Itinerant Air-Cooled

Bleyseng wrote:beautiful! =D>

Sure is . . . is first gear still hanging in there? Or was it second that was sensitive?
Colin

Still pops out of first if you sharply let up on the throttle, still need to double-clutch to get into second, still howls like crazy but it doesn't seem to be getting any worse. Keep on putting pennies in the can for a rebuild someday.

Rancho seems to do a nice job with these trannys for a reasonable cost from all I've heard.
Friend of mine had them do a rebuild or exchange--I cant remember which--but it worked out well. I think he paid about $500 plus shipping back and forth.

and AA Transaxle in Duval, Wa does a good job.

Bleyseng wrote:and AA Transaxle in Duval, Wa does a good job.

Yes he does! I just had him rebuild (meaning draining the metal soup out of the case and replacing it with actual parts) my Beetle transaxle. He uses genuine German parts whenever available. Apparently not all rebuilders do so.

When I get back in Dec I will rip out the Ghia's transaxle for a rebuild. Way too much grinding in 1st and 2nd gears and I don't want to let it go too long. No whining which is nice it just shifts and downshifts crappy from having a out of adjustment clutch for too long.
Nothing worse than driving a "sports car" that shifts terrible!

Bleyseng wrote:[...]Nothing worse than driving a "sports car" that shifts terrible!

Or anything for that matter. I traded in my '07 Tacoma 5 speed for an '11 with a 4 speed automatic. Pretty much the exact same truck otherwise. It wasn't in my plans to trade so soon, and cost plenty (as always) but I couldn't deal with that gol-dam stiff, grabby, clutch one more day. Hit a bump while getting moving = dumping the short-ass clutch engagement distance and stalling out. My wife wouldn't even drive the one with the stickshift.
Sorry for off-topic.

Haha, I hate that! Overly stiff clutches suck. I have a 07 3.0L Turbo Diesel Isuzu 4x4 doublecabin truck in Suriname that I love as it drives like a car with its 5 speed. Too bad they don't sell em in the USA as it gets 25mpg in the city and I don't know what the highway mpg is as there aren't highways here!

The Isuzus here were just Chevy S-10s with a different grill. Not bagging on the S-10 really, some people like them, but just no real Isuzus to be had. Now that 90% of all cars sold in the US are automatics, Toyota must have given up on their clutch engineering. I always thought the Ghias engaged nice and naturally with an easy power flow without thinking about it.

The Isuzus trucks are made from Chevy Colorado's with different bodies of course. Isuzu I-4 turbo diesel engines are awesome although a bit loud ( that marbles banging around). Here with the terrible mechanics for servicing a diesel is the way to go because of the less maintenance. I have the oil changed every six months due to the hot and dusty conditions here. With a 165hp and tons of torque its a fun truck to go off roading in the jungle which we do. The jungle roads are of bauxite which is a red clay and if its raining a real muddy mess!
Still the Ghia is way more fun to drive and I can't wait to get back in a couple of weeks to drive it, the Westy and the 914 while its summer in Seattle.

That sounds fun. I'd love to take my ridiculous Jeep, "The Antichrysler" down there.

Looking forward to tomorrow, curses, have to drive Gretchen Ghia back to Dunnigan Mountain from Sublimity with an afternoon stop at Laurelhurst Park in Portland. Can't wait, kinda the first time Gretchen has been back on the road in literally a year. Fully back on the road, no more bad engine vibration. The drive down to Sublimity was divine pleasure.


neal

Pics pleeze

Alas, not many. Here's Sammy, my sister's chocolate Lab that was but a wee pup I kept company and vice versa when I was rebuilding Bertha Bus's engine after the crankshaft broke into two pieces many moons ago. Sammy is arthritic now, but did outlive the engine we bonded over.




A brutal hot day, last couple, Colin's comfort zone. Not mine.




Although, sorry, good engine break-in weather. And man could I feel it. Just tight engine. Not complaining, but dang, tight on today's drive.

Sorry, not many photos. Just this one landed in Sublimity, next to a bit of my brother in law's obsession.













So we drove to the park. My brother's 25th wedding anniversary, his wife's parent's 50 wedding anniversary, his daughter's high school graduation, leaving the nest to Wisconsin for college to study ballet and math.

Here's a picture of his feet. That other foot in the shot on the right is mine.





Blood coagulated. Mini family reunion on my brother's side. Here's a shot of my Mom with her twin sister my Aunt Mick. 75 now.





Their brother, my Uncle Sam, also came down with my Aunt Yung Mi and my cousin Scotty. Dang punks grow up a lot in seven years.





Gretchen did well. Such a new engine in the heat resisted flawless easy starts, and didn't really want to race about, just gently get there. Getting to know the used transmission. Still a very new engine. A tad over 500 miles after this run.

Sorry there weren't more Ghia photos.



neal

Wow that looks like a nice time. Take it easy on that tight engine in the heat. I think that same thig led to my last Bus mishap. Over 100 and the dizzy crapped out.