IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

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whc03grady
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Location: Livingston Montana
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by whc03grady » Mon Jul 18, 2016 9:20 am

Ronin10 wrote:And I just realized you filched my extra special spark plug boot/isolator (VW part number 311905444A) with my spark plug wire! :angryfire:
I still have his small needle-nosed vice grips. Perhaps some sort of hostage swap could be arranged?
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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Ronin10
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by Ronin10 » Mon Jul 18, 2016 9:36 am

whc03grady wrote:
Ronin10 wrote:And I just realized you filched my extra special spark plug boot/isolator (VW part number 311905444A) with my spark plug wire! :angryfire:
I still have his small needle-nosed vice grips. Perhaps some sort of hostage swap could be arranged?
I'm sure he'll give it to Kevin when he hosts UpSimba's appointment later this week, upon which I can get it from Kevin at a later date as we'll see each other soon. He wouldn't want to leave Cascadia without returning that to me...would he? :pale:
Oscar: 1976 Sage Green Bus, Stock Motor, Solid Lifters, Manual Transaxle

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mechanicjay
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by mechanicjay » Mon Jul 18, 2016 2:19 pm

I'm going to relate a similar clogging fuel filter story -- There's some setup, mostly to give my conclusions more weight, else I could just be some guy spouting nonsense on the internet. On second though, I'm probably still that guy, but what the hell....

My '81 F100 (yes, the chariot I drove to RONIN10's this weekend) was providing 2 parts crap to 1 part fuel to the carb, which required me to make some modifications to my initial "I'll just wait this thing out" approach. When I first got the truck, it has been sitting for at least 5 years on Grandma's farm in IA. 2 tanks on the beast, the tank switching valve had been frozen for time unknown, supplying only fuel from the rear tank. So, the front tank, was full and and unused for a bare minimum of 5 years.

Phase 1)
I too had the fun idea, of "I'll just run a few tanks through, clean the filter and be fine." After clogging the impossibly small in-line filter on the carb twice in the first 150 miles (sound familiar?), I decided something must be done, but I wasn't ready to pull the tank yet. I made all kinds of excuses for why, but really I was just being lazy. When spend a few hours fixing something the right way, when you can strand yourself on the side of the road multiple times a month?

Phase 2)
Phase 2 came quickly. I resorted to adding a second LARGE in-line filter directly ahead of the stock filter to catch more stuff. This was a vast improvement as I was able to get several TANKS through before the sickening feeling of "hesitate -hesitate, oh god, please just crest this hill".

Phase 3)
A few thousand miles late, the third iteration of my approach was born. I kept a spare filter, so I could do a quick swap (2 min!) and then clean the clogged filter at home at my leisure. This had two advantages. 1) I could show up for work not smelling like a fuel tank. 2) I could avoid looking like a mad man shooting WD-40 into a Fuel filter and blowing it out on the side of the road. Though, I really did enjoy doing that in the more up scale neighborhoods of suburban NJ.

Phase 4)
After 15K miles of this nonsense (I was commuting 100/day in the 30 year old truck at this point), I finally reached my limit and pulled the front tank. I found the following:
1) rust, oh god the rust (expected).
2) A torn sock on the pickup tube (unexpected).

I rinsed the tank and dumped piles of rust and scale out of it. I replaced the sending unit/pickup tube, complete with a new strainer and chucked the tank back in. Another 15K miles and I've only had to clean the filter once (this of course was while pulling the hills of PA with a fully loaded truck and trailer when moving to Seattle 2 years ago.)


TL; DR:
An additional LARGE capacity inline filter may buy you some more time between cleanings while you try to out-stubborn the varnish. Also, the convenience of quick swapping a filter to be cleaned later is NOT to be underestimated.

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wcfvw69
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by wcfvw69 » Mon Jul 18, 2016 9:20 pm

Image

I was honestly hoping Colin's tank would clear itself of the crap in it after a few fuel filter clean outs. It looks like it would be a pain in the butt to pull that tank from that late bay vs. the relatively easy tank removal of an early bay. I saw this picture on the Samba of a 71' fuel tank that was in a bus that sat for 10 years. I hope Colin's isn't that bad.
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: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by Jivermo » Tue Jul 19, 2016 5:09 am

Whoa! That tank is really the pits. Varnish? I like that descriptive word...much more refined than brown sludge. You can almost imagine a can of McCloskey Man O War Spar varnish getting caught up in those square Israeli fuel filters. Hey, and speaking of tools left behind, Colin operates somewhat like a pack rat, often leaving an item behind. On successive visits, my list goes like this:
1) his very nice socket drive, a tool I believe he has had since his work with his uncle Phil.
2) his large, black handled screwdriver, a Craftsman, I think.
3) not a tool, but a good quality, long sleeved cotton T-shirt. It was too small for me.
4) a small 6mm combination wrench.
I have my eye on the large, blue handled water pump pliers.

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Amskeptic
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Jul 19, 2016 10:00 am

wcfvw69 wrote:Image

I was honestly hoping Colin's tank would clear itself of the crap in it after a few fuel filter clean outs.
I saw this picture on the Samba of a 71' fuel tank that was in a bus that sat for 10 years.
I hope Colin's isn't that bad.
Well, mine sat for only twenty years, so there's that.
Colin
[I looked in my tank when I had the sender out. It looks "clean-but-barnacled".
I think the barnacles have finally begun to . . . (what word shall we use, jivermo?)
the barnacles have finally begun to slough off]
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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asiab3
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by asiab3 » Tue Jul 19, 2016 11:49 am

I got tired of waiting for Colin to leave his spark plug wrench at my place accidentally, so I went and bought one. It's just not the same....

Let's get Colin drunk at The Lab and pull his tank with the speed and precision of a LeMans pit crew. We'll get it back in before the buzz wears off.

RobbieStillNotWornOff
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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Amskeptic
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:02 pm

whc03grady wrote:
Ronin10 wrote:And I just realized you filched my extra special spark plug boot/isolator (VW part number 311905444A) with my spark plug wire! :angryfire:
I still have his small needle-nosed vice grips. Perhaps some sort of hostage swap could be arranged?
I need them! I just lost the other set at an unknown visit. I however, refuse to accept them if they have the blue yellow grip instead of the release lever! Let me know which style you got. I will PayPal the shipping.
ColinInPortlandOR
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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whc03grady
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by whc03grady » Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:22 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
whc03grady wrote:
Ronin10 wrote:And I just realized you filched my extra special spark plug boot/isolator (VW part number 311905444A) with my spark plug wire! :angryfire:
I still have his small needle-nosed vice grips. Perhaps some sort of hostage swap could be arranged?
I need them! I just lost the other set at an unknown visit. I however, refuse to accept them if they have the blue yellow grip instead of the release lever! Let me know which style you got. I will PayPal the shipping.
ColinInPortlandOR
No blue/yellow grip. Plain old lever. PM me an address.
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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Amskeptic
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Aug 17, 2016 10:02 am

Amskeptic wrote:Awwww,
a) you can clean your filters instead of replace them. I am proof positive.
b) L-Jet fuel injection systems are not merely robust, they are very robust.
c) new tanks have had fitment issues
d) as long as it is not 41* with blotching rain spatters, cleaning the fuel filter is not a big deal
e) I have daily practice at exiting traffic pretty cleanly, a useful skill.

f) I am curious, can you drive-clean a tank in 20,000 miles? Will get back to you . . . :cyclopsani:
g) fuel filler hoses and whatnot prefer being left alone, the Road Warrior had an original install of tank and filler and evap hoses last for 36 years and 588,238 miles without being touched
h) this is not at all a big deal in the great scheme of life, it is but a minor annoyance that is a natural consequence of a gamble I took on October 5th, 2015, when I told the prior owner I could get the fuel to flow without pulling the engine
i) I will not accept any charity in this circumstance
j) you c-c-c-can get some g-g-g-good pictures at filter co-col-cold-cl-cl-cleaning stops:
k) YES! This is part of the adventure and
I would not have it any other way
l) nothing mechanical has ever irritated me, only cold and wet does . . . :blackeye:
Colin


Answer to ( f ) is IN.
"No, you cannot 'drive-clean' a varnished tank."
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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whc03grady
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by whc03grady » Wed Aug 17, 2016 11:59 am

Amskeptic wrote:f) I am curious, can you drive-clean a tank in 20,000 miles? Will get back to you . . . :cyclopsani:
Answer to ( f ) is IN.
"No, you cannot 'drive-clean' a varnished tank."
False--you coulda, but chose not to do it at such decreasing intervals. Unless Zeno was right, I guess...filter cleanings every 1/2 mile, every 1/4 mile, every 1/8 mile, every 1/16 mile, 1/32 mile, 1/64 mile, etc. to (or rather "to") infinity. (Have to find a beginning calculus textbook sometime so I can beat that damn tortoise in a footrace.)

Now, where do I send these damned needle-nosed vice-grips?
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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SlowLane
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Location: Livermore, CA
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Re: IAC's Itinerant Freezing His Donkey Off

Post by SlowLane » Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:24 pm

whc03grady wrote:
Amskeptic wrote:f) I am curious, can you drive-clean a tank in 20,000 miles? Will get back to you . . . :cyclopsani:
Answer to ( f ) is IN.
"No, you cannot 'drive-clean' a varnished tank."
False--you coulda, but chose not to do it at such decreasing intervals. Unless Zeno was right, I guess...filter cleanings every 1/2 mile, every 1/4 mile, every 1/8 mile, every 1/16 mile, 1/32 mile, 1/64 mile, etc. to (or rather "to") infinity. (Have to find a beginning calculus textbook sometime so I can beat that damn tortoise in a footrace.)
Well, technically, we don't know, because he didn't complete the experiment to the specified 20,000 miles, But I think we can safely extrapolate from the 18,000-mile sample. :geek:
Now, where do I send these damned needle-nosed vice-grips?
Send him a hostage photo of them doing service as a hack-job window winder.
'81 Canadian Westfalia (2.0L, manual), now Californiated

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
- Terry Pratchett

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