Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

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tommu
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by tommu » Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:05 am

Leak, slow drip. accumulating at the center of the case, at the split. This requires a picture. I realized that my oil might still be radioactive, here's how it looks under the blacklight:

Image

It seems to be leaking from the strainer which, if so, is one of the better places to leak from. I'll keep it clean and keep driving. Note that Kuril shows up pretty brightly in black light too and can look like leaking oil..

I'm swapping mufflers right now as the one on the bus is leaking from it's seam. I'm trying to preserve the donut gasket but it's not looking good.

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asiab3
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by asiab3 » Fri Jan 04, 2019 2:04 am

tommu wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:05 am
…seems to be leaking from the strainer…

…trying to preserve the donut gasket…
I'll bring a NOS donut gasket and my lapping plates over next week. I've seen two strainer covers this year with UFDs on the sealing surface.

Unexplainable Frickin' Dents.
Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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Amskeptic
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Jan 05, 2019 8:55 am

asiab3 wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 2:04 am
tommu wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:05 am
…seems to be leaking from the strainer…

…trying to preserve the donut gasket…
I'll bring a NOS donut gasket and my lapping plates over next week. I've seen two strainer covers this year with UFDs on the sealing surface.

Unexplainable Frickin' Dents.
Robbie

Oh, that's easy. You're doing a hot oil change, because it is recommended, and the last turn of the 13mm strainer nut releases the strainer plate that disgorges a stream of boiling hot oil on your fingers "ow dammit" then strainer falls in drain pan with the nut, then you fish hot strainer plate out of hot oil "ow ow ouch" and you fling it accidentally against the bottle jack holding up the engine carrier, you try to drag it back within reach using your knurled ratchet handle but it escapes and rolls 45 feet down the driveway right when the recycling truck comes rumbling down the alley, yeah, happens all the time.

Tommu, next oil change, check the case parting line under the strainer gasket surface for a slight ridge. Block hole with rapidly saturating paper towel. Use only a razor blade to smooth out the catch. Wash carefully, reassemble. torque to spec. Check tightness again after a couple of more heat-cycles.
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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tommu
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by tommu » Tue Jan 08, 2019 10:58 am

Amskeptic wrote:
Sat Jan 05, 2019 8:55 am

Tommu, next oil change, check the case parting line under the strainer gasket surface for a slight ridge. Block hole with rapidly saturating paper towel. Use only a razor blade to smooth out the catch. Wash carefully, reassemble. torque to spec. Check tightness again after a couple of more heat-cycles.
Colin
I cleaned well, drove, and checked again. I don't actually believe it is leaking from the strainer plate. I can't believe it is - but the main evidence of a leak is coming from the case parting line. I'm going to change the oil tonight and with the filter removed I'll be able to remove the A/C compressor mount bracket. Once that is out of the way I'll have a clearer view of things.

This engine is still running well. I smoke tested for vacuum leaks yesterday and found a slight leak on the Plenum to AAR valve. I also swapped in my $23.50 NOS Leistritz backbox (muffler in American?). It looks like I managed to preserve the old exhaust donut and a quick smoke-test of the exhaust didn't reveal any other leaks.

CHT sensor is now working properly. Polarity has to be right AND the yellow wire needs to be the right way round. I reached 411f up hill on the freeway at around 68 mph which seemed a little high to me. Is it normal to run a little hotter before a new engine has loosened up a bit?

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asiab3
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by asiab3 » Thu Jan 10, 2019 9:56 pm

I visited tommu today and can attest that the engine is beautiful and gorgeous, to look at and to drive, in either order.

There were a few MAJOR assembly problems with the engine though… :pirate:

The decel valve wasn't working. (All the better for ring break-in anyway, I say!)
The EEC valve was connected to manifold vacuum.
The alternator is only putting out 13v.

It was a pleasure to flick the key and be greeted by… Valves? No exhaust leaks? No clattery cam gears? No slapping pistons? Nothing? Just valves? Welcome back to 1976!

Fantastic job, Tom. Oregon campout this fathers day weekend?? :drunken:
Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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tommu
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by tommu » Thu Jan 10, 2019 11:58 pm

A pleasure to see you always and very pleased to have someone else drive the bus and tell me it's really not going to implode.. imminently! It really does drive better with the decel valve.

The problem with Robbie visiting is always the energy he leaves behind. I just took the bumper off the Ghia to remove the bondo covering the snapped thread of a bolt that once held the overrider support to the body. This present from the PO I have been putting off for 7 years!

Here's a photo of Robbie finding the most truest fan I have - before we realized that the fan hub was actually at fault. It had been clearanced by number 4 bearing in engine build #2. Nothing goes unpunished in the mechanical world.
Image

Oh - Robbie left out the worst issue. Oil leak at the rear bottom of the engine appears to be from the case. :angryfire:

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Amskeptic
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Jan 11, 2019 11:24 am

tommu wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 11:58 pm
Oil leak at the rear bottom of the engine appears to be from the case. :angryfire:

Note that there are a couple of 13mm nuts along the case line that must be hit with sealant at the case-to-washer and washer-to-nut at the REAR of the case.

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

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tommu
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by tommu » Sun Jan 13, 2019 11:24 pm

Leak seems to have stopped.

I re-terminated the Spliced wire from the auxiliary battery relay to the alternator charging warning light. That bought me .4 volts. I then found the the red/white wire from the starter to the dashboard had melted badly at some point a long time ago. I replaced that and now we have 14 volts at the battery.

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asiab3
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by asiab3 » Mon Jan 14, 2019 12:46 am

tommu wrote:
Sun Jan 13, 2019 11:24 pm
A) Leak seems to have stopped.

B) I re-terminated the Spliced wire from the auxiliary battery relay to the alternator charging warning light. That bought me .4 volts. I then found the the red/white wire from the starter to the dashboard had melted badly at some point a long time ago. I replaced that and now we have 14 volts at the battery.
A) My leaks stop when I stop worrying about them. :bootyshake: Why did yours stop though?

B) Huh, glad you caught the wire melt, but the red/white should be a #50 "only hot when cranking" wire… Another case for a starter relay I suppose? Was there some funny business with your blue wire T1 connector by the voltage regulator? Or am I thinking of the black wire T1 right there? Or another bus? Am I losing it already?

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

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tommu
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by tommu » Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:03 am

Blue wire from alternator loom to VR was spliced to the auxiliary battery relay with a hopeless blue snap-in splicer. I correctly terminated that.

76 Bus has two red with red stripe wires. One to the double relay and one big fat wire to the fuse box. The fat one was melted and missing a good chunk of copper.

The leak - I had already removed the A/C support and used Kuril on the studs with nuts and washers. I guess this was the main fix. Not sure why I saw some accumulation after that.

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asiab3
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by asiab3 » Mon Jan 14, 2019 11:50 pm

tommu wrote:
Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:03 am
The leak - I had already removed the A/C support and used Kuril on the studs with nuts and washers. I guess this was the main fix. Not sure why I saw some accumulation after that.
…Because Heinz Nordhoff is getting bored in his grave, and needed someone fastidious and detailed to pick on.

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

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Amskeptic
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Burbank

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:24 am

asiab3 wrote:
Mon Jan 14, 2019 12:46 am
A ) but the red/white should be a #50 "only hot when cranking" wire…
B ) Am I losing it already?
Robbie

a ) Thank goodness we have a Technical Forum to refer to, "Electrical" I believe it is called:

https://itinerant-air-cooled.com/viewto ... 91#p230700


Go to B "Preliminary" 3.

Then go to C "Scope It Out"
Read the following:

"Look for that red/white wire from the starter solenoid #30 post. It terminates at the 9 fuse bottom terminal with a plastic sleeve and it busses over to 8.

This is the Big Cajuna. This is your entire electrical supply to the ignition system, lights, wipers, emergency flasher, horn, etc. Know this!
"

b ) It is a hard business, Young Robbie. Lots of chemicals . . .
I guess I will stop here . . .
Colin :bom:
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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