Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

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Amskeptic
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Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Sep 17, 2013 6:38 pm

Well, it figures . . .
While at retro1302's house inNew Jersey, we missed the 97* record high temperature for the date by only 3*. I distinctly remember plugging in his fan in the garage so we would not pass out.
Some three days later, I dared to cross the border into my "home state" of New York where I was warmly welcomed with this morning's 33* record cold temperature for this date going all the way back to 1959 (I was six months old in California at the time). The very last time I was here (see May 28th's Greetings From Indiana), it was colder than heck, too! Whywhywhy do you HATE ME, New York??

Visited West Shokan to see the lovely now-completed kitchen, but more importantly, to re-charge my "I actually do love some people" battery after a summer of isolate hermit splendor. I still love them as ever. I loved dinner better than ever. And I loved that neck massage like never before . . .
Did not escape without stacking some wood. Does a body good, I say . . .

THEN:
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NOW
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THEN
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NOW
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THEN
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NOW
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THEN
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NOW
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(stove is now where the sink was . . . )


( . . . sink is now under the below window)
THEN
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NOW
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It is absolutely gorgeous! at night with the lamps glowing warm wood into the skylights and ceiling white.

So, today, in cold Mohawk NY, I had a cold appointment in a terribly cool shady spot.
Please read of our predicament here:

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=11653#p202966
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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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Sep 19, 2013 4:26 pm

The Herrnkind Engine thread has gained traction, so back to the Itinerary.

Thankfully, the cold snap has lessened, but it certainly threw me into a fit of distemper that vwlover77 got to enjoy down in the Suspension forum. I was seized in a Thruway service plaza that had dumped so much "dew", cold frosty humid clammy "dew", that opening the sliding door sent a rain of icy drops down the back of my neck and I was done with it all, desperately dreaming of summer, despising the impending northeast fall, wondering if I could hibernate please? until May at least? but no, vwlover77 needed clarification on what he was going to do to track down a noise in his front suspension, cold drips, plink! now the "snap" is all mine.

Yesterday, I had a new attack of trying to repair the vent windows that will not close correctly, a vapor barrier that does a kazoo sound, (I am not kidding ( MIKE, CUT IT OUT UP THERE ), every time I hit about 40 mph, fresh air vents that whistle, a heater that is pumping exhaust into the cabin AGAIN, and a compression test/new spark plugs.

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Daytime temperatures have rebounded into the upper 60's and lower 70's here in the Leatherstocking region of New York, with night time lows a good twenty degrees above that freezing misery of a few days ago, so I un-lizarded and started with a screwdriver to pry the glass out of the vent window frame. Its easy, but please, do not gouge the glass:

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The gutter is a "place fit" on the channel, mine decided to come out with the rubberized fabric "u" seal that goes between the glass and the vent window frame:

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LOOooook, a real VW logo and part number that have never seen the light of day, ever, til now:

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The channel along the bottom had a sedimentary layer of aluminum rivet corrosion by-product:

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My ever-hopefulness (which only exists in the sunshine) thought that cleaning this up all spiffy would fix the window closing issue.
I opened and shut the window frame to see where it was hanging up. Apparently, the seal is the problem, the whole surround seal. I attacked it with a dremel and skived down the rubber where it was jamming up against the frame at the close points _ _.---
Put it back together with a slurry of slippery Tide detergent to ease the rubberized u-channel and the glass into the vent window.

Installed a brand new vertical seal from Wolfsburg West, "oh absolutely . . . ours is softer and more yielding than that Bus Depost seal you currently have that is too stiff to allow the vent window close properly, absolutely." Same stiffness - when installed!

Same problem, too. Next effort (in Atlanta) I will try a new perimeter seal. If that doesn't do it, the commemorative Belle Plaine vent windows are going in. I will not allow these windows to not close.

I used black (sticky as heck) strip caulk to make "grommets" for Mike's wiring to the illuminated front side reflectors, thinking that the holes he made in the leading edges of the inside front door stampings were allowing weird air flow to give us that razz kazoo sound. Caulk/grommeted the door pillar holes too. Since I have not gone above 40 mph yet, I do not know if that has helped. Lubricated, adjusted, sanded and waxed every fresh air lever/rod/door/seal/bellows, etc. to eradicate those whistles. Volkswagens were famous for their absence of leaks and whistles and rattles and craptasticness. I shall endeavor yet harder to get this unruly wheezy brown cow to behave.
Colin

( p.s. compression test results 135/135/140/145 all "better" than last test by 5-10 lbs . . . this means either that the rings are sealing ever better, or that carbon is building up in the combustion chambers)
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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hambone
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by hambone » Thu Sep 19, 2013 5:42 pm

Can the vent window perimeter seal be replaced without removing the window? I didn't know that.
How difficult to replace? Mine have been shot for 10+ years, held together with goo.

Lovely today but be warned the rest of the country - there is a big wet blob about to hit the NW this weekend, cold front too.
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

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Amskeptic
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:18 pm

hambone wrote:Can the vent window perimeter seal be replaced without removing the window? I didn't know that.
How difficult to replace? Mine have been shot for 10+ years, held together with goo.

Lovely today but be warned the rest of the country - there is a big wet blob about to hit the NW this weekend, cold front too.
That one can't be installed with the vent assembly in the door, out it all comes. Heck, it can't be installed without removing the vent window itself from the frame, that means drilling out the upper hinge rivet. Phooey.
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

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