Drop by anytime Frank, and test the door.  Smooth AND quiet. We aren't
living in Ontario here!  =)

On Sun, May 24, 2009 at 3:30 AM, Frank Condelli <RAlanen@aol.com> wrote:

> In a message dated 23/05/2009 9:15:10 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
>
>        Wanna bet ?  There are  at least a million parts give or take a few
> in the middle, lower and  upper slider mechanisms that are worn and need
> replacing.  How old it  that AC bus ?  AND, how may times do you think that
> door has opened and  closed in it's lifetime.  ALL the bearings, three in
> the
> middle mechanism  and one in the lower mechanism and one in the top
> mechanism are SEALED  bearings.  If you think they still have any grease
> left in
> them then your  not thinking too clearly.  Greasing or spraying with
> whatever
> will not  get any lubrication into the bearings, if it does then the seal's
> gone and so is  the bearing races.  All that lubrication your shooting in
> there is doing  only two things, gathering crud for the rollers to run over
> making it even  harder to open and close and maybe slowing down the rust of
> the
>  tracks.  Yes, rust in the tracks, yikes who would have thnunk ?  Not  the
> engineers as they figured running steel rollers on a painted surface  was
> gonna work  - for a week - maybe !  So now, take off that slider  cover and
> have a "real" look at what's going on !  The whole mechanism  needs to come
> off and taken apart and rebuilt or replaced.  Don't forget  the bronze
> bushings that have cracked in the two pin joints.  Those bronze  bushings
> are
> unobtainium unless you have a machine shop nearby who will  make them for
> you
> then get your check book ready !  Better to get a whole  new assembly from
> VW
> while they still have them !  For a list of available  parts and their
> Canadian dollar prices from VW see my _Vanagon New Parts_
> (http://frankcondelli.com/sales.htm)  webpage "Sliding  Door Hardware"
> listing.  Those prices are
> from recent purchases as i just  rebuilt one of these mechanisms on an '87
> Syncro this week.  Some of the  parts in the mechanism of the early AC and
> waterboxer vans are different, so  beware !
>
>
>
> >>>>>In my experience, there's really no need to  disassemble
> anything.<<<<<
>
>
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Frank  Condelli
> Almonte, Ontario, Canada
> '87 Westy & Lionel Trains (_Collection for sale_
> (http://frankcondelli.com/trainsal.htm) )
> _Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://frankcondelli.com/busindex.html)  -
> Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
> _Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust  Systems_
> (http://frankcondelli.com/exhaust.htm)
> _BusFusion_ (http://www.busfusion.com/bfhome.htm)  a  VW Camper camping
> event, Almonte, ON, June 11 ~ 14,  2009
>

--
Jake

1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"

Crescent Beach, BC

www.thebassspa.com
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27