Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

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Amskeptic
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Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by Amskeptic » Sun Jun 21, 2015 7:19 pm

Jun 13/14 Done! llarosa16 ........................ Farmington MN
Jun 16 Done! Belle Plaine .......................... Belle Plaine MN
Jun 17 Done! grifftenstein .......................... Saint Peter MN
Jun 18 Done! llarosa16 ii ............................. Farmington MN
Jun 19a Done! the miz .......................................... Eagan MN
Jun 19b Done! grifftenstein ii ..................... Saint Peter, MN

But first! Kudos to the little brown cow, sitting right next to me here in Rapid City, South Dakota (!), now at 171,662 miles, all saucy and nonchalant after a hard day of side winds and hour after hour of interstate hauling at an average speed of 60 mph.
Fuel economy, 22 mpg.
Highest CHT (in the dry), 392 on a 6 mile grade
Compression, 130/140/125/140
Half quart oil consumed in the past 1,300 miles
Total repair cost in the past 12,000 miles, $3.00 for generator brushes
Only new issue, passenger door lock is jamming
Running flawlessly smoothly, stops, starts, steers, I cannot ask for more, but probably will anyway:

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After the brain drain at llarosa's Farmington Electrical Emporium, I went to drink beer in Shakopee MN:

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It was a beer social organized by Belle Plaine and co-hosted by the miz, two forum members who happen to be work associates devoted to bringing you a finer beer yet:

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Also at the gathering were eche_bus, Busberd, bradgt74, some folks who had joined us a couple of years ago, and I met some new people, like Vicki(y)? and her Kermit the Vanagon:

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Below, a classic road warrior whose owner was collared by an inebriated itinerant pleading with him to stop the rust stop the rust, just do it, it doesn't have to be all "pretty body and paint" just stop the rust:

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Afterwards, Belle Plaine and the miz took us remaining folks on a tour of the Rahr Malting Company since 1847 factory, and it was fascinating to be in a serious purpose-built factory and way cool to be standing on top of the big building overlooking Shakopee at dusk, scanning the countryside with Minneapolis over there and the lights of the casino over there and the emerging stars above:

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We disbanded around 11:00PM and I took off down MN 101 to go catch MN 13 and US 169 south to Belle Plaine for the next morning's appointment with Belle Plaine. Camped I don't know where but I delivered two coffees to Belle Plaine's porch by 9:15 or something close enough. We put together an easy day of checking the Aeromech engine and driving around swerving for imaginary dogs and stopping short:

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Heck, they are closing this joint, and I still have to get to my destination. I'll be back within 24 hours, will too.
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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BellePlaine
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by BellePlaine » Mon Jun 22, 2015 7:30 am

We need Colin in Minnesota. It's my aim to drum up interest and future appointments for Colin so he keeps coming back year after year! The VW Beer and BBQ Social is a part of my and the miz's outreach efforts.

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Here's a shot of the group on top of Malthouse #5
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My relationship with my VW is as a hobbyist. Each year I outline a set of upgrades and repairs which I feverishly attempt to have completed by my appointed IAC date. This way, I don't have to pay Colin to perform the "heavy lifting" but rather to work out any gremlins and give my work a once-over. For instance, this year, Colin noted the plastic Y-connector wasn't firmly seated within my S-boot. It has to sit under a lip in the boot. It's about learning details like this which make an appointment worth the money.

For fun, Colin showed me how his Auditory Low Oil Pressure Warning modification works using power from alternator light and ground at the oil light to only trigger the buzz (of the door buzzer) when the engine was running and not when the key was turned to the hot position.

We had to re-orientate the distributor drive shaft to accept my stock DVDA dizzy because it was off 90* for the 009. To do so means removing the little spring set in a hole within the drive shaft. Colin warned me not to loose that spring, whc03grady. We adjusted the fast idle and took the bus out of a victory drive.

With some extra time left, we tore into the job of replacing the heater control cables as my originals were frozen from rust and bent. The passenger side came out without too much trouble whereas the driver's side was stuck. Parts of the old cable are still stuck within the tube even though we dremeled little inspection holes. I became extra bummed when Colin asked me to provide the little curvy black clip which holds the cable sheathing in place under the dash. The clip I offered turned out to be from something else but then over the weekend at the campground my wife is holding the correct clip in her hand and says "this was under my seat, it is important"? See, I loose stuff and somehow it always comes back to me.

I almost forgot, with my old friend, Eskimo Tom's help, I now have a working auxiliary heater blower fan. Working heat and defrost will soon be in my future.
1975 Riviera we call "Spider-Man"

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whc03grady
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by whc03grady » Mon Jun 22, 2015 2:57 pm

BellePlaine wrote:Colin warned me not to loose that spring, whc03grady.
Installation is the reverse of removal.
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

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wcfvw69
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by wcfvw69 » Mon Jun 22, 2015 6:50 pm

I simply love, love, love these Itinerant Air-cooled greetings posts from the road! The only thing that makes them better is when Colin tackles a repair on his bus in some dirt lot or behind an abandoned building.

This looks like a great visit and the evenings events afterwards made it that much better.
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: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Jun 23, 2015 8:58 am

I know what you are thinking I am thinking but I am actually thinking that the deck lid could use a clean'n wax:

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Pre-Dog Swerve Brake Test Flight Check

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Heater Cableage Analysis

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That was a nasty heater cable extraction. We stretched that thing to about a half mile of unwound cable sheath. The fatal failure here was that the vinyl coating refused to leave the metal tube. Belle Plaine is going to have to run the new cable along side the old tube.
Dremel Attack On Left Heater Cable Tube

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Next year, I need to give Minneapolis Contingent a block of ten days so we can get the work done and sit on the porch and drink beer and relax! Yeah, r-e-l-a-x.
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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the miz
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by the miz » Tue Jun 23, 2015 9:30 am

Amskeptic wrote: Next year, I need to give Minneapolis Contingent a block of ten days so we can get the work done and sit on the porch and drink beer and relax! Yeah, r-e-l-a-x.
Colin

Hallelujah! :cheers: ...can we request early in the season (i.e. April-June)??? :thumbleft:

-miz
1982 Westy- Vana White

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BellePlaine
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by BellePlaine » Wed Jun 24, 2015 5:08 pm

Amskeptic wrote:I know what you are thinking I am thinking but I am actually thinking that the deck lid could use a clean'n wax:

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Really? Because I'm thinking, man, I have a lot of grey hair!
Amskeptic wrote:Next year, I need to give Minneapolis Contingent a block of ten days so we can get the work done and sit on the porch and drink beer and relax! Yeah, r-e-l-a-x.
Colin
Give us ten days and I'll find you eleven appointments, I swear. :-)
1975 Riviera we call "Spider-Man"

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zabo
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by zabo » Thu Jun 25, 2015 4:16 am

Amskeptic wrote: That was a nasty heater cable extraction. We stretched that thing to about a half mile of unwound cable sheath. The fatal failure here was that the vinyl coating refused to leave the metal tube. Belle Plaine is going to have to run the new cable along side the old tube.
Hmm I ran Into the exact same thing recently trying to get the old choke cable out of my 60 beetle. I got most of the sheathing out but have a blockage right in the middle of the tube.

I was thinking of getting a syringe and squirting paint stripper or some other nasty stuff in there to dissolve the sheathing- thoughts?
60 beetle
78 bus

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:46 am

zabo wrote:
Amskeptic wrote: That was a nasty heater cable extraction. We stretched that thing to about a half mile of unwound cable sheath. The fatal failure here was that the vinyl coating refused to leave the metal tube. Belle Plaine is going to have to run the new cable along side the old tube.
Hmm I ran Into the exact same thing recently trying to get the old choke cable out of my 60 beetle. I got most of the sheathing out but have a blockage right in the middle of the tube.

I was thinking of getting a syringe and squirting paint stripper or some other nasty stuff in there to dissolve the sheathing- thoughts?
Absolutely fair game. Let us know. Just consider unexpected consequences, i.e. what if you have a tube full of vinyl dissolving nastiness, and there is a pinhole rust through in the tube. Could a leak out in the center tunnel be bad on rust-preventing phosphate coating inside the tunnel?
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: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by bradgt74 » Sat Jun 27, 2015 1:25 pm

It was great Colin was able to take a little time out of his busy schedule to socialize with some VW folks and enjoy excellent beer at an awesome MN landmark. :cheers:

I also wanted to thank Belle Plaine and The Miz for organizing the event on short notice. :thumbleft:

Someone who didn't know Chole said, "wow, who owns the tan bus! You must not put many miles on it!"

Colin replied with a smile, "she sees her fair share."

Colin was trying to act like a bartender with flair, but we all know he must not quit his day job!

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Beautiful end to the evening :occasion5:

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Jun 27, 2015 6:14 pm

bradgt74 wrote:It was great Colin was able to take a little time out of his busy schedule to socialize with some VW folks and enjoy excellent beer at an awesome MN landmark. :cheers:
I also wanted to thank Belle Plaine and The Miz for organizing the event on short notice. :thumbleft:
Seems so, so long ago. Yes, thanks to Belle Plaine and the miz. I enjoyed that hard hat tour clanking up stairs to the roof.
ColinInSeattle
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 Minnesota 2

Post by bradgt74 » Sat Jun 27, 2015 8:30 pm

Amskeptic wrote: Seems so, so long ago. Yes, thanks to Belle Plaine and the miz. I enjoyed that hard hat tour clanking up stairs to the roof.
ColinInSeattle
Stairs? Yes...there were stairs!

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by Heliconman » Fri Jul 10, 2015 9:45 am

We plan on a tentative date for next year here in Minnetonka. Im hoping to have my first 091 rebuild under my belt by then. Who knows what we will need at that point. Hopefully just a good check up.

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Amskeptic
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Minnesota 2

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Jul 11, 2015 10:13 am

Heliconman wrote:We plan on a tentative date for next year here in Minnetonka. Im hoping to have my first 091 rebuild under my belt by then. Who knows what we will need at that point. Hopefully just a good check up.
Let's do a Transmission Rebuild Symposeum. You bring all the jigs and parts and knowledge, and I will bring a transaxle in need . . .
Colin :occasion5:
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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