Loved this idea.

Just dont know how to incorporate it?

Its not like I need a wine glass holder while I am driving, but to keep a glass from spilling around a 3 year old is a daunting task.

My son and I went to an "RV and Camping Show" at the local civic center.  Was not much of either, but there were a bunch of boats.  In one of them was this gem of an idea. 

The wine glass slides into and becomes secure from being knocked over.  Isn't that great?  No longer worrying about that old growth red Zinfandel becoming a part of the fabric!

It fits in standard cup holders.

Finished brakes

Still cold out there, about 40 and sunny this morning so we went to Dim Sum in Boston first.

When I got back, I started tinkering with the caliper dilemma.  The banjo bolt, although a great idea, was the wrong thread.  It was a straight thread and I needed an NPT thread to get a good seal into the caliper.  It would have worked great though, and I had the parts on hand.  Bummer.

So I also had a couple of chrome (it is a leftover Harley part after all) 90 degree fittings in one of my hardware bins in the garage.  They were a 1/8 NPT 90 degree male #3 which mated up nicely to the stainless braided lines and to the caliper.  Added a little thread tape to ensure a leak free seal and we are done.  Good pedal after bleeding, all new fluid through out and all new components.

Would have liked to match up to the stock support, but this will do nicely.

Beware of inferior parts

Ok, here is a rant for today's exercise in futility

As previously mentioned, I received my front brake calipers yesterday.  Today was the day to put them in, and I had a three year old to help (read: twice as long).  Anyway, when I ordered the calipers, there were two types made for the Vanagon; an ATE and another I do not remember as I had the ATE.  I have read somewhere that anyone with the other style should change to the ATE as they are more available.  But please do your own research, I obviously did not look far as I had the ATE type.

Notice different brake line holes?

So, calipers in hand, loaded with pads, plates, keeper spring and guide pins, properly lubricated and ready to assemble.  Get a good look at the brake line location on the new ones, and VOILA! they attach the lines in a different location.  Swell.

So I think I am going to become boy genius and dip into the brake line hardware bin from my Harley builds.  Good thought, but nothing I had would align the brake line in a manner that would not rub against the coil spring.  By this point I am furious.  In the online catalog it listed another caliper that stated "may need alterations to brake line" but this one did not.  Now I need to pull something outta my ass to make this work, or put my project another week behind.

The catch when making brake lines is to not pinch the curves.  If I come out of the brake caliper anymore than 5/8 of an inch, I will be rubbing against the coil spring.  So I need to immediately put a bend at the very end of the line and then twist it up to the stock hanger, but there is a fitting there at the end if I use a store bought line.  So, unless I custom make a line, to the bends I need, and then insert the fitting and flare the end at the last step, I think I an SOL? But I no longer have a flaring tool, nor a proper tool setup to bend lines without pinching.  What a pain in the ass.

I think I need to sleep on it.  Meanwhile, the E420 needs its brakes bled as well and I am thinking I need a Mityvac cause I cant do it myself and a three year olds legs (and attention span) are not long enough.

I really need to add some pictures.  I have a phone full of them, but little ambition right now.

EDIT: 27 March - Woke up this morning thinking about this.  I believe I have two possible solutions right now.  Option one is to use a flexible braided line like the shorty I got for the rear.  In order to do that I would use a 90 degree fitting to come out in same direction as the original setup (towards front) and bring up to stock hanger location where another fitting would be required to connect the two female connectors. Downside is the fitting in the caliper may be too thick and potentially rub or impact in a turn / bump situation.

The second one, which I am liking better now, is the use of a banjo bolt setup.  With a banjo bolt, a couple copper crush washers and proper fitting I can delete the need for the stock hanger and go direct.  The banjo bolt fitting could be made to go in any direction and that would allow for a bit more play in the line to alleviate any possible rubbing on the line or impact to the fitting.

Would also remove the need for me to buy a flaring tool setup, bender, fitting kit, etc. that I will probably use twice in my life. 

Wow - sleep is a wonderful thing.  I was racking my brain for a solution last night, with no results to show for it.

more stuff

I knew going into the Vanagon project that it would be a money pit.  My thinking was this: I wanted a decent quality Vanagon with body and engine fairly well maintained and I would weigh the rest on a case by case basis.  What that meant is that I would look for a Vanagon that would definitely require some work, but would also be cheaper on the buy side of the equation.  So rather than spending 9000 on a Vanagon that would still need brakes, tires and who knows what else, I went with one that was significantly less but required some love.  NO ONE who has owned a Vanagon will state that the engines are flawless, even a rebuilt one will need attention so I did not see the immediate need to pay for a rebuilt when I did not know who or when the rebuild had taken place.

This Vanagon project is not for the timid, or the inexperienced.  One could easily drop THOUSANDS into a project like this if having to pay someone to do the work.  Having said that, I am probably up to about $2000 now in parts to make her roadworthy and safe for my family.  New tires and upgraded wheels, new brakes and lines, new suspension parts, new carpets and electronics inside, engine tune up and water pump, the list goes on but not one penny in labor. 

The one thing I do not want to ever have to say to my family is that a planned trip has to be cancelled due to a needed repair.

So todays arrival was the new front calipers to replace the old rusty ones that the bleeder screw broke within.  They were due to be replaced at some point but I could have gotten a set of brake pads worth of mileage out of them first.  When the bleeder screw broke, and they wanted 18 bucks for it at Napa, I opted for the new calipers.  Tomorrow the calipers can get installed, and I can finally say I finished the brakes.  Between a 'helpful' 3 year old, the need to order parts and not having much free time as of late, this one day project got stretched out far too long.

Also ordered the Weitec springs from Bus Depot to replace the broken one I found when doing the rear brakes and shocks.  Will help with the ride, the Westy lean and with a 45mm drop, it will look better (IMHO).

Also found a Westy window for a reasonable amount.  There were others available, but its not like they are the last ones on earth.  Guy in NH wanted $200 for the single, one in CA wanted $120 for the set.  Found a single for $60 plus shipping.  Should have it in a week or so.  No rush, mine is not broken, but eventually I would like to put a tint on the glass and be able to use my spiffy new screens.

Audio

Been contemplating what I wanted from an audio system.  After all, music is a big part of our lives, so why must we resign ourselves to a lackluster system that does not do anything but provide static?

So, I had purchased an Alpine CD deck (do they call them that anymore, a deck?) for my E420, but since the need is greater in the Vanagon, I decided to add the Alpine CDA 105 unit to the Vanagon.  Has the input for the iPod, can play CD's and has enough power to do what I will require. OK, now I have some technology to replace the gaping hole in the dash, next concern was the speakers.

The PO had left the stock 4 inch Blaupunkt speakers in the door, added some Yamaha 6x9's in the bed base and had something in the storage box up above (which is now empty).  The doors was first concern, and knowing that any speaker put in that door must clear the window crank handle, the pickins are slim (no pun intended).  I acquired some speakers without a grill at a yard sale some time back.  I believe them to be Pyle 5.25 inch diameter, which will fit in the rear storage holes (with modification) and the door spaces (again with modifications).  Still do not know if I can find grilles to work, maybe some generic screen types, but worst case scenario is that I modify the crank handles either by spacing or by heating the metal part of the handle to bend to my wishes.  Thought about some tweeters, but have not decided that far ahead yet.

Will need to run some wiring to handle the rear speakers correctly.  The stock wiring used a common ground which will not work with modern units.  Also, I have purchased an Alpine MRP F300 amplifier to run the rear speakers, so new wiring will be necessary regardless.

Thought also about a subwoofer in the rear hatch, or maybe a pair?  Do not currently have a panel in the door, and this would be an opportune time to build a correct support based on a piece of luan or 1/4 inch birch plywood and have it covered with a similar matching vinyl.  Will be out of the way, and fairly easy to wire up from an amplifier under the bed.

Edit- 27 March - The 'head unit' (not a deck) is perfect for this application.  Decided against using the Pyle speakers after looking up on the web, they are just inferior and not worth my effort.  Am going to research my options this week.  From what I have been reading, and I will need to take a trip to an audio shop to confirm, but the head unit has three outputs on the rear.  One for front speakers, one for rear speakers and one for a sub woofer.  Each of these will require an amp to do correctly, and I have one amp thus far.  Installing the front speakers will be initial main focus, with the 4 channel amp mounted under drivers seat to power four door speakers (two 4's and two 5.25's).  Then I will get another 4 channel amp to power the two 5.25's above the rear seat, and the two 6x9's in the bed base.  Then to complete the small soundstage, a mono amp for a 9 inch subwoofer (or pair) that I want to mount in the rear hatch door.

Cant wait to hear some Ramones the day its done. 

After a couple Chimay ales the other night, a neighbor was talking about his boat and the installed marine speakers.  Got me to thinking - what about a couple external waterproof speakers?  Maybe in the pop top? Then I thought better of it.

Axle nuts

Well, the other came off as it should today. 

Drivers side rear brakes are done now.  All are done, except for a bleeding.  Dont have a mityvac myself, so I suppose I will have to do it the old fashioned way. That is offer a six pack to a neighbor who will pump the brakes up as I release the air.

Wheels went down to the tireshop also.  Getting 5 new Nokians.  Should be ready for tomorrow.

Things are going to happen more quickly now that warmer weather is here.  Was upper 50's today.  Tough to concentrate on anything when the first few warm days arrive.

Added a photo of the setup used to loosen the axle nut.  Please keep in mind that this setup was used with the wheel ON the car.  I really needed that extra friction, and when I attempted to do it without the wheel, I was lifting the vehicle off the jack stand.  That galvanized tube is a 5 foot fence post, and I needed every inch of it for leverage.

Tires

OK, so there are enough opinions out there on tires for a Vanagon as there are curry recipes in India.

My van will be a road queen, not an off road vehicle.  Not going to say it will not see its occasional winter day, but not likely.

So, looking for a tire that has a load rating of at least 98.  Must work with my spiffy 15x7 alloy wheels.  Want quiet, decent wear, sturdy sidewalls and ability to handle rain really well.  Not asking for much, am I?  So, I thought I had narrowed it down to a few options: the Michelin Agilis (the stock tire on the Eurovans) after ruling out the Hydroedge due to load index, the Michelin LTX or one of the Nokian's.  I was looking at the WR, but thought I would get the local tire guy's opinion.  He has not steered me wrong yet with tires (I wont go there for alignments anymore, Suburban was a nightmare), but he recommended the eNTYRE by Nokian.  Not even one I had considered yet.

So here I am again, comparing tires and I am thinking I like the tread pattern on the WR.  Its a bit more aggressive, not that a road queen will really need that, but state campgrounds have dirt roads (i.e., mud).  Such a dilemma.

Edit:  Went with the Nokian eNTYRE for the Vanagon.  Its a 3 season tire, perfrct for the road queen.  Less aggressive tread means easier roll and longer wear characteristics, but sacrifices the possibility of using in a snow situation.  Very unlikely, but it was a lesser of two evils thing.  So 5 tires, mounted and balanced cost me $595 with disposal, 36,000 road hazard protection, 50,000 mile guarantee and unlimited rotations.  I am happy, for now.  The spare on the alloy wheel will not fit in the clamshell, already have that one figured out, but thats for another post.

Brakes

Almost complete.  Had a couple hours today, got the passenger rear done.  In order to get axle nut off, I attached one of the old steel wheels and lowered the van down for some friction, chocked the wheels, and I needed a 1 13/16 socket with a breaker bar attached.  Then I put a piece of steel fence post over end of breaker bar and jumped up and down on it until it gave way.  Serious torque, cause I am not a lightweight.

I removed the axle nut so that I could pull the hub to change the wheel studs.  Also provided access to take everything apart, and then take off the backing plate. Cleaned up the end of the axle, blasted the backing plate (was surprised about how good condition was), but as taking apart my prior thoughts were confirmed as the brakes were done recently.  Problem was that the Vanagon sat for quite a while which led to rusted parts.  Shoes looked brand new, and I will keep for back ups, but I reattached the newly blasted and painted backing plate and attached everything including the new shoes.  The hardware kit I received from Go Westy was a bit disappointing.  Think it was a OP parts, but I would have to check again to confirm that.

The problem was the retainer pins that go through the center of the shoes.  The ones in the kit were a full 3/16 shorter than the ones last used.  Not that the last ones were positively the right ones, but I tried for 20 minutes to get them to work, there just was not enough length to accommodate the spring and the retainer cap.  So, I ended up modifying the older ones with a file to fit the new retainer caps.  Will search out better option, but for now its good.

I pressed in the new bearing seal (after repacking the outer bearing), replaced the newly wire wheeled and painted hub onto the axle (with its 5 new extended wheel studs from T3 Technique) and then the axle nut.  Since I have new drums, I cleaned them off with some Dupont 3812 and sprayed them with some black spray bomb paint.  If nothing else, it looks clean and will show leak issues quickly.  Also replaced the useless shock that was in there with a spiffy new blue and yellow Bilstein shock.  Wish they came in another color, but oh well.  Looking forward to the ride.

Retorqued the axle nut, inserted the new cotter pin and remounted the Mercedes wheel.  While in there, I replaced the hard brake line that attaches to the flex line at the front of the control arm.  I had bought a steel braided line to replace the flex line, but upon inspecting the connection, I knew that it was not going to budge and it was going to be part of a larger issue - the replacement of the rear section of brakes lines, the t-fitting and, of course, the braided lines.

Its a difficult tightrope I am walking.  On one hand I want to go through the van and update everything.  That, for me, would mean to remove the rear suspension, pull the bushings, sandblast the parts, paint with Dupont Imron truck paint (nearly indestructible) and reinstall with all new hardware. On the other hand, I want to be able to use this van in a couple months.  The wife and kid are eagerly awaiting its roll out!

Speaking of roll out, trying to determine what I want for tires on this road queen.  Common sense would dictate an all weather tire here in the Northeast where the weather changes in about the time it takes to sneeze.  See folks praising the Nokians, the Michelin Agilis (stock on Eurovans), Contitechs and some Norweigian tire I cannot spell.  The van may see a winter day or two, but with a 4wd GMC Suburban and a Honda CR-V also in driveway, it wont be many.

Biggest consideration is load rating (for sidewall integrity).  More on that subject later.

Side windows

Bought a new set of screens for the side windows.  Did not even think to look at them, but the slider door window is not from a Westy, its from a regular vanagon. The difference is the placement of the latch mechanism.  On the Westy, the mechanism is towards the center of the window assembly, allowing clearance for the screen, while the regular vanagon has the mechanism toward the end of the window.  Will need to find another slider glass so I can have the all important screens.  I chose to get the screen upgrades from Go Westy, as their design allows for the replacement of the screening where the originals did not.  69.95 for each side.

Also received the mechanism to raise the vent on the top of the pop top.  The one in the van is missing the plastic guide wheels.  For 14.95, it was worth the time it would take me to hunt down the parts and repair.  Now that I have a second mechanism in house, I will have a look at Home Cheapo and see what I can do to make up a back up.  With the recent rains, I can see a drip through the vent, so I will be happy when this is repaired and I can keep the interior very dry.

Father's mother passed away a couple days ago, have needed to attend to that.  Have not really been tinkering much last couple days.  Warming up though.  Yesterday must have been 50, but it rained quite hard for the majority of the day.  Snow is melting!

Murphy's Law

Here it is, the warmest day yet and I am sick as a dog.

Did not stop me from playing for a couple hours though.  Pulled front passenger brake assembly apart.  Calipers, albeit dirty and full of debris, are not leaking and seem to be in fine shape.  I will remove the pads tomorrow and clean out the crap.  Got the rotors off, look like they were a recent fix, but then allowed to sit.  With the verniers, they were only .010 less than my new ones.  Put the new ones on, with the new bearings, thrust washers, axle nut and seal.  Replaced the end cap and now with the conversion studs, I used the new lug nuts to secure the alloy wheel. 

Will pull off the wheel again tomorrow, and do up the caliper right.  Can't leave the wheel off and on stands with a little one around. Then to the other side.  Will wait to do the bleed until I have the new SS braid hoses installed.  They are not here yet.  On their way with two new screens for the side windows and a repair part for the vent on the pop top.

Vocational schools

For those who are not acquainted with the vocational schools of America, they are a really neat resource.  I am actually a product of a Vocational school (I was a machinist) and have used this resource ever since graduation.  The neat part about these facilities is that they cannot charge for labor.  Its against the law.  So, for the price of some materials, and maybe a donation to their end of the year garbage fest (soda, chips and junkfood party), I can get some work done inexpensively.

Now before you go running off to find your local school, know this:  many of the students work at a slower pace than a hourly paid union roadworker.  Once you can gain their interest, you may see the piece in a short time, but do not count on it.  If you need something quick, find another outlet.

That being said, I approached them with a design I found online to add a trailer hitch to the vanagon.  Its a simple idea really, and not as monstrous as the units being sold by GO WESTY or other sites.  After all, this is not going to be an off road VW, and I really only need the hitch for my Yakima bike rack or the cooler shelf.  At 5000 pounds and 90 hp, I will not be towing anything. (well maybe my 13ft aluminum fishing boat across town)

Approval is necessary for some projects.  Large projects, or those that could potentially endanger the students or anyone after the piece is made.  This one skirts the line of endangering.  Its not anything that will alter the vehicles drivability, nor is it something exceptionally heavy, so I do not foresee a problem.

More parts

More and more arriving daily.

Picked up a couple used sway bar end links.  Some of the brake parts started arriving yesterday.  Was able to get my new conversion studs into the rotors, set ohe outer bearings in with the brass drift, but the inners have not arrived yet.  Have the seals, but no pads and no hoses yet for the front.  Will stop by NAPA to pick up some penetrant and spray down the front assembly to get ready for this weekend.  Goal will be to get front brakes done.  I also need to put a new oil pan on the E420 as the thing is dripping all over the driveway, so whatever else I can get done will be a bonus.  Shocks arrived, but no rear brakes parts yet.

Once the brakes are done, I can concentrate on getting the exhaust work done at Lou's Custom Exhaust.  They will custom bend a stainless system for less than I can buy the parts online and do myself.  That one is a no brainer.  Then I will have (at least) a quite camper that stops well and needs a good cleaning (amongst other things).  The renewal for all the vehicles insurance is coming up soon (April 1) so adding the van will be necessary, but they will require an insurance inspection, so I would like to have it respectable by then. Nothing worse than dealing with an insurance company after the fact.  Adding this and adding that after they have performed a visual and taken photos requires an act of congress to get approved.  God forbid something happens to the van, and they only want to recognize the photos as evidence when an additional $4000 has been added in upgrades and restorations. 

I hate insurance people.  I put them right along with lawyers, tow truck drivers and taxi drivers.  They are all the type of folk you need at one point or another, but hate to deal with, and always feel like you need a shower after being near one.  I would put used car salesmen on a level above these folks.