From Veeduber@aol.com  Sun Sep 24 00:06:03 1995
msgnum: msg16285
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 1995 01:06:01 -0400
From: Veeduber_at_aol_dot_com
Subject: Grendel, Saturday


The goal today was to give Grendel a new pair of eyes.  What she had was a
thing wrapped with masking tape held in place with a sheet metal screw on the
right, and a bug headlight on the left.  I also decided to do the turn
signals since they were covered with blue paint and the right one was broken.

The trick to making a bug headlight bucket work in a bus is to fabricate a
new fixed pivot.  I used a brass #6 x 3/4 machine screw, a pair of cup
washers (standard hardware store stuff) and a section of VW vacuum hose about
1/4" long as an internal spring.  You have to shift the adjusters but that's
about it.

Finding the keeper springs was the hard part.  A visit to a local junkyard
scored half a dozen; you need eight but six will work.  I also lucked into a
pair of unbroken turn signals (!) and a push-out window latch, a pair of
headlight connectors and a halogen headlight.  Ten bucks.

I had to de-rust and paint one of the buckets and retainer rings then
transfer the parking light fixture.  Having no gaskets, I glued the glass
cover into the chrome retaining ring with grey rtv gasket maker then did the
same with the freshly painted bucket after installing the parking light
fixture.

Grendel has about nineteen coats of paint and part of the job was to get rid
of it where the fixtures were to be installed.  I used paint remover, a wire
brush and a garden hose to get down to bare metal.  Wiped it down with
mineral spirits, dried it and gave it two good coats of grey primer.

I added a couple of extra ground leads to the fixtures, cleaned up the
contacts and had everything together by 2100 this evening -- about eleven
hours work.  

Grendel now has a penetrating stare.  Highs & lows.  Adjusted them against a
backyard fence.  Brillient yellow turn signals.  Niffty parking lights (use
them as part of the adjustment).

Tomorrow I'll dismantle the brake system.  There's no return spring on the
brake pedal.  If I can't find one I'll have to rig something.  The leaky
right front cylinders have to go.  They want $45 per cylinder at the local
parts house (!)  A buddy in socal is mailing me a pair, should arrive Monday.
 But the brake pedal is floppy/loose on its pivot, hasn't been lubed since
Jona was a seaman deuce.  May have to bush it but there's a machine shop
nearby and bushings come in all sizes.

Also for tomorrow, do something about cabin heat, and work on the tail- and
back-up lights.  Monday means brakes and brakes means wheels and wheels means
I can roll.  I still have to resolve the stuck left-rear drum, and the
horrors it may conceal.  One step at a time.  Do it right and you only have
to do it once.

-Bob