vacuum pump block-off plate

After looking around TDIClub, its pretty obvious I overpaid Kleiner's for the vacuum pump. First off, it was full of crud so it had to get cleaned out. The main vacuum port was clogged and it had to get reamed out and then cleaned. Nasty. Adding insult to injury, I probably paid double what I could have paid at TDIClub. So, net-net, I won't be buying anything from Kleiner's anymore, and I strongly encourage you to avoid him too. He runs an eBarf store out of a chop-shop wrecking yard in Ohio under a variation on the name Kleiners Auto. Be aware.

Anyway, this realization prompted me to follow Justin's advise and just re-use the engine-block-side of the pump and put a plate where the big round thing bolts on. There are 3 bolts that thread into the round pump, so in theory, it should be pretty easy to fab a plate. Since very little of engine-side of the pump is open/exposed, the plate does not need to be as big as the pump-side. It does need to span the 3 holes an not block the engine mount points.

The only other consideration is regarding the oil flow in and out of the pump. I'd rather not create an oil passage block, so we need to consider that oil is pulled into the pump through a small hole in the mounting plate and into the center. At the bottom of the pump, the oil seeps back into the engine. So, a channel needs to be created in the blockoff plate to allow oil to flow from the center hole to the drain.

I have a picture here what I was able to get done yesterday around a morning spent cleaning the garage and an afternoon hosting a party. I roughed-in the oil channel (the shiny bit on the left-ish lower side). I will smooth that out with a dremel this week. Otherwise, the plate was made from a leftover bit of steel that got cut into a shape that looks a little like the state of Montana. Given time and interest, I'll cut off some of the extra overhang material, but its not exactly necessary for functionality. You can see what's not needed in the top photo with the pump set in place. The only uncertainty is whether I need to cut a track for the seal that is on the pump-side or not. Hopefully not.

Hal did visit last night, and he got a few hours worth of great progress on the mount work. I'll post on that tomorrow or Wednesday after I've had a chance to take a few pictures. Next up: mounting the vacuum ball and then switching focus back to the starter. Then, I'll look into connecting the axles and shifter so we can start planning the move of the bus into it's Fall/Winter location along the side the garage (out of the elements).