The Blunderbus, bus #2

[ajdenette]

That creepy guy is Fusername himself he followed in his parents Jeep just to make sure everything went safely and I didn't loose it along the way he said when you are overtired and a bicycle reflector goes flying by at night it is kind of freaky.

[fusername]

thought I would bump this up. Started fitting the jump seat, heading to NYC on weds and I know there will be one or two or thirty vegabonds jumping in and out at random for the next few days so I needed more stowage. Also reinforced the tape covering the holes in the floor and plan on screwing a tarp over the hole inteh roof so maybe it is warm enough inside that noone is a whiny baby about the temp in the car.

[fusername]

It's good to be back on the forum! big updates on the Blunderbus

probably needs a new motor, twice now I had bad rod knock over the last few months ever since it ran low due to a leak a few months back
probably gonna build an emergecny 1700 lower end from the junk lying around, and save up for a 2.2 build
930 conversion is in the works. Gonna make my own output flanges but probably need to buy stub axles
Got heat in the bus! still need to squish an aux fan in the engine bay since my 'custom' FI is hogging the spot the fan is supposed to be, same with the charcoal cansiter, althoug hthegas smell aint toooo bad......
new transmission! Gotta install it, but its a 5 rib with nice low gearing to hold me over till i make my monster 091 (5.81:1 final drive w/ locker)
closed the hole in the roof with a plank of plywood I found, matches the interior perfect. add a little weather sealing and I may lose the fiberglass top
Front tires still rub, so gonna do some spring assist coilovers while i rebuild the cut/turn front beam.
did I mention heat? never been able ot melt ice off the windshield before, that sure is a nice upgrade after 5 years w/o...
I put in a rear seat, which I stilll have mixed feelings about. It makes the bus neater sicne I can store stuff under it, but man the bus was HUGE with nothing back there....
its a plus tho since now I can put things in the way back and have them not fly into the middle when I hit the brakes...
working on a cool stereo/sound system, I'll post details if/when I get it to work.

off to the store! hten I will take some pics to update this thread, sinceI know no one will comment untill then.

[Devastator]

Gonna make my own output flanges

Can you elaborate?

[winifredevw]

I'm still diggin' those tires fuser, how do you like them now that they've tasted snow'n ice? I really think those tires will replace what I have... if I ever get it running again.

[fusername]

The fronts are surprisingly directional in the snow, its great. I can turn the wheel, hit the gas, and still go in the direction the steering wheel is pointing, not the direction the chassis is pointing. The rears dig into the snow once they start spinning ,but they don't hold on to any of it so they hit pavement fast and you just start driving again like it never happened. htey climb out of the holes they dug like nobody's buisness. Normally digging is bad in snow, but WOW these things worked out nice. they don't fill the treads at all, no need to spin em and clear em like with the BFGs I used to run. They stop nice and seem to break free kinda gradual. deffinitly living up to my expectations in the cold and slippery stuff. I got two bad tires (replaced free under warrenty) which I think I will stud with sheet metal screws as an experiment and run as spares. The tires have stud holes in them already, but its not worth the money where I live. Roads get cleared pretty good.

devestator, I'm gonna adapt my cv flanges to take porsche joints if there is enough meat, and there seems to be. if there isn't, I'll just build it up with the welder since it seems plenty close.

[fusername]

So the nice thing about jacking the car up so high, If I remove the bumper, I can pull the engine w/o even jacking it up! Found out what that intermittent clatter was, lost part of the intake guide when the guide shimmied its way into the valve head! Got lucky and scored a set of like new 1.8 heads for nothing but a favor to an old buddy, just need to replace all the studs and hardware he stole, soits a call out to SI for some new valves, and I'll reuse my springs from the old motor, they were a good set, don't recall from where. Piston ate a lot of the guide, but it did not break thru to the ring lands, and no hole in the piston, so I will pull that one con rod, check it for straightness and inspect the rod bearing. if its good, I'm not splitting the case and just replacing all the jugs and slugs.

on the bright side I learned that the oil leak is neither main seal, but I don't know for sure what it really is... I am blaming the oil pump for now, but I'm gonna look again with a flashlight, I only have a list of things it is not currently...

[fusername]

we all know you like carnage pics, so here we go:

[TimS]

Wow! Hammered.

[Devastator]

Yuck!

[bajaherbie]

an old hippie would still run it!

[fusername]

on the bright side, this is the first T4 I have pulled apart that was NOT leaking past the head/jug seal, so yay me for getting that right! I "decked" the case at home w/ a bastard file and it actually worked! also spent like 4 weeks lapping the heads and jugs together. AJ took some pics, maybe his came out better. the damage to the head is impressive! can't belive it didn't start leaking, or put a hole in the piston. Cleaning the crud off as much as possible before I slip the jugs out, since I don't plan on spliting the block, don't wanna dirty it up inside.

got a lot of work and parts ahead of me, got a list of gaskets as long as my arm, also think my oil leak was the oil pump, or maybe the filler neck.

[ajdenette]

Well I don't think mine are really any better I will share the pictures of the carnage I threatened to post them first if he did not get the ones he had up for every one to see:





Also Fuser wanted more seating and had an old Vanagon Jump Seat Kicking around he had the passenger bracket but wanted to put it on the drivers side so he could carry up to 2 passengers in his bus so I generously traded him one of those easy to get drivers brackets for the much more coveted passengers side bracket

[ajdenette]

I think Fusers rear passenger has the most comfortable seat in the Bus.

[fusername]

yes, yes they do.