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Today I did the passenger side pushrod tube seals. While after doing the driver's side ones the puddle disappeared, I still had some small oil spots on the rear of the bus after 30 miles of cruising or so. Also, what kind of person only does half of any seal replacement job and calls it good (except for the PO). Not many pictures from the replacement itself, but here's a picture I fumbled of the underside whilst cleaning up and having oily gloves on:  Here's a picture of the new tubes in. Yes, the rearmost one's o-ring is a bit pinched. I'm hoping it really doesn't matter because it's up top, and because I didn't notice until just now when uploading the picture:  Here's the crud from just the passenger side pushrod tubes, and nothing else. The driver's side ones weren't nearly this bad:  The frontmost three pushrod tubes were dented to hell and back, and I'm half thinking they were leaking from being so off-angle. I found a box wrench that fit the inside diameter nicely, and I used that to roughly straighten out the dents from the inside by pushing it through at all angles and twisting it back and forth. Then I found a socket that was nearly the right size OD (13mm deepwell 3/8", if you want to know) and hammered it through with a few 6" extensions to finish straightening them out. Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 01:01 on Sep 9, 2015 |
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Sep 9, 2015 00:57
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| # ¿ May 14, 2024 15:32 |
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Send me whatever you have (obj, sldprt, whatevs) and I can try to work with it. I have Fusion 360 and Solidworks. Update: the bus now has retracting seatbelts! Turns out you can modify, say, a spare retractable seatbelt for the Beetle to use with the bus, and even retain the pendulum clutch. So much better than dangling seatbelts.
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Sep 9, 2015 04:13
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So, as the pictures show earlier, the ABS door panels I ordered have rectangular holes near the latch for the ineffectual door vents VW originally had installed.  My initial plan was to source some new vent covers and sliding plates, but the passenger door of the bus is not original, and has no provisions for the vents inside. Instead of finding a new door, or living with one door having vents, or having to source unobtanium plastic trim pieces, I decided to take the matter into my own hands. Take the replacement door panels below:  Add calipers:  Then way too much time in Solidworks:  Add equal amounts time in Simplify3D to position the part and set up support while balancing weight and printer constraints:  And I end up with a door vent cover that screws right in!      Now, this one is a bit squirrelly, because the printer towers have loosened up a tiny bit over the past 20 days of printing or so since my last overhaul, so the layers shifted maybe .10mm back and forth a bit as it got higher and higher. On this one, I will sand the surfaces down (I made the walls quite thick, 4 layers at .48mm/layer). On the second one, which is printing right now, I tightened up the towers, so hopefully sanding will be a little more minimal. I will probably leave these as-is for color, though I can always spray them with some Krylon Fusion if I want to change them. Overall, I'm pretty happy. Cost-wise, each print is .50 pounds, and I pay about $17/kg in plastic. Unfortunately about 40% of the weight in plastic is support material, which is plain wasted, but what do you do  . This particular roll was 2kg instead of 1kg of filament, and was only $20, which probably explains why it was such a paint to print with. Figured I may as well waste it on something like this instead of plastic trinkets.
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Sep 11, 2015 11:21
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It's only because the printer I have has an 11 inch round plate, instead of a large square table. I chose available height to print over base size. Some newer printers could have done it flat, and I could have if I split the part up.
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Sep 11, 2015 18:40
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Yeah it's 290mm long.
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Sep 11, 2015 20:11
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Also, a few days ago I got my hands on a file, and modified it for printing. Babby's first printed threads. I HATE TABLES ALMOST AS MUCH AS I HATE OIL LEAKS  
Somebody fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Sep 11, 2015 |
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Sep 11, 2015 20:33
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Sorry for the absolute poo poo pictures, but I installed the vent covers today. I was originally going to screw them in from the front with speednuts, but decided to remove the panel and do hidden screws from behind. If I don't like it I can always spend $5 + electricity for two days to print some more.   I didn't sand these or anything, and the driver's door vent hole is longer than the passenger one that I used to measure it, so there's this gap. Let's call these "Draft 1." I'm thinking for the second printed set I could use some translucent red and put lights in them, maybe.
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Sep 16, 2015 03:04
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Original plan was to print these as tests for printer stability and part strength, then if they worked to paint them with Krylon Fusion plastic dye-paint. But after this I think maybe either translucent black like you said (they were originally going to be that, but a failed print used up too much to make two of them with the leftover filament) or translucent red with lights so they light up when you open the doors. I'm going to edit the final versions so they don't have holes for the "vents" anymore but instead just get thin there. I'll also add some LED or LED tape mounting spots on the backside now that I know the clearance inside the door to make things easier. And yeah, the wordpress site is kind of poo poo (I just run forum posts through a BBcode to HTML converter and paste them over), but it's public for friends and stuff. I'd make a thread on TheSamba, but the guys there are all super purists that are really condescending and just tell you to "search for a previous thread" when you ask a question even though their search function is broken as poo poo for anything other than the classified sales listings. gently caress those guys (but I'm thankful it exists for knowledge). A link to the part, where you can select the version and spin it around and poo poo: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1005326 Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 05:40 on Sep 16, 2015 |
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Sep 16, 2015 05:05
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Huh, turns out all I needed to do to solve my oil pressure problems was change the oil filter that had a 2009 date code stamped on it. Who knew? Bonus! The old filter contained free glitter!
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Sep 16, 2015 08:03
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Today, this: Went into here:  Up at the front, behind the driver's kick panel:  I did have to make a crossover, and I'm not happy about it:  Back into the engine bay:  (notice: brass tees on all vacuum and fuel lines. gently caress that cheap plastic poo poo, brass or glass ball nylon motherfuckers) Also, I found some old LED lights kicking around, and I also had a NC relay on hand, and that gave me an idea. A bad idea, but still an idea.  Those are on the fresh air flaps, and are bolted in, not just double-stick taped to there. I don't really have any idea why, but it was easily doable, and is wired up so the running lights have to be off for them to be on, so if I accidentally leave them on they'll turn off when I turn the lights on to drive. Even through the mesh, they throw out a lot of light forwards, and I can blink them with the fresh air flap lever. They're wired through the relay to the second battery, so maybe camping/area lighting without risking the engine battery. x2
Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 03:03 on Sep 17, 2015 |
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Sep 17, 2015 03:00
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I am addicted to making things for the bus.
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Sep 21, 2015 13:05
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After removing the door vent channels slash armrests, all of the fresh air was coming out of the lower vents. Instead of capping them off, I designed and printed some covers that direct a little air upwards, but create enough backpressure to allow the dashboard vents to work.  
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Sep 22, 2015 04:53
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Ahaha my rear left wheel cylinder exploded. Like, it's parked right now with a big brake fluid puddle under the rear left wheel.
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Sep 22, 2015 21:35
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Installed the air vents: Replaced the wheel cylinder:  (pre-replacement) Funny how there's fresh springs and hardware in there, but the OG cylinder. gently caress you, PO. I only did the driver's side, though, because I don't have enough brake fluid on hand to refill whatever I spill and bleed doing the other wheel.
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Sep 23, 2015 01:33
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Sorry that this is such a slow thread, compared to others here. Big mechanical fixes are few and far between - my goal is generally to get it to a reliable driving state and then faff about with small bits and bobs until I fall into money or get really bored, so the three people that read this thread are going to see a lot of things like the following: The victim:  The  (with clips of my own design) Basic template:  Installed:  And (really blurry) angle pic:  Just that little chromed plastic piece really makes the entire front of the bus. It's uncanny.
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Sep 23, 2015 21:07
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 Having some fun at work.
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Sep 25, 2015 09:38
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(Sorry about purple, HTC One M7, y'know) Today my LED 12v bulbs came in.  (the black wire is the positive, and the white the ground. On all 20 of them) Redesigned cover:  A little bigger than the prototypes:  Bulb installed. Pretty good for measurements estimated from an eBay listing page:   Sorry about the purple, but the installed oil pressure sender with idiot light poles. Yeah, I chewed up the engine tin a bit to get it to fit, but after this picture I bent back down the metal and dremeled the sharp edges off, and it seals pretty well. Well, as good as it did before.  Since the distributor was out, I decided to take it apart:  And install this thing that's been rattling around on the floor for a few months now:  Fast forward about 30 minutes, and I have a properly shimmed and installed electronic ignition kit. Remember that the rotor has to be shortened about 4-5mm for it to sit properly on the rotor key:  Idling:  Revving as high as I dare in neutral, about 3.5k or so?  I guess this is a good thing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coPkY5zkGXU
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Sep 29, 2015 03:51
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Just one picture today because seriously my camera is terrible, but I installed the door lights: The way the bus is wired up, if the passenger door opens, the passenger one lights. If the driver's door opens, both the driver's door and passenger door lights. The passenger door switch switches ground to the dome light, whereas the driver's door switches positive for both the dome light and for the dash buzzer (buzzes if the key is in and the door is on). E: turns out I wired the driver's side to the ground side of the piezo buzzer, so it works until I stick the key in and the buzzer goes off, then the LED goes out. Whatever 
Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 02:44 on Sep 30, 2015 |
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Sep 30, 2015 01:08
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The cutting off is a dick move (all SWA crews are assholes, they make more and act superior) but the slowing down is expected to maintain a smooth ride. Sucks, but ambulances are slow. Slow is smooth. I drove from West Valley hospital to St Joseph with a 2 hour old neonate on a ventilator the other day, and I'm sure that I was already going 45 by the time I hit the off ramp and coasting down almost the entire length of it when I got off the 10 at 7th ave. Seriously though I hate crews that cut off others. Dangerous, dick move that is unnecessary if the driver is using even the tiniest bit of brainpower. Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 03:35 on Sep 30, 2015 |
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Sep 30, 2015 03:32
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As I said, SWA guys are assholes. Probably wanted to hit up a QT or something equally lame.
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Sep 30, 2015 03:49
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Hmmmm...
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Sep 30, 2015 10:15
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I bought the tires. Here's hoping. Also, whitewall in or out? (I'm leaning whitewall out, though it's not "period correct"). Today, I decided to install the new drag-link I've had rolling around the bus since I did my initial parts purchase nearly three months ago. Just got tired of it taking up space, really. Let's figure out, from the pictures, which really specific, required tool I have yet to purchase.   (yes, this worked. It made a glorious noise when it popped, then both jacks fell onto my ankles) New one in:   Eventually everything underneath will be shiny. For the tie rods, I'm thinking about picking up one of these. Does anybody know if they're any good? Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Oct 1, 2015 |
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Oct 1, 2015 00:07
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Just now I went for a test drive, and realized that the steering wheel was now a little off-center, so I pulled the wheel and re-centered it. I also fixed the fuckery by the po: he had wrapped the top of the steering column, where the big spring pushes up against the wheel, with electrical tape. This tape prevented the turn signal/wiper switches from locking to any of the notches in the steering column, so this entire time I've had a moving turn signal switch. Removing the tape and cleaning up the goop allowed the locating pin to lock into the appropriate slot, so my turn signals don't move anymore. He had also removed the turn signal cancel ring from underneath the steering wheel, and screwed it back on 1/3rd of the way around the wheel, so my turn signals never canceled. I fixed that, and now I don't have to manually cancel the signals anymore.
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Oct 1, 2015 04:50
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MORE 3D printed things!    Also, turns out I have an oil leak again. Somewhere that gets in the airstream and blows it all around, so either fan hub seal (which I have already replaced) or maybe oil cooler? poo poo. Well, it's not the new oil pressure switch or the valve covers, that I'm sure. New oil pressure gauge figures: Cold startup idle: 70 PSI Idle after 10 minutes driving: 20 PSI Idle after 40 minutes driving: 10 PSI (but it stays pretty well there) Revving after cold startup: 80+ PSI Revving after 10 minutes: 60 PSI Revving after 40 minutes: 40-60 PSI depending If the engine lugs while idling, like if I turn on the heater fan, which is a 20-40 amp draw that slows down the engine, it can drop to near zero and the idiot light comes on, which is on the gauge at 0 but in the book is 6.5 PSI. When I wasn't right at the top of the dipstick hatches, halfway (one quart) low in the middle between the two marks, it would drop to near zero at idle. The old pressure switch at idle didn't have any issues, but the stock pressure switch is 2-2.5 PSI. E: wow, turns out the real pictures are way out of focus. I really need a new phone or camera 
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Oct 2, 2015 10:12
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The handles incorporate a secret~ (the secret is they were printed in two pieces, an upper and lower shell, with a piece of bent thick wire in-between that wraps around the screw holes, then acetone-welded together)
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Oct 2, 2015 19:22
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For $20 I should just own one, but I literally have no money right now. It's a weird scenario where I've paid all of the bills, we have food, all of the vehicles and the 5 gal can are full of gas, but I have no pocket money.
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Oct 3, 2015 09:52
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I spent $25 on a damned timing scale, but I'm putting in way more than $25 worth of my time to make sure that nobody else has to suffer through the same thing:   By FAR the most difficult thing I have made yet, probably because I have to copy something so accurately. E: Success! 
Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 19:29 on Oct 4, 2015 |
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Oct 4, 2015 11:06
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Watching them figure out how to remove the trim rings. It's like a zoo display
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Oct 5, 2015 22:27
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New tires!  (I can't get the blue poo poo off - I pulled a blue film off of the whitewalls and this remained) Old tires!  Funny thing, one of the old tires was from 2006 
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Oct 6, 2015 00:45
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Guys! You can take electricity  gently caress around with it a bit    And eventually stick metal together with it!  This changes everything.
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Oct 6, 2015 00:47
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I did notice it got easier when the wind died down. Instead of a distinct series of "POP...POP...POP" it went "POP-sizzzzzzzzzzzzle" and I got a lot smoother weld puddle
Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 02:43 on Oct 6, 2015 |
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Oct 6, 2015 02:41
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I completely understand that the stuff I took pictures of is crap. This is my first personal time in front of a welder without somebody else setting up controls, and this is fluxcore wire with no gas. Not only that, it's the spool that came with the $90 welder, so maybe when I switch to the 2lb Lincoln spools I also have things will be better. Right now I'm just putzing around figuring stuff out on scrap metal. The thing I'm messing with now is a bad bumper mount for the beetle that arrived cracked and lovely. I also have old oil coolers, scrap bumpers, bicycle frames, etc that I'm going to practice on well before I ever get near the bus. Don't worry. Of course, maybe I should take pictures of the current "patches" that the PO did on the bus, because a lot of them look worse than what you saw me do in those pictures. And don't worry, the first time the welder touches the bus it will be to fill some no-longer-used bolt holes in the rear inner fender, an area nobody will see. I have a feeling this bus was somebody else's learner car, too. Of note, today after dark I took the rest of the interior panels off, and this is the sheet metal lowdown so far: - Nose of the bus is a replacement panel with pretty professional welds - Driver's door was originally white, has a button-style lock - Passenger door was originally blue, has a lever-style lock - Driver's side door frame, rear-side only, was white on top, brown on bottom (champagne brown, specifically, so it came from a champagne edition bus) - Passenger door frame rear is white on top, RED on bottom - Sliding door was originally white all around - Engine carrier area is red - Engine door was red - Rear cargo door was white - Rear passenger fender area, bottom 12 inches, is a replacement welded-in panel - Rear passenger rocker area is a new panel, bottom 12 inches - Driver's door dogleg is a replacement panel - Driver's seat mount is a replacement panel - Passenger seat mount is a replacement panel - Passenger dogleg is original - Passenger seat back area (that half-wall between the front and rear seats) is a replacement panel/constructed from replacement panels - Driver's side panel area below window at one point had a decal of a rising sun, 3 feet across, on it (can see when paint is wet) I honestly have no idea what this bus originally was.
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Oct 6, 2015 07:03
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Also a grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't. EDIT VVVVVV: Or I could do what the PO did and just do the stepped spot thing over and over. Looks like he did a spot every three inches or so, then went back and did another spot to the right of that one, every 3 inches all around, and so on  (this is sarcasm I won't do that)Looks like he probably burned up through a lot of lapping/sanding discs, and made up for his lovely welding with the angle grinder and a bondo outerlayer. Seriously the pictures I posted were just loving around on scrap and attempting to badly dial things in. I didn't "try any techniques" or anything, it was just essentially teaching my hands how to hold the gun. Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 10:08 on Oct 6, 2015 |
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Oct 6, 2015 07:05
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So, today I ran through the spool of wire the welder came with, patching up small pinholes and generally learning the machine. The second, the second I switched over to the lincoln wire, everything was a thousand percent easier to use. Instead of the weld bubbling up and spattering and generally being a poo poo, the weld was mixing with the base metal and spreading out, creating a smooth surface. The welder itself also seemed to be about three times as powerful; before, when I was welding on thin metal, I would generally have to switch between the "I" and "II" settings (amperage?) depending on how close I was to a captive nut or another large thermal mass. After switching to the new wire, I never had to switch out of "I," and I would occasionally blow through the thinner or slightly rusted (I lapped everything shiny with the angle grinder and flap discs beforehand) areas. So, for any future people that may end up reading these posts, let me tell you the steps to take when you buy a lovely Chinese welder: Step 1: Open the box, and remove all of the contents. Step 2: Make sure everything is present that should be. Welder, cords, handles, wheels, etc. Step 3: Take the spool of wire that comes with the welder, and throw it away. E: the difference between the two is like going from lead-free to leaded solder. So nice. Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 03:00 on Oct 7, 2015 |
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Oct 7, 2015 02:51
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Do you know what buses don't have? Cup holders. Do you know what else they don't have? Cigarette lighters or USB chargers. Let's fix that.    Old aluminum box of some sort, some trimming and edging, and some cut holes with 3D printed mounts. Not pictured, but behind the USB ports I also have a 3D printed backplate that conforms to the circuit board and holds it in place. I hate relying on glue or adhesives for things.
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Oct 7, 2015 22:54
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It's an old aluminum box I'm pretty sure I recovered from one of our ambulances that caught fire, or it could be from an old mount in my dad's pickup. I've been kicking it around forever. I just got back in from finishing its installation:    It is wired directly (fused, of course) to only the second battery. When it is on and doing nothing, the LED there pulls 68 mA. I think it would be useful to have a 12V plug and USB charger that didn't risk the starting battery. Also, it seems like the camera on my phone is getting worse. I may have to switch to some old telephone to use for photos. I think I have my Sprint Galaxy SII kicking around somewhere. But, that notwithstanding, I also installed all but one of the panels:    The remaining panel is the one in front of the driver's side rear wheel rocker area, as I have to cut that panel out and weld the new one in, so there's no reason to install the plastic just yet. Welding will probably be done next week, unless it rains again.
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Oct 8, 2015 01:03
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It's one of those 12V DOT-approved "trucker" leds. All 10 of the ones I bought draw that much, and they get a fair bit warm when running. I don't think they're being overdriven, I think it's something to do with snow/ice melting, if I can believe random poo poo I read on online forums
Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 05:23 on Oct 8, 2015 |
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Oct 8, 2015 05:19
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THIS GOD DAMNED OIL COOLER IS LEAKING AGAIN AND WORSE THAN BEFORE gently caress IT I WILL JUST BUY A BRAND NEW ONE AND EVEN MORE NEW SEALS TO OFFER UP TO THE ACVW GOD
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Oct 9, 2015 11:28
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The area at the bottom area of my windshield is rusty. I have made an executive decision. Instead of cutting out the offending metal area and welding in a replacement panel, I will instead use many $$$s of welding spool, more $$$s of grinding disc, and even more $$$s of time, to sand down and fill the area with weld, then grind it down and spray it with paint. All to save $$s of panel and $$s of time.
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Oct 11, 2015 11:13
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| # ¿ May 14, 2024 15:32 |
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Welp, just had the first complaint againsts us. One of the townhouse units moved out and is trying to sell their place, so after nearly three years I guess the lady there had built up some pent-up rage and is attacking me for the 'oil spots' that are all 100% apparently my fault (even in the other people's covered parking?) and how repairs aren't allowed here. Tough poo poo, lady, as I've done nearly all of my repairs on the street where you have no authority. She's also attacking me for simply having old cars (?) and for having untrimmed bushes sometimes (the HoA trims the bushes but for some reason they don't do ours, which is a corner lot, so I have to do it manually and it sometimes sits for a day or two until I muster up the energy to break out the trimmer). This coming from a very, to put it bluntly, ghetto person that regularly left trash bags sitting just, there, outside her front door. And her stupid kid that spends 100% of his time outside in the courtyard bouncing a tennis ball off of people's windows and poo poo. gently caress it. In other news, today is new oil cooler day! Maybe I'll park in 9's spot while she's at work to do the changeover, because there's always a little spilled oil.
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Oct 13, 2015 21:29
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