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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 6:00 pm Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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I pulled the slider latch again and cleaned up the dodgy looking lower rear latch hook. It helped some, but I'm not done.
The slider door still popped open, though it was quite a bit further down the road than before. I'm getting closer.
I knocked off another project. Out with the old...
...and in with the new special delivery from T3Technique.
The HD endlink made a difference I could really feel improving the side-to-side stability.
On the off-road portion of the test drive we came across a herd of wild horses...
...which Tuna is always fascinated with.
Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough with the camera to catch the big freight train and the bald eagles that we also came across.
The big lead sorrel was unusually friendly.
_________________ The Syncro years (2005-16) - The 2WD years (2017-23) - Westy & WBX rebuild spreadsheet - Sanchius & Tuna: The Video
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22665 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:06 am Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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Hoof, said the Husky..... _________________ .ssS! |
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iliketowalk Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2011 Posts: 614 Location: Northern CA
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Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 3:20 pm Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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Awesome thread, beautiful van...
Just curious -- the ticking lifter, did the oil change take care of it, or was it something else? Thanks! _________________ 1986 Weekender "Birch" |
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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:32 am Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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iliketowalk wrote: |
Awesome thread, beautiful van...
Just curious -- the ticking lifter, did the oil change take care of it, or was it something else? Thanks! |
Thanks! Since fixing the vacuum leak, I'm very happy with the strength of this 2.2 WBX.
The break-in oil I drained out looked fine, no swarf or glitter.
However, even with the 15w/50, it still just doesn't yet have the happy WBX purr I'm looking for.
The noise seems more center than on the sides, so I'm thinking of first swapping my old oil pump back in to see if all the rework I did on the new high-capacity OP is causing the issue. Then going through the new lifters to see if any are weak. The final step would be to do a very basic build up my spare block + heads and drop that in to keep the van up and running while doing a tear-down of the 2.2 WBX. I'm done with always having my Westy offline for some extended fix just as spring rolls in.
--
This weekend the mountains were calling.
When going up to Donner Summit chasing powder after big storms, I've learned to wait a day for the long line of chained up semi's, who'd been stuck on the East side of the pass for a day or two, to finish crawling up the pass. Otherwise the normal 30min drive takes 2.5 hours.
But this time it had gotten so sunny and warm up on top that I ended up getting stuck hard in a low melty icy spot in the parking area.
I have to work on my getting unstuck game as all this did was shoot the beach towel forward.
I had chains on board if necessary, but it was easier to swallow my pride and get a Jeep to pull me up to firmer ground.
Tunes and I descended to a spot I knew we could get out of and parked to walk around a bit and take in the vista before heading down to town to meet Mrs S for a pint at the Brewers Cabinet Production Facility.
_________________ The Syncro years (2005-16) - The 2WD years (2017-23) - Westy & WBX rebuild spreadsheet - Sanchius & Tuna: The Video
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Last edited by sanchius on Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:26 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22665 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:36 am Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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If you had ten more Huskies you dont need the Jeep
woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof _________________ .ssS! |
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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 9:31 am Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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I knocked off a few small projects off this weekend.
I got tired of unsuccessfully modifying the hooks on my original slider latch (right) to try to get it to stay latched and just installed the latch I pulled from the junk yard with the new GoWesty springs (left). This worked, no more spontaneous slider pop-opens. I don't know what the function of the tab on the left latch might be, if any. It also bothers me that I don't see why the original latch kept failing, but not so much that I want to mess with it anymore.
I didn't want to worry about carrying the spare inside the bus anymore, even if it is strapped down, so it was time to reinstall the spare & clamshell. After reading about joetiger's seized clamshell pivot, I liberally applied anti seize to the pivots. I have a modified clamshell to accommodate larger tires, but I still use a floor jack to get it up into place.
Then I gave the bus a quick bath and met Mrs S down at the Reno Microbrews and Buses gathering to catch up on the latest local happenings.
_________________ The Syncro years (2005-16) - The 2WD years (2017-23) - Westy & WBX rebuild spreadsheet - Sanchius & Tuna: The Video
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GenXer Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2015 Posts: 106 Location: Merritt Island
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Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:12 am Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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Journey is a great group but you have to be a member or super fan to paint your bus with their logo.
I hadn’t checked I to this thread in a while. Glad you guys are still riding along. |
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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2021 2:48 pm Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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Tunes and I joined the air-cooled crowd for the Carson City Kombi drive up to Virginia City this morning.
There were lots of pretty splits, many bugs & bajas, a couple Vanagons, but no bays...
It's always good to see Das Wiener Wagon out...
The patina+custom paint contingent was well represented
The back of the same...
With work to do at home, we split off early, but stopped to take a pic going down the Geiger Grade overlook with the Galena Creek cathedral arch bridge in the far background. Seconds later a pack of Reno Kombis came roaring by on their way up to meet the Carson City Crowd.
_________________ The Syncro years (2005-16) - The 2WD years (2017-23) - Westy & WBX rebuild spreadsheet - Sanchius & Tuna: The Video
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16503 Location: Brookeville, MD
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Jake de Villiers Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007 Posts: 5911 Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2021 8:21 am Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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dobryan wrote: |
Glad to see Tuna getting some time behind the wheel. How is he doing? License soon? |
I think she's having a little trouble with the clutch on take-off!! _________________ '84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
www.thebassspa.com |
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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2021 1:45 pm Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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Jake de Villiers wrote: |
dobryan wrote: |
Glad to see Tuna getting some time behind the wheel. How is he doing? License soon? |
I think she's having a little trouble with the clutch on take-off!! |
Oh Gawd no, the thought of that is simply frightening.
She's the closest thing to a wild animal that I've ever come across.
Even our 30-years experience raising and training our previous dogs has barely made a dent in her.
She is so stubborn, willful, and target-focused that all it would take is one roadside squirrel or deer and BOOM! over the mountainside we'd be going.
It's a couple hundred foot drop-off on the other side of that rail and that pull-off is at the top of a 3-mile descent to the valley floor below.
I remember specifically both mentally and visually checking off that there was no way she could accidentally disengage the e-brake before I got out to take that picture.
It's simply safest for everyone that she stays solidly in her assigned "Dog Is My CoPilot" role.
_________________ The Syncro years (2005-16) - The 2WD years (2017-23) - Westy & WBX rebuild spreadsheet - Sanchius & Tuna: The Video
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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:46 am Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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It's nice to be driving rather than wrenching these days.
Last week Das Wiener Wagon joined us at the Reno Bus Pilots gathering.
Earlier we had gone hiking and bridge hunting on some back roads near the Cal/Neva border that parallel the UP track to California.
This weekend, the kids are out and we went snowshoeing at a popular spot up in the Sierras.
_________________ The Syncro years (2005-16) - The 2WD years (2017-23) - Westy & WBX rebuild spreadsheet - Sanchius & Tuna: The Video
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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2021 8:25 am Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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Last fall I tried visiting the Moon Rocks formation just north of town, but found it overrun with hundreds of other fun-seekers on the warm, sunny, 3-day state holiday weekend. I fled, but vowed to visit it later on a cold and rainy day. With the (vaccinated) kids out visiting for spring break, and it being a cold and rainy day, it was time to head out into the BLM lands to revisit the Moon Rocks. The dirt road in to the site was miles of 30mph max washboard.
But the formation didn't disappoint. The area was deserted and we were free to drive around the sandy trails and explore the different rocks.
We did managed to stick the van hard at the bottom of this little hill when we got off-angle with insufficient articulation and one of the rear wheels lifted off the ground. We piled rocks under the high wheel and were able to successfully rock it out. I clearly need to install a LSD if I'm going to continue doing this.
The rocks were lots of fun to scramble up, even Tuna made it to the top of all the spires.
We pulled out just as the next band of snow was rolling in.
_________________ The Syncro years (2005-16) - The 2WD years (2017-23) - Westy & WBX rebuild spreadsheet - Sanchius & Tuna: The Video
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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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Saturn Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2019 Posts: 192 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:00 am Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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sanchius wrote: |
Something's not right. Time to go in and see what's going on. |
Yes indeed, something is not right. A week and a half without an update or seeing Tuna looking out the window, things must be serious. |
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Schnippzle Samba Member
Joined: February 04, 2021 Posts: 288 Location: Swede in London, UK
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:45 pm Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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sanchius wrote: |
Something's not right. Time to go in and see what's going on. |
Before I registered, I followed this thread with great interest. I echo what Saturn said:
Saturn wrote: |
A week and a half without an update or seeing Tuna looking out the window, things must be serious. |
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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:27 am Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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Apologies, we've been in mourning, stunned by the unexpected loss of two close brilliant awesome friends within days of each other, and have had to put things on hold for a bit.
Yup, bad news, it looks like my first attempt at rebuilding a WBX was not a success.
Cracking the case showed #3 rod bearing to be toast and the #3 crank journal scored.
Pushing to get back on the road, I had taken some short-cuts I shouldn't have.
I had used the oil pump out of my old engine and fiddled with some of the tolerances getting it to clear the new 2252 camshaft bolts.
I also had forgotten to check the clearances of the reassembled rod bearings.
The end result is that this rebuild never had good hot oil pressure with the thinner break-in oil and this is the humbling outcome.
A new HD oil pump and replacement crank should be here this weekend. so I can start anew.
This time I will be taking it slower and being more systematic, doing more measuring, plasti-gauging, and test fitting, rather than assuming everything will all just work together well when reassembled.
_________________ The Syncro years (2005-16) - The 2WD years (2017-23) - Westy & WBX rebuild spreadsheet - Sanchius & Tuna: The Video
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coqcitywesty Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2018 Posts: 401 Location: Coquitlam, BC
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sanchius Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1452 Location: IN
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Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: Sanchius and Tuna ride again... |
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Thanks for the BAT link, we're watching to see what it goes for.
Speaking of the Queen, we are planning to display and drive her at the Findlay Ohio Military Vehicle show, May 14-17, 2021.
At this point we have a prime mover lined up and a green light to check her out of the Air Force Museum for the weekend.
I'm planning to be there, so if you are in the NW Ohio area and find big heavy things painted green interesting, do stop by.
_________________ The Syncro years (2005-16) - The 2WD years (2017-23) - Westy & WBX rebuild spreadsheet - Sanchius & Tuna: The Video
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Last edited by sanchius on Wed May 12, 2021 11:30 am; edited 1 time in total |
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