The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

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Amskeptic
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The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:17 pm

Well good grief.
NOW the 2014 Itinerary is done, December 28th. The first appointment ever where my travel consisted of a quick walk from the back door to the front porch.

I had just finished a soggy round trip to Atlanta GA for Christmas. Chloe's newly butyl-caulked windshield and passenger compartment vent windows managed to fend off a 5" precipitation event with just one drop from the sliding door vent window latch area. (Oh and the passenger floor area was wet not because of the windows but because I had not caulked the wheel-well-piercing rivets that hold the trim strips below the partition panels, uhhhhhhhh duh).

Image

In Atlanta, I committed a crime against history. You have not seen such enraged dancing in incredulous self-loathing. I had just cleaned and re-sealed the right reverse light lens. It had droplets on the inside of the glass, a so-not-allowed slip of vehicular health and hygiene. Cleaned and sealed it against this relentless rain. Looked "sparkly".

I coulda woulda shoulda left the left side alone, it was merely dusty inside, but oh I just had to clean it, didn't I? I TOLD MYSELF (damn if I didn't, you MORON) I told myself,
"don't wash this lens over pavement, if it drops, it will shatter! it is priceless original 45 year-old Hella glass! not some cheap-ass opaque plastic."
Yeah, so my left hand went totally spastic stupid and dropped the priceless Hella reverse light glass and it shattered on the pavement. (told ya, STUPID, oh but you don't LISTEN to ME, shut-up, we're on a public forum here, NO I WON'T, yes, you better, YOU ALWAYS TELL ME TO SHUT UP, because you NEED TO, can I just tell the story? FINE! I DON'T CARE, SPAAZZY)

A witness might have concluded that I was getting electrocuted or shot by hundreds of rounds of invisible bullets, so overcome by violent self-hatred was I. A shard of priceless original 45 year-old Hella glass stuck in my sneaker and stabbed my foot.
"Yes, yes, yes, I am with you on that one, please, let me slit my throat with another shard, simultaneously, I must not blight this Earth with such a slipperied clumsiness, with such a thick and pathetic display of rapidly deteriorating loss of coordination, I must not profane Creation with such obvious evidence of the grotesque accidents of devastated protoplasmic misfires a second longer."

After the furies subsided, I cut a piece of plastic shrink-wrap from Wolfsburg West (the plastic that they use to entomb the spring plate bushings), and made a new lens. Doesn't look too horrible here:

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But it looks like a gouged out eyeball here. Perusing the classifieds as we type:

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Arrived in Pensacola at dusk after a solid day of rainy rainy rainy interstate eighteen-wheeler tire spray and secondary road hi-lift pick-up truck plowing through lousy drainage road lakes inducing sheets of splatting water to smack the windshield and grab the steering wheel. At maximum rainage, the generator light came on. Found a bank drive-through window in Flomaton AL, and pulled out my trusty can of PoptopTom Commemorative Non-Flammable "You Can Spray Into An Operating Motor And It Won't Explode" Electrical Contact Cleaner, and gave that generator a rainy day baptism replete with a God Is Warning You Lightening Display.

Pulled into the driveway at dusk and spied Pearl-The-Bus, a 1969 white westy on a one-way sojourn westbound, that had apparently expired within a 100 mile tow radius of the Law Firm here in Pensacola. We drove out to breakfast in Chloe to wait out some morning showers, then got back to P.T.B. to see what was up. A jump start was called-for:

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. . . as was a new coil:

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. . . as was the day's main activity, Vanquish The Exhaust Leak. We pulled the muffler to get to what looked like a potentially broken exhaust stud on #4. I had to go the local AutoZone to replenish my depleted exhaust flange gasket stock (Fel-Pro has reached an all together excitingly new low in Lower Quality Still). I had visions of rusted broken stud ends causing the drill bit to veer, of drill bits snapping, of drilling holes going askance, I AM the shatterer of all that is good. Returned and was relieved to find that the reason we did not have an exhaust nut on #4 was because the stud had just left the premises, just unthreaded itself and left a bunch of perfectly fine threads in the cylinder head. Whew number one.

Later, as we battled the heat exchanger-to-muffler clamps [ battled, I tell ya, we had to unbolt the engine from the vehicle and loosen the mustache bar-to-engine bolts so we could move that unwieldy mess away from the precious little exchanger-to-muffler clamp halves and those dainty 10mm nuts and bolts that we had to finagle and finesse together ( I, of oafish glass shattering fame ) ], when I spied a serious little oil drip developing on the approach pad to the Law Firm's Garage. That would be the stripped out bolt in the drain plate? Yeah, that one, the little bolt that could have dropped out and discretely drained the oil out on the road. I had visions of drilling and tapping for some new huge stud'n'nut and magnesium shards shredding his engine bearings, I had visions of aluminum foil confetti stuck to blobs of Lanval Commemorative Victor Reinz Vanagon Cylinder Head Sealing Compound glopped to the original bolt half-heartedly stuffed back up in the hole (I can't FIND a decent replacement we have to reuse yours!) , I had visions of sleepless nights. A longer bolt saved the day. That was whew number two.

Clutch adjustment, gearshift stop plate symposeum, water leak discussion / investigation, a brief check-but-no-adjustment-required of Jivermo's Miami timing, and a quick little carb adjustment, and our time was done used up, and I had to send these brave souls, Keith and Jessica, sojourning out into the night, into an as-yet undefined new chapter of their Life Adventure.
Colin[/quote]
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

Jivermo
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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by Jivermo » Tue Dec 30, 2014 7:09 am

When Pearl the Bus departed Miami, my big hope was that they would meet up with Colin before they left the state of Florida. Keith and Jessica's ambitious adventure called for a once over by IAC, before they began the westward journey, and new lives. I had the pleasure of hosting them for several days over the Thanksgiving holidays, and they are very nice folks, indeed. Jess worked with my wife, and helped cook up some delicious dinners we all shared, and Keith and I puttered with their bus. If you are interested , they have a Facebook page-Pearl the Bus, and you can follow their travels. If they get into your neck of the woods, offer up some good ol' IAC hospitality-they are good people.

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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by Jivermo » Tue Dec 30, 2014 7:11 am

Image

Working on Pearl the Bus, Miami.

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hambone
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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by hambone » Sat Jan 03, 2015 11:52 pm

I did the same fucking thing, dropped the glass on the concrete 2 months ago, broke neatly in half, I cried 2 hours then glued it together until I find another one...
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: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by Amskeptic » Sun Jan 04, 2015 12:02 pm

hambone wrote:I did the same fucking thing, dropped the glass on the concrete 2 months ago, broke neatly in half, I cried 2 hours then glued it together until I find another one...
$60.00 a pair on Samba classified

$25.00 ea another ad on the Samba classified

I got one from Ken at The Bus Co, "don't worry about it, I like your double relay diagram".

Restored my faith in humanity, quit smoking, got distemper as a result.

Colin

Ken's Len's New Home (it must have been embarrassed by the utter reverence with which I treated it):

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R/S Sparkly Lens That Inspired Me To Run Amok And Spaz Out On The Left One:

Image
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

Jivermo
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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by Jivermo » Sun Jan 04, 2015 6:08 pm

Glad about the smoking. I lost two friends last year to smoking caused deaths. Another is in the waiting room currently. Do not like tobacco.

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Amskeptic
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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by Amskeptic » Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:08 pm

Jivermo wrote:Glad about the smoking. I lost two friends last year to smoking caused deaths. Another is in the waiting room currently. Do not like tobacco.
I LIKE tobacco. I am not glad "about the smoking". Life is a total useless stretch of time without cigarettes. Meaningless. Blank. Boring. I had no idea that my life for the past forty three years has merely been a parade of amusements between flammable nicotine delivery fixes.

A funny thing about about some addictions. The predicament that was "answered" by this addiction is back, "Why hello! I'm still here! You never did fix it! You just avoided it, you did not advance a lick." So, I am a bored and angry twelve year-old today, the very child who went out to the barn to get away from my parents and my siblings. I remember the very moment that I appreciated cigarettes, sunny afternoon, irritated to death by the hopelessness of dealing with pedantic adult narcissists and politically-maneuvering siblings, and I remember that rush of monoxide and tar and nicotine took the go*da*nm**herf**kings*nofab*tc*edge off, and I thought to myself, "I will escape out of here some day, but in the meantime, we'll deal." I enjoyed the sport of keeping it from my parents as well. No doubt they knew here and there, no doubt they let it slide here and there, but there was my mom enveloped in clouds of Kool menthol smoke herself.

Note To Self - the escape was 35 years AGO!
Colin :geek:
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

TrollFromDownBelow
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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by TrollFromDownBelow » Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:01 pm

Used to smoke cigs way back when.... almost 20 years ago. However, I have dipped/chewed on and off since then. Nicotine is such a seductive siren. In today's day and age with smoking banned practically everywhere, you could get away with dipping albeit had to be a bit covert about it. Would have kept dipping too...reason I quit? Afraid of losing my teeth. Seriously. Been dipping heavily for the last year. Decided New Year's Eve that that morning dip was gonna be my last. Granted, I cheat....use the E cigarettes to get me over the hump of a nic fit, but it works. Find I have to suck on it less and less. Damn, I miss dipping though.

Will say much harder to give up cig's, addiction was much stronger. However, really have never had the urge to start again...what it did to my lung capacity and ergo my ability to do active things wasn't worth the price. But dipping...had full lung capacity, and I got the nic fix....as well as receding gum lines (and i am an anal flosser).
1976 VW Bus aka tripod
FI ...not leaky, and not so noisy...and she runs awesome!
hambone wrote: There are those out there with no other aim but to bunch panties. It's like arguing with a pretzel.
::troll2::

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whc03grady
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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by whc03grady » Thu Jan 08, 2015 8:21 am

TrollFromDownBelow wrote:(and i am an anal flosser).
Yowtch.
Ludwig--1974 Westfalia, 2.0L (GD035193), Solex 34PDSIT-2/3 carburetors.
Gertie--1971 Squareback, 1600cc with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection from a '72 (E brain).
Read about their adventures:
http://www.ludwigandgertie.blogspot.com

Jivermo
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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by Jivermo » Fri Jan 09, 2015 6:22 am

I spoke with Keith yesterday, and he is somewhere in East Texas. Pearl the Bus is starting to run rough again, and he was advised that the timing seemed to be off. He bought a timing light, and was going to check it out. I have not heard back from him yet. But, this leads me to ask, why and how can this timing go off so quickly? I had it set here in Miami, and when he got to Sarasota it was off. They reset it at a shop, and Colin checked it in Pensacola, where it was correct. Now he is out there, and it may be off again. Time for a new distributor? I realize that it may not be the timing, but something is happening with his engine where it is running very well, and the rapidly goes downhill performance wise. What do you all think?

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wcfvw69
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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by wcfvw69 » Fri Jan 09, 2015 7:32 am

Jivermo wrote:I spoke with Keith yesterday, and he is somewhere in East Texas. Pearl the Bus is starting to run rough again, and he was advised that the timing seemed to be off. He bought a timing light, and was going to check it out. I have not heard back from him yet. But, this leads me to ask, why and how can this timing go off so quickly? I had it set here in Miami, and when he got to Sarasota it was off. They reset it at a shop, and Colin checked it in Pensacola, where it was correct. Now he is out there, and it may be off again. Time for a new distributor? I realize that it may not be the timing, but something is happening with his engine where it is running very well, and the rapidly goes downhill performance wise. What do you all think?
If it's the distributor or timing causing his issues, I keep reading about the new points wear blocks being cheap and rapidly wearing, closing the points. Since Colin checked it recently, I'm be certain that he made sure there was good Bosch grease on the shaft to lube the points block. I don't recall what distributor he's running? I know most of the 40+ year old distributors can all benefit from a tear down to clean and re-lube them. Most often, the fiber shims are gone or broken as well. This insures the timing advance plate inside isn't sticky and allows the vacuum can to advance and retract smoothly.

The other factor is so many people also reporting problems with the new condensers being garbage and causing problems. A lot of folks are going electronic ignition (Petronix or other) with very good results. One was installed in my 70 bus and so far, it's been really nice. I do carry a spare 009 with points as a back up.

Hopefully they can find someone who really knows these engines to troubleshoot what the problem is.
1970 Westfalia bus. Stock 1776 dual port type 1 engine. Restored German Solex 34-3. Restored 205Q distributor, restored to factory appearance engine.

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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by pearl-the-bus » Fri Jan 09, 2015 11:05 am

As Jivermo said, I got a timing light, and sure enough, she was out again. I adjusted the timing and she still was stalling out. Something told me to check the rotor, which looked a bit rough. I polished up the contacts with some sandpaper and she's running better, but I'm still not sure that all's right.

Drove about fifty miles yesterday, and we're heading into Austin today. We'll see how she acts...

For the record, I don't have the vacuum advance or points.

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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by Jivermo » Fri Jan 09, 2015 3:00 pm

Any recommendations for a good shop in Austin, or San Antonio?

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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Jan 09, 2015 6:59 pm

pearl-the-bus wrote:As Jivermo said, I got a timing light, and sure enough, she was out again. I adjusted the timing and she still was stalling out. Something told me to check the rotor, which looked a bit rough. I polished up the contacts with some sandpaper and she's running better, but I'm still not sure that all's right.

Drove about fifty miles yesterday, and we're heading into Austin today. We'll see how she acts...

For the record, I don't have the vacuum advance or points.
Don't blame the timing . . .

Timing that is out will affect the power output yes, but it does not have the ability to cause roughness. Compression issues, fuel mixture issues can.
So,
Check your valve adjustment! That is always the first step under unknown rough running. Let us know if any were tight. A tight valve can cause roughness in a hurry. Once you have all valves back to .006" cold, THEN rough running must be analyzed by a quick pull of each spark plug wire from the distributor cap. Any cylinder that does not drop the idle when you pull the wire briefly, is suspect.

Keith, you *must* utilize my follow-through service before you blow up your nascent learning curve with speculations all across the country that will leave you with confounding and colliding possibilities and absolutely no coherence. My inbox is bereft of any communication from you that could instruct me to call you at a specific time or just to answer a question. If that is a vote of no-confidence, let me know so that I am not monitoring in vain.

Is the exhaust system still tight? What is your current fuel economy? Is the oil drain plug oil leak free?
Clean and gap your spark plugs (.024" with a flat feeler blade, .028" with a wire type) if at all possible, let us know if you have blackish or bleached plugs at any cylinder position.
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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Re: The Really Last Itinerant Appointment Of 2014

Post by Jivermo » Sat Jan 10, 2015 8:36 am

Colin:
confounding and colliding possibilities and absolutely no coherence.
I read this forum just for the mastery of the language...

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