Steve's 87 Syncro project

[Steve Arndt]

I got engaged last month. Took the Syncro to Bend and Eugene to visit her family. Almost 1100 miles. Averaged 19 MPG. Weighed the van loaded and it was ~4300 on a truck scale. The day before the trip my slave cylinder starting puking fluid. With my dad and our main mechanic helping out I got it changed out and bled in 1.3 hours. The van ran flawless on the trip. I am considering an H6 conversion now. I do love my RJE hopped up wbx but we always want more...

[turbobaja]

Congratulations Steve!!! I'm happy for you and the lucky Lady. Sounds like a great road trip too.

Thinking about going H6, huh? I've driven a couple SVX powered Syncros and they were quite smooth with plenty of torque to spare. Really liked the Small Car oil pan on one of them. Both were super tight in the engine bay though, and probably made enough power to start finding the next weakest link in the drivetrain sooner than later, if you know what I mean. Have you driven a 2.5L suby powered Syncro??, they scoot pretty good.

[ajdenette]

Congratulations on the Engagement Steve!!

I too am drawn to the power of the H6 and had a 3.0 car fall in my lap I also have also held on to some Subaru manual transmissions and hope to install the H6 3.0 mated to a reversed all wheel drive reversed Subaru transmission in my project syncro. I think the subaru H6's are just too much power for the Syncro transmission to handle and will keep the one I take out as a spare.

[Steve Arndt]

My dad sold our 1.2 acre 9 bay shop. He has been in business 43 years. Imagine all the stuff to pack, move, sell, etc. Total work overload the last couple months. We are about 90% moved. We've rented a 3 bay shop with some secure parking about five blocks from our old shop to use as a home base, hobby shop, club house, prayer meeting (beer) house, etc.

For my van project I picked up LT Truck style mirrors from CIP. Haven't installed them I need to get an M6 nutsert setup and the right counter sunk screws. I also picked up a sliding drivers side rear window from go westy. My North American High Top tops should be finished at the end of the month. I will be picking up four of those in Washington when they are dropped off there.

s

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Congrats to you and your lady Steve. Also congrats to your father; 43 years is a long time and that's for sure!

Lee

[Steve Arndt]

Thank you!

[Pablo2]

I've had the 3.3 in my Syncro Westy for over 10 years. I did have to rebuild the trans once, but it was because I was doing silly stuff the first couple years I owned it. The 6 cylinder has so much power, it's hard not to hammer it on the on-ramps. Now that I'm somewhat more sympathetic on the drive train, the vehicle is incredibly reliable. But no more 18-19 mpg .. more like 15 however I drive it.

[Steve Arndt]

I got a nice new job. Mechanical Engineer at Diversified Fluid Solutions. I design precision gas and liquid blending machines for Intel, Atmel, Micron, Samsung, Bayer, ... Been there a month now.

van2.jpg

First pic is the sunset at bogus basin ski area through my van windows.
second pic is getting our christmas tree. First Christmas for my wife and I together in our own place.

I bought an 84 westy to use as parts to convert my syncro to a westy.

[Steve Arndt]

Couple pics from recent adventures. Winter pic is at Bogus Basin camping over night and x country skiing.
Rock pic is Succor Creek in Eastern Oregon. The rock face actually extends out over the top of my van looking straight up.

van2.jpg

van1.jpg

[Steve Arndt]

van2.jpg

[Steve Arndt]

Projects on my quick list are brake upgrades, front end bushings, and the rear heater hoses. The hoses under my back seat are split and ready to sh!t.

I found semi metallic USA made rear shoes that I ordered. I was going to do VW LT 25mm rear wheel cylinders but can't seem to get a line on them.

I am doing a front brake upgrade with 312x25 Audi A6 EBC slotted rotors, Girling G60 big dual piston calipers, Hawk Ceramic pads, and Epytec mount brackets. Should give plenty of stopping power.

[Steve Arndt]

New vintage speed merged 2 into 1 to replace the restrictive cast elbow and j pipe. Should give me a slight BOOST in power.

vs1800x600stf.jpg

S

[Steve Arndt]

I installed an adjustable voltage regulator that I bought from aircooled dot net. Works nice. Running 14.2 at the batter now instead of 13.7 volts.

My alternator came loose and broke both studs off flush with the block. I have to take a bunch of stuff off to drill and extract the studs. The oil filler pipe. To get that off the engine hangar has to come off. My muffler is a welded on cobble so I can't get it off to get the mustache hangar off. So I bought both regular and monster alt supports from gowesty. I installed those and welded my unsupported stock alt bracket to the monster bracket. It is all holding great and much more stable than it was stock. I will probably make a brace like is show on the samba and tie it further into the power steering mount at the rear too.

Been camping with it the last two weekends in a row. Oh, I just dumped another can of R134a in my system to keep it cold. My conversion fitting valve is audible leaking w the service cap off so I have to fix that. At 8 bucks a can I just recharge it periodically.

[ajdenette]

Steve, are you not able to weld a nut onto the flush ends of the Steel Bolts? the aluminum will not allow any weld to stick to it and weld a larger nut to just the broken bolts. I had to do this seven or eight times on my Grand parents engine I pulled out last month to prep it for their trip to Canada. you should also be able to add some heat to try and get them moving just make sure to wire brush them to get the corrosion off around the base.

[Steve Arndt]

Installed an ARB awning on Vanly.