What did YOU do to your van today?

[Popsvan]

Grimace990,

Was that done with a roller? looks good! Did that once with Rustoleum gloss white, came out really good.
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Rory
Louisa VA
87 Westy Automatic

[90Doka_Guy]

Grimace990, that does look great. Well done!

I had some severe clutch chatter in reverse only. to the point where reverse was completely unusable unless I slipped the clutch above about 3500RPM. I decided to replace the transmission mount with the urethane mount from T3 technique since the mount on the van was original and showing age (great mount by the way, highly recommended). I replaced the motor mounts too since they had some age on them and I figured it couldn't hurt. No change at all so I decided that I need to drop the transmission and investigate the clutch. In the process of removing the trans, I noticed that the lower trans to engine nuts were way loose and the bottom of the trans had separated about 3/16"-1/4". Tightened them up and all was good with the clutch. That was a bit tough to swallow. I'm sure my pilot bearing, trans input shaft, and its bearings are really pissed off at me now.
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-'87 Westy
-'90 Tintop
-'90 DOKA

[Andymon]

Installed my 4 T# center caps!

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"Blanch" '85 Westy
"Too many freaks and not enough circuses".

[chrisfreemanca]

Pulled top off, scrubbed inside roof to rid it of grime and mold, brought the burgundy fiberglass on top back to life with Penetrol, installed new Bus Depot tent, washed top bunk deck and cushion covers.

That Penetrol is the bomb!

[Paulbeard]

• Discovered/confirmed the aux battery PO put under the seat is dead
• Picked up a 140ah deep cell battery to replace it from FLAPS for $84 (house brand, made by Johnson Controls)
• Picked up a 3/8" flare cap to completely decommission the Dometic; TruckFridge to be ordered this week

I guess I can put the seats back together as I no longer need to work under there. The new battery will go under the bench. Now to re-figure the whole wiring scheme for the ACR that started this whole process.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[djkeev]

Paul, educate yourself about charging that new battery if paired with a flooded wet cell starter battery. They like very different charge protocols. Most likely One of them will experience a short life.

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

[Paulbeard]

[artacoma]

1000km on my Subie swap and AA rebuilt trans, changed oil and trans oil and all looks great!
Obligatory pic of plug and trans fill setup, used 4.25 liters of MT90

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Cheers
Rik
86 Syncro Tintop
2.5 Subie
86 Doka
2.5 Subie

[ohhorob]

Finally got around to adding an SSI-4 to the LC-2 Wideband O2 Controller.

The LC-2 has been emulating a regular "narrow" O2 sensor for a while now, but I wanted to better understand other variable signals used by the ECU. The SSI-4 is 4 channels of input, which I've set up as follows:

Ch1 -- RPM (connected to an Inductive clamp accessory, but it's not working)
Ch2 -- Duty Cycle / Injector Pulse
Ch3 -- O2 volts
Ch4 -- AFM volts

O2 volts is just to verify the simulation from the O2 controller, so I'll probably change that to the Coolant Temp (Temp II) or Throttle position switch in the near future.

I made up a long 3-wire serial cable for the computer connection, so now I can watch and record Air-Fuel mixture plus the others from a laptop the front of the cabin. (I'm wondering if a decent Bluetooth-Serial dongle would have the radio signal range to get from the engine compartment to the passenger seat?)

While I was sorting out the ECU signals for the Innovate gear, I also removed the DigiTool soldering from the ECU circuit board. To replace it, I have a wiring harness connector splice to do the signal splitting (Similar to what Dogpilot did way back when). Currently it's just 18 AWG wires passing through the signal to the ECU, but I plan on having PCB made to host the AMP Timer connector.

This is an 85 (Digijet) with a Go Westy 2.3L rebuilt engine, so I eliminated the intermediate DigiTool circuit box by using the corresponding wiring changes, and omitting the Coil and Hall pulse signals (they require some transistor components).

Why? Well, it's time for CA smog again, and I've had some trouble with stumbly idle and bad hesitation under load. I've disconnected the Aux Air Reg because of NLA Y and T air hose connectors that I broke, so cold idle has been problematic too.

Reviewing the captured signals, I tried adjusting the AFM CO/bypass (CCW a few turns), and problem solved. Running strong again, but still need to figure out some Aux Air Regulator joiner parts..

If folks are interested, I can share the modified DigiTool wiring, and SSI-4 connections.

I'm curious if anyone else has been able to monitor their RPMs.. either with Innovate gear or other equipment?
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"Gundy" - '85 Westfalia
GoWesty 2300cc, Digijet

[Jean-Guy Bernier]

I began the installation of an electric power steering on my 82 diesel Vanagon...

[dobryan]

[BigNick0]

Upgraded to a slightly better stereo yesterday. While at it I:

1. Repaired drivers side door pocket by rebuilding plastic threads with putty epoxy and painting them black when it dried. It worked very well.

2. Fixed broken speaker wire and power lock wire in door hinge area. Pulled the whole loom out of the door. I actually pushed new wires through the existing rubber boot with a small steel rod (pretty easy) and used splice connectors under the dash. Got the rubber boot perfectly seated under the dash and in the door also. The door locks ALMOST work now!

3. Re-sealed the vapor barrier in the driver's side door. Amazingly the original factory barrier is in one piece with no tears in it. Just some dead adhesive around the bottom.

4. Glued the dash pad around the ashtray and over the edge above the stereo with contact cement. It seems to be holding VERY well.

The stereo I bought actually sounds decent through the stock-sized speakers in the door and in the rear AC housing. It's good enough for my non-audiophile ears. None of the speakers are blown and I can turn it up loud enough to hear over the engine drone without distortion. Plus bluetooth.. so it's nice.

Next task is to source some new tires with proper load rating.
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91 Carat 2.1

[pablum]

I took off the rear right wheel today to investigate drag on the wheel and a grinding noise.

The optimist in me said it couldn't be the wheel bearing.

Sure enough, I found a folded up and ground bit of metal in the drum. And the brake shoe looked unworn. Thought it was one of those flimsy spring holders from the backing plate.

I then saw the self-adjust spring had fallen off the back of the tine thingy that fits into the gears of that turnbuckle like thingy.

No, the back of the tine thingy had broken off entirely, whence the folded bit of metal.

So, replace shoes because that little part was so flimsy. At least it wasn't the backing plate.

[dhaavers]

^^^ This has happened to me twice with Meyle shoes.

(Never again... )
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[Easywind1975]

Ooh good day sunshine!

Replace hi pressure oil temp sensor with shade tree mechanic wire harness repair. PO had grounded out harness, I hope it was to mitigate a bad sensor not a bigger issue......

Put proper crush washer on oil relief spring valve, should stop all oil leaks now.

Need a good shakedown cruise before trip to OBX in July.
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1991 Vanagon GL
2013 Passat
2017 Jetta Sport

[Paulbeard]

Finally broke loose the nut on the fridge gasline to complete its decommissioning. The cap fitting is actually a 1/2" fitting on mine, not the 3/8" I thought it was. 3/8" line, maybe. Cut the line with shears to pull it through the hold under the galley.

Pulled back all the 8AWG wire I threaded through the bottom of the battery box to connect to the BlueSeas ACR which is now going to be under the bench with the new battery.

Lots of wire and terminals to sort out now, maybe even a proper crimp tool.

And just ordered a TF49 from WestyVentures…
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[pablum]

I had them in a box for months, but I finally installed the new fancy plastic air dams around the radiator needed since the time I removed and flushed the radiator.

The old dams were oil soaked paper and, after 30 years of service, fell apart as they were removed from the van.

Doing this has, at first blush, had a noticeable effect on the engine temperature, as the gauge indicator is now about another 1/8 of it's range lower than without damns. I feel the radiator fan isn't coming on when it normally would have on hot days.

Those German engineers knew what they were doing when they put them in the design.

Yum!

[bobbyblack]

After 3 weeks in my garage, transmission out, new clutch/PP, new engine main and flywheel o-ring seal and transaxle input shaft seal, and CV cleanup, I got everything back together, and just before dark, started her up and took her down the road.

Glorious!

Now, plotting the next, hopefully smallish projects to tackle. Skylight kit has been waiting...
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[kourt]

Big cooling system repairs... a whole day on my back under the van.

- van up on ramps
- remove upper and lower front grilles
- remove spare tire and carrier
- drain coolant
- remove radiator/condenser assembly
- remove shroud and radiator fan
- test fan with car battery and jumper cables (failed--not spinning)
- replace fan with another used unit
- remove original plastic long coolant lines
- install new RMW stainless coolant lines
- install front heater core shutoff valve
- reroute front AC condensation hose so that it doesn't dump condensate on the radiator fan (probably contributed to its failure)
- reinstall radiator/condenser assembly
- reinstall spare tire carrier and tire
- refill coolant using bug sprayer pressure tank method
- start and idle van for 30 minutes; observe Stage 1 fan operation
- let van cool down
- test coolant levels

Happy this work is done, but what a day--95 degrees outside.

kourt

[ajdenette]

Not today but a couple weekends ago I turned a rust hole into this:

opened up the hole to this

welded in a replacement foot well:

and a coating of paint to protect all that fresh work:

I still want to pull the pad and weld up the holes in the Drivers side but had to call it quits after getting a piece of hot metal in my eye and having to go to the emergency room. I also need to get matching paint to put in a top coat and add some texture to the step.
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1985 2wd Westy with 2000 Subaru 2.2 current driver
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=685635
1986 Syncro Doka Project next in line
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=732777
1990 Vanagon Syncro Base awaiting body work