CaliWagon83 finally getting his hands dirty!

[KCP]

Also made use of the torque of the new breaker bar I got from Harbor Freight to apply some good ol’ brute force to loosen some stubborn bolts.

Some advice on tools and brute force. If your only tool is a hammer, treat everything as a nail and don't use brute force, get a bigger hammer

I usually bust my knuckles 5 times a week and that's with a mostly office based job🙈
As for knowledge and experience, if people never tried new stuff, we'd still living on trees without fire (I'm not sure about some Apalachian mountain monster hunters though). Maybe you find someone in your area who can help you working on the wagon, so you can learn from him/her.
I have a neighbour, young guy in the late 20's, master mechanic and specialized in V10 VW Diesel engines (Touareg, Phaeton). Even VW dealers won't touch these engines and send them to him and his 2-guy shop. He's a real genius in what he's doing, but when it comes to old analog stuff he comes around picking my old brain and I ask him when it comes to modern engines. I showed him how to work on carbs and sync the two Strombergs on the Volvo B20 in his boat.
Never stop asking questions and you'll never stop to learn.

And now, get your gloves dirty!

 

[fleming442]

There is absolutely no replacement for experience. Funny anecdote: a guy at work is having problems with a misfire code on his 09 Carolla. He's had it to shops where they've replaced a wiring harness, the ECM, and, yet, he still gets a P code. A quick Google search reveals that coil failure is common, but I found one post that said it could be plugs. "Dave, you ever put plugs in that thing?" He says, "yeah, not long ago"
Me- how many miles are on it?
Him-about 70,000
When did you put plugs in?
About 50,000
Now, did the code start before or after the new plugs?
After
Dave, go get a set of plugs; I'll put them in.

Long story short: he says the car is running well,increased mileage,and all is good.... right up until he hit a tree this morning on the way to work.

 

[69hurstolds]

Long story short: he says the car is running well,increased mileage,and all is good.... right up until he hit a tree this morning on the way to work.

Guess he couldn't handle all that extra found power from new plugs. Shot him right off the road. It's YOUR fault. You could've killed somebody with your Fix-it Felix routine! 🙂

 

[Texas82GP]

"Whiskey bottles and brand new cars, oak tree you're in my way."

 

[ssn696]

I've had the wagon tank out more than once. If you're going to do it on the floor, chock the front wheels and lift the rear of the wagon on jackstands as high as they can go. If your lines are not totally plugged, disconnect the rubber feed line into the fuel pump and use a siphon or Mity-Vac knockoff from Harbor Freight or the like or use the compressed air gadget mentioned in your thread to get fuel flowing out of the tank into a gas can or deep pan. When no more fuel comes out, reinstall the rubber line or plug it. Consider using four jackstands for the next phase so you have lots of room to work with. If you can't get a transmission jack, use a floor jack and a small sheet of plywood. Wrap a light-duty tie-down strap around the tank front-to-rear and tie off to the jack. Remove the gas cap and put a rag in the filler neck. With the jack taking the load, remove the 13mm bolts and nuts and tank straps. Disconnect the rubber fuel hoses and sender ground wire from the body. Lower the tank a little and be prepared to title the tank a little to clear the filler neck inside the fender. When you have the tank out, put the gas cap back on. Carry/roll it out where spills and dirt are not a problem, maybe put it on the ground on cardboard or pad so you don't scratch up the terne coating on the bottom. Use a brass wire brush to clean the dirt out of the sender area, and blow it out clean with compressed air.

There is a ring with a couple tabs bent upwards. Use a chisel or brass drift and a small hammer to tap these (counter-clockwise, I think, use your eyeballs and logic) in sequence so the ring turns and lines up with the slots. A helper could use a stick of 1x2 wood to push down carefully on the sender (against the O-ring seal underneath) so the ring turns more easily when you tap on it. Pull the sender out, being careful of the float. Snap a some pictures of what you see. The filter sock is probably trashed, but those are obtainable. Check for glop in the tank. The siphon trick with compressed air (and a helper) could be used to suck the glop out of the tank, maybe pour in some lacquer thinner or xylene to dissolve it first. Inspect the sender for damage and corrosion. When it's clean and dry, you can check the float sensor resistance. I think it's 0-100 ohms as you swing it up and down.

Others weigh in with corrections/ideas.

 

[CaliWagon83]

ssn696, would you recommend jacking up the rear by the axle “pumpkin” or one side at a time? When I jacked it up the other day, I noticed the frame was pretty flexy. Hoping to eventually fix that with the Hellwig kit.

 

[fleming442]

ssn696, would you recommend jacking up the rear by the axle “pumpkin” or one side at a time? When I jacked it up the other day, I noticed the frame was pretty flexy. Hoping to eventually fix that with the Hellwig kit.

I always start at the pumpkin, then jackstands under the frame or axle tubes (situation dependent).

 

[ssn696]

I start with the pumpkin. Watch you don't bend the differential cover. consider using a jack pad or a block of wood, try to stay clear of the tin part. That said also beware of the jack plate wanting to slide off the tapered area forward of the diff cover. The jack swings in an arc, particularly as you reach the upper limit of its travel, that's why it has wheels.... Block those front wheels, go part way up and put the jackstands in place either under the axle tubes by the shock mounts or in the spots marked X on the picture. Keep in mind that the axle will drop back down quite a bit when you unload the springs, so for max underfloor working space, the axle may be the best choice for this project.

 

[ssn696]

The flexy frame may also be gone body mounts.
https://gbodyforum.com/threads/body-mounts-bushing-for-the-wagons.64033/#post-564639

 

[CaliWagon83]

Finally got the tank and fuel sender out with the help of my father-in-law. Both were in surprisingly good condition, I thought. Aside from a little varnish residue inside the tank, that was pretty clean, too.

However, the sender will need to be rebuilt, because the gauge reads “full” regardless of where the floater is. Found a guy in upstate NY that reconditions them.

Considering the lowest quote I’ve gotten for a salvage unit (that I don’t even know what shape it’s in!) Is $75, I think I’m going to send it out to get refurbished. BTW, if any of you are local to SoCal and looking for a good-condition wagon tank (needs a little cleaning), I’m willing to let it go for $20 OBO. Local pickup only. Will post separately in classifieds section.

CaliWagon83’s Fuel Sender Photo 2

• CaliWagon83
• Dec 16, 2018
• fuel sender

CaliWagon83’s Fuel Sender Photo 2

CaliWagon83’s Fuel Sender Photo 1

• CaliWagon83
• Dec 16, 2018
• fuel sender

CaliWagon83’s Fuel Sender Photo 1