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BavarianWrench
Samba Member
Joined: January 18, 2004
Posts: 1045
Location: Oceans Edge
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 Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 8:29 pm Post subject: Re: Joining the Syncro club... |
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| raoul mitgong wrote: |
| Bassyaks wrote: |
| No Knobs? |
I have the original invoice for my Syncro, it was about $250 for the rear locker option new. Today, $250 might get you a cracked 3 knob control panel. Crazy.
I certainly wouldn't be bummed about a knobless Syncro though.
Joe, hope to see that van in person one day. I might dig up that old failed Denver get together thread that never materialized.
-d |
Get that Denver thread rolling. No need to start more chat in Joes thread about it though, unless Joe wants to do that? Its his thread.
Joe congratulations on the Syncro. Have you pulled the wheels off yet? I was wondering what it took to get those rims on there. I think they are Audi A4 rims? |
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joetiger 
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5076
Location: denver
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| Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 7:36 am Post subject: Re: Joining the Syncro club... |
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| BavarianWrench wrote: |
Joe congratulations on the Syncro. Have you pulled the wheels off yet? I was wondering what it took to get those rims on there. I think they are Audi A4 rims? |
Thanks! I haven't had a chance to look at them closely, I'm embarrassed to admit. I'll let you know, though. I didn't like them at first, but they're growing on me. But then what am I gonna do with the full set of Mefro 15's I just bought?
Speaking of buying, y'all are not kidding with the "$yncro" talk. I'm pretty sure I need a new clutch and rear main seal and I'm leaning towards adding a decoupler. The VC is pretty grabby on tight turns when it warms up.
Adding these items to the ever-growing list.
My three former Vanagon builds/upgrades/mods were more about discovery, meaning I progressively learned what I needed and took care of things over long periods of time...This time around I know exactly what needs to be done but there are not enough hours in the day. Patience, grasshopper.
_________________
Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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raoul mitgong
Samba Member
Joined: July 05, 2009
Posts: 1338
Location: Denver, CO
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| Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 12:33 pm Post subject: Re: Joining the Syncro club... |
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| joetiger wrote: |
The VC is pretty grabby on tight turns when it warms up.
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http://syncro.org/the-viscous-coupler/
Have you performed the VC 2x4 test yet? I think there was a thread on here where people were sharing their results. Should give you a decent idea on relative aggressiveness of yours.
I recently picked up an extra 3 ton Harbor Freight floor jack if you need to borrow one.
-d
_________________
84 Westy with a 2.1 (Groover)
86 Tintop Syncro (Crow)
86 Tintop Syncro to Westy project (Tom Servo)
91 Westy (Only the top 12 inches of this van (a burn victim)) |
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tjet
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3533
Location: CA & NM
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| Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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Sweet van. They are good drivers. Ive been driving mine daily in LA traffic, but the driveshaft is removed. Wish I has a supercharger tho  |
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dkoesyncro
Samba Member
Joined: December 10, 2006
Posts: 982
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| Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 3:39 pm Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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How much of your noise is the SC? I remember them making a whirl sound? The aba can take boost well, you could stay with the SC or go turbo. Bahn Brenner has a nice SC unit that will bolt up and possibly lower your deck lid hight.
I recently got 24 mpg on my boosted aba on my trip to mogfest. |
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onwardtothestars
Samba Member
Joined: April 04, 2007
Posts: 225
Location: Hazenville Pass Wyoming
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| Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 11:57 pm Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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Awesome Syncro! Looks to be in great condition, and it runs too. I'm ever so envious.
_________________
lots of VW's |
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joetiger
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5076
Location: denver
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| Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 8:28 am Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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| dkoesyncro wrote: |
How much of your noise is the SC? I remember them making a whirl sound? The aba can take boost well, you could stay with the SC or go turbo. Bahn Brenner has a nice SC unit that will bolt up and possibly lower your deck lid hight.
I recently got 24 mpg on my boosted aba on my trip to mogfest. |
I am most definitely not getting 24 MPG right now. I'm over halfway through my first tank with around 100 miles on the odometer. One 67 mile trip from Ft. Collins and some city driving.
I didn't get a chance to do much beyond a few interior fixes and a new front bumper last night. Damn does RMW make good stuff.
The supercharger makes a whirring noise, but it doesn't seem to be that loud overall. A lot of the noise is engine vibration coming through the chassis.
When I had the new muffler mounted, they added a steel-enclosed rubber brick mount to the rail with a muffler hanger through it. At around 2500 RPM is makes the whole van vibrate. That's part of it, anyway. I'm thinking that attachment point needs to be removed.
Driveability is irritating, but I'll get there. When I accelerate, the engine bogs down for a moment then revs. (New wires, plugs, etc. were installed at RMW.) Then it feels like a NA ABA until about 2500 RPM. At that point, it hesitates a bit, then WHOOSH! it takes off to 4000 RPM in a hurry.
Right now, it drives, so until I have some real time to get in there, I'll live with it. In any case, it's a blast to drive around the city, looking down on everybody. 
I really like the idea of the Bahn Brenner SC. Just spitballin', but going to a 50 degree mount with the original intake and that little SC in front would be a much cleaner setup.
Raoul, I've added the VC test to the list. I'm not going to pull the trigger on either a decoupler or a new VC until I'm totally sure of what's going on. Thanks!
_________________
Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16501
Location: Brookeville, MD
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joetiger
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5076
Location: denver
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| Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 9:47 am Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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| dobryan wrote: |
| The muffler should never be attached to the body for these vehicles, any engine type. If it needs another hanger it should be attached to the engine or mounting bar, not the body. |
Agreed. I remember seeing a few early EJ22 conversions with that error. I didn't notice it right after installation; I'm going to hack it ASAP.
_________________
Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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joetiger
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5076
Location: denver
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| Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 7:47 pm Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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I was able to get a few photos of the motor tonight as well as the exhaust system. If rust or fluid leaks make you queasy, please turn away.
Here's some perspective on the height of the engine cover and how the motor sits:
Pushing over the front edge:
Here are the muffler hangers:
I can't see where else you would secure the muffler.
Maybe fit the cat before the bend and try to fit a long muffler back there? I don't know if there's room between the engine and the apron.
EDIT: although now that I look at it more closely, there might be room between the motor and the apron once I get rid of the gigantic muffler and trailer hitch that juts into the apron area. Maybe that's the answer.
The engine carrier kinda resembles the SA carrier.
Gotta get the exhaust sorted out somehow.
In other news, the VC feels tighter today than it did yesterday (my imagination?) I'm going to remove the driveshaft until I figure out what to do there.
Here's a short vid of the engine running:
Link
_________________
Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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davevickery
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2005
Posts: 2887
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 7:37 am Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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Congrats on the van Joe. I used these kind of rubber mounts on my 1.8. They provide a lot of movement in all directions and there was no issue attaching to the frame rails on each end.
The best mufflers I found by going to the junkyard with a tape measure and a sawzall. The quality is superior to the NAPA stuff and they cost $8/ea. I used slip fit pipe bends and had a shop weld it up after I test fit it. I figured out a way to fit both a Lexus 3.0 resonator and a short VW rear muffler on my 1.8. |
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joetiger
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5076
Location: denver
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 7:51 am Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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Thanks Dave! These look similar to the old Rabbit exhaust hangers.
_________________
Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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buspor63
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2005
Posts: 1179
Location: Knoxville,TN Where America stops for gas
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| Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 6:23 pm Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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Is that block is the same as the AEB 1.8T ?, perhaps adapting the the later hydraulic engine mounts and hangers may help.
_________________
Imagine that, theres not an "h" in either Westfalia or Syncro? |
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joetiger
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5076
Location: denver
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| Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:35 am Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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Thanks for the suggestion Buspor. I picked up some actual ABA hangers yesterday, so if I have any time I'll swap them out and see if I get a little less vibration. From there I think the next step will be looking at hydraulic mounts.
_________________
Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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vw4wd
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2011
Posts: 161
Location: Somerset, UK
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| Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 9:10 am Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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I run an AGG 2 litre engine which I guess will make similar noises to your ABA. Mine runs very quietly using a WBX muffler/silencer hung from the engine mount/sump as per the JX set up. Mine is mounted at 50*
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Garyd
1990 Transporter syncro camper with 2 litre AGG 'GTi' engine |
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ALIKA T3
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2009
Posts: 6346
Location: Honolulu,Hawaii and France
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joetiger
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5076
Location: denver
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| Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 8:11 am Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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We had a very busy weekend with Labor Day, wife's birthday, first LSU game, and a Phish show (don't judge--I got a free suite pass and the venue was five minutes from my house) so I didn't get a lot of Syncro work done.
There are no easy wins with this thing. I snapped three bolts getting the long skid plates off due to rust, but they came out. Also temporarily removed the driveshaft due to a very grabby VC. It's rolling a lot smoother in 2wd. I thought long and hard about a decoupler versus replacing the VC, and decided I'll get a new (rebuilt) VC and maybe add a decoupler later.
I was able to mount an ABA muffler hanger which greatly reduced vibration. It's still buzzy as hell around 2000/2500 RPM, but it's better. It's not a permanent solution, and I need to figure out a way to add another mount on the other side of the muffler.
This week I'm going to mount another hanger, replace the speakers (priorities!) and get into the hesitation issue with the acceleration and see what I can find out.
We have a camping trip this weekend with the other van, then after that I need to replace the rear main seal which is leaking like a sieve. There is almost nothing on this van that works correctly, but it drives and it's fun to mess with!
_________________
Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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davevickery
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2005
Posts: 2887
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 9:01 am Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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| joetiger wrote: |
There are no easy wins with this thing. I snapped three bolts getting the long skid plates off due to rust, but they came out. Also temporarily removed the driveshaft due to a very grabby VC. It's rolling a lot smoother in 2wd. I thought long and hard about a decoupler versus replacing the VC, and decided I'll get a new (rebuilt) VC and maybe add a decoupler later.
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Hey Joe, you should be able to sell that VC so don't toss it. Lots of people prefer them aggressive, that works better in conjunction with a decoupler if you like to do challenging things off road. For comparison, here is a quick video of my VC which seems pretty aggressive but works wonderfully offroad and the decoupler eliminates excess stresses when I am not in 4wd.
Link
This gives you a comparison if you want to test yours. I think the torque wrench is set to 80 ft lbs here. But I can see why some people rather have a new VC over a decoupler expecially for a daily driver and winter vehicle. |
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joetiger
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5076
Location: denver
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 3:55 pm Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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I didn't get much done on it last week, but it did a nice 180-mile round trip up to Peaceful Valley and back with my daughter's girl scout troop.
I kinda like the looks of this:
The valley was anything but peaceful with ATV's, generators, a late night encounter with a large black bear, and two full-speed bull moose running through camp this morning. (This was with my wife, the troop leader, and eight 14-year old girls, mind you.) Good to be home.
I averaged 14 MPG on the trip, which ain't right. Digging into the motor and replacing the rear main seal this week I hope.
_________________
Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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FrankenSubySyncro
Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 638
Location: Vancouver, WA.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 2:31 pm Post subject: Re: Reviving a Syncro |
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Welcome to the wonderful world of syncro ownership. I am so happy for you. We will have to do Hell's revenge next Syncro Solstice.
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Syncronize it!
1987 Franken Syncro (converted 2WD auto)
2004 2.5 SOHC Subaru
F & R lockers, decoupler, SS, 6.17 R&P
Trans Cooler
EMPI race prepped 930 CVs and axles
Bilstein coilover front, rear ProComp MX-6066R shocks, 14" hypercoil springs
30x9.5 15" BFG Muds
Custom skid plates
Nose job (custom front bumper) http://www.flickr.com/photos/subyvanagon/sets/72157624970330925/ |
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