Forest Find 1961 Mouse Grey 11-Window Standard

[AC Mack]

Thanks for the dash pict . That M Grau dash is awesome! Had to be a short run of M Grau ( bottom color) dashes ? I believe in Aus the dash was bottom color thur the split era ? Can anyone from Aus confirm ?
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1959 Model M1: 118
1964 Model 265
1965 Model 251 Deluxe walk thru
1966 Westfalia so42 Schiebedach fabrik 4864
1967 Model 231 EZ Kamper # 1940
1978 Westfalia P 31 / 1987 Westfalia Wolfram Grau
Split Bus Club / Lost Coast Bays / North Coast Vans
Long may that Split Bus run!
Always and Everywhere Volkswagen

[mtnbus]

great bus ! nice save !

[Lind]

[Peter_N]

Congrats on such a cool find!
I hope the household paint came off relatively easy.
The picture with your kids made me chuckle
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My 1958 PGSG project topic

[crofty]

Great bus!
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Your Vanagon sucks, Stop waving at me.

[Eric&Barb]

[deltabrent]

Very nice Bus. I have an early 62 but a 61 is a rare bird. Look forward to watching this play out!

[Malokin Martin]

The inside mirror and post look like they’ve been there for a very long time...

[Longmont1302]

[Longmont1302]

Today, after running the engine and testing compression one last time, I’m working towards dropping the engine, which I’ve never done before. I was surprised at how easily the apron came off. I drained the oil, got all the wiring sorted out and moved to the side, got the two 17mm nuts off the engine studs, learned that my heater cables are long gone, and futzed with the fuel line a little.

Then I removed the rotted exhaust, which I now suspect I shouldn’t have. I'll bet that would have been handy to tug on the engine with...

One thing I’m particularly unsure about, and didn’t find in my samba and youtube searches, is how best to jack up a split bus engine prior to removal. Someone suggested putting an inexpensive H.F. dolly under the bus to catch and roll the engine (and get the jack out). Maybe something like this?

https://www.harborfreight.com/18-in-x-12-in-1000-lb-capacity-hardwood-dolly-63098.html

Muir’s Idiot book talks about using a 2X4 and two scissor jacks. I don’t have scissor jacks, but I have a hydraulic floor jack and can borrow another from a neighbor.

Can anyone point me to a drawing or photo or video of someone with a good technique for this? I’d really like to make sure I give the engine a soft landing.

[Clara]

You don't need to jack the bus up, as you can remove the rear bumper and apron, which you already did.

I generally use a rolling floor jack. I put the circle under the circular oil plate on the bottom of the engine. Jack it up slightly, to take the weight of the engine, undo the last bolts, and wiggle the motor out.


Pulling the motor out of the camper in Wisconsin in 2005 on a road trip!!! Engine wimped out!!! Rebuild time!!!

It can be useful to have a couple stacks of wood to rest the heater boxes on.

When this jack ^^^ wore out, I bought an aluminium one from Harbor Freight.

If you have space, and want to buy hard to find tools, A motor porter is a bit fancier. It does take up a lot of space. It can lift the motor up to ergonomic working height, or up to put the motor on your Matra engine stand:

[Longmont1302]

Thanks, Clara.

So you place the circular jack right on the sump plate with no wood in-between? When I line up my jack it looks like the circle lifting part would land right on the six 10 mm nuts. Maybe just a small piece of 3/4" plywood in between?

Scott

[mastorna]

I put a little piece of plywood about 5x5 just to distribute the weight with the jack and add a little protection on the sum. I’ve done it both ways and it’s pretty straight forward to move the jack under, put a little lift on the engine and move it out slowly.
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1959 Type II Mango SO-23
1962 Type II Kombi Light Gray
1963 Type II Standard Sunroof SWR\BG
1963 Type II Deluxe MG\PW

[Longmont1302]

Thanks, Mastorna. That's the plan for Sunday.
-Scott

[Clara]

I just use the jack directly on the engine sump metal, but if you want to use plywood rock on.

[oakman]

Congratulations on your new bus!! Your paint stripping is coming out great.

If you have a motorcycle jack available they work great and you don't have to worry about the engine falling off the jack as much.

Almost like it was made for VW engines, perfectly balanced and stable. There are rubber strips where the engine is resting:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1521184.jpg

Mine was a yard sale item, but here's one at Harbor Freight that looks similar:

https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-capacity-atvmotorcycle-lift-60536.html
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Brandon

[OG Velvet]

[velvetgreen]

x3 another vote for motorcycle jack. far more secure on the motorcycle jack than a regular floor jack and weight is even distributed not just on oil sump. Not a huge deal and am sure floor jack would work fine too- either way but makes motor removal *and installs* far easier especially if you are doing it on your own.

Floor jack are much better for jacking front or rear etc of bus up to crawl under it etc. Motorcycle jack seems to be exclusively for engine removal and installation.

Con is that a motorcycle jack takes up more space in your garage and probably costs more .

YMMV

[vwjetboat]

great find.. great kids...lol

[Longmont1302]

Thanks for the tips. The motorcycle jack does look slick. At this point, I am stuck on the final bolt, which in my case is the one above the starter.

I'm doing my best to hold the bolt still, using a socket, a universal joint, and an extension. My 12-year-old is doing his best trying to turn the nut (from behind the fan shroud) with an open-end wrench. Neither of us is having a lot of success. I'm waiting for the neighbor to come home to so I can borrow a 17 mm ratcheting wrench, which may help.

I'm embarrassed to admit how long it took me to get the other upper bolt off, but I did get it off. Baby steps. At least I'm not trying to do this in a snowstorm.