Home away from Home, on wheels.

[ObnoxiousBlue]

My post to the samba... If you have an idea, chime in here or there...

Hey guys, just replaced the transmission on my 1977 2.0FI type 4 powered baywindow. Got a new transmission from Rancho, and installed it, along with a new clutch, pressure plate, and throw out bearing this passed weekend.

After getting it in and taking it around on a few local miles, I find a 'skipping' or 'hesitating' feeling when I hit the roughly 60MPH mark. It feels rather like a tapping of the brakes, or as if I were depressing the clutch pedal while in gear. Now, Im not certain that its a transmission related hesitation. I checked everything on the outside, and from what I can tell its all good. I did find that the axle bolts to the transmission were left a bit loose (a friend of mine had been putting them in, you just cant find good help now a days!) but I tightend them all down, and still have the skipping feeling. I looked around my engine bay, and dont see any loose hoses, or wires.

Does anyone have an idea I should look into.

Also, does anyone have a vacuum diagram for my engine?

Thanks guys!

Mike

[dubstar]

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=437279

[ObnoxiousBlue]

My hesitation issue culminated tonight with its worst manifestation since the initial incident in 4th gear last week. Heres whats happening. When accelerating under normal circumstances, the rear of the bus begins to tremor violently. This tremor was originally thought only to exsist within 4th gear at the point of about 3500rpm (my normal shift point from 3 to 4) then was noticed earlier this afternoon a similar 'hesitation' in about the same range of 3rd gear. This was a progression because we originally had thought that this hesitation was engine related, perhaps caused by a pinched line, broken wire, or loose vacuum hose.

While driving home (barely made it 1/2 mile) from GlennA's tonight, the bus seems to have encountered a similar tremor, and subsequently 'released itself' from 2nd gear, I depressed the clutch, and stopped, started again from 1, and was able to make it far enough into 2nd before the trembling started to catch the very low end of third, which had its normal issue around 3500.

Heres the ranges in which I encounter this now reproduceable tremor: 1 (None, yet?), 2 2800-3500, 3 ~3500, 4 ~3500 (or 60mph)

[ObnoxiousBlue]

Knock on wood... Seems like the issue is fixed. It was a combination of my tach shorting the coil out, and a bad Pertronix unit. So now the tach is disconnected, I have to find a new one, and Im back to the stock points and condensor which I think I like better.

Had the bus up to 70 the other day, and it felt great!

[BusBq Bill]

Glad to hear Mike and Peabody are back on the pavement!

[AoT]

Knock on wood...
Had the bus up to 70 the other day, and it felt great!

Keep on rolling Peabody!!

[ObnoxiousBlue]

I broke 'the good' key for my bus today in a lock, I got the old broken piece out with a needle nose pliers and a forcep from the funeral home, but I only have one other key now, and it doesn't work great on the doors. I took off the push-button lock from the hatch, but I cant find a code on the cylinder, there is no numbers at all actually. I cant figure out how to get the door handle off, because theres no screw like on the beetle. Does anyone know how I go about getting the ignition switch out to get the code off there?

I emailed Gabriel on the samba, but havent heard back yet. Glenn, how can I get in touch with Clay?

[Glenn]

And it never ends.

I'll see if i can get his contact info.

[ObnoxiousBlue]

And it never ends.

Tell me about it Glenn!

[Glenn]

Remember you drive a 33 year old car..... things break.

[Glenn]

Glenn, how can I get in touch with Clay?

wm971252@earthlink.net

[BusBq Bill]

bring the broken key to a locksmith and he can put it in his machine and cut you a new key.. simple.. If you want to get the lock out you must remove bottom 3 screws if i remember, i used a bent piece of welding wire in the shape of a hook to depress the spring tab that holds the cylinder in..

[ObnoxiousBlue]

Bill, the key is twisted. Dont you think I already tried that? lol
He said he can cut it by code, but I think the reason why the old one broke was because it was a poor copy that was a bit off and stiff in the lock.
If Im going to cut it by code though Id rather have Gabriel of Clay do it, so I know its right.
The issue isnt GETTING a key, its GETTING the code!

[Glenn A]

Is that key the same as the door key? or hatch key? get the code from there.

[ObnoxiousBlue]

Yes, it is the same.I tried looking on the hatch, but dont see the number on the mechanism. The door handles on a bay, arent easy to remove like the ones on a bug. Theyre held on from within the door, which means pulling the door panel off, to get access to the allen key bolts that hold the hendle on. Didnt know if anyone knew a more easily accessable place.

[Brown]

Yes, it is the same.I tried looking on the hatch, but dont see the number on the mechanism. The door handles on a bay, arent easy to remove like the ones on a bug. Theyre held on from within the door, which means pulling the door panel off, to get access to the allen key bolts that hold the hendle on. Didnt know if anyone knew a more easily accessable place.

Stop by pauls and borrow his sawzall!!

[Paul G]

Stop by pauls and borrow his sawzall!!

Now THAT is what I call ACCESSIBILITY...

[Glenn A]

Mike not sure If you fixed this yet. The rear lock on a bay hatch is very similar to the treasure chest door lock on a 67 SC. The code will be clearly stamped on the back of the lock housing visible when removed.

[ObnoxiousBlue]

Well, I took off the front door handles, and the code isn't there. I assume the fronts were rekey'd. I tried looking on the slider, but the lock mechanism is deep within the release for the door which has too many cables/rods for me to want to fuck with. So I went back to the hatch to look again, with some new knowledge in hand. I removed the lock and found A code (with the letter R, my key profile) on the pivot arm that locks/unlocks the hatch. Now, my key worked great on the hatch, I'm just hoping that the mechanism wasn't rekey'd without someone blurring out the old code.

[AoT]

Now, my key worked great on the hatch, I'm just hoping that the mechanism wasn't rekey'd without someone blurring out the old code.

Time to catch a break!!

[ObnoxiousBlue]

Anyone know of, or know where I can obtain a seat, or dimensions thereto of the rear jumpseat from the late Riviera campers?

[AoT]

Anyone know of, or know where I can obtain a seat, or dimensions thereto of the rear jumpseat from the late Riviera campers?

Here's the proverbial question, WHY???

[dubstar]

wow, that's some ugly interior

[ObnoxiousBlue]

Yes, but one of those jump seats, finished to match a westy interior would be Ill. I never have enough seating in Peabody for my friends, and the storage underneath, and flip out side table would GREATLY add to the bus. Im not a fan of the earlier Westy interiors because the sink cabinet occludes the entire slider entryway. But I do like how they have the table on the side of spice rack. If I had a seat there, that could easily click in, out, as well as do double duty as a seat in the car/seat at a campsite. THAT would be awesome.

Also gotta get me some cupholders! What was VW thinking not putting cupholders in the bus! LOL

[ObnoxiousBlue]

OK, so heres one Im not so upset about. Was driving home today and while getting off the NSP I accelerated, everything felt great. Slowed down for the merge onto Deer Park ave, and went to catch third as traffic began moving in front of me. The shifter just went in circles! Managed to get onto a side street in a nice residential area where my suspicions were validated in that the coupler had not only come disconnected, but that the rubber bushings and the lock screw were completely missing! I called my best friend who came to get me (this all occured only 2 miles form my house) so then we ran up to my house I grabbed the spare (a good used one courtesy of the White Wonder) and went back to Peabody where I slapped it in and was back on the road with just a twiddle of my own finger! (Happy BusBqBill?)

The one thats there works find, but I need to get some wire around the grub screw, which I don't have and don't know if Ill be able to get before work in the morning. Also, the post/screw that go through the bushing are a bit tweaked, so I think I'm going to order one, and a spare just to keep around. Then swap it out just so I don't have any issues. But all said and done, Peabody and I are home safe, with a free fix, that didn't take alot of time or inconvenience anyone! LOL

Funny thing is, I pulled over in front of a house where there were some people sitting out front. They came over to make sure I was ok when I started crawling under the bus, and told me that they owned a yellow/white 57 Panel. A bus I had seen at a service shop up on Jericho for some while. Turns out I had left a flier on it about 3 weeks ago! They were real nice, we spoke for a few minutes while I waited for Alex to come get me.