Homer Bound:
An Account of My Solo Travels to Homer, Alaska in a 1966 VW
Westy Named Clara
September/October, 2009
Spare Parts and Gear List
All right, hear me out – if you are reading this list, or
even so much as clicked on the link to it, you are certifiable,
and I think I can safely say that you must be at least as nutty
as I am, for I am the one who bothered to type all this info up
and codify it, and post it, all the while knowing full well that
no-one would ever see it. However, I don’t mind doing it
for my own edification, as it makes a sort of history for me to
follow when I am looking for something that I took up to Alaska
and left there …... um, what’s YOUR excuse?
Back to the page you were reading: CLICK HERE!
* Functioning 009 distributor with good points, cap, and rotor
* Adjustable pushrod tubes, 4
* 1 known good Bosch Blue coil
* Bosch spark plugs, 4
* Front tranny mount, new
* Fuel pump with gaskets, pushrod
* Clutch throwout bearing, arm, spring, clips, bushing, etc., used
* Oil change kits, 3, one without copper washers
* Clutch cable, new
* Valve cover gaskets, 2
* Engine gasket kit, unopened
* German fuel line, 10’
* Accelerator cable, 2 new (one braided, one solid)
* Valve adjuster bolt and nut, 2 , used
* Windshield, new rubber, string
* Rocker arm assemblies, 2, one w/o adjusters
* Generator brushes, new
* Carburetor jet assortment
* Flywheel lock
* Timing light
* Rear brake cylinders, 2, used
* Front outer wheel bearing/race, used
* Acorn nuts for sump, 3
* Brake springs, clips, various
* Rear axle seal kit
* Shroud duct tube, new
* Brake/turn lamps, various
* Generator pulley shims, 3
* Rear brake bleeder valve
* Aviation Permatex, unopened
* Oil cooler, bolts, sealing foam, no adapter
* Clutch disc, pressure plate, bolts, used
* Longblock, needs oil pickup tube peened, used
* Pushrods, stock aluminum, cleaned, used, 8
* Wiper blade blanks, rubber, one beetle wiper
* Wiper arm
* Brake bleeder (tube with check valve)
* Silicone sealant
* Drag link, left and right tie rods, all used
* Oil filters, 2
* Fuel filters, 2
* 30 amp generator w/fan, used
* 30 amp regulator, used
* Brake master cylinder, single-circuit, new
* Oil, 11 ½ quarts (5 ½ 30W, 5 40W, 1 20W-50)
* Gear oil, 85-90, 2 pints
* Lucas Oil, 1 quart
* Brake flex lines, one pair each, front/rear, new
* Oil pump, full-flow
* Brake fluid
* Tri-flow, WD40, carb cleaner, brake cleaner
* JB Quick Weld
* Loctite 518
* Baling wire
* Duct tape
* Electrical tape
* Tire chains/tensioners
* Wheeled engine cart for engine removal/install
* Spare fuel container, 5 gallon, NATO
* Various nuts and bolts
* Exhaust clamps/doughnuts
* Pulley tin and alternate
On roof:
* Spare tire on rim
* 2 ½ gallons fuel in can nestled in rim
* Studded tires, 2, unmounted
* Floor jack, high rise aluminum, nestled in one tire
* Blocks of wood, 2, nestled in tire
* Jack stands, 2, nestled in tire
* Plastic oil drain pan, nestled on top of tire
* Plywood, 2 pieces, underneath tires
* Tarp, folded, large, on top of tire
* Tarp, covering studded tires and contents, small
* Various poles for tent/lean-to construction
* Come-a-long
Tire kit (in ammo can):
* Canned inflator/sealer, 2
* Spare lug bolts, 3
* Wrench, 19 mm
* Extra chain tensioners
* Compressor/inflator, 12-volt
* Plug kit, plugs, cement
Tools, various:
* Comprehensive tool kit, including open/box end wrenches with duplicates where applicable, sockets, adapters, ratchets, extensions, pliers of various size and type, magnets, Vice-Grips, knife, cold chisels, files, wire-cutters, electrical tools and various components, hammers, Allen wrenches, feeler gauges, multi-meter, wire, mirror on a stick, you name it. If I didn’t have what I needed with this kit, I would be in pretty deep hoo-haw!
* LED worklight on long cord, 12-volt
* Large crescent wrench and cheater pipe for axle nuts (left my big socket and breaker bar here)
* Rugs for scooching around under a bus on, 2
* Grubbies for serious problems
* Plenty of towels, rags, hand cleaner, etc.
* Ropes for towing and tying
* Hacksaw
* Woodsman’s Pal machetaxe
What I was missing:
* Most notable omission: Suitable pump for transmission fluid (those cheap plastic things commonly found at NAPA are useless!)
* Brake shoes (I put all my spares on just before the trip)
* Front brake cylinder(s), even used
* Nose cone (my weak floppy trans. mounts and big bumps all over the road could have lead to breakage)
* Transmission (mine could have failed at any time due to differential problem!)
* Grease gun (used it liberally before trip)
* Tub of grease (would have been helpful had I needed to repack a bearing, eh?)
* Shift coupler (I couldn’t find it, and besides, the one on the bus has a seized grub screw – baling wire would work in a pinch)
* Starter
Wow! You made it all the way through! Amazing. Well, now you know what to take with you if you want to make sure to not need it. Geez, that's a lot of stuff, eh? All packed in the bus! And this list didn't even begin to get into my cargo!
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