WillK
Active member
Got the bus home on Tuesday. Really pleased how solid she is underneath.
First priority is whatever jobs needed for MOT, then get registered
First priority is whatever jobs needed for MOT, then get registered
'72 SA Kombi rolling resto,
- Thread starter WillK
- Start date
Help Support Early Bay Forum:
WillK
Active member
Everything is covered with a fine red dust (seen the same on other SA buses posted on here.)
Turns to sticky mud when wet, so need to get it cleaned off and out of every crevice.
All the ball joint rubbers, track rods etc. are shot, so first job is to get all those replaced
Before:
Turns to sticky mud when wet, so need to get it cleaned off and out of every crevice.
All the ball joint rubbers, track rods etc. are shot, so first job is to get all those replaced
Before:
WillK
Active member
First job.. first unexpected problem...
Removed front hubs, split the ball joints, removed lower torsion arms. Bits of torsion leave fell out. Seems like the leaves are broken in several places as chunks slide when I pull on them
Guess they're rough roads in Free State!
No room in garage to slide leaves in/out so it's going to be a beam-off job,
Got everything removed ready to drop beam tomorrow. Amazed that all the fastenings came undone easily, just minor persuasion needed to split the gerar linkage.
Need to urgently source some torsion leaves -anyone got any available?
Removed front hubs, split the ball joints, removed lower torsion arms. Bits of torsion leave fell out. Seems like the leaves are broken in several places as chunks slide when I pull on them
Guess they're rough roads in Free State!
No room in garage to slide leaves in/out so it's going to be a beam-off job,
Got everything removed ready to drop beam tomorrow. Amazed that all the fastenings came undone easily, just minor persuasion needed to split the gerar linkage.
Need to urgently source some torsion leaves -anyone got any available?
marco
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 26, 2011
- Messages
- 929
- Reaction score
- 0
Nice bus, you'll be finding that dust everywhere, I ended up jet-washing the inside once, and the outside twice. Sills were full of it too. Shame about the torsion bars :shock: Guess they get a hammering out there, my shocks were useless, no oil in them whatsoever. Plus side it looks to be very solid so no welding like a uk van :mrgreen:
WillK
Active member
Thanks Marco, been following your resto .. are you close to being ready for MOT yet?
Just a little welding needed - battery tray and then drivers floor and a little on cargo floor.. where it must have gotten damp under the rubber matts.
Do you think our buses are the same colour.. do you know what it's called?
Just a little welding needed - battery tray and then drivers floor and a little on cargo floor.. where it must have gotten damp under the rubber matts.
Do you think our buses are the same colour.. do you know what it's called?
marco
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 26, 2011
- Messages
- 929
- Reaction score
- 0
Not that close I'm afraid, the weather isn't helping. Removed the engine today need to tidy up the wiring and check fuel hoses etc. Also need to wash off all that dust from the tinware. Hard to tell if it's the same colour, mine's L10H Arizona Yellow, although it looks more green in certain light.
WillK
Active member
Got the beam off this afternoon and set about cleaning it up.
Red "dust" is set like concrete. Lots of scraping with the chisel to get it and old underseal off.
4 hours later..
Not a spot of rust in sight. I'm going to feel guilty about exposing this to the british weather!.
Tomorrow's job is to source some torsion leaves - top set also fractured - and get this ready for painting.
Need to get the bus back on its feet so I can roll it out to get to stuff in the back of the garage
Red "dust" is set like concrete. Lots of scraping with the chisel to get it and old underseal off.
4 hours later..
Not a spot of rust in sight. I'm going to feel guilty about exposing this to the british weather!.
Tomorrow's job is to source some torsion leaves - top set also fractured - and get this ready for painting.
Need to get the bus back on its feet so I can roll it out to get to stuff in the back of the garage
WillK
Active member
Not sure where the last 3 days have gone.. more work prep-ing the beam, and finally got a coat of paint on there, but will need another.
Hoping to get the wheelarches and chasis behind the beam cleaned and painted before re-assembling, but so far only managed to get one wheel arch done.
Lots of scraping and wire brush-ing. Old underseal is rock hard and cracking/lifting in places, but welded down in others.
Need to get hold of some taller axle stands, no room at all underneath with these poxy ones - actually lower than when the wheels are on!
Replacement torsion leaves arrived today - many thanks to MattP for posting them out super-quick.
Hoping to get the wheelarches and chasis behind the beam cleaned and painted before re-assembling, but so far only managed to get one wheel arch done.
Lots of scraping and wire brush-ing. Old underseal is rock hard and cracking/lifting in places, but welded down in others.
Need to get hold of some taller axle stands, no room at all underneath with these poxy ones - actually lower than when the wheels are on!
Replacement torsion leaves arrived today - many thanks to MattP for posting them out super-quick.
WillK
Active member
After 2 hours of jiggling, finally go the new torsion leaves in - PIA job No.1
Got the beam on, and then the fun job of getting the upper torsion arms on.. must be a trick to this, tried jack underneath, but in the end used a big lever and the hickory tickling stick.
Some new goodies arrived from Machine 7 to get the front end built back up.
Got the beam on, and then the fun job of getting the upper torsion arms on.. must be a trick to this, tried jack underneath, but in the end used a big lever and the hickory tickling stick.
Some new goodies arrived from Machine 7 to get the front end built back up.
WillK
Active member
Slight issue fitting the new front shocks.. bottom shock mount is a s wide as the stud, so no room for nut,
A little sawing/filing later..
Anyone else have this issue?.. thought I was avoiding problems by going with stock shocks.
A little sawing/filing later..
Anyone else have this issue?.. thought I was avoiding problems by going with stock shocks.
WillK
Active member
All together again - back to being a true rolling rtesto.
Got the bus out and turned around - not so convenient in the garage front first as I can't get in through the slider or front doors so it's a scramble through the rear hatch.
Next up is rear axle and suspension...
Starting an epic battle with the rear axle nuts. So far they've defeated the impact gun and I've broken my breaker bar (admittedly 1/2inch). Shopping for a 3/4inch breaker and 46mm socket tomorrow.
Got the bus out and turned around - not so convenient in the garage front first as I can't get in through the slider or front doors so it's a scramble through the rear hatch.
Next up is rear axle and suspension...
Starting an epic battle with the rear axle nuts. So far they've defeated the impact gun and I've broken my breaker bar (admittedly 1/2inch). Shopping for a 3/4inch breaker and 46mm socket tomorrow.
fastwagens
Well-known member
congrats on the new purchase. looks great.
WillK
Active member
Thanks fastwagens.. no nasty surprises yet!
With a bit of help from the Mrs, got engine and gearbox out. Did these separately, not sure we could have manhandled them as one unit.
All in need of a clean! A little oil in the clutch case.. so I guess that's probably the flywheel oil seal.
Firewall out once I'd found the two screws from underneath. Fuel tank is in perfect condition.. just buried under loads of the dreaded SA red dust.
Started to clean up the engine bay, but making slow progress. Would ideally like to ve able to paint at weekend
With a bit of help from the Mrs, got engine and gearbox out. Did these separately, not sure we could have manhandled them as one unit.
All in need of a clean! A little oil in the clutch case.. so I guess that's probably the flywheel oil seal.
Firewall out once I'd found the two screws from underneath. Fuel tank is in perfect condition.. just buried under loads of the dreaded SA red dust.
Started to clean up the engine bay, but making slow progress. Would ideally like to ve able to paint at weekend
marco
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 26, 2011
- Messages
- 929
- Reaction score
- 0
That dust sure is stubborn! Cleaning up my engine at the mo' painting the tinware and replacing a few bits that had gone missing. Good progress there, look forward to updates. Mine's a bit slow,4 kids to entertain and a wife to keep happy. :roll:
WillK
Active member
Thanks Marco.. no interesting wildlife found yet (thankfully!). Looking forward to seeing some engine pics.
Had another go at the rear hub nuts today.. 3/4inch socket and breaker bar with scaffold tube.
Got one side undone, but other side is stuck fast. Had real trouble stopping the wheel turning - got it well chocked and Mrs K stood on brake pedal, but then the scaffold tube gave way!
[
THink I'm going to have to resort to cutting the nut off :-(
Had another go at the rear hub nuts today.. 3/4inch socket and breaker bar with scaffold tube.
Got one side undone, but other side is stuck fast. Had real trouble stopping the wheel turning - got it well chocked and Mrs K stood on brake pedal, but then the scaffold tube gave way!
[
THink I'm going to have to resort to cutting the nut off :-(
68_early_bay
Well-known member
Nice bus 8) looks like you're cracking on well :mrgreen:
Haveacamper
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2007
- Messages
- 2,068
- Reaction score
- 3
looks like a real nice solid bus there mate. love that colour too.
with regards to the rear wheel nut, have you tried a bit of heat on the nut before using the scaffold pole?
dont wish to insult your intelligence, but are you rotating the right way? afterall, the bus is in the garage so one side would be pulling down and the other pulling up on the pole
NaFe
with regards to the rear wheel nut, have you tried a bit of heat on the nut before using the scaffold pole?
dont wish to insult your intelligence, but are you rotating the right way? afterall, the bus is in the garage so one side would be pulling down and the other pulling up on the pole
NaFe
WillK
Active member
Thanks guys. Don't know if its a original VW colour or paint code, but It's grown on me.
No insult taken... Had the bus out the garage and was trying the right direction! My blowtorch isn't really capable of getting any real heat into the nut, just heats the whole hub really.
Anyway finally got it off today Was trying to avoid any destruction but in the end had to resort to combination of dremel and chiselling to split it. My first use of a dremel, actually pretty impressive for a "craft" tool.
Got the rear suspension disassembled, seals/bearings/bushes all shot but all major parts in good.
Will
No insult taken... Had the bus out the garage and was trying the right direction! My blowtorch isn't really capable of getting any real heat into the nut, just heats the whole hub really.
Anyway finally got it off today
Was trying to avoid any destruction but in the end had to resort to combination of dremel and chiselling to split it. My first use of a dremel, actually pretty impressive for a "craft" tool.Got the rear suspension disassembled, seals/bearings/bushes all shot but all major parts in good.
Will
