77 bus transporter restration

[akitsuji]

Thanks!!
I added a few more pictures.
John (in Plainwell), I'll do test drive to Plainwell and may pass by your house this week.
I 'm planning to bring my bus and ghia at the bug run.

[Dustin]

Looks great! Can't wait to see it in person

[akitsuji]

Yesterday my bus was licensed. Then We took it on a test drive to Doster area, about 20 miles drive. About 5 miles from my house, we noticed smoke coming from the defroster vent. Immediately I stopped the bus along the road and checked the electrical wires under the dash and then the engine bay. I did not see any strange things. Every thing looked normal except for the smoke. I started up again and I started the vent fan. Then more smoke came up from the vent!! I shut the vent and drove home. I checked the driver side heat exchanger box and some smoke was still coming out. I parked the bus away from the garage and other vehicles for a couple hours. Then I disconected the heat tubes and used a vacuum cleaner and leaf blower to clean up a possible mouse nest in the heat exchanger. Today I decided to take another test drive to the Doster area. We drove about 20 miles a so before we saw smoke coming again from the vent. I came home and vacuumed the inside of the heat exchanger.
I may need to take down the heat exchanger to clean it or maybe I'll drive every day and try to burn up whatever is inside of the exchanger.
Do any of you have suggesions for cleaning the heat exchanger?

[Ruffuss]

Fried mice?? BBQ anyone?

[akitsuji]

Sorry Ken. We missed mice. We just smelled roasted nuts and leaves. The bus is ready for camping or picnic! Campfire Bus!

[ghiastein]

How is your center air pipe under the Bus? My Buses were a bit more rusty than yours but my center air tubes were rotted up and filled with all sorts of junk even my defroster vents were full of garbage. A few drops of oil from the valve covers can even cause a smoky heater.

[akitsuji]

AJ,
I cleaned the center pipe and whole system except the heat exchanger last year. There are no oil leaks. The smell is like burning wood not oil burning. I may need to take down the heat exchanger. This is the most sure way to get rid of any debris. I did not expect this problem at all, because the large volume of air comes out from vent. Oh well, I still have time before the bug run.
By the way, the bus runs very well. I was driving over 65mph and there was plenty of power.

[akitsuji]

I took down the heat exchanger today. From the heat exchange there were a few chard dust, but from the fan housing, between two heat exchangers, I took out bunch packed stuff. There was no way to clean out without taking down the exchanger.
Hopefully this is the last stuff.
Luckily it was simple to remove the exchanger.

[bren]

Wow, that cant have been good to have that all in there. Good you got that out now before it hurt your engine cooling. Believe it or not it will be hot outside soon!

[rochester73super]

ok, it was just a cat or maybe a baby raccoon. Nothing to worry about...Happy Bussing!!!

[ghiastein]

Wow I think you found where the burning wood smell is coming from.

[akitsuji]

Last several days I was doing test drive. There are no more smoke and smell. I cleaned the heat duct system!
Yesterday I noticed the idling was rough. I checked the spark plug gaps and the all gaps were too wide. After corrected gaps the bus run smoothly.
I purchased the old beat up shelf for $1.00 at the Buggy Builder show. I purchased new mesh fabric and repaired the shelf.
Here is the photo of my new shelf (pass side only).

[Ruffuss]

Looks good Aki!

[akitsuji]

There are enough leg room for Michele so I can keep it. Now I'm going to look for a driver side.

Here is my current issue.
My 77 Bus, 2.0L, FI and automatic, is near completion. I was doing a test driving for almost 100 miles to make sure everything is ok. Yesterday I filled 3/4 tank of gas and came home. I noticed gas was leaking at behind passenger rear wheel very small amount and quit soon. I checked the engine bay, I did not see any trace of gas leakage. The gas tank was repaired 1/1/2 years ago professionally.
When I reinstalled the tank I did not do anything on the filler tube.
The most of the test driving, the gas tank was less than half of gas.
I guess that the gas filler neck's connection is loose or developed a small crack.
My question is how to access to the filler tube. Only I can see is to remove the tin can lid, appr. 10"dia. next to the computer.
Do I need to remove the computer(control unit) and the air filter housing?
I hate to remove the engine again.
I'd appreciate your assistance.

Thanks.

[Southpaw]

Aki , Bentley Manual said "On 1972 and later models, it is possible (barely) to remove the tank panel without removing the engine . "
Do you have F.I. or carb ? You may still have to pull carb or throttle-body.