Rob's Blue Bus

Bus, Microbus, Transporter, Station Wagon, Vanagon, Camper, Pick-Up.

Moderators: Sluggo, Amskeptic

Post Reply
User avatar
hambone
Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
Location: Portland, Ore.
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by hambone » Fri Jan 03, 2014 4:38 pm

Congrats, that sure is a good feeling. Enjoy that new baby!
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by bajaman72 » Fri Jan 03, 2014 9:01 pm

Drove to the DMV today. About 10 miles each way through town (stop and go) Got my plates and registration :) Bus ran fine. A few thing to square away though. I had no brake or tail lights. Fixed those as soon as I got home. Also the alternator isn't charging. Light is on at all times. I will try to figure that out tomorrow.

I have a few wires to figure out where they go.
Nuthin' but progress and good times from here :cheers:
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

User avatar
Amskeptic
IAC "Help Desk"
IAC "Help Desk"
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Jan 04, 2014 4:07 pm

bajaman72 wrote: alternator isn't charging. Light is on at all times.
I have a few wires to figure out where they go.
Let us know if it was the blue wire not plugged in at the regulator harness . . .
Colin :scratch:
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by bajaman72 » Sat Jan 04, 2014 5:18 pm

Double checked all the connections. Everything okay.
Tried Ratwells site:
No polarity at the Alt. with key off, on, or engine running.
Jumped the red and green wires and I did get a magnet reaction (with key on) on the tip of the alternator although not very strong.
My 73 Baja uses the same regulator so I swapped them out and the light stays on. Guessing it's the alternator.
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by bajaman72 » Sat Jan 04, 2014 11:33 pm

Also reading more at Ratwells site is says to verify the integrity of the harness itself. I guess that would be fair.
Wiring so far seems to be okay. I have a few wires chewed up in the back and not sure where they go. Only things not working are reverse lights (easy I think) and the blinkers in the rear.
I'll dig into this a little later. Work starts back up on Monday and I need to take a break from my "Vacation" :scratch:
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by bajaman72 » Sat Jan 11, 2014 9:54 pm

Took the alternator out today. Harness is checking out okay. Took apart the alternator and cleaned up the crunchy grease and fixed the sticky brushes. Re-assembled and re-installed and it still doesn't work! :angryfire:
Monday I will call the local rebuilder and go from there. I see AutoZone has them for $70 ($50+$20 Core) If I go this route I will be keeping my original alternator.
Still waiting for a bunch of seals and a throttle rebuild kit to come in.

A Little Progress.. But any progress is always good. :thumbleft:
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by bajaman72 » Mon Jan 13, 2014 5:14 pm

Fixed my linkage so now I have confirmed full throttle. Boy what a difference that makes! Called the local rebuilder and was quoted $45 for the alternator. I'll send it in on Thursday.
Also tried getting my heater aux. fan working but no luck.
Is there a way to test directly on a battery to make sure the motor even works without damaging it?
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

User avatar
Amskeptic
IAC "Help Desk"
IAC "Help Desk"
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:25 pm

bajaman72 wrote:Fixed my linkage so now I have confirmed full throttle. Boy what a difference that makes! Called the local rebuilder and was quoted $45 for the alternator. I'll send it in on Thursday.
Also tried getting my heater aux. fan working but no luck.
Is there a way to test directly on a battery to make sure the motor even works without damaging it?
Spin motor by hand. You *will* feel magnetic resistance "stripes" as you turn it. This is OK. If it is mechanically difficult to turn, then hit it with a baptism of penetrating oil, turn back and forth.

The motor won't care if you reverse polarity, but look at fan blade end and make sure that you get your polarity straightened out quickly for a clockwise turn. Help it start if necessary. Run for brief periods to help it break in without overheating.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

rustbus
I'm New!
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by rustbus » Tue Jan 14, 2014 10:23 pm

great bus - great thread!

the world is running out of rust free buses and i still dont have one yet :(

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by bajaman72 » Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:55 pm

Thanks rustbus!

I can feel a little magnetic resistance when I turn it by hand. I read that it get's it's power from the blue wire at the Voltage Regulator.(?) With my alternator not working, that would explain the fan not working. (I'm totally speculating here)

Got an order in from AirHead Parts.
Left and right Heater Tube Seals
Left and Right Heater Tubes
Metal Timing Pointer
Accelerator Repair Kit.

Tonight I will be taking the alternator off so I can drop it off tomorrow after work.
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

User avatar
Amskeptic
IAC "Help Desk"
IAC "Help Desk"
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Jan 15, 2014 9:20 pm

bajaman72 wrote:Thanks rustbus!

I can feel a little magnetic resistance when I turn it by hand. I read that it get's it's power from the blue wire at the Voltage Regulator.(?) With my alternator not working, that would explain the fan not working. (I'm totally speculating here)
You sure are. Read my Relays rap in the Double Relay sticky. Come back here when you have the essential 30/87/86/85 terminals MEMORIZED.

Now then:
30 - comes from starter solenoid and has an inline fuse near the fan motor.
87 - yellow black wires to motor itself. Motor grounds via a brown wire that has to go around the rubber isolators in order to actually ground at the support bolts on the ceiling
85 - ground
86 - control wire that ALLOWS 30 to pass volts to 87 to motor. this control wire hooks to the blue wire at the regulator.
Git'erdone . . .
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by bajaman72 » Thu Jan 16, 2014 11:17 am

Thanks Colin.
Last night as I was removing the alternator I noticed the wire going to the starter was on the wrong post :scratch: So I re-installed the alternator and and now my light goes out and the system is charging :cheers:

Although my blower fan is still not working. I beleive it is the Brown wire you speak of on the line for 87..
I don't remeber hooking up a ground at the ceiling, i'll double check that when I get home.

Since I haven't posted any pics latley I will throw this one up. Last weekend at my buddy's house for a short block assembly, well, we drank a bunch of beer while watching him do the build :geek:

Image

I don't drive it much due to the tires and I still need to grease bearings and check brakes. I try to keep my drives withing a few miles from my house.
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by bajaman72 » Sun Jan 19, 2014 9:13 am

Got a little more work done today. Got the heater fan working. The brown wire coming out by the coil was the ground for it. I had to clean it up the connection a little, but it works as it should.
Also got one of my blinkers working in the rear. Just had to mess with the connections in the back a little. I'll get the other one working today.
My wife is off today and wants to go for a ride :) When we are done I will recruit her for Clean and Detail Duty :geek:
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by bajaman72 » Mon Jan 20, 2014 7:24 pm

:argue:

Well, no help from the wife this weekend in cleaning. She did enjoy the ride and heard plans of future trips if I can get decent rubber under it and make sure she is stable :cheers:

I cleaned 2 windows on the inside then gave up. Those things are HUGE!
Short trips here and there. The MAYPOP on the left rear is starting to seep air so I don't expect it to last much longer... unless money falls from my tree soon , i'll have to make used tired do until the end of the year.

I still need to wash it (I never have) and remove the rear seat to vacuum out the rest of the Rat Dung :pukeright: Then on to the Rat Dung in the heater pipes.. (my wife) "Do you smell that?!?" (me) "smells like an old heater burnin off some cobwebs honey" :geek:

Somehow we are still excited the heater even works, a luxury Booger has never had... mabey someday :blackeye:
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

User avatar
Amskeptic
IAC "Help Desk"
IAC "Help Desk"
Status: Offline

Re: Rob's Blue Bus

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Jan 20, 2014 9:54 pm

bajaman72 wrote:
I cleaned 2 windows on the inside then gave up. Those things are HUGE!

Somehow we are still excited the heater even works... mabey someday :blackeye:
VWs do help keep our expectations low so that we are pleasantly surprised by the simplest things.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

Post Reply