I just Bought a Vanagon - critical Checks & Repairs

[Merian]

adds made to OP

[metropoj]

My first cheque when I bought my Vanagon went from "Check" to "Cheques" ( Canadian checks from my bank account to pay for all the things listed ) " lol

Four days after certification I had to lock up the brakes thanks for a transport and blew out the steel brake lines.

Lots of good stuff here. make it safe/functional then make it pretty ...

[Merian]

1d. You cannot simply replace the fuel hoses, tires, and brake hoses (even doing it properly) and assume your Vanagon is now safe.

You must also inspect the unfused wiring in the engine bay.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=629649&start=100

[DLJ]

Wildthings post is the most relevant statement made! Think anything will change? NOT

[oldhuldy67]

Follow Merian's plan...use the search....or just lurk, you can still learn a lot. When your wife asks why you're on the computer- iPad - phone at all hours just tell her "I'm helping someone with their Vanagon...it's just like ours." This way she will feel safe and have a high level of confidence in your ability to fix any thing that can go wrong while she's riding in the slow lane being passed by semi tractor trailers in a 30 year old vehicle.
This one is really good one..never tell her how much it really costs. It's not that you want to keep secrets...but, know this...she will quickly loose interest in your Vanagon if she finds out too soon.
Then, tell her you are feeling as excited about loving her..no, more excited about your relationship and all that every time she gets in and goes with you..anywhere...the supermarket...Walmart..anywhere. You will see where this goes when you go on your first camping trip..pick a secluded spot...play her a love song on your ukulele...and..
Lastly, never sell this vehicle. When she over hears you talking it up to a buyer..what you put into it, it's upgrades..their value..and then finds out what it sold for she will never trust you again. I put mine in the will to one of my sons..the one in Southern Cali with a beautiful little family..
My wife loves riding in it..and that's worth a lot to me.
Oh, then when you can't figure it out...there's always the Samba. These people are heaven sent..all the best.
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Currently:1980 Westy Westfalia Poptop (a total stock-look rebuild with all my favorite camping mods)
1967 stock Sunroof Beetle
Formerly:
1978 Westy Campmobile, the"EM50 Urban Assault Vehicle" code named "The Pickle"
1973 Squareback (sold on a lark)
1973 Super Beetle (crashed..walked away without a scratch)
1972 Standard Beetle (lost in a relationship..)
1966 Beetle (the Black Beauty, my Dad's)
1964 Beetle (the Beige Bug, my beginning beater, also my Dad's) Thanks, Dad.

[Merian]

WARNING - Stainless Steel Flex Brake Hoses

This article (from Bruce Anderson, the #1 Guru of Porsches in the US until he died) explains why to avoid them.

You cannot check the hoses (Teflon in the ones I've seen - the SS braid is just a covering) for problems, like you can with rubber hoses.

Worse, the SS flex brake lines are known to have had several catastrophic failures on sports/racing cars. This was some years ago, but I don't trust them.

Buy your rubber brake hoses from the VW Dealer and they are likely to be TUV approved. TUV is a real std. much better than DOT - the Germans don't eff around with safety issues.

Squeeze them every 2 years when you flush and replace the brake fluid with new (which you need to do even if the vehicle sat unmoving all that time), and replace the rubber hoses every 10 or 15 years.

Do NOT trust the aftermarket with your life - unless it is one of a few high quality vendors here and for other marques.

I had these SS flex hoses on a sports car when I bought it, and I put new rubber ones on immediately, then tested the car's braking -- there was no change. So I don't think the hoses will improve brake feel on a Vanagon. If you absolutely must use the SS flex braid covered hoses, you should replace them every year, or 2 years. On a race car they are replaced every race.

[kamzcab86]

[Merian]

what, are they NLA??

if so, start lobbying VW Classic

[Merian]

1e - It is a good idea to replace seat belts periodically - NHTSA doesn't know when but I did contact suppliers to the aviation industry, who would like to sell new safety belts at 10 year intervals.

mods will need to change the Title to "absolutely needed checks and repairs that should be done first thing" as I cannot

[Merian]

you can build a spreadsheet based on the mileage & age of things needing to be done periodically

age relates to anything made of rubber (fuel, coolant & brake hoses, and tires) and to various liquids which need to be done every xx years no matter how many miles on the vehicle

mileages for maintenance range from 5,000 (oil & filter change) to every 90 or 100,0000 (the latter are for diff. seals, rod bolts, etc.)

I put this all into an Excel sheet for my vehicle(s) and use a sheet in the same workbook for a log of maint. & repair activity


the last entry in the log is keyed to the sheet with mileages & ages of things via Excel's ability to conditionally format cell entries, so the cel lights up in red when a duration is exceeded

or just check it for your annual vehicle checkover, which I do each spring beofre I start driving & camping in the vanagon

[Merian]

Pic of a stainless shrouded brake hose that failed in the middle:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7907240#7907240

[Merian]

mix of critical safety issues and other good things to do:

http://www.vanagonauts.com/General1.htm

[Merian]

Alternator Wiring can shred and cause engine compartment fires:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=653919
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[Wildthings]

[Merian]

a LOT

I have asked on sports car sites for anyone who compared the feel of new rubber with the SS shrouded hoses - nada
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[Merian]

Excel template for maintenance tracking

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6JmXI7qtFr_OTZlN...sp=sharing
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[Merian]

Ben's Maintenance Thread for WBX:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=457174
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[daroota]

Headlight relay upgrade can save you if it burns out your switch while driving!

Pros:
Brighter headlights
will prevent your switch from the typical failure
it's only about 25$ to make your own

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=358179
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1982 Westy-Air Cooled, Fuel Injected, 4 Speed Manual
Air Cooled Vanagon's FaceBook Group:
www.facebook.com/groups/AirCooledVanagon/

[JustsomeKentuck]

[Merian]

Some Long Term Tasks:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668967
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