1971 Westfalia “Fitz” saved from the scrapper

[Shonandb]

Nice work on the rocker!
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76 Westy with a 2.5L Subaru SOHC + Vanagon (010) Automatic Transaxle
Build & Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758760
Previous 1973 Panel Bus:
Click to view image

[Ceckert64]

[Ceckert64]

Today I worked on patching the floors, it’s a little ugly but I just need floors that are solid enough and don’t let water through. I got pretty far and then ran out of shield gas so I won’t be able to finish floors this weekend I still have plenty to do though.

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1964 sunroof Beetle Restoration "Herbie"
“Joann” 1970 Elm Green Squareback
1972 Sierra Yellow Tin Top Westfalia Camper
“Fitz” 1971 Westfalia Poptop

[Ceckert64]

Today I worked on getting a good 72 transmission setup from the spare 71 transmission so I can put that in the 72 and take out the 091. I started by cleaning the one that I’m using and then tore both down. I put the 72 transmission together and put the 71 parts on it that is didn’t want, the shorter input shaft, bell housing and the differential. The 71 transmission is getting all the parts to make it work with the type 4. I didn’t mind the gearing it had when I first started driving it but the 72 trans was popping out of fourth. I discovered today the pinion shaft had axial play and the nut for the pinion bearing was loose and only stopped by the peening for it. So that transmission is definitely shot. I have all the gaskets and seals on order so I should be able to build it out later in the week. I also will get more shield gas tomorrow so I’ll be able to finish up the welding.

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1964 sunroof Beetle Restoration "Herbie"
“Joann” 1970 Elm Green Squareback
1972 Sierra Yellow Tin Top Westfalia Camper
“Fitz” 1971 Westfalia Poptop

[yugo42]

Great work! I love this thread because I have almost all of these same repairs in my future, and since you aren't as easily distracted as me it's fun to watch the progress. My frame is more solid but your panels are generally not as crunchy as mine. I opted to take out the whole cargo floor so we'll see if that was the right choice.

[soissisc]

Axial play in the pinion shaft... I have a trans sitting here, and if I grab both output cv flanges and try to rotate back and forth, I can hear slop towards the nose cone end of the trans. Not a lot of radial movement is allowed when moving the cv flanges back and forth, but you can hear a click or clunk up towards the nosecone end. I suspect some slop there in that bearing area. Would I have to pull the bell housing off to get a visual on that pinion nut area?

Is that where you noticed slop?
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Mark

68 Westy
92 Jetta (oh it is retired)
99 Eurovan
05 NBC
06 Audi A3
72 Westy (I am going to fix it up)

[Ceckert64]

[soissisc]

That makes sense, I may check it out before I throw the trans back in there. I could have a look at everything else in there. Thanks.
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Mark

68 Westy
92 Jetta (oh it is retired)
99 Eurovan
05 NBC
06 Audi A3
72 Westy (I am going to fix it up)

[Ceckert64]

[Ceckert64]

Didn’t get much metal work done today, all I did was one patch in the wheel well. The inner dog leg is shot on the left side sadly. That’ll be a long off project though.

But I did get the front end in, new shocks in after having to remove and old seized collar. I got steering connected and calipers on but I still have to hook everything else up but it looks good with the fresh paint. I also sprayed some fluid film into the beam and frame to stop them from rusting.

And then wheels on the ground again. I have to take the rear wheels off tomorrow to finish the rear wheel wells. I also did a bug cleanup after this picture.

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1964 sunroof Beetle Restoration "Herbie"
“Joann” 1970 Elm Green Squareback
1972 Sierra Yellow Tin Top Westfalia Camper
“Fitz” 1971 Westfalia Poptop

[Abscate]

Get your self a little safety stand for your coverage gas, Luke

Those are kind of bad when they fall over and clip off the valve.
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.ssS!

[Ceckert64]

[Abscate]

Yesterday? Slacker!

I have seen a full tank at 2000 psi go off. It leaves quite an impression, both figuratively and literally.

Early in my youth a group of us decided it would be cool to see what would happen if you knocked a valve off on a tank at a riverfront, with a sledge.

Chaos ensued
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.ssS!

[Ceckert64]

[Ceckert64]

Today I got the last outrigger installed. Then finished wire wheeling the underside, roughed up some of the new panels, and got everything primed. It all turned out decent, it’s nice to see it all looking nice and uniform. It was cold and took forever to get the underside painted. All the nooks and crannies to get in are a pain.

Then I got to work on the transmission. I grabbed my new seals for the transmission, the input and output shaft seals were from rock auto, and the output shaft seals are nowhere close to right, they have the wrong ones shown as right, so that was frustrating. They almost look like stub axle seals I at least got the nose cone back on with a new gasket.
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1964 sunroof Beetle Restoration "Herbie"
“Joann” 1970 Elm Green Squareback
1972 Sierra Yellow Tin Top Westfalia Camper
“Fitz” 1971 Westfalia Poptop

[Ceckert64]

Today I started on the rear brakes to switch it up a bit. All the adjusters were seized up, the ebrake cables were shot and seized up, and all the associated hardware was rusty. I started by unscrewing the part of the adjuster the shoe sits in. Then in took a long bolt and drove it in to ouch the adjusters out.

After I got everything out, I wire wheeled it all down. I used some pipe brushes to clean the threads inside the start part of the adjuster and the part the adjuster sits in, and wire wheeled the outside of everything else. I cleaned everything really well and then brushed on anti seize and reassembled. I put that stuff on any spot that would have some movement or could seize. It worked great though, all the adjusters turned smooth as butter. I also put a good amount of grease on the ebrake cables.

After that I painted the cargo floors, but then I ran out of paint

After that I fiddled with the Subaru engine and took the flywheel off. Cleaned up a bit because everything was everywhere then I fiddled with the wiring on the bus. Only the headlights/driving lights worked and the front hazards, no brake lights or turn signals. Turned out one connector was broken on the rear left to the bulb and the rear right just needed the bulb wiggled. I got the right turn signal to work but only the rear left attempts to light for left, the front doesn’t light up, but it does on hazards. I’ll have to look at the wiring diagrams. I was just really happy I got the rear working because the wires in back are badly butchered from trailer wiring.

On another note, I found this green shoe tucked into the cavity under the front left seat. It was shoved between the wheel well and the cable for the walk through heater vent, the heel was tucked into the front of the shoe so it was folded in half, it was shoved in there though, you had to be at the right angle to see it. Super strange. Any superstitious reasons someone would put a green vinyl show tucked up there?

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1964 sunroof Beetle Restoration "Herbie"
“Joann” 1970 Elm Green Squareback
1972 Sierra Yellow Tin Top Westfalia Camper
“Fitz” 1971 Westfalia Poptop

[Abscate]

Too bad. If it was an old brown shoe George Harrison would have wept to get his Bus guitar back ….
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.ssS!

[Ceckert64]

Who ever it was I hope they take this shoe back it really kinda creeps me out

Yesterday I got the underside of the floor painted and that was about it, I was tired so I called it after that.

Today was a bunch of random work. First, doing another clean of the garage, attempting to get all the wire wheel wires off the floor so they stop getting in my clothes and poking me. After that, I cut the old Bowden tube off, it was shot and seized in place. I got a new one in but I think it needs adjusting as I couldn’t adjust the clutch cable enough before I ran out of threads. I thought it looked good but it must not have enough sag.

Next up we’re finishing up the brakes, I had to run a new long section of line between the proportioning valve and rear T as I accidentally had nicked the line while replacing that frame. One of the bolts had also broken on the proportioning valve that holds it to the frame. It seized on the bolt shank, no threads, it was so rusted that the slip fit part of the bolt into the proportioning valve that I couldn’t get it to move, I tried to drill it out but the didn’t work. I tried welding a piece of metal to the broken bolt, no luck. It was just super seized so I decided to just stick it on with one bolt and line the other one up properly. It was annoying. I also had to install the power brake booster, then the master cylinder and hook up the line to the reservoir. Now I just need to bleed the brakes and it should be good.

I also got the shifter cleaned up, wire wheeled off all the rust, regreased and put it back together. The front bushing is definitely shot for the front shift rod section.

I decided to start the bus up and run it for a bit. It ran good but then I realized it was leaking badly of gas I also got the subie engine on the engine stand and test fit the adapter parts.

Now it’s snowing again and supposed to be a big snow storm tonight

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1964 sunroof Beetle Restoration "Herbie"
“Joann” 1970 Elm Green Squareback
1972 Sierra Yellow Tin Top Westfalia Camper
“Fitz” 1971 Westfalia Poptop

[Ceckert64]

Yesterday I attempted to blend the paint into patina. I first sanded the primer a bit to get it smooth. Then I used two reds to try to match the color, it didn’t turn out well. I’m leaving it for now as I need to finish mechanical things. I’ll probably do the filler and everything else later on.

Then yesterday I started tearing down the Subaru engine. I had to get some parts and tools from the store so that ate up a lot of time as well as ordering some of the last parts. I got the heads off and got it cleaned up a bit.

Today, the yellow bus didn’t want to start after work and that delayed me leaving and hour and a half and getting work done. I think it was a combo of a bad TS2 and a ripped vacuum boot (replaced less than a year ago ) then the battery died trying to start it and I couldn’t get it push started.

After all that, I cleaned the subie block up at the mating surfaces, put the rebuilt heads on, torqued them down, got the timing belt back on and associated parts, and got the air oil separator in. I also spent some time cleaning the garage.

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1964 sunroof Beetle Restoration "Herbie"
“Joann” 1970 Elm Green Squareback
1972 Sierra Yellow Tin Top Westfalia Camper
“Fitz” 1971 Westfalia Poptop

[Abscate]

See your Doctor and get a Tetnus booster if you aren’t up to date , with all that scrap metal pieces.

Dr Abscate
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.ssS!