The Journey of Jake - Lexi's Bus (Was: And one more added)

[fusername]

I'm too far from teh bus to check right now, but does he have any exhaust leaks? wanna play with my meter...

[fusername]

also stumbled across this, you could maybe replace the rear facing seat w/ a home made cabinet to hold this guy?
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... id=1023245

also if sneaks pics up that bay make sure you get the cabinet handles off him. thsoe doors swining open get old after a while.

[sparklingredpepper]

Me either, makes me sweat.

I know, and it gets so itchy! Also, it's hard to get out of.

Thanks for the stove link, that was my plan for the spare seat. Doesn't look like that has all the hookups and things, you think it's worth getting part of it? I was hoping to find the cabinet setup, but maybe I'll just go with this.

I know... I was thinking about what I would want off the '72 on ebay, and the first thing that came to mind was door handles. Can't think what else I need, other than the sink faucet.

[fusername]

handles for all your cabinets as well. the stove he has he is gonna deep six if it doesnt find a home by the car show this weeekedn, so i am sure you could get it for cheaper than a real stove.

[sparklingredpepper]

I was talking about the doors on the cabinets. I'll see how much he wants for the stove parts, although I'm worried that they will end up sitting around with no knobs and other important pieces, and never get turned into a real stove. I'll ask.

[sparklingredpepper]

I turned Jake on and he started up yesterday! It was very warm and he started quickly, clearly he likes the warm weather better than the cold.

Current problems are that he isn't charging (have to figure out why), oil leak (fixing that), and the throttle cable needs replacing (en route to me via UPS). I found reverse gear once, but haven't been able to again. Perhaps I just can't figure out this shifter.

The other problem is that I would like to put him in the garage until I am actually going to be driving him around, and there is a pop-up camper in the way. From what I've been reading, it seems like I could attach a trailer hitch to him, but at the moment I have no idea how well he would pull it. I'm considering pushing the camper into the backyard, I'm sure my folks wouldn't mind...

[Sneaks]

I turned Jake on and he started up yesterday! It was very warm and he started quickly, clearly he likes the warm weather better than the cold.

YAY! Fuser tweaked him a bit which I'm sure helped as well.

Current problems are that he isn't charging (have to figure out why),

fuser and I talked about that this weekend. He thinks it is just a connection.

I found reverse gear once, but haven't been able to again. Perhaps I just can't figure out this shifter.

It is hard to be precise with a 3' wobbly stick, almost like stirring a cold bowl of oatmeal with a rubber spoon.

The other problem is that I would like to put him in the garage until I am actually going to be driving him around, and there is a pop-up camper in the way. From what I've been reading, it seems like I could attach a trailer hitch to him, but at the moment I have no idea how well he would pull it. I'm considering pushing the camper into the backyard, I'm sure my folks wouldn't mind...

You can put a hitch on him, if you can find one (or we make one, which I'm thinking of doing for one of our buses, if you want I'll do one for you too).

[sparklingredpepper]

The tweaks seemed to do him good, he sounds very different. I was amazed at how quickly he started up, though -- you weren't kidding about the weather thing.

fuser and I talked about that this weekend. He thinks it is just a connection.

Awesome! That sounds easier to fix than, say, a faulty battery, or replacing an alternator.

It is hard to be precise with a 3' wobbly stick, almost like stirring a cold bowl of oatmeal with a rubber spoon.

Breakfast of champions. That was a remarkably accurate metaphor Yeah, I think I might need a lesson on using that stick, if fuser's around when I'm home next.

You can put a hitch on him, if you can find one (or we make one, which I'm thinking of doing for one of our buses, if you want I'll do one for you too).

You're amazing, I don't know how you manage to build all this stuff! If I can find him a hitch I will try to attach that myself. I'm not sure if it would be worth the effort of making one for me since I don't know if I want the hitch to be on there all the time (mostly I just want it to get the camper out of my way when I go in and out of the garage).

[Sneaks]

You know, if it can wait until I get down there in a week or so, I can move it with the Suburban. Hell, i could move the trailer AND the garage with that thing:).
I want a hitch on my bus, I have a little (very) trailer I'd like to tow while camping. If I pick up another one (if? when.) one, I want to use it to tow the rally bug so I'll probably do a hitch up on that as well.

Chrissy says no way in hell on her's:).

[fusername]

bus is rated to tow 1200 iirc, 1600 w/ brakes. only 200lbs tounge weight tho, cause of the weight bias.

I bet she'll start good in the cold now too, there were one (or two ) thigns i swapped around that should make her start and idle like a dream. a few more wires to get the reverse lights to work, charge, throttle cable, and he;ll be ready for a few laps around the block.

reverse, put it in neutral, push the shifter down, into the floor, it should go ddown significantly, now go all the way to your knees then pull back, you are in reverse. you can't push it to the side first for whatever reason.

and why not just grab and manhandle that trailer? you're a big girl!

[Sneaks]

you're a big girl!

Bull.
She's a pixie (in a good, non-offensive way) but I'm sure she knows a few strapping young men that would love to show off in front of her with their physical strength...

[sparklingredpepper]

You know, if it can wait until I get down there in a week or so, I can move it with the Suburban. Hell, i could move the trailer AND the garage with that thing:).
I want a hitch on my bus, I have a little (very) trailer I'd like to tow while camping. If I pick up another one (if? when.) one, I want to use it to tow the rally bug so I'll probably do a hitch up on that as well.

Awesome! I'll be home that weekend, is that Nov 5? Party in the driveway...it would be amazing if you could move the camper out, although at this point I think it's more a far-off dream of mine than anything else (I took a look in the garage, and oh, eeeeeeeeeeeeek). I might try to persuade my parents to stick it in the backyard, at least, maybe the suburban could help with that...

I like that you KNOW you're going to pick up another bus There can never be too many. Do you have your eye on one?

he;ll be ready for a few laps around the block.

Sweet. Think he can do laps on the highway any time soon?

[sparklingredpepper]

you're a big girl!

Bull.
She's a pixie (in a good, non-offensive way) but I'm sure she knows a few strapping young men that would love to show off in front of her with their physical strength...

Hey fuser, you want to show off your strength? You could help me move a trailer, I'm sure I would be reasonably awed.
I am quite the pixie, but, you know, one day I'll be big and strong...

[fusername]

well jake has been throttled, took him for a spin around the block. gotta let it warm up before yo utoutch the throttle or it just shuts off. the warm restart problem was just the throttle sticking 1/8 open. slap it shut and it starts right back up. Still need to reset the timing, but the ride around the block was quite pleasent. Aside from a strange knocking up front... it sounds like a cv joint, but less rythmic and slower, and it seems to go away with brakeing. not always there, but you can;'t miss it when it starts up. it doens't seem to come from either wheel but rather the front beam.

any guessess?

oh and when you put it in reverse, the shifter hits the seat. just how bad were those sliders?

[Sneaks]

I think the clunking noise in the front might be the rotors? They had some high spots on them, I'm hoping to get down there over turkey day break and maybe can swap 'em out for the ones I sent down with you.

Glad you took care of the throttle thing, i should have figured that one out where it would rev lovely by hand at the back but not by the pedal. As for the sliders...BAD, could rock the seat about 2" side to side at a diagonal. What about putting a bend in the shifter? I have a spare one we can use to try it out with.

'bout time you showed up, I thought you dropped into a sinkhole or something...