Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Sorry i haven't posted much in the past month. A month ago i broke my right wrist. Two pins and a month later i'm finally back to work. i hope to have the pins removed tomorrow. I had planed two weeks around christmas to work on the '56, and cut up the '63, nothing got done.

All for now.

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Cutting up the body of the '63. If you are local and want any part shoot me a pm. (no shipping)

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Well, because i know you all care. My wrist is feeling better. I don't have the strength back 100% but enough is there to work on the car.

Two weeks ago i transferd the extender and front end over to the '56 pan.

This past weekend was going to tackle the rear, got the tranny unmounted and the suspension unbolted and ready for the '56. Well the big rubber bushings don't fit the '56. they are shaped different. [rant] Ok, i thought, no prob, i'll order a new set being these are worn out. on WCM they are 89$!!!!!!, but for the next set of years they are 29$!!! WTF!!! [/rant]

All for now,

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

UPDATE TIME!!!
so.....

It's been a few weeks since my last rant. I got the spring plate bushings. i returned the ones from WCM and got some from Wolfsburg along with some other goodies. funny thing is the total came out to 89$.

Last weekend i got the spring plates installed, that was fun doing my myself with new seals and such. But it's done!


Scored a Free, yes FREE bus nose cone! Got that installed on the Trans, and got the trans and such installed in/on the pan.


I'm happy to have a rolling pan. Going to rebuild the front end, well at least pull it apart and clean out the old goo, and inspect the parts to see if any need to be replaced. A good weekend job.

Oh also ordered a VolksRod Hood ornament!!!


Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Ok, So about two weeks ago i tore apart the front end. Anything that could be replaced needed to be replaced.
New....
Kings,
Links,
Seals,
Bearings,
retainers.

The link pins had about 2mm of wear on them!!!

All parts ordered and arrived!!

Last week i installed the needle bearings in the tubes. That was easy.

this past weekend i had the spindles rebuilt with new Links and Kings. Installed those this past Sunday.

All for now, i have some pix, but will post them tomorrow.

I have to go pick up the kid now.

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

So, sorry for the quick depart yesterday. here are some pix i said i'd post.

I put in the new needle bearings.


Get your gear in order.


I applied some heat to the torsion tube.


Set the bearing and used a 2x4 and a hammer to drive it in.


Ta-Da!


One side done, flip and repeat.

[Spanish Flea]

Ok, so Tuesday night i got in the mood to work on the VR. Which is rare than just having to work on it. So i went out and finished up the front end. So i now have a rolling chassis again. I still need to replace break shoes and torq everything down. I guess it's in mock up stage for now. I've been think about a rack & Pinion to replace the box. We'll see.

I'm hoping this Sat i can place the body on the pan, roll the car out and clean up the space a bit.

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Ok, quick up date on what's going on.

I haven't done much to the VR, a couple of weekends ago, i set the body on the pan and rolled the VR out of the garage to clean. Done. Swapped the bus with the split, so i can get it prepped to go on a 4 hour trip to the No Dough Bus Show in Daytona. Done.

Trip up there was great, didn't drive with anyone so there was no BS in waiting for people. Just went. It was such a good ride, i wanted to turn around and drive home. Bus ran like a champ.
Hit the show and Sunday drove home. About two hours away from home i lost power in the motor. pulled over and keeped the motor running. it was over heating, checked timing and such, keeped going best i could, till smoke was pouring out the back of my bus. (this can't be good) pulled over and limped the bus to the next exit. Called a friend to pick me up.

This past weekend i pulled the valve covers and checked my valves, All were good. Pulled the spark plugs. 1,2 were good. 3,4 were loose (like they were put in hand tight). Did a compression check.....

#1- 115psi
#2- 125psi
#3- 0psi
#4- 125psi

I don't know about you, but i just can't seem to find the problem. Just Kidding, #3 is toast. So when i pull the motor. And pull the head, what should i check for?



Also the show i took the split to, i won Best Motor again. Three years in a row! a little 25hp stock motor took best motor. Also took 1st in my class.

All for now.

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Ok, quick non VR update.

Pulled the motor in the bus (remember the #3 had no compression). This is what i found.





Shop worker, aka, keeper of nuts and bolts and washers.


So with this I will be replacing the 85's with 87's 41 more cc's!!!!!

All for now,
Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Ok, after some time getting the jugs replaced, going on holiday, pulling jugs off to put the deflector tin on , seeing oil leak out of the #3, pulling that one off, re honing it to the head, putting it back on and the head, forgeting the deflector plate, again , installing tin, mounting back into the bus, it runs!!! Best part is i did it myself. Motor needs some minor tuning, but the project is finished.

Now back to the VR.

Cut the rear valance off. Will do final trimming later, but it's good to have the extra room in the garage now.

Got my heater plates out and marked them to drill holes. Will pick up nuts to weld on this week.

Pix to follow.

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Quick update: I'm NOT dead, I'm still alive!

It's been to hot and i've been too worn out when i get home to work on the VR.

I have the bus back in the garage to tweak the motor. It's leaning out at high RPM, so i'm now on the look out for some bigger main jets. I've got a 120 in there now, looking for a 122.5 and 125 jet. That should make her happy. The motor runs really strong now.

No love for the VR. I've gathered a few small parts for the car.

I got the heater plates drilled, just need to weld nuts to the top and test fit to the pan.

Now that the weather is starting to turn, I've been spending a little more time out in the garage.

New goal.... To have this rig finished by the end of winter.

I had some pix of the heater plates drilled, but they were lost when i got the new phone.

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Breathing New Life Into The Project!!!

Ok, weather has turned thanks to Sandy!!! I got nuts welded on the Heater Plates and got them to line up and mounted to the pan.

Now going to sand blast those Pan washers (don't know what they are called.) and get those painted and mounted this weekend should be the last time to mount the Heater Plates.

Also ordered a MAD stash of break parts. All New from front to back.

I'm Back!!!

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Ok, picture time!!!!

First picture is of the heater plate. i took this pix while i was fitting it. So some of the bolts are not installed. Both sides are now done.



both installed but not final. Installed to mark the front three holes to drill. This is done.



Detailed the pan washers.



New brake parts in all 4 corners.



Don't know what this c-clip is called, but the spring pack i got for the brakes didn't come with one. and i was able to reuse one but the other was toast. so i used a nickle.



Doug, it was like it was made for this. Just need to add a small spacer and BAM! After this picture was taken i mounted the tierods and conected all the bits together. Smooth as butter.

the extender and RacknPinon are off at the machine shop getting mounted together. (should have it back this weekend.)



Now for sad news. i was so close to getting a set of RHD peddles for cheep. My contact couldn't find them in his warehouse. So we will be making a trip there in the very near future so i can help look.


So that's about it for now, if you have a pre-'65 set of RHD peddles please let me know.

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

So I took that trip to help find the RHD pedals. We didn't find them, i tore that place apart! On the plus side i bought another 36hp motor. We didn't have room for the motor on that trip so i had to go back to get it a week later.

To make it short, This 36 was built 40+ years ago with a unnumbered replacement block. With a hot cam made by the Crane brothers themselves.

I got the 36 back to my cave and started taking it apart.

Off goes the valve cover.....


The good thing where ever that goo was, it preserved. But the case was toast. Lucky i got a few others.

It doesn't get better from here. The cam is saved, and will be shipped off to get check out.

I also had a dream that i only replaced the driver side heater channel. Instead of doing a 3 inch channel at the bottom.

So i pulled up the heater plates and tonight will be replacing the driver side HC. This will save a lot of time, and it can be done at a later date if needed.

So this about catches us up to today. Tonight my "friend" said he will come over and help replace the HC. We just had a small cold front go by so the weather will be really nice after work.


Spanish Flea

Now for some pix of the 36........





This is a good one, the below had stuffing in the intake to keep junk out, well when i pulled it out it was full of very fine sand.



3 & 4

1 & 2

[Spanish Flea]

Ok, That 36hp block is no good. But the cam was saved.


Sorry no pix, but i got some work done on the body.

I started fitting the left side heater channel. The rear fits and lines up. BUT....

The front needs to move to the right about 1.5 inch. (HC i bought was for the 63', so i think i may have the wrong ones.)

All for now, some progress is better than none.

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Ok, another quick update. I'm still around, i seem to be sand bagging on the site again.

I haven't had much time for the VR, Did get the body fitted to the pan, but i have to pull it off again to fix a few things.

Also.......

We are looking for a new house....... well we are looking at a plot of land. Which means i get to build a garage.

So for now i dedicate this song to my VR.

http://youtu.be/HPkTGm4RtVM

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Ok, small but inportant update......

We are still looking for a house. It's good we are not in need of this, so we are taking are time.

Also, i've been working on the VR!!!

My "friend" (you remember him, the one that works nights. Well he works days now, which is good. )

He came over and we produced a punch list to get progress done on the VR. Simple

So we got the list, and I've been working on the car.

So now the progress update:

I got the Break Master in. It was a bit tough, the void it goes through was dented in on the interior side of the void. Plus the holes the bolt goes through (interior side) were opened up so the spacer would go through.

So with a little pounding and a little welding I was able to massage the area back into shape.

Tuesday my "friend" will be coming over and we will run the brake lines and try to free some seized bolts.


All for now,
Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

So what did you do with Spanish Flea??

Did some more work on the VR last night. It was late and another friend came over. So we pulled out the pan and ran the main break line from the MC to the rear of the car.

Also cut the gas peddle off the peddle cluster.

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

On a roll.....


All the brake lines from the MC to the rear wheels are installed.

Installed the E-Brake.

Drained the trans of its oil, need to get some more oil today to fill it back up.

Baby Steps,

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Moss does not gather on a rolling stone......

I have been consistently working on the VR!

My last post was about changing the oil in the trans... well that lead to changing out the seals. might as well right? Nose cone was already done, so just needed to do the axle tube and the big one behind that one. Wow, what a pain. But with a little help i got all four replaced.

Now i go to reassemble the brake place and stuff. To make a long story short, i installed the brake plate upside down. I guess thats what i get for turning off my brain while i was wrenching.

i'll be out there tonight fixing my mistake and installing the other brakeplate/drum.

And if my memory is serving me right, once this is installed and all the bits put on, i can start working on mounting the body.

I love having a list!!!

Spanish Flea

[Spanish Flea]

Surprise my fellow wrench heads!!! I'm still alive.

So it's shy of two years since my last post.

UPdate Time.

Wow, where do i start.
First we moved. I now have a three car garage.
Second i had my sinuses cleaned out, Not fun.
Oh yeah, we had a baby!!!!!!
Not planned, we've been trying for 15 years. We gave up hope years ago, adopted a kid, then BAM!! Baby.

She was born in Feb of this year. So my life, friends, projects, etc have been placed on hold. I still have the VR. I'm selling the bus (not sure if there are pics on this thread. All my VR money has been spent on the baby.

I have been collecting a few parts, and planning to get the garage time.

All for now,

Spanish Flea