Itinerant Air-Cooled Prep II (upd)

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Mr Blotto
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Prep II (upd)

Post by Mr Blotto » Thu May 22, 2014 7:10 pm

Yea sure the interior still smells "new" but what about the engine compartment?? Colin - I recall that day I picked you up at the airport and drove you to the BobD to pick it up, that the engine compartment actually smelled new/sweet. I remember commenting to you, but not sure what you said cause I was still in awe that i was sitting in an almost new bus! I will always remember that day...
1978 Sage Green Westy - 2.0 FI - SOLD WITH 109887 miles :-(

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Amskeptic
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Prep II (upd)

Post by Amskeptic » Fri May 23, 2014 8:46 am

Mr Blotto wrote:Yea sure the interior still smells "new" but what about the engine compartment?? Colin - I recall that day I picked you up at the airport and drove you to the BobD to pick it up, that the engine compartment actually smelled new/sweet. I remember commenting to you, but not sure what you said cause I was still in awe that i was sitting in an almost new bus! I will always remember that day...
Me too. The smell was the VW cosmoline wax. Still has it coming from the deck lid on warm days with a warm engine.
Colin

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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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Amskeptic
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Prep II (upd)

Post by Amskeptic » Fri May 23, 2014 3:15 pm

Here is what the inside of the right front wheel bearing's dustcap looks like at 36 years and 93,868 miles.
Note that it is mostly perfect, even the "VW" stamp is fresh:
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The smell began with draining one half of a gallon of gasoline from the left fuel rail for wheel bearing solvent. Very nice. Then it got positively giddying with the aroma of Rustoleum Engine Enamel on the steering knuckle behind the dust shield. Quickly after painting, I wiped off the overspray from the ball joint boots and steering spindle:

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Painted the dust shield and the outside of the dust cap, too:

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I reused the dust seal. It has a little VW logo on it, it stays until it can't seal . . .

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Packed the wheel bearings (Timken outers and FAG inners) with fully synthetic Valvoline grease:

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A little garish, but this summer will add patina:

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On the left side, I took the brake disk off the hub for easier handling. Look at this little hub. As importantly, for all you modified wheel people, look at how the factory demands that the load of the wheel is positioned exactly between the bearings inside the hub. Change your wheel offset, bye bye longevity. I could see identical wear marks on the spindle where the bearings seat, that is an identical load proof. Ponder with me how little these parts are when installed on a big ol bus:

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The below photograph is why I am happy I did this little maintenance ahead of the main lap of the itinerary. You see rust mixed right in with the grease, the fresh grease, yet this is a well-maintained greased front wheel bearing, so what is with the rust over here on the left side when the right was friggen immaculate?

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How about that I did NOT re-seal where the speedometer cable comes through the hub? VW uses a white caulk, that I carelessly ignored. Not today. Today, I sealed it with some stinky Ultra-Copper:

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Once again, I find that if VW did some little thing for its innumerable "cheap" economy cars, there likely was a good reason . . . . I have been at this for 37 years or something, and I still need reminders.
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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