What is This Rare Elated Feeling?

[stuzbot]

I went out to do a job on the van today, swearing and gritting my teeth in anticipation of an afternoon of frustration and grazed knuckles and....

...I actually finished it in about half an hour and with a minimum of fuss!

I'm not sure if I can handle this rare feeling of elation. I'm used to thinking "I've got an hour before dinner. I'll just do this..." and then spending the next three days cursing everyone who's ever worked for VW as I try to wrestle with some piece of the van whose location and bolt distribution seems to have been specifically designed to make it impossible to get near with any tool that actually exists in our sector of the galaxy.

Today's job was replacing the old and knackered Air Intake Ducts with some new piping. My anticipation of another day of frustration due to the fact that, of course, VW decided to make the ducting oval in cross-section and it is impossible to find oval cross-sectioned ducting.

So, out I went with my new circular cross section ducting and then spent 10 mins or so kneeling on it to squish it a bit flatter. Then shoved it down inside the rear pillar where, for some accountable reason, it failed to get stuck... or catch on some fiendishly placed piece of metal... or tear on some jagged edge... and, within about 20 mins, I'd secured either end to snorkel head and air filter housing, changed the air filter, stuck everything back together again and "the job..." [as my old art teacher used to say] "was a good 'un"

For viewers of a UK disposition and for future reference, this was the tubing I bought:

I could probably have got away with 1 meter length but I wanted a bit extra to make it easier to lift the air filter housing out and undo the connectors without having to fiddle about unsighted, in future. I ended up using about 1 1/2 meters.

The 80mm inner diameter was just about right to fit tightly over the fittings at either end and the inner wire springy enough to have some give but not too springy that it wouldn't stay oval-shaped after I squashed it.

New tube with some initial squashage at one end. It needed a bit more than this, as it turned out

Crappy old knackered tube. Barely reached halfway up inside the pillar and was falling to bits and shedding all kinds of crap into the air filter housing.

...and held in place at the filter end with gaffer Tape. Classy!

New tube fitted, with a bit of self-amalgamating rubber tape to ensure a good seal

And, while we're at it, a clean out of the air filter housing and a new air filter

My metal boy should be able to breathe more easily now. I'm surprised he could suck in any air at all with that old junk in place!
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Click to view image
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1992 VW LT35 2,4D [SOLD]
1993 VW LT35 2,4D [SOLD]
1992 VW T3 1,6TD Syncro [SOLD]
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[E1]

Fantastic post, Congrats on saving some time (for once, if me ).

PS -- Know if you load it up for a trip you'll have a "Heavy Metal Boy," which of course changes everything and demands a drive to the barber for a fluorescent Mohawk.

Rock On, Beast.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Ahwahnee]

[dhaavers]

x2... but enjoy it while it lasts...


Link



- Dave
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[Wasted youth]

Neat!

You've just been deceived. This peaceful, easy feeling... is bait. You are now motivated to continue the war from this singular battle won, and you will be punished roundly for having a good experience.

[E1]

I'm still thinking Mohawk here........ Pa-leeease be sure it matches the van for the extra touch of class that will bring.

The peaceful, easy feeling is about 3:15 to fit into the American Top 40 requirements.

Please play at 20 rpm to extend the bliss another couple minutes, then throw this on to re-confront Truth, pull out the wrenches, and get to it, Man:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z2kBG5dcVtU
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[mikemtnbike]

I opened this assuming it was another thread about Canada and legal weed. So disappointing...

(that the thread isn't about that).

Glad your mechanics worked out, though.
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual

[bobbyblack]

[djkeev]

I had the opposite experience the other day.

My Oil Cooler Oring is four years old. It was an after market seal as well.

I went to VW, paid $8 for a new "latest technology" seal and thought I'd slap it on there!

It is getting colder and massive oil loss in Winter isn't high on my list of good things!

I Removed the filter, let the cooler drain out.
Loosened the nut, let the cooler drain out.
Got out my internal pipe wrench, it didn't budge!
Pulled a little harder and SNAP!!!!! The wrench literally broke inside the pipe!

Crap!

Went out to the spare engine and got off the nut so I could double nut the pipe and remove it.
For the life of me I couldn't get the two nuts tight enough to back out the pipe!

I went out to the spare engine and double nutted the pipe knowing that I'd bu using vise grips to get that darn pipe out and I wanted a good one in my hand to install after I did.
This pipe removal went well!

I had the vice grips in hand and it suddenly occured to me that I have a selection of Irwin shouldered broken fastener remover tools that go quite large.

Found the blue plastic box, opened it up and bingo! A perfect fit inside the pipe!

I tapped it in, put a wrench on it and it turned right out!

I then had to find all the broken tool bits and account for every chip, don't want to leave metal residue inside the oil galley, a magnet made simple work of this task.

I slipped on the new Oring after greasing it up and Double nutted the pipe then spun in in.

Put on the single nut and tightened it as 10c says to.

It went together well but this 30 minute job took an hour and a half and I had drawn blood in the process!

Dave
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[Buggeee]

[dhaavers]

[Buggeee]