26 BUS DOCTORwww.volkswagencamper.co.uk
Steve Leatham answers some of your questions...
Email [email protected] Address Bus Doctor, VW Camper & Commercial, The Old School Higher Kinnerton Chester CH4 9AJhttp://www.GermanCamperCompany.comThe Bus Doctor is sponsored by:
Mail order parts specialistsRusty Springs.
Hey Bus Doc,
I’m currently rebuilding a pair of
Weber 40 IDF carburettors for my ‘78
bay, and both of the pump diaphragm
springs have a coating of rust. This
hasn’t compromised the action of the
spring, but do they need to be replaced
because of this? Possibly because of
fuel contamination!
I’m only asking because I’m
reluctant to spend around £15 for two
small springs, unless necessary.
Ivor HoldenVinegar will eat away the rust, as will
most acids. WD40 won’t change the
rust in any way.
However once you have removed
the rust you’ll have bare steel, which
as it’s not coated with anything, will
rust again very quickly. Some sort of
metal coating would help. POR Metal
ready would be my choice (as I have
some already). If the springs are to be
immersed in fuel in use, then you should
be OK, but if exposed to the atmosphere
then try Waxoyl. Or You could zinc
plate them at home simply using zinc
from old non-Alkaline batteries and
electrolyte from vinegar & water.
You only need about 3 volts DC from
batteries or an old phone charger. Look
it up on youTube. I’ve plated loads of
small parts, it’s much more durable
than any paint, and fun to do.Whiter Shade of Pale
Hi Bus Doc,
I’m in the process of restoring a
1979 Berlin Pop top in Sage green. I
am planning to paint the glass fibre
roof, bumpers and wheels. However
I cannot find the correct colour code
for these items. Some websites say
Pastel white (L90D) but this does
not look correct. The items in photos
online look a much brighter white like
(L82). Can you please confirm whichBus Doctor
is correct as its driving me nuts and I
need to get the items painted as soon
as possible.
The inside of the van is still totally
original.
Mark Thomas1971 and later buses all had their
bumpers and wheels painted in Pastel
White (L90D), as was the front badge.
Earlier models used Cloud White
(L581). Pop tops were often left in raw
white fibreglass, but it makes sense to
have them painted to match in Pastel
White.End Float
Dear Bus Doctor,
I have a 1600 type 1 engine in my bay
window camper. I was given a spare
engine that had been left outside. I
have stripped most of it down, and
chucked away the junk, like the
cracked heads and seized barrel
and pistons. The block and crank
assembly seems good, but there is
about 10 thou end float, which I
believe is right at the extreme of still
being usable. Have you got any links,
or possibly books or engine advice
forums you could suggest?
I’m a beginner when it comes to
VW air cooled, but have previously
built a few engines for classic minis
and Fords.
Jason PriceThe book I use and recommend to
everyone is ‘Rebuild Air-cooled VW
Engines HP255’ by Tom Wilson. There’s
a couple of second hand examples on
abebooks.com at the time of writing.
The ISBN number is 0895862255.
If the end float is still within
tolerance, then you should be able to
shim it back up. It’s when an engine
has been run for significant mileage
with excessive end float, that you have
something that can’t be recovered. Thelast ‘scrap’ engine I broke for parts had
about 1.5 mm of end float; that’s ten
times what you have.
But in saying that, it depends where
it is worn. If the front main bearing is
still solid in the case with no trace of
any end float in itself then yes, you can
re-shim it to bring the end float back
into spec.
But if some of that (very small)
amount of excessive end float is due to
the bearing moving in the case then it
would be a bad idea to re-shim as you
might cause more damage.
The only way to correct a loose case
bearing is to have it machined and
oversize bearings fitted, however with
such a small amount (if it is a loose
bearing) then you still have many
thousands of useful miles left with it
in that state. Consider what you want
from the engine and your budget, it
may be best for you in the long run to
leave it alone.A battery of questions
Hi Bus Doctor,
Can you recommend what type
(make and model) of battery is most
suitable for my bus? The old battery
is kaput, not responding to recharge.
I’m uncertain. The bus has light use
generally, and the battery is for the
bus and only occasionally for the
water pump.
James HedleyThe standard fit for the air cooled
models was a 45Ah 063 battery,
optional was an 075 60Ah or a 100
72Ah. Varta, Banner, Exide, Yuasa and
Bosch are the premium brands. You
also need to make sure the
battery comes with
the extended hold
down strips.Steve Leatham
has been working
on and restoring
VW buses since
1997, tackling just
about every job
over the years. He
has been resident
Bus Doctor for the
mag since 2003.Got a problem or a query?