memberlist.php

busdaddy · Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 7:19 am Post subject:

BellePlaine · Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 6:54 am Post subject:

Well, here's another mod to check off of my list:

My wife hates it, my neighbor hates it, but I love it. I'll admit, cutting up my luggage rack took more chutzpah then I normally carry with me but I did it for two reasons: I feel spare tires mounted to nose is dangerous to my knees (I'm 6'7"), and I never was crazy about the appearance.

Because my bus is a Riviera conversion, its luggage rack is fairly deep. When the tire lays down flat inside, you can just barely notice that it is there.

It's mounted via stainless steel nuts that I JB Welded to the roof.

The nose mount needed some elevation so I found some new fuel line to act as bushings/spacers.

My OTHER neighbor had some of this U-Channel edging lying around which worked perfectly to dress up and protect the new shape of the luggage rack.

So now, I have a clean nose onto which I'll place a VW emblem.

Cheers!
_________________
'75 Riviera

Whether you are a novice or know your way around an ACVW, a day with Amskeptic is money well spent. My mechanical ability/knowledge/bus is always better after Colin visits.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/memberlist.php

BellePlaine · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 7:33 am Post subject:

Winter projects; here is my seat frame bottom after some time using a brass wire wheel to remove the crusty rust from the springs. I'll have to use a piece of sandpaper to get the parts that my wheel couldn't reach.
And maybe some soapy water or GooGone to clean the inside of the base.

_________________
'75 Riviera

Whether you are a novice or know your way around an ACVW, a day with Amskeptic is money well spent. My mechanical ability/knowledge/bus is always better after Colin visits.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/memberlist.php

BellePlaine · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:40 pm Post subject:

You guys are so nice, thanks. BTW, Bus Depot got back to me and miss-shipped the wrong coupler. They are making it right.

But what about that spacer? It that important? It must be but I only found one spacer and I just don't know if it goes over or below the coupler?
_________________
'75 Riviera

Whether you are a novice or know your way around an ACVW, a day with Amskeptic is money well spent. My mechanical ability/knowledge/bus is always better after Colin visits.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/memberlist.php


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