Date:         Fri, 8 Mar 1996 08:47:24 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         dlytle@as.arizona.edu (Dyer Lytle)
Subject:      '66 progress and more questions




 
To all,

First, my thanks to everyone who has responded to my previous posts about
my '66 project, I've found them all helpful!  Every time I work on
this vehicle, I seem to come up with more things that aren't very
well described in any of the documentation I have, and for that reason,
I find the information and experience available on this list valuable.

I have the gas tank out of my '66, contemplating its condition before I return
it to its home.  Looks clean, there was a thin layer of sediment on the bottom
surface so I threw a little gravel and solvent in there and sloshed it for
15 minutes last night.  After a few rinses to get all the gravel out it looks
very clean in there, no rust.  Is there any reason I should slosh it with some
kind of coating, like POR, if it looks OK?  Will the coating help preserve
the tank?

As I mentioned in a previous note, the fuel guage sending unit seems to be
working OK.  There is a rubber gasket between the tank and the sending unit,
this also is still good.

I pulled out the strainer at the bottom of the tank and it looks fine, a few
bits of dirt near the bottom, easily cleaned off.  It looks like the bottom
end of the strainer forms the washer to seal the gas outlet spigot, anybody
know if this needs to be replaced?  Its in such good shape, I hate to replace
it.

I'll give the tank a quick coat of grey paint before I put it back in the
vehicle.  There were some pieces of heavy felt between the two hold down
straps and the tank, and under the tank, for padding.  Any thoughts about
improving this padding or can I just replace the felt pieces as stock?

I'm also in the process of cleaning up the engine compartment.  It is very
clean for a 30 year old vehicle.  There is some surface rust around right rear,
where the battery lives, but the metal seems solid and the original hold down
bolt is there.  Whats the best way to de-rust this area?  Navel jelly?
Sandpaper? Once I have the rust out, I'll spray it with some primer and epoxy
enamel.  Is there some kind of tray or pad I can put under the battery to
help keep this area clean?

Oh and one more thing, I'm going to order a *new* engine case and build an
engine for this vehicle.  I want to have it machined for a full flow oil
filter (ala Gene Berg), a sand seal (although I hear they now sell seal/pully
combinations that require no machine work), and, perhaps, hydraulic lifters.
I want to be sure to get an AS21 case.  Is Gene Berg the best place to order
this?  (I want to order semi-hemi cut heads from him and the full-flow oil
filter from him anyway.)  Who does the hydraulic lifter machine work?

Thanks for any comments.  (apologies for my verbosity, I'm having fun! :-) )

 -Dyer


------------------------
Dyer Lytle                '66 standard Microbus (current project)
dlytle@as.arizona.edu     '72 Safari high topped, big tires, was-a-Westy-once
University of Arizona     '73 stock Westphalia (for sale)
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