[tcb] A Newby Introduction and plea for a part!

  • From: sidecar <sidecar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2006 10:10:40 -0600

Hi all!

The good Doctor Sammy Smith turned me on to this list, and I am grateful to have an even larger pool of VW people to turn to that I have at present with the East Texas Vee-Dub Club.

I have a 1979 Westfalia, in Mexico Beige, which I acquired from eBay after checking it out in Tyler. It had a BAD motor, so I put out the big bucks to have the guys at Oak Hill rebuild the complete long block, and have subsequently added a rebuilt starter and alternator. I also restored the complete fuel injection system (with used parts off a runner), since I just couldn't seem to get the 2-Barrel progressive Weber carb to work right. I hope to get another 100K out of it (it had 109K when I got it). Happily, it spent most of its former life in Colorado, so it is virtually rust-free. I try to drive it daily, and just LOVE being up high and back behind the wheels of a Westy again!

When I was young and dumb (19), I had a 1966 Westy, which I abused to the point of having to replace an engine every year, commuting from Austin to Dallas every weekend with my pedal to the metal to visit my then girlfriend (now wife). One day, I took a turn a little too fast and laid the whole thing over! That pretty much totalled it, cosmetically, and I finally sold it after the motor died again for the interior (which was flawless wood....if only the '79 was as nice!) Well......33 years later, I've got another Westy! I wanted a split window, but the prices seem to have creeped up a little on them since "back in the day"!

So anyway...here's my present predicament. I just got the oil changed up at Oak Hill, and while I was there I mentioned that I was having a TERRIBLE time trying to start this camper on cold mornings. Daniel got underneath the van and noticed I had a pinhole crack in my fuel pump. He wiped it off, and ten minutes later, it was slightly wet again. So, it's leaking a little, but that means my fuel system is not holding the 35psi pressure overnight, thus causing me grief to try to start in the morning. Considering its location, I guess it's also a possible fire hazard, so I quit driving it this weekend. It's my only personal 4-wheel transportation, so that's kinda crimping my style! I have a very nice '72 Norton Commando, but it's a little chilly out there for motorcycling at the moment!

Does ANYONE out there have a used fuel pump for a 1979, 2000cc, fuel-injected Westfalia? Or any idea where I could find one? Oak Hill has a nice brand new Bosch in a box, but this close to Christmas, I just can't manage the price of a new one. I have two sets of numbers: GFP301, and 0580 463 016.

Can anyone help?
Thanks in advance for any info.

PS: Later this week I am picking up a box of (4) used ECU's for this model. Anyone wanna trade a pump for one?

Thanks again.

Mike Selvey
1514 East Austin St.
Nacogdoches, TX  75965
936-552-7439
sidecar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx




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