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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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 Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 11:35 am Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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Friday morning i made a call to the local shop and they said they would give the alignment a try if i dropped it off for a few hours.
here is what they were able to do:
that front passenger side camber is pissing me off. the rear outward bolts are frozen and will be dealt with when i replace the bushings. they figured while they were there, might as well see if they could get it dialed in. nope.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 12:21 pm Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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the 13 year apparently likes my boots and cats music... time for a speaker upgreyedd!
5.25" MB Quarts installed in the very beat door panels. i have a pair of 6.5" for the rear, but that will have to wait.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32574
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 7:11 pm Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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| djkeev wrote: |
Nice!
Glad you are getting more "kid time" !
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after i install the rear springs and shocks (the bushings will be done later), the dining room parts warehouse will be almost empty.
the plan has been to get tons of kid time with the majority of the wrenching done. we have our first campout in the Westy coming up in a few weeks. we are both very excited even it's just an overnighter. he has grown and is nearly as tall as the Westy!
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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dobryan
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Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16501
Location: Brookeville, MD
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Jake de Villiers
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Joined: October 24, 2007
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Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2021 6:11 am Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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yesterday after work i walked out to the Westy to head to the park and got a whiff of coolant. didn't see any on the ground so i took a look around the engine and found this:
the failure was not apparent until i pushed the hose backward to expose the split. it was weeping coolant more than leaking. glad i caught it.
i trimmed the hose to remove the split section and reinstalled. it was one of the many items on back order last summer and thankfully this hose is now back in stock. replacement ordered, should be here in time to replace this weekend.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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brickster
Samba Member
Joined: January 05, 2004
Posts: 512
Location: CO, USA
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2021 7:14 am Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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That's kind of a nightmare scenario for me right there! Is your low coolant sender functioning?
I just got one of the GW cooling system pressurization pumps and I feel like it's already paid for itself. I found several small leaks and was able to seal them up easily with the engine completely cool (most were just loose clamps, but one of them was a cloth covered OEM with many small holes  )
They're currently sold out, but you can also make one for cheap. |
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dobryan
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Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16501
Location: Brookeville, MD
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2021 7:27 am Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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| brickster wrote: |
That's kind of a nightmare scenario for me right there! Is your low coolant sender functioning?
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the sender works, the coolant wasn't low. i happen to catch a whiff of coolant and it got me hunting.
| dobryan wrote: |
Often I'll sniff the at D pillar vents after the end of a drive just to make sure I only smell the usual smells. |
likewise. no hint after i drove. we had a pressure change overnight so i think that allowed some to dribble out. it was just enough for me to smell as i was about to open the rear hatch.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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4Gears4Tires
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Joined: October 08, 2018
Posts: 3018
Location: MD
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2021 7:32 am Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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I did not realize sniffing my D pillar is a required after driving activity. Was there a sticky about this?
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'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2021 7:37 am Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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| 4Gears4Tires wrote: |
| I did not realize sniffing my D pillar is a required after driving activity. Was there a sticky about this? |
kinky.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2021 6:58 pm Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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took advantage of the stupid nice weather after work to swap out the rear shocks and springs.
well worn and tired.
that was quick.
give me a lever long enough and i can swap the springs and shocks.
fancy.
took the Westy for a quick cruise around... i feel like i'm sitting on top of the world now, huge difference. hit the gas station and filled up, we are now ready for adventure.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32574
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 5:00 am Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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| djkeev wrote: |
If you go wandering North this weekend, swing by, swap out those ridiculously strong lift gate shocks and get your key chime and some fused relays.
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i might be in Reading on Saturday, i'll keep you posted.
as for the wheel bearings, yeah, they are on my list when i do the rear bushings. i had no clue the bearings were that bad on the tin top, everyone said to send it, so i did. and don't act like you don't love this 
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 11:00 am Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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Monday i replaced the caliper slider boots. when i put the brakes back together after redoing the suspension i noticed a boot was torn. pretty straight forward job, and i applied Sil-Glyde to make thinks nice and smooth.
i was having some squealing on the passenger side that would go away when i depressed the brake pedal. i took some time to investigate that and discovered to my shock that the rotor was loose. not terribly loose like on the driver's side!!!
after i fixed both rotors and assembled everything, the stupid noise was still there. back home i pulled the passenger side apart and decided to flip the pads. went for a drive and that seemed to have fixed it. not sure what was causing the noise, but it seems to have been resolved.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:13 pm Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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the squeal is still there, albeit not always. the noise is present on some turns and sometimes on straights, but infrequently now. if something is embedded in the pad on that side it will wear away after some mountain running this weekend 
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32574
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:23 pm Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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| djkeev wrote: |
Brake squeal is pad vibration in its holder.
Clean the holder with a file and grease the edges of the brake pad.
They make a special "goo" for the back of the pad contact to the piston.
Put some on.
The squeal will probably go away.
Dave |
i have cleaned the carrier where the pad contacts, no rough surfaces found, the pads easily move in and out. i have applied lube to the pad contact points on the carrier. i will apply the lube to the pad that contacts the piston and hope that helps. it's far less annoying now, but i'd prefer it to be gone.
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1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
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dabaron
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Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:50 pm Post subject: Re: The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue |
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pulled the front brakes apart today and applied the lube to the pad contact points in the carrier and the caliper. hope this fixes the high pitch noise.
apparently Destructo can't hear it so he said there was no issue
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1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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