Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

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BellePlaine
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Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by BellePlaine » Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:18 am

This being my third visit from the Itinerant Air-Cooled mechanic, and my bus having been running relatively well, we focused on preventative bus maintenance stuff instead of the usual major projects requiring engine drops and late nights. I recall during our discussions from last year’s visit that Colin had tapped grease Zerk fittings to the BobD’s original ball joints. My ball joints are VW original and still in good shape and I’ve read the challenges others have had replacing the originals with new ones; the new ones are too tight, right? So, what I really, really, really wanted to do now was to Zerk ball joints. Other, less important to me but nice to do if we had time, items on my list were to replace pushrod tube seals, some rust mitigation, selecting second gear was a bitch (just swapped transmissions on my own two weeks ago), and other misc. tasks.

Colin and Chloe arrived in the morning. It was good to meet Chloe as she made me pause to remember Bookwus, cheers Mike. Colin points to Chloe and asks me if “that looks like a mail or UPS truck” and then hands me a bottle of IPA from the Bitter Root Brewing Co in Montana, a gift from a friend, whc03grady, which I will enjoy today to relax my aching body after yesterday work. Thanks whc03grady!

Colin and I huddled over the kitchen table with coffee as he made little doodles of transmission gears, rocker panels, and ball joint boots. We then got to work. Since the pushrod tube job requires a cold engine we started there. I learned how to remove the valve train (never done that before) and carefully remove the T4 push rod tubes without crushing them too terribly. During the job, local bus pilots and friends, the miz and Stefan arrived to help and meet Colin.

Stefan's is the green bus.
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the miz's is the white vanagon westy.
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After we got the new push rod tube seals replace, everyone drove to the local parts shop to purchase Zerk fittings; they come in a rainbow of sizes and shapes. You should have seen the look on Colin’s face when I innocently asked the auto shop clerk, who happened to be female, to show us her Zerk nipples. For the rest of the day we giggled like 6th graders.

Here’s Colin showing us how to get the angle of the drill bit perfectly perpendicular to the top of the ball joint.
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The first ball joint went slowly but then we got more comfortable after learning the depth of the material we had to drill out so the final three went really quick. I’ll tell you, for my money, it is learning to do this kind of job that makes the price of Colin’s visit very much worth it.

As we were finishing up the day, denjohn from Tracy, MN arrives to say hi in his brown/white T1 bus which he’s had for 30 years! It was great seeing you again denjohn.
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Right now, it’s about noon the day after my IAC Day and the family and I are heading out to the miz’s house for more Amskeptic Action. Of course we are taking the bus.

Here's some more random pix:
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1975 Riviera we call "Spider-Man"

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Hippie
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by Hippie » Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:45 am

Awesome...isn't it great when you can do preventative work and maintenance instead of catastrophe unravelling?
I hope Colin pays me a social visit for pizza and beer.
Chloe is a peach. Wow!
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Sylvester
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by Sylvester » Sun Aug 19, 2012 12:38 pm

BellePlaine wrote:Image
Itinerant Air Cooled tour of America #9, brought to you by GumOut, the breakfast of Champions!

And remember folks, just an accidental sniff or two cannn't, uhhhhh, huuurrrttt youuuuu.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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Hippie
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by Hippie » Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:46 pm

Sylvester wrote:[Itinerant Air Cooled tour of America #9, brought to you by GumOut, the breakfast of Champions!

And remember folks, just an accidental sniff or two cannn't, uhhhhh, huuurrrttt youuuuu.
Probably should not sponge bathe with it, but I imagine it kills bacteria like nobody's business.
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glasseye
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by glasseye » Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:58 pm

After just crossing the Great Plains in August, take a look at all them bugs on Chloe's nose. :salute:
"This war will pay for itself."
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MuedeStefan
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by MuedeStefan » Mon Aug 20, 2012 8:49 am

This was a great day! Great group to converse/work/joke with - thanks for letting me join in the fun!

Colin, nice to meet you and thanks again for letting me take the wheel of your bus...loved that SP torque curve!

Chris, thanks for the reminder on the cooler! I always forget something it seems...

I shall retrieve it at some point

And major props to Keriann for the tasty food

Later,
Stefan
Morgen Morgen, nicht immer Heute

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Amskeptic
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:28 am

glasseye wrote:After just crossing the Great Plains in August, take a look at all them bugs on Chloe's nose. :salute:
Different post I believe. I had washed them off at a local "Holiday" gas station before arriving at Belle Plaine's Belle Plaine house so his kids wouldn't barf at the sight of billions of squashed bug guts.

In the Utah post that vdubluvah put up, there were some bugs. I also had a swarm outside of Spokane that was unbelievable, you could smell bug blood.

What have you been up to this summer? We have *got* to hook up outside of the hives of civilization. Perhaps you could give me pointers on night photograph that would double my output (and back up) of pictures.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Sylvester
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by Sylvester » Mon Aug 20, 2012 10:02 am

BellePlaine wrote:Here’s Colin showing us how to get the angle of the drill bit perfectly perpendicular to the top of the ball joint.
Image
i need to do this with my Bus. Any procedures written for it?
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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BellePlaine
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by BellePlaine » Mon Aug 20, 2012 10:45 am

Sylvester wrote:
i need to do this with my Bus. Any procedures written for it?
Let me go back and get the sizes of the holes we drilled and the Zerk fittings. I'll post a photo of the finished work and write something up in the Suspension / Steering / Tires section and post the link here.
1975 Riviera we call "Spider-Man"

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satchmo
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by satchmo » Mon Aug 20, 2012 10:53 am

BellePlaine wrote:
Sylvester wrote:
i need to do this with my Bus. Any procedures written for it?
Let me go back and get the sizes of the holes we drilled and the Zerk fittings. I'll post a photo of the finished work and write something up in the Suspension / Steering / Tires section and post the link here.
That would be outstanding. Thanks. Tim
By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
second, by immitation, which is easiest;
and third, by experience, which is bitterest. -Confucius

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glasseye
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by glasseye » Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:19 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
glasseye wrote:After just crossing the Great Plains in August, take a look at all them bugs on Chloe's nose. :salute:
Different post I believe.
Sarcasm, my son. Sarcasm. :bootyshake: Never has a vehicle's front end looked so clean.

I'd intended to intercept The Missoula Traverse somewhere around Lewiston, but forgot. :fucyc: We may yet cross paths this year. An early fall run to NY to shoot leaves and do a tranny mod on Frito is in the early planning stages.
"This war will pay for itself."
Paul Wolfowitz, speaking of Iraq.

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MuedeStefan
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by MuedeStefan » Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:00 pm

I also enjoyed riding in the back of Chris's bus with Denny as Colin treated us to a "full braking test" on the quiet streets of Belle Plain...

I wondered if the ensuing bark of tire squeal would cause the passing cop to do a double-take- but he didn't investigate...
Morgen Morgen, nicht immer Heute

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BellePlaine
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by BellePlaine » Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:10 pm

MuedeStefan wrote:I also enjoyed riding in the back of Chris's bus with Denny as Colin treated us to a "full braking test" on the quiet streets of Belle Plain...

I wondered if the ensuing bark of tire squeal would cause the passing cop to do a double-take- but he didn't investigate...
I forgot about that! Slamming the brakes around the neighborhood, sure, why not? At least the cops now know that my bus can stop... and now so do I!
1975 Riviera we call "Spider-Man"

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hambone
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by hambone » Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:41 pm

Very nice. Colin, do you think all ball joints should have zircs? Did the factory err by leaving them out?
If so, a mini-procedure would be appreciated! :flower:
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Hippie
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Re: Colin Visits Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Post by Hippie » Mon Aug 20, 2012 7:21 pm

hambone wrote:Very nice. Colin, do you think all ball joints should have zircs? Did the factory err by leaving them out?
If so, a mini-procedure would be appreciated! :flower:
I'd like to see that even though I don't have a Bus right now.
(I don't think it was in err, they just didn't think anyone would need to grease it until 35-40 years later.)
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