Weeeeeeeeeeell, after a quick top end rebuild at Valla, my bottom end seems to have expired at Hexham. I need somewhere to have it towed to, and stored for probably 2 weeks.
Pleez.
Maybe you could post some of the pics here Kol?
Tazz ·
Thats not good news.
There shoudl be someone near there who could help????
twoguns ·
ive only got room in the street. but will talk to a mate tomorrow and see what i can come up with. we are in gosford. hour and a bit from hexham...
kombi_kid ·
what a weekend hey chris!!! do u hearby know listen to WES?
sad to hear it buddy!
cheers
rhys
Craig Torrens ·
will talk to my brother in law, he is at Thorton, owns RX engineering, may have some room ! only 10mins away.
What about Ben Durie, he is up that way and has plenty of room at his workshop ?
Spook ·
I'll store it here Chris, if you don't mind it going under a tarp.
Give me a call on 0428687792 & I'll give you the address.
SKEWtYpe3 ·
DAMN !
hope all is well chris and works out.
we blew up col's alternator on the way home so we swapped batteries all the way home as well !!!!!!!!!!!!
Skewy..
amazer ·
kombi_kid wrote:what a weekend hey chris!!! do u hearby know listen to WES?
sad to hear it buddy!
cheers
rhys
Tell him he's dreamin' mate.
amazer ·
SKEWtYpe3 wrote:DAMN !
hope all is well chris and works out.
we blew up col's alternator on the way home so we swapped batteries all the way home as well !!!!!!!!!!!!
Skewy..
Thats... kinda funny. Well hilarious if you consider the alternative of 2 engine rebuilds.
Im home, safe. Fastback is stored in my uncles garage. But kombi is abandoned at a servo. Just need to figure out what engine to put in and how to get it there.
speedster356 ·
Chris, I have a car with tow bar if needed.
type3kid ·
hey chris, i know it's a few hours away but i am in sydney so if need be and you can get it this far, i have plenty of room that is secure to leave it. sorry i can't help any more.
amazer ·
I'm getting it towed to Spooks place... eventually. Picture the phone conversation with the tow service. I have a kombi to tow from Beresfield to Adamstown. I wont be there to sign the authorisation. I dont know the guy who I am towing it to, other than over the internet. I cant pay in person cos I am in Wollongong and nobody has credit card facilities. Sounds a bit dodgy. But I will try to send money and photocopy of ID and see how I go. I just hope that the servo doesnt get it towed away.
From there I dont know exactly the road to take. Will try to put a dodgy engine together I guess, see if I can get it up there, do a swap, and maybe make it back.
jenz58 ·
Chris I hope it all works out in the end🙂
What an ordeal!!!
Missed this thread earlier in day and had been wondering how you got on🙁
Great support from the AussieVeeDubbers again😎:thumb
kombikim ·
Chris, after 6500ks at 80kmh spent in terror of ever present threat of final engine termination I really feel for you, all I can offer is a was going 1800 now minus heads barrels etc If it would at all help in your rebuild
Bugged Again ·
Are you not a member of the NRMA, its times like these that they can help, towing etc.
SKEWtYpe3 ·
o yeah, deans clutch basically died when he got home...........just made it !
Keep us updated bud !
Spook ·
Relax Chris, your truck will be here by this arvo. It won't be in my way so you can worry about it at your leisure.....😎
Which is, of course, the up side of "knowing " people on the internet.
[Edited on 6-8-2003 by Spook]
72TWINCAB ·
Three cheers for Spook.
hip hip HOORAY
hip hip HOORAY
hip hip HOORAY
Hope all works out all right for the Kombi Chris:jesus
KruizinKombi ·
Ok, pictures of the ordeal...... 😀
First sign of major trouble was a Kempsey on the way up....
KruizinKombi ·
Our campsite was rather busy, with Chris rebuilding his engine....
KruizinKombi ·
Dean fixing a dead regulator (for the 2nd time!)
KruizinKombi ·
and me rebuilding a distributor (thanks Boris)
KruizinKombi ·
Lots of helpers
KruizinKombi ·
Out at last (that was the easy bit)
KruizinKombi ·
People gather for the impending post mortem....
kombikim ·
🙁 - I am glad you got home OK
[Edited on 7-8-2003 by kombikim]
KruizinKombi ·
First head....
KruizinKombi ·
2nd head.....
KruizinKombi ·
And the shit-hanging begins...
KruizinKombi ·
New heads....
KruizinKombi ·
Midnight, Sunday night. Remember that we were leaving at 9am Monday.... :o
KruizinKombi ·
Jay lending moral support, asleep with her glasses fogged up! 😀
KruizinKombi ·
Motor in, turbo to go....
KruizinKombi ·
Midday Monday, still going.....
KruizinKombi ·
Our workshop. I mean, our campsite. 😉
Secoh ·
Sorry only just saw this. Let me know if you have any more probs and I can spare either some driveway space or a pair of hands 🙂
baybuscamperkid ·
farken hell!! tuff luck man, at least u made it home safe (even if the bus hasnt yet)
Spook ·
Well it's here safe & sound.
On to the next problem.....😎
type3kid ·
hey chris and spook, keep us up to date on how everythinbg is going and if you need a hand
kid
jenz58 ·
A couple of more pics from the Friday, nah Sunday before the BBQ
[Edited on 11-8-2003 by jenz58]
jenz58 ·
....
jenz58 ·
How goes it now Chris?
vw54 ·
Hey that was Boris n Leigh stuck under yr Bus
Good to hear its still in one piece at Spooks place.
amazer ·
Spook. Im arriving at adamstown station at about 12:45 Saturday. Hopefully you will see the back end of that rusty pile of junk for the last time at approx 1:30 - 2:00 pm.
Jay_1965vw ·
Well? Is it home?
Is it mobile? 🙂
Spook ·
Mobile ....yes.
Home ......Dunno.
Chris left here yesterday heading for his outlaws at Wangi, I left half hour behind him & didn't find him on the side of the road, so he made it that far at least.
And now young Chris I have a bone to pick with you.
When Zac said Chris had given him some money, I assumed you'd slipped him a few coins off your floor.
Not the wad he produced at 6 o'clock last night.
Please explain......:o
amazer ·
It is fucked again. For whatever reason it had enough blowby to pump a sump full of oil into the aircleaner. Probably broke some rings when started wif no oil.
It is now dripping oil onto the southbound caltex service centre at Wyong. I will leave it there until I decide what accelerant to use when I torch the bastard.
Basically I am at the same stage I was 5 weeks ago only maybe 50kms closer to home.
Zac and the kids get $10 each cos their Dad wouldnt tell me what booze to buy. Sorry Spook you missed out mate.
Jay_1965vw ·
🙁 Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Grey 57 ·
Bad luck Chris, sorry to hear about the continuing probs. Remember what we found on the ground in the camp.
Kerosene is good mate, burns clean and its cheap 😀
Look on the bright side tho, its sitting a lot closer to Valla for next year. 😀😀
It's all packed and ready only needs an engine!!!
Spook ·
Is the trailer with it?
Do you want me to go & fetch it??
SKEWtYpe3 ·
tough luck !
no luck.......
hope it all gets home.
Spook ·
So what's new in the continuing saga??
amazer ·
nuffin new. everything is same since last weekend. Trying to get courage to ask dad for a loan of his Patrol to get it towed home.
amazer ·
Met dad down the club. He was reluctant but has given me the keys.
2.8 litres of turbo charged diesel sitting in the drive. Heading up first thing Sunday morning.
jenz58 ·
Wah, what a saga!!!
Good luck tomorrow:sandrine
Grey 57 ·
Thought you would have had enough of the "T" word Chris.
Hope it all gets back OK
jenz58 ·
T words
turbo
tough
trailer
tomorrow
Hopefully 'triumphant 'is added
:sandrine
ByronBug ·
:sandrine
Good luck for tomorrow...
Hope this all has a great outcome in the end....fingers crossed
Judy
byronbus ·
Yeah, thinking of you, know what i'd rather be doing...
KruizinKombi ·
I think the turbo diesel may be a better form of motivation for the kombi next time! :P
Jay_1965vw ·
Well? Where is it?
Is it back?
jenz58 ·
Come in Chris:sandrine
r u back yet??
Spook ·
He should be getting close, he was near the Calga interchange at around 3 o'clock with the kombi in tow.
Jay_1965vw ·
Thanks for the update Spook. Good to hear he's getting closer to home...
amazer ·
did you see me spook?
well the kombi IS parked on the front lawn, but the day wasnt without hassles.
The morons at caltex lost the key. Had to break a window to get in and hotwire the stupid thing to get it on the trailer.
Someone overtook me just as the ladder fell off their roof rack, but luckily it snagged on the back of their ute and got dragged along. Otherwise I would have wore it.
Road got greasy wet on the way home and I had a brake lockup at a red light. Luckily the left lane was clear so I could move over and not hit the car in front.
2.8 turbo diesel would be bloody sweet in a light kombi if it would fit. Redlines at 4600 just like a kombi too so gearing would be sweet also.
Nissan Patrols dont brake very well even without trailers. A bit scary considering what Nissan says they can tow. (tell him he's dreaming). They also need a bigger radiator. Temp got hot a few times, but it did drop quickly when I backed off. Only used 53 litres of diesel over 430kms (half towing kombi) so that would be another advantage. Cant say that I'm a big fan of having a huge bonnet in front of me. From inside the car it felt higher than a kombi, but reality hit when you only step out, not jump out.
Anyway. kombi is home. 1 less bit of stress to worry about. Dont know what the plan is from here just yet.
[Edited on 14-9-2003 by amazer]
Jay_1965vw ·
Sounds like a day of adventures. Glad its finally home.
1303Steve ·
Hi Chris
That was me in the Prado beeping the horn when you turned onto Heathcote Road, I was just coming back from camping with Scouts, actually the pre-Jamboree shakedown camp.
1302Steve
Spook ·
Yeah matey, I saw ya.
I drove down to Hornsby yesterday. Saw your bus sitting forelornly at Wyong on the way down, then behold, it's on a trailer on my way home..
I give you a wave, but you aint seen me yet.........😎
Spook ·
Something jumped from your kombi to mine ya bastard.
Spat out no4 inlet valve on the freeway this arvo..........:o
amazer ·
shit. sorry mate. If you want to get it towed to my place im happy to repay the favour.
Only 1 kid here to ask questions too.
amazer ·
Spook. Where are you? how is it going up there?
Spook ·
To cut a big story down, I've been sailing the seas of divorce again. (this would be my second) But for the moment things have calmed.
Needless to say, fixing the truck or getting on the computer have been very low on the totum of priorities.
Baja Wes ·
as soon as someone talks about turbo-charging a kombi, I am going to post a link to this post 😀
Man you have had the worst luck ever. When people say "what's the worst that could happen", I think you have a better idea than most of us.
So what's the plans for it. Have you torched it yet?
amazer ·
shit. sorry to hear that spook.
you're starting to PI$$ me off wes 😉
The reason this turbo kombi didnt work is because the whole thing cost something like $1200. The kombi and base engine itself cost me $400. It cost me more to put a rego sticker on it than to purchase it! The turbo was given to me for nix cos the wastegate was dead. I swapped bits from an old starion turbo to make that work. The water pump was given to me and was dead. I threw new bearing s into it. The carb and intercooler was loaned to me. The exhaust was a set of butchered dead extractors. If I had started with a good base and spent the required money on getting the carb mixtures set up properly... if I hadnt been pushing the poor thing so hard it would still be running. I still think that the problem may have been the only thing I bought brand new, ie the fuel pressure regulator. I dont think it was increasing pressure under boost. And when it comes down to it I can still say its a volkswagen engine. Even if I am only pointing to a pile of bits on the floor. so neer.
Anyhow the program now is to go stock until I can do everything right. Im putting together another low budget 2L motor. Just put new bearings, rings, one new 2nd hand piston and barrel.
Baja Wes ·
amazer wrote:you're starting to PI$$ me off wes 😉
Ah you know I'm just stirring ya :P
I have actually always liked your kombi and admired your handy work. I'm sure if you hadn't tow'd the race car and all your tools if would've had an easier trip and survived. You learn from your mistakes I guess. As long as it was fun while it lasted :thumb
amazer ·
yeah I know.
You almost had me for a while. I looked up a few different engines as possible donors. Love the lexus V8 but dont know if it would fit, plus the ones I found were higher mileage and $$$. Then I drove my father in laws Magna V6 with 200K on the clock and still lots of grunt no signs of wear and tear.
Fortunately for me I woke up and remembered that a set of bearings and rings will only cost me a few hundred and is a lot less mucking about. I'll just have to use 3rd gear more often.
Spook ·
So??
Ya got the fucker up & running yet or what??
KruizinKombi ·
Why would he want to? He's found the perfect excuse to flog the crap outta the wife's car!! 😀
amazer ·
nooooo.
I've got everything I need now except for time. I'm snowed under at uni. 2nd last week so everything is due now. The engine stand is assembled. The case half is mounted to it. Shouldnt take long when I get started. That might not be until after 20 November, my last exam.
Cant give the lancer a flogging. Its also in need of maintenance. A really bad wheel bearing, and an overdue timing belt change. Im saying 3 hail mary's every time I get in it.
amazer ·
Well I'm back on the road to recovery.
Started putting the engine back together today. Cleaning the pushrod tube holes in the case was a PITA. Someone had used a strange red sealant that sets hard like putty. Got sick of that and didnt do as good a job as I could of. Will probably leak on me.
So then I put the crank together and dropped it in the case. I then go to put the cam bearings in and cant for the life of me figure how they can go in with the tabs lined up with the notches in the case. After 15 minutes of head scratching and turning bearings every which way I looked at the box. I've been given type 1 bearings. Very annoying.😠
kombikim ·
re the red stuff, it sounds like Stag Jointing paste, if it is, the metho will disolve it - eventually
amazer ·
havent got metho. petrol dont work. thinners dont work. I need a tiny dremel wheel to get in there.
Got the heads on today. Only made one mistake. Forgot to put one of the sealing ring thingos under one of the barrels. Lucky I noticed it before I bolted the head on.
Spook ·
Well, mine lives again..........😎
KruizinKombi ·
Good to hear Chris, keep us posted. :thumb
amazer ·
almost mobile
vw54 ·
Gone back to Carbies Hey
amazer ·
yeah carbies. Single man now. Cash cow has gone.
Could have had it running today only I couldnt for the life of me set the endfloat. The 3 thinnest shims of mine left it with just 1 thou. Why? Forgot that spacer washer behind the fan. Shimo to the rescue. so simple. had me buggered.
Spook ·
That's an ominus statement brother, is there trouble in your camp too??
amazer ·
That would be an affirmative. I'm moving out tonight. Well supposed to be I think. Too hot. will have to wait till tomorrow at least. Something wrong with male kombi drivers? I know of three of us in the same situation right now.
I went to unscrew my large fitting from the fuel tank this afternoon so I can put a small one back in. The whole boss thingo broke off. BASTARDS. Bloody thing has been 'ready to go' for nearly a week. Keep finding little things to do.
speedster356 ·
Sorry to hear ya probs Chris.
I catch ya on Sunday. I was a bit frightened off the last hillclimb as I would be in the same class (SV) as Cobras and the like, then I had a look on the day and it was all just great fun.:thumb
amazer ·
YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAW.
the driveway rings to the tune of a 2 litre kombi. (A bit loud - think the insides of the muffler might have blown away). Looks like I do have a pushrod tube leak, like I expected I would, damn laziness. I am mobile again. No longer do I have to hang my head at VW meetings. Dont have to sigh each time I hear "got ya kombi runnin yet?" I've never had an engine go in so easily. Clutch went in straight away. the top gear box bolts went in first go. I think the VW gods like stock engines.
Kombis run heaps better with the power brake hose attached!
amazer ·
And I even found out the cause of my pinging and engine blow ups. Dizzy wasnt retarding under boost.
amazer ·
guess what guess what guess what! I have finally made it home from Valla 03!
:party
Trip wasnt without drama. Picked up the old mans nissan patrol only to find it had a slipping clutch ( he hadnt noticed it???) so weeks of planning were stuffed, decided I would take the exxon valdez kombi up.
Mum came tagging along for the ride and had an argument with the wife before we had even left wollongong. Mexican standoff at Fairy Meadow McDonalds.
I had fun pointing out all the broken down cars beside the road, none of which were VW. Spent Saturday in the Hunter Valley.
Picked up fastback Sunday and got 10 kms before kombi sounded 'funny'. Got out to find only 1 side of the towbar was attached. Well small piece of body was attached to towbar but towbar not to car if you catch my drift. (due to a bit of 'she'll be right' attitude from myself) Mananged to alienate myself from whole family, well what do they expect when they suggest I hire a truck and its sunday afternoon in Morrisett. So back to the uncles, some creative welding and on the road again.
Passed Wyong service centre, wahoo made progress. Arrived in Sydney a milestone. Made it down Mt Ousley with smelly brakes, was going to fast, but another milestone. Then backed it up the driveway, home sweet home.
So, my baby is home, may never leave the garage again
[Edited on 23-3-2004 by amazer]
Spook ·
& you didn't even drop in.........nice prick..........:puke
KruizinKombi ·
About bloody time!!!! That must be the longest anybody has ever taken to get from Nambucca Heads to Wollongong! :P:P:P
Good to see you finally made it though!
amazer ·
🙁 I'm sorry spook. I didnt think of it while I was there, too much stress wondering if I would get home.
I did think of you at one point though when I was 'racing' a train at Engadine, wondering if it could have been you.
Spook wrote:& you didn't even drop in.........nice prick..........:puke