It Takes a Village To Drive a Volkswagen

Filth, utter filth.

Let me state at the outset that I'm NOT a mechanic.  One thing's for sure, though.  After the weekend of December 4th, running into Tuesday night at at 9:30pm, I FEEL like a mechanic.  Here's the story of how I managed to replace the front oil seal on my 1980 Volkswagen Vanagon (the Bus) and emerge from the filth and grime to drive a vehicle that doesn't leak oil (appreciably) anymore.
 

Preparing for the big deal, Day One.Preparations

Things began with preparations and efforts to keep it organized.  I had baggies and masking tape ready to label everything I took off.  I had the Bentley Manual that Carl (Direct Imports) lent me, as well as the 10mm 12-splined 1/2" drive socket that was the hardest tool in the world to find locally.  I had two heavy duty floorjacks and 3-ton jackstands that were graciously lent to me by the kind folks at Garden Service and Sales.  I drained the oil, disconnected the battery ground strap, and began removing the torque converter bolts...
 

Removing the torque converter boltsTorque Converter Bolts

The torque converter bolts hold the torque converter to the driveplate, which in turn is connected to the crankshaft.  These three bolts are what connects the engine to the transmission.  Removing them meant turning the engine by hand until each bolt appeared through a small round hole in the crankcase.  When the bolt showed up, I'd stop turning the engine and remove it through the hole with a deep socket.  It was kind of stressful when reinstalling them because if I dropped one and it fell into the bell housing, I would have been up the creek to get it out.
 

On the phone getting help from Carl every 20 minutes.Constant Help from Carl

Without Carl Register, the most friendly, patient, and helpful friend in the world, I could not have gotten through this.  He lent me tools, expensive repair manuals, and sage advice.  I think I probably called him 30 times in four days, but he was always kind and informative, having the right answer the minute I asked.  He is the Service Manager at Direct Imports, the largest Volkswagen dealership in North Central Florida.  "Hey Carl, this is Chris again..."  "Okay!  Where you at?"

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