26 May 2007

Swing lever pin kit

Like an amateur I am it takes me about 5 hours to complete the job that people that have right tools and lots of experiencie do in 2. I did with the beam in the bus... so a dirty and hard job.
0. Read the largest amount of how to's you can. Bentley is correct for the procedure, John Muir for tips but not for procedure as he recommend machine bushings before and then install... Read all related threads and the vintagebus procedure.
1. Prepare tools needed... It's not funny when you need the 17mm wrench that lays on the table and you are under the bus
2. Jack and put the bus on stands (saftety first!)
3. Remove splash pan (to an easier access) and shifter rod (necessary to let the reamer pass through)
4. remove shaft, washers, seals (remember order) and greasing nipple
5. Extract old bushings with proper extractor (If you don't have one it's easy to do a cheap one with pipe and some washers and bolts...) This is a hard job, especially when lower and upper bushing are togrther.
6. Install bushings with proper tool. If you don't have correct tool it's a VERY HARD job. I installed first lower from bottom and then upper from top. DON'T hammer to get bushings in, you can use sand paper to make bushing edge a bit more conical (a bit), then bushes come in easily. Note that upper bushing should protube 1.4-1.7mm.
7. Ream bushes until proper fitting (24mm) with an adjustable reamer. People talk about sandpaper... after doing it with a reamer I can't understand how can one remove that amount of material using sandpaper... I passed through the reamer at least 5 or 6 times (3 last times same size...) until the shaft enter tight but NOT overtight. Note you cannot do it with the shifter rod in place.
8. Clean bushings and use some iron wool. Grease assy properly.
9. Install pin and washer.
10. Install top washer, seal 'O' ring and cover. Check if the old small 'O' ring is not in the swing lever arm, mine was there and nearly I didn't see...
11. Align notch with swing lever arm. Install swing lever arm.
12. Use a 'C' clamp to compress the assy and drive the bolt. That was the last hard part of the job... Secure it with the locktab.
13. Install splashpan, shifter rod, remove stands and lower the bus. After that experience my steering play is less than before (of course)
Here you have some shots...






El Prat del Llobregat

Pics from the vw buses meeting in El Prat, an AVWC's event.
Fotos de la Matinal de Furgos organitzada pels AVWC al Prat del Llobregat.