CaliVW78.com

the ultimate trash bin

Troy Wical — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:02:31 +0000

We are finishing up projects around the house in order to get it ready to put up for sale, and that means…..trash! Over the past few months we’ve done everything from install new counter tops, tile flooring, and sheetrock, to new roofing, furnace, and central air. Over the course of all this, there has been a bit of trash piling up in the back yard that Waste Management does not appear to want to take care of. I have come to this conclusion based on the materials left by the trash can after they have done their trash run

So with new doors, vanity’s, sinks, and other items being installed, replaced, or repaired, it was time to get ready for a trash run. You know, the dump. With Buster not having any of the rear seats installed, it was apparent that he was going to get the short end of the stick. That, and Vandejo is just too pretty.

That said, there is quite a bit of rubble in the back, and more will be coming. Hopefully it doesn’t start to stink too much. I have to drive him to work for the next few days.

Has it really been October since I posted last? ugh

Buster is #1 again | The VW bus prevails

VW bus trailer hitch

Troy Wical — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:11:01 +0000

I mentioned a few weeks ago that we picked up a trailer to help solve our space problem when traveling in the bus. Well, none of our vehicles actually have a hitch, so I picked one up. Jamie Rivers has been making these hitches for a little while now and everyone who has one has been quite happy with it. No drilling is required, as it uses the same four holes in the chassis that the bumper brackets mount to. I believe the UPS box mentioned a weight that was just under 30 pounds, and I don’t doubt it a bit. My unprofessional opinion would be that this hitch could tow a lot more than any VW bus deserves to be hauling around. I’ll post some pics of the install later, but for now, here are some shots of the hitch itself.

A trailer to help with space

The VW bus fuel saga continues

Troy Wical — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:07:10 +0000

Those following know that I’ve been dealing with fuel issues for a little while now. Well, after digging in some more, I found the the vents from the top of the tanks were basically connected to each other, closing the loop for the fuel tank ventilation system. My quick fix for this was to put a T fitting in the line and run it to the tiny intake port the sits just in front of the fuel filter. Basically, the stock setup without the charcoal canister. Things were immediately better! Not a single report of gas fumes afterward. Thanks to Mr. Kolak’s response on a previous post.
I thought everything was going well, but today there was yet another fuel issue. I start the bus up to let it warm up and when I come out a few minutes later, I notice a heavy dose of fuel odor. I look under the bus but see no signs of fuel. Since I am in a pinch to go pick up my daughter a quarter mile away, I reluctantly make the run to pick her up and hurry home. After returning home, the same dose of fumes apply and there is a very slight puddle building up under the location of the fuel pump and fuel filter. Its slight enough that it looks more like an oil spot rather than a puddle. I’ll be taking a look at this tomorrow in depth to see what the issue is.

VW Bus Camp out – Pike National Forest, Colorado

Troy Wical — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:50:30 +0000

Location:
Pike National Forest > Jefferson Lake Recreation Area (South Park RD / Jefferson, Colorado) > Lodgepole Campground.
Date: 2009.09.05 – 2009.09.07
Image Gallery: Here

View Our VW bus adventures in a larger map

Day 1
Finally got a chance to get out of town again. This time, Pike National Forest. A new territory for us! It was a good time too. We had a few unexpected delays on Friday, so I wasn’t able to sleep after getting home from work. We decided to leave the following day so we could be rested up and not so rushed heading out the door.

The drive down went well. I had managed to get an oil change in the day before and also was able to reset the dwell and timing. The dwell was around 58 and I got it back in line around 52 and reset the timing. The engine was running much smoother after that. Heading out of Denver on highway 285 South, we ran into a few steep climbs, but nothing that second gear wasn’t able to answer. The 3 speed automatic is definitely not the best transmission to be using around these parts, but it did well considering. The direction to the campground say that you should head west on CR35/37. Let me make this a little more clear. Right when you run into Jefferson, there will be CR35. Turn West onto that and you will run into CR37 in a couple miles, where you will then turn North, roughly. Anyhow, we got there without too much fuss, and ran into Dan and some other friends who were already there.

I started setting up the sleeping quarters and ran into problems with the new cot we had purchased from Bus Depot. The poles that came with it were of a fixed width, not adjustable, and they were both the same length. I was able to get the front pole mounted (near the dash,) but the rear one was about a quarter inch too short. This was nerve wracking. I had the guy at Bus Depot measure the pole before I ordered it, but I only measured the distance between the front hooks (for the rod that goes across the dash,) and not the hooks near the head rests of the front seat. Of course, the body of the bus gets a little wider as you move back. Moving the hooks up about an inch would fix the problem as the bus starts leaning in, but I had nothing to drill new holes with. We ended up borrowing Dans cot again (adjustable length rods) for the time being and all was well.

Day 2
The next morning started with all the kids needing to instantly pee. I wanted to sleep longer since I didn’t rest well that night, but it wasn’t going to happen. Leah didn’t sleep well either as it was a bit chilly. Everyone was sleeping in sleeping bags except Leah and Isaac, who were under a down comforter. With everyone dressed and out of the bus, we cooked up some food and decided that we would all go for a drive to check out a lake and hiking trail that was near by. We had not setup the circus tent at this point, but Leah had a good idea to take it off the bus, lay it down, and just toss our stuff under it. This way it would stay dry but we wouldn’t have to take the time to setup the whole thing. Dans friends (I’m struggling to remember names at this hour of the morning,) went ahead and installed their seat belts on the rear bench of their bus and Katie rode with them on the way out. We headed up a short road that took us to a lake, where Dan gave all the kids a quick try at the fishing rod. There were no bites, but they all enjoyed it still. Afterward, we all headed back down the road and stopped at another campground that also had a trail off of it. Initially, I was all for the hiking. I thought it would be fun and I was in the right mind frame, knowing that I would have to carry Alissa or Isaac, or both maybe. But, after we started down the trail, it started raining, and Alissa fell asleep. So I was stuck carrying a sleeping 30 pound girl, and Leah was stuck carrying Isaac (I came 2 inches from packing the child carrier backpack but didn’t.) With the rain getting worse, Leah and I told Dan and the rest of the crew that they could go ahead for as long as they like, and that we would head back to the bus. In the end, we all just ended up going back to the bus and heading back to our camp.

When we got back to camp, I noticed that someone had taken the top off our 5 gallon water container and placed it on the table. Lifting it up, I noticed a note from the campground “czar” that said we were in violation for leaving the camp with a fire still going. What?!? Dan and I had put the fire out pretty well, but the man watching over the campground said the fire was “rip roaring” and he had to put it out. We were close to getting a $300 fine for the whole incident, but were let off with a warning.

The rest of the day brought less rain, and everyone hung out, throwing frisbees, footballs, bocce balls, or horse shoes. The road around the camp loop was dirt, but that didn’t stop the kids from riding the scooters around. The camp ground was fairly quiet the whole time, even though it was pretty much full. That night brought more dinner, and smores. It was our last night, so we burned a lot of the wood we had brought. Even so, we still had a bundle to bring home. We feared that some of the sleeping bags may have still got wet underneath the circus tent, but out of all it, only the very foot of one of the bags was wet. Since Alissa was sleeping in that one, she wouldn’t even know it was an issue. Leah and I were both pretty sore from the hiking etc, and I was really not wanting to do any of the dishes that were still to be done. But, Leah said she had already scrapped them clean and that we should just toss them in a garbage bag and clean them when we get home the next morning. Of course I agreed, and was happy to not have to do any dishes With most of the kids asleep, it was time to hit the sack. Needless to say, we made chared-wood-soup at the end of the night, pouring probably 3 gallons of water on the fire that was already dwindling away.

Day 3
Well, last night was even colder. I slept better, but Leah didn’t because of the chill Dan’s friends had already left as they had prior arrangements. They were good people and it was nice to meet some new bus owners. Dan was also leaving soon, and after the kids and everyone said their goodbyes, he and Sammy headed out. Leah and I decided to throw everything in the bus in quick fashion to get on our way too. After all, we were headed back home and everything would be coming back off the bus in just a couple hours. On our way out of the park, we stopped and took pics of a beaver damn that Leah spotted on the way in. The rest of the drive home was uneventful (thats what you want when you own a vw bus

It was nice to check out a new place, and the bus ran well the whole time which provided some sense of relief. Sure beat cleaning the house all weekend!

Rescuing Colins VW bus

Troy Wical — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:20:52 +0000

Just got back from picking up Colin’s bus from Castle Rock. It was being temporarily stored at a collision shop until something more permanent could be worked out. Something more long term, turned out to be our back yard. Bret and I headed down there around 11 and didn’t have too much trouble getting it up on the uhaul trailer.
I had seen pics of the damage previously, but those pics didn’t come close to what it looked like in person. I was very surprised he walked away from the accident.
We don’t know the exact plans yet at this point, but atleast the bus is somewhere that it can stay for awhile until things get figured out.

***Edited 2009.09.09 @ 2212***
Higher resolution images at http://calivw78.com/v/busowners/colin-iac/road-warrior

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A trailer to help with space

Troy Wical — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:46:49 +0000

So, with four kids, space is limited. We had talked about getting a roof rack and putting a cargo box on top. Then we thought more about the trailer. With the cargo box on the roof, it would need to be emptied before we could raise the pop top. But, we also wouldn’t have to worry about extra wheels, registration, and the general issues that go along with having a trailer. With the trailer though, we could pop the top whenever. We could also leave the trailer behind when running around the local area. It would also be easier for everyone to access.

In the end, we decided on a trailer. The cost of a receiver and trailer was going to be about half of what all the hardware for a roof rack would have cost us, and that’s including getting used stuff. The receiver we are getting is made by Jamie Rivers and has great reviews from the community. It’s model # LBR7379R.

We picked up a trailer a couple days ago that we think we’ll be happy with. It is fully enclosed and weighs about 150lb’s empty. I’m guessing it will weigh around 400lb’s fully loaded.

Pressure in the fuel tank, and a timing adjustment

Troy Wical — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:16:37 +0000

Ever since we bought Vandejo, there has been gas fumes. When we first got her home, we dropped the engine and replaced all fuel lines and vent lines, but the fumes persisted. A couple days ago I finally go around to taking the firewall out so I could make sure all the vent lines were right. On hot days especially, when I stop and open the gas cap, a large amount of pressure releases out of the fuel filler neck, making us think the vent lines are not working right.

First of all, removing and installing the firewall while the engine is in place, is quite the pain. The top of the firewall has a flange that sits in a groove. It’s getting that flange in place, while also ensuring that the front tin around the engine case is in the proper spot. The proper spot is to the rear of the firewall.

Once I got the firewall out, I disconnected the vent lines. There are two stubs coming out of the top of the gas tank. One on the passenger side and one on the driver. I took a piece of extra fuel line I had and connected it to each stub and blew into them to make sure they were free and clear. And they were. Those stubs connect to a rail which leads up into the air intakes on either side of the bus. I blew into each of those rails, and there was a lot more pressure. I am not sure if there should be any pressure at all, or if there should be some. I took the air compressor and blew air into the lines that lead up into the air intakes to make sure it was cleared out as much as possible.

I’ve not smelled any gas since doing this, but I’m not sure that the vent lines were even the cause. I’m wondering if the fumes may not have made it inside the bus via a broken seal between the engine bay and cab. Well, I put all the vent lines back together and replaced the firewall. We’ll see what happens.

Since we are trying to get the bus running it’s best before an upcoming camping trip, I decided I would check the dwell and timing. The dwell was at 58, which is a bit high. I adjusted the point with my .010 feeler gauge and got it to 52. Close enough During this, I knocked the vacuum line off the auxiliary air regulator, causing the engine to not idle. It would just die. I was starting to regret doing any work. After all, it was running “ok” before. Quick check in the engine bay and I found the vacuum line and felt much better when the engine idled. A quick adjustment to the timing and we were done for the day. I’m hoping to get to the spark plugs and oil change tomorrow.

Charlie Fords search for the beginning of the wind

Troy Wical — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:09:46 +0000

Stumbling through the internet can reward you with descent reading, sometimes. Case in point, while beating my head against Google’s search engine to try and dig up history on some of the older vw bus content, I ran across the writing of Charlie Ford.

I’ve heard the name many times over the years, but never read much of his writings. Now that I have read some of them, I suggest you do to. The link below is an old page consisting of posts written by Charlie has he traveled North America in a vw bus. This wasn’t some two week trip around the mid-west. No, it was a year long journey in the making, that took him over 20k miles of road.

I don’t know what he’s doing these days, but his writings were a great enjoyment to me. They’ve helped me to remember what important to me. Hopefully it will do the same for you.

http://www.type2.com/~keen/charlie/charlie.html

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Replacement bushings for Koni shocks

Troy Wical — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:02:37 +0000

Before our first trip with Vandejo to go camping some time ago, I decided that it would be nice to have the Koni shocks and Nokian tires on her. The Nankang tires I had installed on Vandejo for the drive home after purchasing her, while proper in size, build, and load range, were not the best in regards to handling and tread design. The shocks on Vandejo were pretty worn as well and didn’t help much in the ride or braking department. With Buster stepping aside to let Vandejo take care of the camping and long hauls, I figured I would swap them.

Well, I got the tires swapped. But the Koni shocks just weren’t coming off, yet. I started to remove the front passenger side shock off Buster, and succeded in getting the top bolt undone. But after removing the nut on the lower shock mount, the rubber appeared to have seized to the stud. So, I could twist the shock forward and back, but the rubber would not break loose to let me slide it off the stud. Also, there is a metal sleeve that slips inside the rubber bushing, and slides over the stud. Perhaps I left that off by accident? I couldn’t tell right off, but will investigate more.

A quick post to the type2.com mailing list provided various answers. In the thread I asked if PB Blaster would do any good, or if it would just eat up the rubber and destroy it. Some said they had to torch, chisel, and gouge the old rubber bushing to get it loose. Well, my next question was where to buy replacement bushings, in case I have to go caveman on the bushings. I’ve found no direct place to buy them yet, but have sent Koni NA an email to see if they can help out. I’ll keep you posted.

***UPDATE 2009.01.22 @ 0731***

While I’ve not heard back from Koni NA yet, a friend of a friend gave me the line on another site that seems to specialize in bushings of various types. The site is Prothane.com, and I’ve sent them a message as well to see if they have anything that will work. If all of this falls through, I’ll have to suck it up and send the shocks to Koni and have them do the warranty work on them.

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Vandejo’s in the shop!

Troy Wical — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:13:17 +0000

Quite simply, I ran out of time. Getting out in the garage to work on her has been getting harder and harder to do, and there is this vibration around 1500 rpm’s that I believe has something to do with either the torque converter, or the drive (flex) plate. Those are the only things that I have worked on recently. Perhaps the torque converter was damaged when everything hit the fan on the last camping trip? Dunno.
Now, she hanging out with a group of old gear heads that I think will treat her right. I’m very anxious to see what they find. Camping season is near!