Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:15:22 -0400
Reply-To: John Meeks <vanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Meeks <vanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Fun with fixing up stuff...(long post)
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTikxf8pBGabER8aZsD7PQgJfPo7S1utgjSpsGRZd@mail.gmail.com>
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Hey Don, Sounds like you've been having fun ;-)
I'd really like to know how you blew out your washer nozzles. I've been
fighting the passenger side nozzle for a couple of years using a thin wire.
No joy.
John Meeks
'91 Vanagon MV
Northern Michigan
Vanagon Rescue Squad
www.vanagonauts.com
On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 10:17 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
> Fall in the Northwest US brings 'indoor projects' time and I have been
> having lots of fun lately.
>
> First I swapped out my older 1.8liter VW inline four block for a newer 2.0
> liter Jetta inline. That was pretty ambitious, but I seemed to have pulled
> it off pretty well. I posted about that in other posts. Been tying up
> loose ends and refining that swap.
>
> New exhaust system, new mounts for that exhaust system and a revision of
> my
> motor mounts have resulted in a super smooth inline...I thought it was
> pretty good before, but after my latest change to my cross-engine brace,
> the harmonic vibrations aren't even there anymore. I drove around for
> almost 3yrs with my muffler system hanging from the frame of the
> van...putting sound into the chassis. Now, after some careful fabrication
> and some trial and error, I have eliminated that, and it really makes a
> huge
> difference.
>
> Then I installed some gauges...Oil temp and Oil pressure. That's
> something I've been wanting since I first got this van about 3yrs ago. I
> used some of that trailer wiring "tape"...wire that is flat and contains 4
> wires, color-coded and insulated separately. A 20' roll cost me $20-some
> but now I have two more unused wires for future transmission of electrons
> from back to front...
>
> Replaced my old style KC sealed beam Daylighters with the newer style
> replaceable bulb ones...since one of mine was burned out. Re-aimed those
> and cleaned up all the headlight switches, grounds, relays (I have Hella
> H-4
> headlights)..Then I got to the brake and running lights...brighter bulbs
> and
> cleaned all the connections and made sure everything was properly done
> there.
>
> I took out my can of SA Besto spray lube and went for it, everywhere. My
> speedo cable was 'whirring' on cold mornings...no more. My suspension
> bushings were sometimes a bit squeaky...no more. My accelerator cable was
> getting a bit 'quirky'...hard to go smoothly from foot-off to just a tiny
> bit of throttle without a big lurch....no more. Slider is now smooth, etc
> etc etc. New wiper blade refills, blew out the washer nozzles for a
> better
> squirt pattern. New-ish snow tires all around and freshly balanced.. New
> hatch struts coming in the mail.
>
> It is really fun and rewarding to be able to spend some "quality time"
> with 'one of the family'...Dunno what it is about a Volkswagen Van...of
> almost any type...They always seem to insinuate themselves into my life
> like
> no other vehicle...When everything is working just right..they are such a
> pleasure...And it's fun when you can take the time to make everything just
> right..
>
> Don Hanson
>
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