Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2012 12:09:04 -0800
Reply-To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [WetWesties] Digest Number 5595
In-Reply-To: <B74B974B-77C1-4D17-9A27-B3A65D381F05@rynth.org>
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Congratulations!
This all schmecks of typical Vanagon Westy "woes". IMO, and others share
this, almost any Vanagon one buys needs attention. i.e. Even the '88 I
bought that is fairly "cherry" needed work. (the price was right though)
The pop top canvas can indeed be patched. Here's a page I wrote up on the
patches I made on my '81 OEM canvas:
https://sites.google.com/site/tubaneil2/poptopcanvasrepair
The patches have held up fine and surprisingly, the OEM canvas has not torn
further! I treated the patches with water repellent but did so after the
adhesive had set for a while. I did not spray a lot of that on the patches
where adhesive is.
re: brakes My $.02 is on the master cylinder. They can "leak" internally
when a seal(s) fails and/or allow fluid to leak out. The pedal can have
that "sinking" feeling intermittently or constantly. Inspect inside the
brake booster. Brake fluid can get past the MC and into the booster.
Re: interior coolant smell. My money is on the heater core. This core heats
the van interior. OTOH, if the engine is running too hot (i.e. due to a
partially clogged radiator), in a pinch, one can "turn the heat on" and
effectively use the core as a mini radiator to help cool the engine.
Neil.
On Sat, Dec 22, 2012 at 6:46 AM, Lisa Bloch <lab@rynth.org> wrote:
> **
>
>
>
> On Dec 21, 2012, at 3:58 AM, wetwesties@yahoogroups.com wrote:
>
>
>
> After having gotten my clean bill of health regarding drugs, I took it to
> Porbug for an initial look-see. I took possession of it in Spokane with no,
> not a drop, of gasoline. Not surprisingly, that damaged the fuel filter,
> etc. So, replace those. The rear wheel cylinders and front wheel bearings
> needed immediate work. The awning was about to fall off, so remove that,
> revealing large rust spot. Treating the rust with naval jelly for the nonce.
>
> Putting off until spring replacing the too narrow belts, the fuel vent
> hoses (not fully filling, or emptying, the tank until then), the coolant
> pipes, the coolant leak from the #2 exhaust port, the CV joint problems,
> the upper control arm problems, various dents, and the cracked skylight. I
> assume it's cracked, I haven't actually looked, but it was supposed to be
> cracked when it was sold to me.
>
> Not supposed to be cracked was the windshield and the poptop canvas.
> George suggested installing a rainfly, but I'm going to try patching the
> canvas first.
>
>
> Now that I can count on it starting (I believe! I believe!), it's being
> cranky about stopping. Felt like I lost the rear brakes twice on the trip
> between Edmonds and Seattle. I have an appointment (within walking
> distance) to have the master cylinders looked at next Thursday (Xmas and
> all that). And I'm getting an occasional whiff of maple syrup, which Kirk
> says may imply a new heater core. Not sure if that does interior climate or
> engine cooling. Maybe it's only asserting its Canadian origins.
>
>
--
Neil n
65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp
'88 Slate Blue Westy to be named.
'81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco" http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
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