IAC visit with Sylvester and Samantha

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Sylvester
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Location: Sylvester, Georgia
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IAC visit with Sylvester and Samantha

Post by Sylvester » Wed Oct 27, 2010 9:50 am

If any of you have been following my adventures with Samantha Was Sputtering, I have been struggling with Sam sputtering, losing power and backfiring. A couple of weeks back, I had had enough and decided to begin tearing down Sam to replace what I wanted to get the best performance from Sam I could. I had bought a SVDA and Pertronix from ACN, rebuilt my 34 PICT 3 from a kit, and had a used muffler to get rid of my EMPI raiser straw muffler. I started tearing Sam down and tried to get as much done before Colin came to town to help me. Yesterday, two hours into putting stuff back on, I ran into some issues that I figured were best addressed by an AC expert. Like clockwork, here came the BobD and a Bus full of answers! I shook Colin's hand, he looked at Sam and parts a-scattered on the drive and said "how far did you get?". Colin had been reading my mis-adventures with interest, so I caught him up speed as to what I had done up to that point. Colin then doffed his tank top, asked about the weather (we had lots of rain clouds but no rain, and I had been watching the weather like a hawk), then we dove in. I really need to be at my home PC to get this all in, but the next six hours included perils such as:

Never use a plugged warm air pre-heater tube.
Mufflers can be bent to meet your needs.
You can too, can use a bottle jack to put on an intake!
Heat risers, when heated up, become blistering hot, ask me how I found out!
And my favorite! What happens when the post on the generator becomes loose and the wire inside detaches? You don't want to know this one!
More to come!
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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Amskeptic
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Re: IAC visit with Sylvester and Samantha

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:03 am

Sylvester wrote:
the next six hours on the phone included perils such as:

Never use a plugged warm air pre-heater tube when on the phone.
Mufflers can be bent to meet your needs while on the phone.
You can too, can use a bottle jack to put on an intake talking on the phone!
Heat risers, when heated up, become blistering hot, ask me how I found out on the phone!
And my favorite phone moment! What happens when the post on the generator becomes loose and the wire inside detaches if on the phone? You don't want to know this one!
More to come after my phone call!
:flower:
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

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Sylvester
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Location: Sylvester, Georgia
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Re: IAC visit with Sylvester and Samantha

Post by Sylvester » Fri Oct 29, 2010 6:52 am

Amskeptic wrote: the next six hours on the phone included perils such as:
Heh, yes it is nice to be loved but to be called by technicians in the field on your day off is a bit much. Responsibility never takes a day off, write that down.

I had typed up a nice write up on this today, only to be thwarted by trying to find a picture of a generator and accidentally found a hacker website instead. I would post that link here, but someone somewhere would click it, and I would be perpetuating the bastards plans by allowing it to continue, and I hate hackers with a passion, so I won't. I will write it up again, but I did want to post this shot of Colin celebrating his 7th Itinerant American Tour 2010 by signing the hubcap I painted. I think Colin needs some BobD rebuild and downtime, but he really doesn't look worse from the wear since he started the tour.

Image

I will add, he could not let my painting go without putting windshield wipers on the BobD that I had left off with a small marker. Drawn on holes on your headliner anyone?
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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hambone
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Post by hambone » Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:06 am

Is that Wyatt Earp? I like it man. All you need is a pearl handled revolver.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
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it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

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glasseye
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Post by glasseye » Fri Oct 29, 2010 3:47 pm

Thank <insert diety here> there are Diet Coke cans in the BG, otherwise, I'd never have recognized him.
"This war will pay for itself."
Paul Wolfowitz, speaking of Iraq.

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Sylvester
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Post by Sylvester » Fri Oct 29, 2010 5:26 pm

Ok, let me try this again. When we last left me and Samantha a few weeks ago, I had had enough of sputtering carbs, and that feeling of just beeing a few miles from being left on the side of the road. I had in stock a rebuilt 34 PICT 3 from the early Samantha, a new SVDA distributor from ACNet, a new intake, a used muffler and new Pertronix. and I had a gaping hole of an engine:

Image

Colin comes up in the BobD. I had hoped to be done putting it all back on, and having him dial it in, but I was not even close.

Image

We chose a intake and heat riser that Mike had given me last year over the new but plugged with carbon one I had. You really need an engine out to get the generator, fan shroud, and other stuff out of the way to put an intake on.

Image

The used Ernst muffler I had was a bit, used. We had to bend it a bit to get it to fit. I mean bend it. When we got it in, this is where we put on the intake, and used a bottle jack to "ease" the two together;

Image

This was the fun part. We got the muffler on, and Colin noticed the ( fresh air hose collar -ed ) from the muffler on the left side was not present, so this will be a trip to the junkyard:

Image

Here we have the carburetor on. It is not pretty, but it will work better than that Weber. I rebuilt it myself, and now I know a lot more about carburation, but not everything:


Image

After we put it all back on, we went about putting the wires back on everything. This is where my curse of the generator studs came back to haunt me. Years ago when I was rebuilding my 64 Bug engine, I playfully spun one of those studs and found out later there is a wire on the other side of that stud. It spun right off, and made me find another generator. And yet history repeats itself. Screwing the wires back on this generator, the stud is loose. It will not tighten down. We rig it then hope I did not twist it from the wire within.

Now in the rain and darkness, we start Samantha up. She sounds a lot better than she ever has, not tailpipes even. Colin shows me how to time with an SVDA (No vacuum line), curse those 009's! They ruined me! Then we dial in the carburetor. In the process I learn I may have not properly spaced the float and needle valve. Also, I had no idea about acceleration jets, and how according to the Bentley you capture 10 squirts from the carb in a measured glass to see how much is coming out! Colin says uh, no, we will drive it and tune it then. Whew.

When we were tuning it up, the GEN light comes one, and stays on. Looking into the slots we see the wire, loose from the stud. I am going to try and solder it back on tomorrow, still in the Bus! Can it be done? Will I go crazy and rip it all out in frustration just trying it? Find out tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel!


Image
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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Sylvester
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Post by Sylvester » Sat Oct 30, 2010 5:14 pm

And we're back! How do you think I did? Solder a wire on the inside of the generator? Are you crazy? Am I? Did I go down to the FLAPS and buy another generator? NO! Here it was, plate removed and lo and behold, right in front of me! You can see the post and the wire, never ever spin that post or you will not charge your battery with this generator again without some soldering.

Image

I attached some plastic clamps and held the wire to the post, tightened that mother down to the base, then soldered it on. BTW, I suck at soldering!

Image

Put it back together, started it up and no GEN light! I was proud of myself! Then Colin stopped by to tune the carb in, and it would not run right. He discovers I had a massive vacuum leak on the port side intake to the heads! Crap that is the one I took off! Colin tried loosening it in place, hitting it with carb cleaner, then tightening it back down. No dice, and now it had a screech that sounded like a wounded banshee! Holy Guadalcanal I thought, I am going to have to take this mother of an install back apart! I about gave up all hope in humanity and chance, and wanted to pack it up and in.

However, Colin is not that way. When a problem comes up, he does not dwell on the problem itself, he wants a solution. He was already thinking to Plan B, while I was down and out. We carefully removed the intake into the head (In place even, try that on a good day). We razor ed it down again, cleared the tin from the intake, my tin had got in the way and had gotten in between the intake and gasket. With some pushing Colin placed the intake back on, and we tightened it down. I would have been biting my nails if they did not have grease under them, and we started Sam up again.

SUCCESS!!!! It ran and sounded great! Colin dialed the carb in some more, then we hit the road. I have to admit, getting away from a Weber and a 009 all at once has made a heck of a difference to the performance! Quicker, and without that 009 dead zone after acceleration. I went up the hill in front to my sub-division in 4th, never done before! Colin reminded me about speeds in down shifting, not to do it unless going down hills, and double clutching. I do forget, but I will try harder. Next on my list is the steering, it sounds like a chicken in a fight under there, but I will get it better.

Colin is the mechanic that is better than just a Bentley to me. I am visual, if I read a book on this, I would still be sitting outside and Sam would still be non-running. I am a great mechanic when Colin is there showing me the way, like now I understand the 34 PICT 3 and how to adjust it and why. Try reading the Muir book on adjusting your valves. Ever wonder why he does not mention WHY you adjust your valves? Look and see. Colin will show you, and explain everything about it. This is Colin's 6th visit with me, and I will have him here next year too. If you never have had Colin come to help, then you might have a ACVW sitting on the curb like I did!

We did:

New SVDA install
Points adjust
Timing
34 PICT 3 install and dial in (Rebuilt by me)
Intake install
Muffler install

BTW this was on a suggestion Colin dropped on me a year and a half ago. Stock is the way to go!

Image
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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Amskeptic
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Post by Amskeptic » Sun Oct 31, 2010 7:13 am

Sylvester wrote: And we're back! Stock is the way to go!
That was a sweet-driving bus, a little throaty without the final damper stage as provided by tailpipes, but it had The Type 1 bus aura. I miss those genteel earlier buses that demand fealty to the proper progression of time, i.e. Be The Growing Grass.
ColinOffToEndPlay
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

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sped372
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Post by sped372 » Sun Oct 31, 2010 7:14 am

Looking better. I bet if you get that SVDA out of there and go with the stock unit things will be even better! Everyone raves about those SVDA's but they're still just a "one-size-fits-all" like the 009. It is better, but it still isn't specific for a particular application.

Keep your eyes peeled for a VW 211-905-205Q, Bosch 0231 167 055 or 211-905-205S if you want the correct unit for a dual port 1600 in a bay.
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

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zabo
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Post by zabo » Sun Oct 31, 2010 9:27 am

looks like you guys had a good day- glad you got it going again!


lee -have you tried adding clock mechanisms to the hubcaps?- would add some functionality to the great art :flower:
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Sylvester
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Post by Sylvester » Mon Nov 01, 2010 4:10 am

zabo wrote:looks like you guys had a good day- glad you got it going again!


lee -have you tried adding clock mechanisms to the hubcaps?- would add some functionality to the great art :flower:
Not really, but I may as I am going to start panning them for selling now. It will be my Bus mad money for parts fund. I may get a few standard designs and reproduce them so everyone can have a BobD or a 51 Samba on thief wall, and tell time too.

I started Samantha in 45 degrees this morning and to youse northerners that is nothing, but Sam fired right up, three turns and bang. She has NEVER done that, you can read back years of me trying to get her running in mornings, now I have it! Now onto the front end!

I went to the pull a part yesterday and saw of all things four Ghias within 20 feet of each other in various stages of ruin. I bet I will never see such a thing again.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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Sylvester
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Post by Sylvester » Fri Nov 05, 2010 7:42 am

I tested Samantha this morning, 37 F in Atlanta this morning and it fired up on three revolutions! Turn key and bang! Nice to have a daily driver once again, instead of using a rosary to get Sam started.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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