Itinerant Air-Cooled

to test for bad diode, simply set your Voltmeter or multimeter to AC (lowest range available). Thats AC milliVolts
rattach pos lead to batt+ and neg lead to Batt neg/ground. Above 50mV or so is too much

the miz wrote:

phaedrus76 wrote:Huge congratulations on finally getting to drive your bus again. I'll hope your trips to and from work are eventless. Man, you've been through the ringer with this!

Thanks! ...looks like I'll actually get to bring my bus to the IAC party during Colin's visit this year!

miz

That is good news. I'm shooting to be there with mine too, but it's starting to look real iffy.

FYI, there's a great alternator and starter rebuilder here in Bloomington. Have had both done over the last year with very good results. Definitely good with the Bosch stuff.

dingo wrote:to test for bad diode, simply set your Voltmeter or multimeter to AC (lowest range available). Thats AC milliVolts
rattach pos lead to batt+ and neg lead to Batt neg/ground. Above 50mV or so is too much

Thanks for the tip, I'll try that.
-miz

phaedrus76 wrote: That is good news. I'm shooting to be there with mine too, but it's starting to look real iffy.

FYI, there's a great alternator and starter rebuilder here in Bloomington. Have had both done over the last year with very good results. Definitely good with the Bosch stuff.

I really hope your bus is ready, I've been dying to see your restoration work in person, it's been at least a 3 year project, right?

Thanks for the recommendation on the Bloomington rebuilder, I'll hit you up for the details if necessary. Bloomington is much more convenient...and a solid rec. is better than going in blind!

-miz

So did your trip to/from work the other day go well? Going for another drive when the weather dries out this weekend?

Yes, my project has been going on for over 3 years now. Looking like a long shot to get it done enough to drive by Colin's visit, as things became very busy on a deadline with work. Trying to get a little more done on the Sink/Stove cabinet this weekend, but very little free time still.

the miz wrote:

phaedrus76 wrote:Huge congratulations on finally getting to drive your bus again. I'll hope your trips to and from work are eventless. Man, you've been through the ringer with this!

Thanks! ...looks like I'll actually get to bring my bus to the IAC party during Colin's visit this year!

miz

It is a relief to hear that the engine is driving you down the road. Good starting now? I look forward to driving it.
Colin

Currently, my HFM rebuild is running very well, and I will most likely be doing the 200 mile oil change and forensic valve adjustment/Colinstylecheck this weekend. Absolutely no oil leaks or drips. Frankly, I'm amazed.

phaedrus76 wrote:So did your trip to/from work the other day go well? Going for another drive when the weather dries out this weekend?

Yes, my project has been going on for over 3 years now. Looking like a long shot to get it done enough to drive by Colin's visit, as things became very busy on a deadline with work. Trying to get a little more done on the Sink/Stove cabinet this weekend, but very little free time still.

Yeah, the trip to and from work went well...and I drove out to Pierce County, WI (River Falls) over the weekend.

It would be cool, if you could at least drive your bus when Colin is here...I hear you about having enough time to work on the details...

miz

Amskeptic wrote: It is a relief to hear that the engine is driving you down the road. Good starting now? I look forward to driving it.
Colin

I know, right? We are at the stage of "functional" right now...but I'm looking forward to your assistance to dial it in...we've got a camping trip scheduled for early July...so I'm glad you'll visit before then!

Still trying to eradicate a small oil leak on one of the valve covers....it is annoying, as it drips right on to the #1 exhaust header and blows oil smoke into the cab...family does not like this.

Starting is still a bit rough...really need to keep it revved for a few minutes until it is a bit warmed up to keep it from bogging down and dying.

Idle can be variable, I'm assuming this is a fine tuning/distributor issue?

...you'll get to experience it soon, I'm looking forward to that.

miz

the miz wrote: Still trying to eradicate a small oil leak on one of the valve covers....it is annoying to family.

Starting is still a bit rough...

Are these the shiny shiny shiny AMC valve cover surfaces? OEM VW heads had finely machined milling grooves to help the cork gaskets seal (ah . . . duh), while the shiny shiny shiny surfaces do not. Are your valve cover bales a fight to get into position? They should be. You might want to get those new VW valve covers/bales available from Bus Depot the last I remember. Or, you could try the silicone 914 gaskets with whatever they recommend for installation. This is a priority.
Colin

(rough starting, we can look at it . . . welcome to the world of big honkin carburetion)

Amskeptic wrote: Are these the shiny shiny shiny AMC valve cover surfaces? OEM VW heads had finely machined milling grooves to help the cork gaskets seal (ah . . . duh), while the shiny shiny shiny surfaces do not. Are your valve cover bales a fight to get into position? They should be. You might want to get those new VW valve covers/bales available from Bus Depot the last I remember. Or, you could try the silicone 914 gaskets with whatever they recommend for installation. This is a priority.
Colin

Yes "shiny shiny shiny AMC is what we're dealing with. The cover bales are a struggle...the confusion is that with new cork, leaks on one side were eliminated and were markedly/mostly reduced on the other side...I may yet try swapping sides, or another cork gasket to see if we solve the issue. Also, I recall having this same issue last year, before the Colorado trip...ultimately I mitigated the leak by putting the valve cover from my old engine on...which makes me wonder if one of these "new" valve covers is bent (somehow) enough to prevent a total seal.
I'll look into the 914 gaskets too...

Thanks!
-miz

Rumor on the internet, is that having your valve covers on with the VW logo upside down is better at preventing leaks. Have you tried it?
Robbie

asiab3 wrote:Rumor on the internet, is that having your valve covers on with the VW logo upside down is better at preventing leaks. Have you tried it?
Robbie

...yeah, that's the way they were/are installed. I really think, remembering back to last July, that one of the covers is bad. I've got a spare cover from Belle Plaine that I'll use to test that teory...if that's the case, I'll be buying a new valve cover.

Thanks for the suggestion, Robbie...

miz

dingo wrote:Alt/dash light: it is probably a diode going bad...keep driving until convenient time to dismantle or take to equiv. of jivermos' rasta-rebuild guy

I think this issue has been resolved? I think that the alternator plug was not seated all of the way, as the signal wire was caught between the plug and the alternator...I fixed this and then didn't notice the symptom when I drove to Wisconsin on Sunday...maybe it was just that simple?

-miz

Ive always installed my valve covers right side up. There's no way VW build them to be shown upside down.