Warning! Non-Air Cooled Content!

Bus, Microbus, Transporter, Station Wagon, Vanagon, Camper, Pick-Up.

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satchmo
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Warning! Non-Air Cooled Content!

Post by satchmo » Mon Jan 21, 2019 9:10 pm

The title says it all.

Somewhere, somehow, I have acquired a 1990 VW Multivan. It has an automatic transmission, plus power windows, power door locks, cruise control and power rear view mirrors. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

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This van has 198K miles and lived its life entirely in southern California, so no rust at all. A quality repaint was done at some point. The only other upgrades it received were some GoWesty 15 inch wheels and high power headlight relays (thank goodness; the stock Vanagon headlights are atrocious). Otherwise, it has been totally unmolested: a VW lover's dream.

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Ignore the gauge pods on the dash. I added those after purchase.

Nice van, right? Lest you think everything has been on easy street with this vehicle, witness what the brake fluid looked like:

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And the lower ball joints:

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Not to mention the seller switched out the catalytic converter for a hollowed out shell, and replaced one good tire with a bald tire of, get this, a different size. I'll talk about that some other time, but will say I got it resolved. I'm also pretty sure the seller set a self destruct process on the fairly original 2.1 liter wasserboxer by advancing the timing so much it would have melted on it's maiden voyage with me. But I caught this subterfuge before any damage was done and all is well. Check and double check, right?

Before you ask, yes, I did change out the fuel lines. I also installed an oil temp and oil pressure sender/gauge. The coil slowly puked out it's guts as I was doing some tune up one day (oil coming out and into the high tension wire to the distributor), so I had to replace that. I replaced the catalytic converter because, well, you know why, and the muffler because it was splitting.

Once I had the van smogged and licensed, Mary and I took a trip up the coast to Big Sur. Wonderful trip and the van did great. I did not use a single tool of the many I brought with me. However, let me tell you about the suspension. Multivans are lower than regular Westies, and I guess the springs are softer too. The original shocks had been changed out for Bilsteins, which everyone knows are the cat's meow, but I beg to differ. The suspension set up on this van felt like a walrus going around corners, and little dips in the road felt like I was going over a class 4 rapids on the Salmon River. Rated: Not Acceptable

Since the lower ball joints needed to be replaced and everything was coming apart, I decided to put in new shocks and springs. And while I'm in there, what the heck, change every bushing too. My gosh, what a job! For the last three weekends Mary has seen nothing of me but my feet sticking out from under the van. Lucky for me, no rust! All done now, got the alignment done, and it rides great.

I've been heard in the past stating that if I had a Vanagon, the first thing I would do is yank the Wasserboxer and replace it with a 2.5 Subaru motor. I may eat my words since this engine seems okay, but I reserve the right to reverse my decision if the engine throws a rod or the whole thing melts because a tiny little hose by the oil cooler lets go.

Not sure what else say. It's all good. I hope this is my forever van/bus, and I plan on using it well into retirement.

See you on the road. Be sure to wave.

Satchmo

PS: Can someone with more computer smarts than me make it so the images display? Not sure what I'm doing wrong.
By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
second, by immitation, which is easiest;
and third, by experience, which is bitterest. -Confucius

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Amskeptic
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Re: Warning! Non-Air Cooled Content!

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Jan 21, 2019 9:52 pm

satchmo wrote:
Mon Jan 21, 2019 9:10 pm
The title says it all.

Somewhere, somehow, I have acquired a 1990 VW Multivan. It has an automatic transmission, plus power windows, power door locks, cruise control and power rear view mirrors. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
However, let me tell you about the suspension. Multivans are lower than regular Westies, and I guess the springs are softer too. The original shocks had been changed out for Bilsteins, which everyone knows are the cat's meow, but I beg to differ. The suspension set up on this van felt like a walrus going around corners, and little dips in the road felt like I was going over a class 4 rapids on the Salmon River. Rated: Not Acceptable

I hope this is my forever van/bus, and I plan on using it well into retirement.
See you on the road. Be sure to wave.
Satchmo

PS: Can someone with more computer smarts than me make it so the images display? Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Hello satchmo,
Dang, that gives me pangs of missing my Vanagon GL (nevermind the coffee junkie):

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You have a very pretty nice car there. Did you yourself replace the front suspension bushings?
We'd have to do a parking lot practicum to fully analyze your issues with the suspension, but suffice to say, if you have *good shocks*, soft springing and a lower stance is a perfectly fine engineering decision from the factory. Peugeot went all the way to the end of the continuum. You go around a corner and the 504 leans dizzily, but holy cats would it stick to the road AND absorb mid-corner bumps beautifully.

Our posting window has a tool bar. Look for the little picture icon. Highlight your photo link, and it will apply [ IMG ] [ /IMG ] tags to each side. You had "[image]" which is not correct for offsite links, but may be correct for the forum gallery.
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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asiab3
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Re: Warning! Non-Air Cooled Content!

Post by asiab3 » Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:01 pm

Beautiful car, and I'm even more excited to learn that its owner seems to enjoy keeping it that way.

See you on the road!
Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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satchmo
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Re: Warning! Non-Air Cooled Content!

Post by satchmo » Tue Jan 22, 2019 9:28 pm

Well, I didn't have good shocks, that's for sure. Going across an intersection here in Claremont, with the swales for water drainage, was like riding a roller coaster. The slightly elevated crosswalks on the university campus would have me airborne with the slightest speed. On panic stops, I thought I might do a front somersault. My seat belt was getting a workout just keeping me on the seat in normal driving.

The new shocks (Koni) are much better. The new springs (Schwenk) are taller than the stock springs, which I like - a lot. With the original suspension components, I could barely crawl underneath the van if it wasn't up on jack stands or ramps. Now I can roll around under there like I could on my bay window buses.

I did all the bushings myself. This includes the steering rack bushings, the anti-sway bar bushings, the sway bar links, the shock bushings, the upper control arm bushings, the radius rod bushings, and the lower control arm bushings. The stock rubber bushing for the front lower control arm requires considerable effort to remove, and some special tools to replace. I went the easy route, basically destroying the old bushing on removal, then replacing with a two part poly bushing. Fabulous.

Here is a photo of the original driver side LCA bushing:

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This bushing was making it difficult to set the caster and toe in. With the new bushings, all alignment numbers are right in the middle of the acceptable range and it drives/steers well. Going over bumps at speed is still a little thrilling, but I don't feel like I will incur a concussion from contact with the headliner at every street crossing.

The rear trailing arm bushings look fine, so I didn't mess with them.

I need to flush the power steering fluid and replace the filter at some point. Not sure how to do that though. Need some time to study up. Will also have to replace the pan gasket and filter in the transmission because it is seeping a bit. Final drive seals should also be replaced. Sigh. The list goes on and on.

But, oh, did I mention this van has A/C? And did I mention that it really works? I'm living the high life here.

Satchmo
By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
second, by immitation, which is easiest;
and third, by experience, which is bitterest. -Confucius

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Re: Warning! Non-Air Cooled Content!

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Jan 23, 2019 5:02 pm

satchmo wrote:
Tue Jan 22, 2019 9:28 pm
Well, I didn't have good shocks, that's for sure.
I went the easy route, basically destroying the old bushing on removal, then replacing with a two part poly bushing. Fabulous.

But, oh, did I mention this van has A/C? And did I mention that it really works? I'm living the high life here.
Satchmo

I always demurred about the exquisite cushiness of my Vanagon, because it seemed . . . it seemed unseemly.
Do you have intermittent wipers?
Do you also have the power mirrors with real defrosters, the rear window wiper with the push-wiper-stalk washer? Cruise control, you said yes, right?
You won't get the ice cream headaches that the passenger Vanagon A/C vents would give you as they blast your forehead from just above the visors . . . :cyclopsani:
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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satchmo
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Re: Warning! Non-Air Cooled Content!

Post by satchmo » Wed Jan 23, 2019 10:06 pm

Indeed, it is unseemly for a young buck to brag about their cars' creature comforts; the dual zone climate control, the electroglide transmission, the power heated seats, the double wishbone suspension, the six speaker stereo, the auto-adjusting rear view mirror, etc, etc. For me, in my dotage, with senility and infirmity right around the corner, I have earned the right to cush out.

As to your questions about the wipers? I don't know. It never rains here.

The power mirrors may have a defrost function, but how would I know? It never frosts here.

Since Colin can post ancient photos with him posing with his previous VW lovers, I can too.

Satchmo with his first automobile, a 1972 bug, in 1978:

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Note the old timey ski rack on top. In the Iowa/Minnesota winters, we used to mount votive candles on the dash to enhance the anemic defroster action. I once drove four hours across Wisconsin and Iowa in a freezing drizzle, stopping every 10-15 minutes to scrape ice off the windshield. I packed ALL of my worldly possessions into this bug, including a ten speed Raleigh bike, when I graduated from college. This car was the original Satchmo.

With Deer Hunter, a 1973 9 passenger bus, in 2006 or so:

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Satchmo
By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
second, by immitation, which is easiest;
and third, by experience, which is bitterest. -Confucius

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chachi
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Re: Warning! Non-Air Cooled Content!

Post by chachi » Fri Jan 25, 2019 9:00 am

when you say the timing was well advanced, where was it at?
1974 transporter panel, 2.0 dual solex
1991 vanagon NAHT, RJE 2.3

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satchmo
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Re: Warning! Non-Air Cooled Content!

Post by satchmo » Fri Jan 25, 2019 10:05 am

Don't recall exactly, but it was advanced enough that I couldn't even see the timing marks on the pulley with my timing gun and I thought maybe I had the wrong spark plug wire. The advance on a stock 2.1 liter Wasserboxer is supposed to be 35 deg (+/- 5 deg) BTDC at 3000 rpm. It was somewhere in the 45-50 degree range.

Satchmo
By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
second, by immitation, which is easiest;
and third, by experience, which is bitterest. -Confucius

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Amskeptic
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Re: Warning! Non-Air Cooled Content!

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Jan 25, 2019 11:36 am

satchmo wrote:
Wed Jan 23, 2019 10:06 pm
Since Colin can post ancient photos with him posing with his previous VW lovers, I can too.
Satchmo with his first automobile, a 1972 bug, in 1978: <pic>

With Deer Hunter, a 1973 9 passenger bus, in 2006 or so <pic>
Satchmo

Beautiful!
Colin
(we were so good-looking waay back in the time of ... rotary telephones)
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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