Discouraged New Bus Owner

[Tcash]

Welcome to TheSamba, Bay Window Bus Forum!

73-79 NEWBIE

[Gregg in the 603]

[Tcash]

These keep the spark plug socket from falling off.
QUICK RELEASE EXTENSION
https://www.harborfreight.com/4-pc-38-in-drive-quick-release-extension-bar-set-67976.html
https://www.craftsman.com/products/craftsman-3-pc-quick-release-extension-bar-set-3-8-in-dr

[VW.parrothead]

Welcome! I sent you a PM.
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1970 Tin Top Westy

[Manfred58sc]

Lots of good Colorado VW folk, we even have our own thread. PM if you need service help..
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Fat chick owner/operator

[Oilspot11]

[WendyArmbuster]

I will say that getting all of the hoses hooked up correctly is vitally important. In my ignorance when I first owned my bus the hoses were hooked up wrong or just left disconnected, and I had many major problems because of it. Even just recently I got my charcoal canister working properly, and it solved more issues. Perfect hoses are important. Even now I think my brake booster is leaking, and that's an engine hose too.

You said, "We are so frustrated, we've barely been able to enjoy this beautiful machine." I would like to point out that picking a socket out of the engine tin IS enjoying your bus. That's what owning a bus is. Over the long term I would say I spend 15 minutes of maintenance for every hour I spend driving. Right now my bus is running strong and reliable, but there is some rust work on the horizon, and I need to go through my windshield wiper system. My turn signal lever doesn't reset when I straighten the wheel. I want to install retractable seat belts. The passenger window crank just broke the other day. By the time I get these things fixed, there will be an entirely new list. It never goes away, and you have to be ok with that.
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Brian Z
1978 Westfalia

[cmonSTART]

[stwesty]

Don't get discouraged and just tackle one job at a time. You'll gradually build up your knowledge base subsystem by subsystem. When you're done your current hose issue you'll know just enough about the emissions subsystem to at least know what the major parts of it are next time you dive into the engine bay. Don't expect to understand it all at once.

FWIW, I purchased my bus two years ago an at the time would have had trouble pointing out the carb from the transmission. Today I did my first full engine removal.

The hardest thing at first for complete newcomers to vehicle repair can be the terminology. You'll get a helpful answer on the samba but that results in looking up more terms and soon you're down a rathole.

A few tips for navigating the terminology:

- Bookmark the major diagrams in the Bentley guide and so you can scan the list of items for terms
- Get catalogs from the major parts vendors, their diagrams can also be useful
- Search google for the term using "site:thesamba.com searchterm bus" and then click on the images tab
- That bag of links Tcash posts to welcome newcomers? They are gold. Notice they are stickied at the top of this forum. Use 'em.
- Post to the also stickied Stupid Questions thread. It is great for quick answers on stuff.
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1974 Westfalia, automatic, dual-carb

[allenw]

I understand your pain although I do not own a bus, I have a 74 SB bug. I had 2 choices when I was searching local for a bug, I bought the one I could drive home. I should of bought the one I needed to have towed home. It had new pans installed but had the rest of the parts were in the inside of the bug. It would of taken less time to put all the parts back on then the one I drove home for the same price. The one I bought had mass electrical problems the brakes barely stopped the car form 20 MPH. no lights worked , the wiring harness was hacked bad. Then when I went to replace the engine compartment seals found out the rear clip had been hit and was tweaked which means i have to cut off and replace the entire read clip. It sat in my driveway for over 6 months before I could drive it everyday. i have still not done the need body and rust repair yet but I can drive it to work all week.

[timvw7476]

Picking the right spark plug socket is critical, get one that is magnetic.
Also get a telescopic magnet, for when things get lost in the sparkplug tin holes.
Buying those saves your sanity. You will now laugh when stuff 'disappears',
might even find an old plug or two that you didn't drop in there.

[williamM]

[Rider_Surfboards]

Welcome to the world of air-cooled VWs! My advice--stick with it and learn to laugh at the setbacks. After all, if you're not having fun with it, then why do it at all, right?

I came into this two and a half years ago knowing next to nothing. Now I can drive 1K mile round trips with the confidence of knowing I can fix most of the things that could go wrong on the road. Between myself and my two friends who have buses, I've dropped an engine at least 8 times, replaced transmissions, adjusted torsion bars, brakes, electrical, configured carburetors, disassembled and adjusted distributors, and tonnns of other fun stuff. You need to be willing to get your hands dirty and make mistakes. Before you know it, you'll go from simply changing your oil to replacing your main seal--hopefully not anytime soon though

I'll always offer support and of course pitch in with advice when I can, as most people here will as well.

Have fun!

--Kevin
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1979 Bus Weekender -- Gertrude McBus

[lil-jinx]

Silicone lube, not the sticky sealer type.
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620186
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668799
1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes.

[yellowCOwesty]

Wherein CO are you?
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'78 Westy
Currently yellow and white "Sunny"
A few other air cooled VW and Porsches over the years

[Abscate]

[vic74westy]

This spark plug socket works great for me: https://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-80547-16-Inch-6-Inch-Swivel/dp/B0014ZXU84

It's magnetic, swivels and the socket doesn't come off the extension. I haven't dropped a spark plug under the tin since I got this puppy! My bus is a 74 and doesn't have fuel injection so it may be a slightly different scenario but I expect it would work pretty well for you too! EDIT: even cheaper on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/GearWrench-80547-13-16-x-6...SwlndZLFaR