IAC Livingston MT 07.09.2016

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whc03grady
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Location: Livingston Montana
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IAC Livingston MT 07.09.2016

Post by whc03grady » Mon Jul 18, 2016 12:22 pm

Excellent day, would recommend to a friend.ImageColin came by for the ninth time a couple Saturdays ago. Ludwig was stuck at the Library so we went down to install what he needed to get up to the garage, then we drove him to the garage. (An extremely helpful local ACVWer and I had installed the engine and transaxle some weeks previous. Thanks Richie!ImageColin drove Ludwig, actually. I drove Colin's bus, NaranjaWesty. It's always weird driving a tight-like-factory VW bus, as all of Colin's which I've driven (3 of 4) have been. The little girl contingent, wearing their dolls, inspected Ludwig's placement in the new-to-us two-stall garage.ImageThey approved, Colin approved, everyone approved. We got down to business. First, tightening up the steering.ImageThis is Colin showing me how to use a ball joint separator.ImageThis is me using a ball joint separator. It's easy. The old (OG in fact) steering drag link came off, a new one went on. Replacing original parts with what passes for new parts these days tears me up a little, but this is the world we live in.ImageMeanwhile, Colin was attending to a glitch with the Left carburetor. During the build-up at the Library he'd noticed a slight wobble in its choke plate, caused by a loose little screw. Dangling directly above a powerful vacuum leading to a combustion chamber is no place for a little screw. We convinced it to stay in place using a drop of Loctite, but alas a drop proved too much and scared other carburetor parts--parts we want to move--in their places as well. Colin spent some time working on it and through some combination of cannibalization, reaming, nail polish remover, bending, and sheer will, got everything copacetic again.ImageMy favorite boots have probably finally arrived at their last day.ImageThis is me striding confidently, sure that Ludwig's new GoWe$ty gear reduction $tarter will be the cure to an occasional but highly annoying no-start issue--the cure has been to climb under to either jump it or thwack the starter with a hammer. It also helpfully eliminates the need for Ludwig's ancient Ford hot-start relay (readers of Muir will know what this is) and the stupid little bushing in the transaxle bell housing (you'll have to take my word on this one). It didn't work. A new battery did. Lesson learned: seven years is plenty long for a battery that sits through Montana Winters.ImageWe wrapped things up with some minor tuning, happy with what we'd accomplished, regretful there were still plenty of things we'd like to get to (stomping the sliding door straight being near the top of that list).Image
Thanks, Melissa, for taking all the pictures and everything else.
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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