vw t2 1974 restoration

The floor is finished. Lots of plug welds. I wonder if vw actually had to plug weld by hand sections of the floor where cross members are.

Fuel send hatch closed off

 

Looking good. I'm fairly sure they spot welded it all and just used some long arms on the spot welder to reach the awkward bits.

 

the reason I closed of the sender was because, a fuel sender will last 20-30 years approximately. I don't see it as something that needs to be accessed all the time. I know you have to drop the engine to replace the sender but its just what I wanted to do as if I was going to replace it every 20 years then do it properly. I don't have an issue if somebody else wants it and I can see why people like them but I also like to do my things a bit complicated. @scrooge95, Im all the way in Australia and there was no real inspection hole. what was there before, was a hole somebody cut out with a grinder and than made it large with tin snips and all the edges were sticking up. It was a real mess. To top it of somebody put something like the fuel filler hose cover/ paint lid over it with many self tapping screws and silicone. It was a real mess. I have seen here before people making proper hatches and they were really nice. They have something that goes under the hole and the piece of metal screws to that with proper machine screws and the cut out sits flush.

 

In your dreams Dean.
I fitted a new one when I restored the bus, filled the tank and it leaked through the middle of the sender so that one lasted zero years. I was glad of my sender access hole.

 

is this the float? so did one of the ones I bought a couple years back the first go.

 

No, the top bit through the electrical connection. It would then pool on top within the metal bit that screws into the tank. A paddling pool of petrol.

 

Agree with this... I had one reason or another to dive back in after fitting my new sender.

 

Is there somewhere I can get a good quality VDO sender from? The one that I pulled out that was not working was also a VDO. So probably the second unit was what I pulled out to replace mine. They must of cut out the hatch then. Anyway my fuel gauge is bad so I need to source a new one to fit in my dash board. The needle had snapped and the springs are all gone.

 

IIRC mine and all the ones I've seen in the last 20 years are Silva brand. I think that's what we're stuck with. The VDO ones are fixable if you're determined.

 

I may have to fix mine. I have nothing to loose. All they are is a variable resistor (potentiometer) and the variating in resistance from the fuel height in the tank varies the resistance to the gauge and reflects that by showing what level the fuel is. I have seen on the internet the values of resistance for the different heights. I will only need to find the right gauge wire and wrap it correctly and the same amount of turns. It is that constant rubbing that wears them out. I will give it a go. I still have a new Silva branded one. I did not realise the frequency of change that these need. So once the floor gets welded in properly I may cut a hole and use more donor bus material to make a double skin on the underside so the top sits flush. I'm sure I can re wire it. I have finished my apprenticeship and am in the process of getting my license and have had experience with motors and transformers before.

 

I don't know, mine's nor 6 years old but I think 30 years would be pushing it. Might also depend on you fuelling habits, I brim and empty mine so use the whole track and not often. If you stuck $10 every few miles you'd wear one part much more quickly I blame hippies driving on fumes. .

If I'd had to remove my type-4 without outboard oil cooler to sort it, that's a big job. Like yourself I used to be very anti these access flaps but I was sure glad I had one on this bus. Like yours, someone had hacked a hole 3 sides, without thought leaving the 4th across the undulations - that was never gong to bend neatly!

 

Slight change to the story. I think mine was hacked open but never replace because the fuel gauge was coincidental faulty. Mine clearly has 5.74 stamped and painted on. Based on the use of silicone and self tapping screws. I could assume 1990s? Insulator is also burnt and snapped.

 

Wouldn't 5 .74 be May 1974?

 

My compliance plate has 09/74 pressed on it. Must be an original sender unit. They would of pulled it out but the new one did not work because of the fuel gauge so they put the old one back. 1990s is when I think they would of hacked it out to replace it.

 

the new windings installed from a spare sender unit. even though I can open it up each time and rewind it, I am worried about weakening the tabs that are folded over the cover holding in all in place.

 

an hour to upload this image......

 

inner roof corner made up. now just needs to be welded in place and carefully as i'm very close to the frame for the tail gate hinges section.