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So, completed the machine work on my Version 1 adapter piece. Actually finished that up back in January but got swamped with other projects.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1694/...8e38d468_z.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1468/...666209ae_z.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1605/...7bd41589_z.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1602/...69eff36c_z.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1699/...0cffa1e5_z.jpg …and it was at this point that I realized I’ve screwed up. Somewhere in my initial calculations I carried a one, or something equally silly. Bottom line, there is definitely no where near the space I need to make all this work. The yellow line you can see on the splines is roughly where the face of the bearing is. If you look inside the bearing, you might be able to see the pink dot (or the yellow one close by)…yeah, that’s where the pressure plate spring fingers are with the motor installed. OOPS! I’m roughly 0.585” out. That’s 14.7mm for us metric folk, that is a smoking huge error. I went back and dug up my rough notes, and some how had figured I’d be 0.120” (3mm) short of the space I needed, and figured I could make that up with Rev2 of my aluminum mount. But 0.685…yeah, that’s not gonna happen. So, back to the drawing board…or Google. First stop, Windrush Evolutions aka WEVO. They make the Porsche 901 hydraulic adapter in gold that pictured in my last post. I believe, from internet searching, that it was originally a Tilton product but ended up under WEVO license/control. Regardless, the WEVO unit is part of their full kit that uses a Tilton multi-plate clutch and custom flywheel. The kit is over $3k USD, and since it’s setup for a Porsche motor not an option. They’ll sell me a hydraulic throwout bearing, but the cost is more than I’ve spent on some vehicles…Porsche tax! While I waited for the my solutions to ship (which you’ll read about soon), I hammered along on a number of items the car needed. After four years of running, I seemed to have added quite a bit to the electrical system. Heated seats, oil-cooler sprayer, GPS, Phone connections, second intercom system, interior map lighting (red), interior lighting (white), GPS speedometer & antenna, the list goes on. Problem is, each install was done right before an event with the intention of “cleaning it up later”. Basically, zip-tied on top in a hurry. I had a new electrical system to add, and I’ve reached my limit. It was all torn out, and put in cleanly and properly… https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1648/...e2261bd4_z.jpg The newest electrical system is a dash cam setup with front and rear cameras. I don’t live in an area where fraudulent insurance claims (Russian style) is a huge concern, but I’ve always thought I need one. You see, if I ever DO have an accident…who is going to believe me that I was driving responsibly? Thus, dash cam system. Picked up a used Blackvue 5500 system and did a permanent install. All the wires are tucked away and hidden. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1503/...e5e8ff14_z.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1461/...13994b4672.jpg I’ve run out of room for switches on the dash, so the oil-cooler sprayer and interior lighting switch is on the mount for the driver’s seat. Passenger seat has switches in the same location for the red and white reading lamps. The oil cooler sprayer runs automatically with the fan, but I can switch just the liquid sprayer on and off using this switch. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1676/...4d3be4fd_z.jpg I also tore out the rear shocks and kafer bar, rebuilding as required. Oddly enough, the left spring and right spring were different heights when I pulled them out. So, swapped those out with a fresh pair. One of the Kafer bar ears had cracks in it, so I've started the job of actually rebuilding them all into double-shear mounts. May not be easy to do for each of the mounts, but a good project for later on in the Spring... And with that, it was back onto the Clutch project. Stop number two on the world-wide-web was much more successful. Kennedy Engineering has a dual-plate clutch system for high-torque applications. Here’s the trick, though: they stuff two clutch plates, and an intermediate plate all into a package that is no deeper than a stock beetle clutch system. Hmmm, that got me thinking. If they’ve squeezed those plates into the same package, the pressure plate must be thinner? A couple of phone calls later, and we worked out that they have a custom pressure plate which is 0.230” thinner than a factory clutch. Kennedy was able to make me one to match the Stage-1 pressure plate I have. So, I’ll use the pressure plate with a single clutch disc by sinking the pressure plate mounting surface 0.230” into the flywheel. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1645/...f784f3c167.jpg Partway there! The internet is an awesome, awesome machine sometimes. While looking up the Kennedy double-plate clutch system, trying to work out what the trick was (before I could call them), I found out the current system is actually their Generation 2 system. Get 1 used a standard pressure plate, and a 0.500” spacer between the engine and transmission. Hmmmm…a spacer eh? I knew I didn’t want to go with a full half inch, but I also wanted the proper lip to be machined on either side of the spacer if I’m going to use one. Worked it out with Kennedy Engineering that spacer could be made 0.375”, but probably no thinner. So, I ordered a custom spacer to be made up: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1516/...f182dc1d_z.jpg So… 0.120 - Rev 2 of my spacer 0.375 - Spacer 0.230 - Pressure plate ——— 0.725” -> More than enough space. You know, presuming my math is correct this time. :P For the moment, however, I think I need to shelve the Hydraulic clutch system. My first event for Classic Car Adventures is the end of April (Hagerty Spring Thaw), followed three weeks later by the Colorado event (Hagerty Silver Summit). I have a lot of work to do before them, with route books and other details! Warwick’s Escort Rally Car is project #1, he’s hoping to race it in early April…and as you can see I have a lot of work to do. I’m concerned I won’t have enough time to setup the pedal side of the equation, test it all, and swap back if it’s not working correctly. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1612/...a4f99d93_z.jpg Having said that…I can’t stop thinking how quickly I could get the engine and and out to see if there is space. Plus these puppies just arrived. More modifications to be done! https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1566/...1499c052_z.jpg -Dave |
Hay Dave.
I made this, and it seems to work. http://www.keversite.nl/fotoalbum/fotos/140550.jpg http://www.keversite.nl/fotoalbum/fotos/140547.jpg http://www.keversite.nl/fotoalbum/fotos/140549.jpg It's a Porsche 914 gearbox with an Opel Vectra thrust bearing. the mounting bracket is 5mm |
Not much new to report! With everything I had going on, I've taken a pause on the Hydraulic Clutch adapter. I've got the engine end sorted (I think), but when it was time to do the pedals I realized I really don't want an adapted-stock pedal setup. I've got my eye on a Tilton reservoir-under-foot floor setup, but the price is hefty. Figure about $1k USD, plus plus. So, with that in mind I tossed it all back together with a cable to revisit it this summer. As these things go, it will probably get pushed back to the winter :P
In the meantime, however, I keep adding to the miles on the odometer. Since Feburary I think I've put roughly 8,000km on it...which for me is a massive reduction from normal. Late last year the motor developed a 'strange rattle' that we couldn't source. When I pulled the motor out and found the destroyed pilot bearing, we figured we had probably found the issue. Problem forgotten, winter passes, and finally I tossed the motor in for the season. Hmmm, the sound is back. And it changes, sometimes its far worse than other times. Hmmmm. It sounds like valve train noise, coming from dead-center in the engine case. We've checked the valve lift (in spec on all eight), and we've checked everything we possibly can without splitting the case. If the motor wasn't 2 seasons, and 90,000ish miles old, I would be tearing it down. But life is busy, priorities are higher in other areas, and thus I seem to start every Classic Car Adventures event with "well, if it blows it blows!" And yet, it still runs like a champ. I am driving it less though. The odd sounds means I'm more likely to take my truck for a trip around town, or even if I'm zipping into Vancouver. Gotta keep that motor together for as long as possible, still have three more Classic Car Adventures events this year! http://andrewsnucins.ca/photographs/4681/clients-full/ This year, for our Hagerty Silver Summit in Colorado, my mom flew out to play co-driver. We enjoyed an awesome three days of sunshine and mountain driving, with only one minor mishap the entire time. Coming into the small town of Mt. Crested Butte, where the event's second night hotel was, the clutch pedal went soft for three shifts...and then the cable snapped. Fortunately we were rolling in 2nd at the time, so I just blew a couple of stop signs and drove it into the hotel parking lot. http://andrewsnucins.ca/photographs/4607/clients-full/ That night I discovered I wasn't actually carrying a spare cable, a problem since my setup uses a short one out of a split window beetle. Not going to find one of those at NAPA! The morning driver's meeting was pretty funny. "Okay," I began, "so today you're all going to wait here in the parking garage while the Rally Bug starts off on the event. We have to blow through all the stop signs, and I don't want to get caught behind any of you. Oh, and while I think of it...do as I say, not as I do. Make sure you drive responsibly!" We put the car in 2nd (facing down a slight hill), started the car by rolling on the starter in 2nd gear and we were off! I taught mom that coming up to a stop sign she was only allowed to say two things: "Clear Right!" meaning the road was clear to proceed, or "NEGATIVE!" meaning I had to stop. http://andrewsnucins.ca/photographs/4700/clients-full/ Normally, I wouldn't be too worried about driving without a clutch cable. You can easily start a beetle from a dead stop on the starter in first gear, but we had a couple of other factors working against us. The car is normally tuned for Sea Level, not the 5-11,000ft we were driving at in Colorado. I had done a re-jet and re-tune, but depending on the altitude it was hard-starting at times. The battery, as well, seems to be getting weaker in the car. Combine everything, and I just wasn't willing to risk it. We made it 174mi (280km), before I was finally caught by a red-light. The first restart didn't go so well, but once I figured out the perfect throttle position we were laughing our way through the next two stops. At the surprise of many of our entrants, the Rally Bug pulled into the finish with zero damage. Whew! http://andrewsnucins.ca/photographs/4769/clients-full/ Now, a wise man would probably toss the car up in the air, tear the motor out and pull it apart on the five days I have home. I've rebuilt complete motors in far less time...but I think I must be getting older. The prospect of the late-night motor tear-downs and rebuilds just isn't nearly as exciting to me at the moment. I mean, it runs currently, right? :P -Dave |
Whelp, it would seem that worn lifter-bores are the most likely candidate for the sounds that I'm hearing. Guess I will be pulling the motor soon after all. Not sure whether I should try and build up a backup longblock now, or wait until this one is out of the car. Hmmmm...
-Dave |
...and half a year goes by.
Well, I didn't pull the motor in June. At the time I was living in Squamish BC, halfway between Vancouver and Whistler. Housing prices are insane, and while I would have loved to buy a house...there was no hope. About the time I was making my last post, I was looking around at houses for sale in another town, very similar to Squamish but 4 hrs away on Vancouver Island. The price was right, I worked out that I could actually afford it, and put an offer in. Whelp, there goes the next German Look project budget, my offer was accepted. So in August I bought this: https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...53&oe=593DF3A0 The house came with this out back, but please note two of those 'doors' are white tarps. It's just a bare shell with 2 pads concrete, one dirt. Still, it's an 800sqft shop divided into two halves. The small door has a single bay, and the two larger doors are one big room with a post in the middle. https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7605/2...008de4cb_z.jpg The house was also being sold with the lot next door, which has a gravel driveway to access the shop in the back of the house. It also has three large carports and a storage shed on the lot. I managed to scoop all of this up for less than an apartment would cost me in my old town. True, I'm on an island and ferries are crazy-expensive to get on and off ($80 one way)..but it's a BIG island, and anytime I have to travel off the island it will be a business expense. https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/684/32...22382f92_z.jpg I closed in August, but didn't move until October once all the Classic Car Adventure's events were done. The rally bug couldn't be trusted for the final two events of the year, so I ran my 1958 Beetle on the Hagerty Fall Classic in WA, and my Dad's '79 Beetle convertible on our Hagerty Maple Mille in Ontario. October, November and December were spent finishing the shop. I had the floor poured, doors installed, and then did all the electrical, insulation, walls and painting myself. Turned out pretty stellar, and I'm super stoked on it. https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5809/3...38336c6f_z.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5806/3...626fcfe1_z.jpg Bay One is the "storage bay", I've got my shelves of frequently used items, the '58, my woodworking bench and left over wood supplies in here. I also build a super-hefty storage shelf above the garage door that's 8 feet wide and 8 feet deep. Currently it's unorganized crap, but eventually I'll clean it out and store less-frequently accessed items. In some ways, bay one is a bit of a wasted space. It would be FAR better to have this room set up either as a "clean room" for building engines and assembly of cars, or as a dirty room where all the grinding, welding and other dirty work occurs. But, despite all the space I managed to stumble into, I have a space problem! I'm using the garage in the house to store my best friend's Audi Coupe Quattro, and I'm no longer keeping a storage unit where lots of my 'crap' that I don't want to throw out would be stored. In a few years, once the budget recovers, I will probably close in and insulate one of the car-ports and move all my storage over there, thus giving me a clean and dirty side of the workshop. https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/591/32...2e024927_z.jpg Bay two and three, the larger half of the shop, is where my general work will occur. I've also brought my 1975 Standard Deluxe out of storage...figuring that now I have the space to finally decide what to do with it. Security Cam shot with all three cars jammed in, while I finished out Bay one: https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/687/32...dd8d5b1a_z.jpg Workbench & Cabinets https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/697/31...33a32c63_z.jpg FINALLY, this week, I started to use the shop for what it was built for. Pulled the motor on the rally bug and tore it down to find the valve-train noise. Turns out it wasn't a lifter bore, they're all tight and happy. The timing gear on the crank, however, was loose. I've never seen one come loose before, and neither had my buddies. Keyway in the crank was okay, but the key was pretty hammered out. Also discovered that after 92,000 miles on the 2110cc engine, it was time for bearings. Rod and cam bearings all looked worn but not damaged. The crank bearings, however, weren't so lucky. Definitely starved the middle (split) bearing for oil at some point! https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...3a&oe=5932815A https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2595/3...984c6d8d_z.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/404/32...5b389411_z.jpg So, while I wait for new bearings to arrive, I thought I'd go back to the hydraulic clutch conversion...the new adapter is 120 thousands thinner than the original, and so now I just need to figure out what box I packed all the flywheel, pressure plate and adapter stuff into. I know it's around here somewhere... https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3825/3...15fd62f0_z.jpg https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...32&oe=59400F16 I keep looking at this box on the shelf wondering if now is the time to do it... https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/472/32...ba8dae8a_z.jpg -Dave |
Congratulations on the new house. Looks like a great workshop for you as well.
Yogie |
Love your car Dave. Makes me kinda like Super Beetles ;)
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Thanks! I have to be honest, even after four years it still brings a massive smile to my face every time I see it.
------ Well, this evening has been less than successful. Turns out the new adapter plate I machined is so thin I need to go from M6x20 bolts down to an M6x12 or M6x10. Hit all the fastener places in town, and as expected no one had any in stock. Ordered some, but they could be a full week before they arrive. Sigh. Onto the engine build! Pulled my new main bearings out of the box, modified them for better oil flow from the case, and THEN realized that I had the wrong ones. Doh. Got sent 1st cut crank, standard case. When what I really needed was Standard Crank, 1st cut case. Oh well, can't blame my buddy...I read the box and thought "that looks odd" but didn't double check them. Same error, both ends of the transaction. So the engine build is currently on hold until the new bearings arrive. The guys are going to see if they can't get them on a Sunday delivery for me. No worries, we'll move onto the fuel tank and pull that so I can thread on a new outlet and get ready to setup the AN fuel lines. Except, nope. When I built the car I remember there being quite the challenge to setup the fuel lines to my dual fuel pumps and a gas heater pump, but I had forgotten why it was such a challenge. Seems to me, I was thinking last night, that I could have just threaded in a CB outlet Tee and done it very easy. It wasn't until I pulled the tank that I realized why I hadn't done it the easy way. On a 71-73 super you won't find the M18x1.0 outlet fitting that every standard beetle has. Instead, the fuel outlet is a small nipple welded into the tank, and then there is an M20x1.0 drain plug (which appears to be included for the sole purpose of swapping out the in-tank fuel filter). Hmmm. I can get an M20 to AN adapter, and there is a hole in which to pass it through. Locally M20 to -10AN won't be a problem. M20 to 8AN probably won't be available, but the guys at my old haunt Vibrant Performance list one in the catalog...so maybe I can get one sent out to me. I *think* I can make it work, but tightening the AN hose onto the bottom of the tank isn't going to be fun. Well, I guess sorting the fuel system will have to wait a little longer. At this rate I may have to go back to building furniture for the house tomorrow... -Dave *edit* I remember a few years ago there being some surge tank discussion on here, and did a quick search to see what I could find. Might spend sometime thinking about going with a surge-tank setup instead of an adapter for the tank drain... Joel's setup in 2010: http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/d...bi_conv370.jpg Manic's setup: http://www.germanlook.net/forums/att...7&d=1284403588 |
Was up far too late last night looking at various surge tank setups, woke up today and gathered the parts needed to make a prototype from steel. I find that I usually realize a better way to do things shortly after something is built, so I'll do an aluminium one after I know how, or if, I want things to change. On the top I've got one -4AN to use as an inlet from the Facet pump, there is a second -4AN which I'll use as an outlet from the tank back into the stock fuel tank. The third unit on top is a -6AN for the return line from the engine. I actually put two -8AN outlets on the bottom, at almost 90 to each other, as I wasn't sure which way I'll mount the tank and where I would need the outlet.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3703/3...028c0a0e_z.jpg On the factory fuel tank, I'm planning on using the original factory outlet strictly for the gas heater. Since I have the drain plug out of the tank it makes sense to clean things up and get rid of the T-Fitting I've been using. I grabbed an M20x1.5 oil pan drain plug, drilled it out and welded on a -4AN fitting. Need the paint to dry before I can test it in the car and ensure it will actually work, but might as well make the bits in hopes that it works out! https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2040/3...9819ddf0_z.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2847/3...3569056b_z.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2090/3...2a299117_z.jpg -Dave |
Ugh. These three lines were brutal to install. So, first up is my new AN-4 fuel tank outlet. Turns out the hole in the body underneath the drain plug isn't actually right below the drain plug. Oops. These are the sort of things I should be checking before I make modifications. Fortunately it *just* fit. The other two lines (Feed and Return) are just short, less than 10" long, with horrible locations for actually installing and tightening. Oh please let there be no leaks...
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/600/33...bc6007ed_c.jpg But it does make the trunk area work out. The two -4AN lines will get 45-deg fittings put on them to make the lines cleaner, but they can always be field swapped later...the beauty of AN lines and fittings. Surge tank leads to the high pressure pump via a screen filter. For some reason I mis-measured the pump initially and planned on -8AN lines for the feed, only to realize the pump needs -10. So there is a touch of adapting going on to the high-pressure pump, but such is life. The -6AN line is the return line. One -4AN line is the feed line from the tank via a Facet pump, the other one is the return to the factory tank. All of this fits underneath the spare tire, as I have mine mounted on an angle with the top of the tire resting on the strut bar. Although, now that I think about it, it's been a few days since I actually double checked it clears! https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/570/32...32c730bb_c.jpg Feed line comes in just on top of the factory foot plate, which means it's behind my aluminum rally foot plate. It travels down the tunnel to the seat, swaps sides to the heater channel and travels up the back of the car to the firewall. Here it meets a Russell Performance 8" long fuel filter, which is as close to the engine as I can realistically get the filtration. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2932/3...9c833e7c_c.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2143/3...a3b1bf5c_c.jpg I still need to decide where to punch the feed line through the firewall to make the line feeding the 1/2 fuel rail conveniently placed while allowing for some movement and vibration. The engine bay side of my firewall is pretty busy, so working out the best place to pass the line through isn't going to be easy! https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8427/7...14bae57f_c.jpg |
This was an fun surprise to wake up to. Issue 51 cover car! Makes me wish I had:
a) washed the car that weekend b) installed the rally computer instead of leaving it at home c) borrowed my buddy's seats which are in much better shape! I had no idea it was going to be shot for the magazine, about 15min before we left to shoot the car I was emptying a weekend's worth of "running a car show" crap, and fast food wrappers. Oops. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2042/3...1e53b3fc_b.jpgLetsPlayVWsCover |
Congrats...
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Got back to the car today, and was able to solve a number of items towards the hydraulic clutch conversion. First off, I managed to finally pickup some bolts that will work to mount the adapter plate, so in goes the slave cylinder for testing. As suspected, sliding the motor in without the spacer means the pressure plate hits the bearing before the engine meets the transmission, so I popped the spacer for testing:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/644/32...a0f417fb_c.jpg Play-Dough makes the perfect tool for testing gap spaces. Once the motor is on and in place, simply remove it and carefully slice the playdough to measure the clearances. In this case, it's hard to see in the photo, but I ended up with .100" clearance, the minimum needed for the Tilton bearing. Sweet! So the hydraulic slave is now in (for hopefully the last time), and I pulled out all the cable operated clutch bits. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2874/3...af24334c_c.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2123/3...4b9683a4_c.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/764/32...444a8274_c.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2912/3...f84c2f91_c.jpg Started working on getting the pedals setup for hydraulics, which involved making an adjustable clutch stop, cutting up the tunnel (more than I have already) to allow for more clearance to install the SACO slave, and drilling holes for various clutch lines. Once again I'm waiting for Russell Fittings, hopefully I can train Lordco in my new town to start stocking the sizes I use :P -Dave |
Nice job!
You will LOVE the annular bearing mod, I'll guarentee (sp?) it! |
With the clutch sorted almost sorted, and waiting again on more Russell fittings, it was time to turn my attention to getting the engine ready to drop back into the car. The intake manifolds are back from K-roc heads, having been ported and matched to my heads, so the throttle bodies could be mounted up, and the fuel lines and electrical staged on the car. The rear line, rail-to-rail seemed like the easiest place to start.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/621/33...a2eacdbc_c.jpg Of course, it wasn't until I was finished with setting up the fuel rails, fittings and the first line that I realized I have a problem. The fittings coming off the 1/2 carb would clear a normal firewall, and my firewall is set 3" back so it should have even more clearance...except, I have one of my breathers right near where the fitting will end up. I did some quick measurements, and realized that I was going to have a conflict. So, take it all apart and try again. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2902/3...3e6251b1_c.jpg The second option is much better, and as with a lot of things I do it seems to take one or two tries before I come upon the solution that I'm really happy with. It's hard to see in the second photo, but the 1/2 side is quite a bit closer to the throttle bodies. It will be clear in some of the photos further down. https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3953/3...4039e697_c.jpg For the feed and return lines, things are going to be pretty tight. I wanted them to be clean, not running across the engine, or wrapping around the throttle bodies. Russells 180 tight radius fittings will just work, but I'm not sure how I'll get the line in and secure. There is a good chance I may have to remove the air-filter bases every time I need to pull the throttle bodies out of the car. Annoying, but better than running the lines around the bodies. https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/673/33...d85a5af0_c.jpg Mounting the throttle bodies also highlighted another problem I didn't anticipate. In order to fit the fuel rails and injectors inside a beetle engine bay, CB Performance essentially flips the intakes L/R. With their preferred bar-linkage for the throttle, this isn't a big issue. With my preference for centre-mount pushrod linkage (Vintage Speed), it causes a problem. See, I need to PUSH the throttle bodies open, and with the throttle bodies flipped they want to be pulled open. No worries, you say, simply flip the ball-pivots to the top? Well, I thought it was as simple as that too. A quick bend to the 1/2 bar to clear the alternator, and I was set...or was I? Turns out the first problem is the 1/2 carb won't open all the way...the bend means on the second half of the throttle travel, the ratio changes and 1/2 opens slower than 3/4. It took quite a bit of playing with bends to get the left and right sorted to be equal. I'm probably going to need to buy a new set of bars so I can bend them once and take the waves out :P https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/680/33...ff3cf0a5_c.jpg Next, was sorting out this mess... https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3679/3...ee357aa3_c.jpg I thought long and hard about how I was going to get the harness from the engine bay into the interior of the car. I was pretty much decided on doing a firewall bulkhead connector, which is basically a weather-sealed multi-pin connector you plug the harness into after installing the engine. On a modern car, when done right, you can pull the motor without disconnecting each electrical connector. After putting some thought into it though, I realized that if I have to pull the Throttle bodies (to clear the body), I'm disconnecting 80% of the connections anyhow...so it's probably better to save the $130 it would cost me to put that trick into the car. Running the wires up over the fender (with the factory harness), isn't an option. I have too many wires in there already, and having removed the passenger side foam on one car...I really didn't want to do it on this one! So, off to the bin of old Audi Harnesses from a previous car life of mine. I found a grommet that looked like it would work, and relieved it from the harness. The CB harness was going to be too long if I'm just dropping it through the firewall, so I cut it and prepped the engine side. https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/771/33...21b8db63_c.jpg I then prepared my workstation for sitting in the engine bay to join the two halves, now shortened, back together. https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3735/3...5dc7f49d_c.jpg And the harness finished. The parcel shelf area of my car is getting a little bit busy these days! https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3780/3...c3e9fdc0_c.jpg -Dave |
Nice job!
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Well, Sh**.
Got some good practice putting the motor in and out over the last couple of days. Worked out the hydraulic clutch spacing, fuel lines, wiring, etc. Went to go spin the motor...flywheel is hitting the transmission bolts. Bloody hell! Pulled the motor, ground down the bolts, and suddenly it dawned on me; I never considered the starter. Sh**. To save you from scrolling back in the thread, the early 914 transmission in a beetle means the starter only engages the flywheel by about half the tooth depth. I've lathed down the mounting surface of my starter as far as we possibly can, and I get 3/4 tooth depth engagement. About 9mm of tooth engagement, based on the polishing on the starter teeth. I've got a spacer between the motor and transmission, to give the appropriate space for the hydraulic clutch system, and that spacer is basically 10mm thick. My starter is going to be just spinning in clean air, touching nothing. F***. Ahhhh...I guess I need to find someone who knows a whole lot more about rebuilding starters than I do, to find out if a longer axle or tooth is possible on my starter, or if one of the aftermarket "high-torque" starters can be modified to fit and work. -Dave |
A quick chat with Joel tonight after some googling, and I think I have my solution. The 83-86 Vanagon starter has a 10mm deeper pinion depth, so if I buy one of those and lathe it down like my beetle starter...I should be good to go. Will pull the beetle starter tomorrow, and put the motor back in...again.
:P -Dave |
Hopefully the third time is the charm. I can't shake this nagging feeling that its going to need to come up for something. lol, when your biggest stress in life is your project car, you're probably doing okay...Right? hahaha.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...91&oe=596FACAD I've got a Vanagon starter coming tomorrow, and I've measured the Beetle Autostick starter I have in the car currently. Will be able to connect power to the solenoid quickly and determine if the Vanagon starter will work, or if I need to find another solution. So many things left to button up on the car before I can get it going. With travel and a course I'm taking it's not going to be this weekend, but the next. :( I want to go play!!! -Dave |
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Once the nest is built, it's very common for the female to come into reproductivity!:D I fought some of the same issues with throttle linkage rods. Bends can work themselves out with use unfortunately.. Might just bite the bullet and get a sync-link? CBs hex-bar comes with it's own set of issues.. Did you look at the Web-link that CB sells, to flip a carb 180' and use the other side? Also wondering if you are 100% sure you want to run the fuel lines through the interior of the car? I heard some sanctioning bodies frown upon this.. Love your work here. Just beautiful.. I'll go crawl back under my bridge now.:) |
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I figure with the flex now built into the linkage, especially on the 3/4 side, I'll be adjusting the bends more frequently than if the rods were simply straight. Sync-Link is definitely an option to consider, and one I'll look into as the season progresses. Having been a mountain biker for so many years, the idea of cables in sheath in such a hot area combined with the dirt and mud my engine bay sees at least a few times a year, makes me think it won't be a maintenance free option on my car. The weblink is interesting, but it essentially focuses on changing the spring from the back of the left carb over to the front, so that the loads on the throttle shaft are equalized. Don't think it will help me too much here. As for the fuel lines, yeah I'm quite comfortable running them through the cabin. It's a pretty common thing to do in Rally, and our sanctioning body simply requires that there is a metal shield between the fuel line and the passengers of the vehicle. In the case of a stainless-steel braided line, because the rubber line is actually fabric reinforced, the stainless braid is considered to be a metal shield by *most* scrutineers. That is changing, however, and the latest build we've done (a MK1 Escort) required a literal metal shield between the co-driver's legs and the fuel lines. In the case of my car, I'm careful to anchor the lines *(just* enough that they won't move about in an accident, but should the car crush or deform they'll have some movement so they don't fail. Most of the lines in the car appear to be 3-6" too long, but it's accounting for movement should I manage to fold the thing in half. ----- Managed to get a large number of small items crossed off the list last night, and added the annual layer of POR-15 to the interior floorboards. I'm still fighting the issues I had from the original build, but about 80% of the original paint has been peeled up and replaced. No idea what happened on the initial prep, but any of the areas hit with a new coat over the last four years seem to have the bullet-proof finish we expect to have from POR15. I'm off to the mainland today to go and visit my buddy with his big lathe, we'll cut down a new starter and hopefully I'll have that dialled in. A missed ferry means I'm taking the risk that the SR18X that's at his house will work, and it's hitting the lathe before I get a chance to measure the pinion depth. Live dangerously, right? :P Hoping to be pressurizing the oil system on Monday, but I suspect it will be Wednesday, once I'm finished a course I'm taking. I'm only 15days behind my original plans for all the pre-season work... -Dave |
https://aa-bap-us.resource.bosch.com...O0000NA_lg.jpg
The starter fun continues. I got my SR18x in stock, and it definitely extends the exact same amount as the 17x I'm currently using. Currently on hold with Bosch technical support to see if they can come up with anything, but at the moment we may have found a solution with the SR25x. One of the local parts houses as warning note in their system that it should only be used on Vanagon model vehicles, and not the beetle/porsche/etc the system says it will also fit. Their internal note says it's 10mm longer and won't work in the other applications. Bingo, that is what we need! Hoping to confirm with a Bosch service tech, and the SR25X will be here tomorrow. ...getting closer? Maybe? -Dave |
Whatever you, don't hit it with a hammer, though..! :-)
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Well, time for an update!
Turns out the SR25X does indeed have a pinion depth 10mm deeper than a stock SR18x. So, had I known this when I first did my transmission swap, a stock SR25X is the perfect combination for Type-1 Beetle engine and Porsche 901 transmission. No machining necessary, and you'll get full starter / flywheel teeth engagement. Unfortunately, for me at least, the way Bosch did this is exactly the same way I made the SR17X work...they simply made the nose & mating surface thinner. There is no meat left to machine the SR25x thinner, to make up for my new 10mm spacer. Hmmmm After thinking about it for a while, I went with the only option I knew I could make work. Chris at Hi-Torque starters and I exchanged a number of emails and and phone calls, to ensure that we were on the same page and understood the required measurements exactly. A rather expensive shipping charge later, and this arrived in two days. It's setup to have the pinion depth a full 20mm deeper than a stock beetle starter, which makes it perfect for my current configuration. Dropped it into the car, hit the key and the motor turned over perfectly. https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3851/3...1175044c_c.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3938/3...7fbc75c1_c.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2910/3...68403cd1_c.jpg I spent a few days buttoning up various things on the car, while I worked out getting my Mac laptop ready for tuning. Interior is back in, trunk is back setup, burned up my BN2 gas heater and then installed another one, and finally hooked up the laptop to the ECU. Everything checked out, I loaded my starting map, primed the oil system and started the car. Or, rather, I would have started the car if it actually fired up. I had fuel pressure, but no spark. Solved that problem and then spent two hours trying to work out a no start problem. I had fuel pressure, there was fuel on the plugs when I pulled to check for spark. I had spark, there's obviously air...compression? Check the valve timing, all good. Bad fuel? Drive to go and get fresh fuel...and that's when it dawned on me. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2840/3...22438f27_c.jpg You see, the carbureted setup had two fuel pups. FP1 was the primary fuel pump, and FP2 was simply a back-up. If the first pump ever failed on an event, flip the switch and keep going. Except, I removed the second pump to make room for the surge tank. I flipped the switch to the FP2 position, shutting off the pump, while I was setting up the initial timing the night before. So yeah, all that time diagnosing the no-start issue, and I literally didn't have the fuel pump turned on. Oops! With that sorted, I turned the key and fired it up. On the current map the cold start and initial warm-up is terrible, worse than with the IDF carbs. But needing a base of understanding and settings to start from, I worked the pedal to keep it running and got the engine warmed up to the point where it was running off the O2 sensor and the fuel map part that I know enough about. From there I could set the idle on both the idle speed screws, and in the fuel map. Idled quite nicely, and called it a night. I cut work short today, headed to the shop and dropped the car down off the axle stands. After torquing the wheels, I opened my garage door, put the car in first gear, stood on the clutch and turned the key. S**t. The car crept forward on the starter, not quickly...but enough that I knew the hydraulic clutch setup was not disengaging fully. S***! While I warmed up the engine I considered my options, and weighed the possibilities. After the initial panic / thoughts of tearing it all down, I realized that I may have enough adjustment in the pedal stop I welded in. A few wrench turns later, and I can officially call the hydraulic clutch conversion a success! Well, time for a road test, eh? https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2867/3...0e7e4438_c.jpg The fuel map is rough, and the A/F ratios were all over the place in the first 15min. A combination of a couple of tweaks by me, and the "Quick Tune"'s self-learning program saw things improving over the next two phases of the drive. Did some in-town driving, and then up to the Alberni Summit and back. The in-town section on the way home was significantly smoother and better than on the way out. Quite driveable, I'd even take it out on a road trip right away. Some of the drivability issues are definitely the 009 distributor I'm currently using. It drives like the car did on carbs, before I tuned out as much of the "009ness" as I could. No worries, the CB Blackbox is ready to go on the ignition side, so that will help out. I figured I might as well get the car running and somewhat useable on fuel mapping alone, before adding in the ignition side of things. Sigh...do I have to work tomorrow? Maybe it's "tuning Friday"? -Dave |
Oh hey! It's only been March since I last posted? So happy to see that Germanlook.net is backup and running. I have a bunch of stuff to post, though I'm not sure how good I've been about taking photos. Will start posting tonight or tomorrow, after organizing what I've got. Changes are coming this winter too...I keep stripping more parts out of the car.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...fa&oe=5A9D7C84 -Dave |
Good to see your posts again Dave!
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Alrighty...time for a quick run down on the summer.
The fuel injection system was running splendidly, and I was looking forward to another awesome Hagerty Spring Thaw in the car. The actual event weekend ended up being a gong show. The night before the event, while doing some tuning, I lost all fuel pressure. Diagnosed it to be the pre-pump filling the surge tank. Popped a new one into the car while my guests enjoyed the pre-event dinner, and was ready to go. The next morning an avalanche took out the mountain road we were supposed to use, so I had to do a last minute re-route. While driving on the re-route we lost fuel pressure again, on an intermittent basis. If we had been on the original route, instead of one that took 4 hours longer to get to the hotel... If I had just stopped, breathed in and out for five minutes to think about it... If i had another twenty minutes at the side of the road, without stressing about the event... Alas, I did the responsible thing. Limped the car to a buddies place, rented a car and hosted the rest of my event. Literally 20min after we picked up the rental car it dawned on me. "There must be a problem with the fuel tank pickup." Another 15min and I said to Greg, my co-driver, "I know how to fix it. I simply need to swap the fuel lines around so that the engine is drawing from the gas-heater pickup." In my car it's separate, and located at about 1/3rd above the bottom of the tank. We'd have to fill up more often, but it would have allowed us to use the car for the event. On the way home, we stopped at the car, I spent 15min swapping lines around, and the car drove flawlessly. Sigh. Some diagnosis upon getting to my shop, and I found some things I expected...and one thing I did not! The filter showed some dirt, as I anticipated it would... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4554/...53259413_z.jpg The tank outlet appeared to be plugged. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4248/...796efa7b_z.jpg But this seemed odd... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4267/...1c86ce99_z.jpg What are the chances that a little rubber bumper which fit perfectly into my fuel tank outlet would do just that. I think it was Joel that identified it as a bumper off of the fuel gauge sender. I mean, really. Unbelievable. Hopefully my new filter setup will prove to be problem free! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4567/...41b217e6_z.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4197/...04294bd4_z.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4272/...bc87b643_z.jpg My fuel setup now has a backup pump, already plumbed to the gas heater inlet, ready to go should a problem resurface. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4563/...6ca36ef8_c.jpg The rest of the summer was a blur of adventures...although most were without the Rally Bug. I acquired a ’67 MGB in a crazy L.A. to Canada adventure, and the ’58 beetle has been doing a lot of miles here on the island. Not wanting to leave the Rally Bug feeling left out, however, it was redemption time on my Fall event the Hagerty Fall Classic. http://www.classiccaradventures.com/...dc-600x400.jpg Fortunately this time around the car was flawless, and it was a perfect way to close out my motoring events season. The Rally Bug crossed 210,000km on the odometer since being finished, which is pretty remarkable in 4.5 years. The fuel injection setup is wonderful, the hydraulic clutch is fantastic...but the car does need a bit of a refresh in spots. I'm getting a very slight front end vibration, similar to the Super-Beetle-Shimmy, but too early to tell. I found the steering damper bushing had failed, and made up a new one using Urethane. One of my wheel/tire setups vibrates less, but no amount of rotating seems to solve the problem. Not finding anything obvious in the front end, I figured I’d just do a full rebuild come winter. The other main annoyance is the pedal cluster. After 200,000km, many of them not gentle, it’s showing the fatigue. The brake pedal pin snapped off it once in Colorado, and now the accelerator pedal setup keeps breaking. It’s worn out, and needs replacement. Back when I did the hydraulic clutch conversion, the hardest part of the whole operation was getting the factory pedal set bolted back in with the Saco clutch master cylinder. It was brutal. The job was so bad, I promised myself that when the pedal set has to come out of the car next, if the body is still on the pan, I won’t put a stock pedal set back in. Well…winter has started. First job was to put the car up in the air, and start stripping off everything that I new was going to be changed, upgraded or refurbished. The front suspension, front brakes, rear brakes, stock pedal set, and clutch master cylinder are all out of the car. Tomorrow I’ll catch up on the work I’ve been doing… -Dave |
Actually…before I do that, I should tell a story from the Hagerty Fall Classic.
If you’re not aware, or don’t remember, I run three-day driving events for people who own classic cars. Yup, that’s my job. Seriously. The Hagerty Fall Classic is my September event that happens in Washington and Oregon. This year we had to move the event due to Forest Fires, and instead ran in B.C. Now, when you run classic car driving events for a living, you’re always concerned about the driving styles of everyone who attends. There have been accidents in similar events in California, and a part of me always needs to worry about people who are driving in a manner which may earn them a citation. And thus, truthfully, I haven’t really driven the Rally Bug hard in a couple of years, as I’m usually setting the example…and the Rally Bug gets out to less events per year than it used it. So, I moved the event North due to Forest Fires, which meant a number of guests couldn’t attend. We were a smaller event, made up of friends and clients who have been doing my tours for years. Warwick, my buddy with whom I started Classic Car Adventures, was attending this year…having taken a number of years off due to the growth of his other business. We haven’t driven twisty roads in classic cars together since I think year two or three…and this was year nine for CCA. At one point on the event we hit Warwick’s favourite road in all of British Columbia. He was leading, I was on his tail, and things got a little spirited. Not dangerous, by any stretch, but we were having fun. Officially, should any one be reading this for non-entertainment purposes, all of our driving was strictly legal. But yes, we were having a blast. Later in the day, we hit my favourite road in the province, one which Warwick had never driven before. This time I was leading, and the joy of showing a great car buddy my favourite road may have influenced my right foot a little. We started in a group of cars. My Rally Beetle, Warwick’s Mini with a 1250cc engine, a Porsche 356 replica running a 2332cc vw engine, a Lotus Super 7 with a Hyabusa motorcycle engine and a Jag E-Type. At one point we passed the two Porsche 911s on the event…and soon it was just Warwick and I. At the end of the road was a restaurant, and we stopped for coffee while we waited for everyone to join us. It’s been far too long since I drove the Rally Bug at it’s full capabilities. Every shift, every corner, every line, every bit of the drive up our mountain road was in the zone and perfect. I got out, having throughly enjoyed myself, and realized I had awakened my love of the Rally Bug. Later, John in the 356 replica was chatting with me. “Dave,” he says, “I’ve known you for 6 years and I have never heard your car run like that. I always thought it was a bit of a heap. It never idles right, it always got coughs and sputters in weird spots…it’s because you never drive it! Opened up like you had it, it sounds incredible and runs unbelievably!” I hear, when the story is told around campfires, the Rally Bug was seen to be just beyond the traction circle in every corner…it’s driver peering out the side windows as much as the windshield. Legend speaks of dual webers screaming at full throttle. But you know what they say about campfire stories? They’re all highly exaggerated for the benefit of law enforcement. On that drive heading up the road, I remembered why I built the car the way that I did. All of its annoying issues are only annoying if you try and drive it like a daily driver. Drive it the way it was meant to be driven, and it all makes perfect sense. My love for the Rally Bug was definitely rekindled. -Dave |
And now for the current projects...
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...fa&oe=5A9D7C84 Rally bug is up on axle stands for re-prep and upgrades. It's done 200,000km in four years, and as usual I have some ideas for improvements. Started stripping it down and creating a list.$ https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...6b&oe=5AAE8C0A https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...d2&oe=5AAB5B38 One of the things I need to change is the stock pedal set. I've done various modifications along the way, but the key point is it has failed twice. One of the failures was the brake clevis pin, leaving us with only the hand brake on a twisty mountain downhill in Colorado. The last modification for the pedals was to convert them from cable clutch to hydraulic, and to do that I stuffed a master cylinder inside the tunnel. It was such a brutal job to get it all lined up and attached, I promised myself the next time it came out I would replace the pedals with a proper pedal box. Well, the accelerator pedal setup keeps breaking...so out came the pedals. https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...7b&oe=5AACFB4C ...and, this is where the problems start. Measuring out the car, there isn't a pedal box made that will fit. Surprisingly it's not the distance away from the seat, or fitting the master cylinders, it's the width. I always figured it would be squeezing in the masters, and I could use the Tilton master-under-foot setup if needed, but it's wider than I thought and won't fit. I do have an older Tilton setup with the masters behind the pedals, but it's too wide to fit in the car. I could raise it 1.5", above the heater channel, but then my legs don't fit. Well, as a good buddy of mine is fond of saying, "God hates a coward..." and so, here we go! https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...e6&oe=5A650790 That photo shows me milling 0.75" out of the space between the clutch and the brake pedal. I did mill all the way through making my pedal set two pieces. Of course, I had to mill out two new mounting holes for the clutch pedal at the same time. With 3/4" taken out of the pedal set, I can get it just narrow enough to fit the car. A bonus I didn't expect was the ability to fit a proper dead-pedal in, which is nice. With the dead pedal, however, the pedals do end up 1/2" closer to the driver...so I'm going to have to space out the steering wheel and move the shifter and hand brake. It's not the end of the world, but adds to the work level. https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...d8&oe=5AAC9A84 I love a good night in the shop when you lose track of time. Looked up to check if it was dinner time, as I was feeling a little hungry...whoops, it's midnight. :P |
After a couple of nights away from the car, and a BMW M3 track day, I decided I didn’t like where the pedals were going to be mounted in the Rally Bug. I need to find a way to be push them further forward. Things got technical in the shop tonight. Had to print off a full-scale representation of the Tilton 600-series under-foot pedal set...to see how much more space $800 will buy me.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4736/...da2452e5_c.jpg http://tiltonracing.com/wp-content/u...mech-discl.jpg The underfoot mounting of the master cylinders allows the pedals to be pushed significantly further forward. The trade-off, however, is in width at the firewall. The 600-series underfoot mounting cannot be done in a beetle without significant changes to the heater channel. Since I’m not willing to pull the body off the pan this winter, I decided to save the $800 and make what I have work. The next car I build will get the 600-series set. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4557/...28eb7964_c.jpg I debated cutting away the sheet metal painted in yellow, to gain another 1/4-1/2” of movement…and then figured 'what the heck?’. Removing the yellow got me some additional space, and then I removed quite a bit more. After the cutting I was able to move the pedal set forward almost 1.5" from where it was earlier tonight, giving me enough space to be comfortable. The green tape line shows where the 600-series gas pedal would be, which is about 1" further forward on the car. Pretty much inline with where the stock gas pedal would be. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4690/...e0b6f546_c.jpg With the pedal spot basically figured it out, it was time to make a plate for the top side, weld on a steel plate on the bottom side, and drill the mounting holes. With the pedals now sitting at the proper level, I had to figure out how to make the accelerator cable work. The setup of the accelerator cable took three different versions before I came up with something that I’m happy with. Presuming you want to use the stock cable, in the stock tube, you have to find a way to make the system pull relatively horizontally, instead of pivoting and pulling down. Next, you have to sort out the pedal ratio, so it’s pulling enough cable through the travel of the gas pedal. You have to ensure that your setup pulls enough cable that you get full throttle…and finally, the whole setup needs to be adjustable enough that once you setup the brakes and have them bled, you can adjust where the gas pedal sits for best heel-toe use…and then adjust the pull, ratio, etc all over again. It looks a bit hokey, but I think this third edition meets all the requirements. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4523/...88365392_c.jpg I moved the brake light switches to the inside of the car, and after this photo tweaked the brackets so that they sit in a cosmetically-acceptable manner. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4530/...77a4c678_c.jpg The project was paused for dinner, while I worked out how I was going to do a grommet to pass the front brake line forward through the firewall. I can’t use the factory grommet spot, due to the pedals interfering, and I forgot to weld up the stock brake master holes. A wiring firewall grommet was my original plan, but it didn’t fit the brake master hole that well. So, off to the milling machine with the factory brake master! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4561/...3783ce1a_c.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4560/...4290056f_c.jpg Pedals in, lines plumbed, brake light switches sorted, and the dead pedal has been modified for best fit. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4522/...6ba63367_c.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4528/...f9c6b69e_c.jpg My summit racing order arrived, and I built a bracket to house the brake bias adjustment knob. If I was using the car primarily on the track, I would have mounted the knob in a spot where I could reach it while harnessed into the car. But, with it’s use on multiple surfaces, I’m far more likely to adjust the knob for tarmac, gravel, snow and ice, and leave it after some minor changes. I’ll need to loosen the harness slightly to reach it in this position, but the ****pit of the car is pretty damned busy and this was the best choice. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4538/...03f0a8d048.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4529/...55a8ae00_c.jpg My steering-wheel spacer also came in, but it had a weird lip on it that interferes with my quick-release. I don’t use my mill that often, but when I do use it…it’s the best thing ever. Something doesn’t fit, and ten minutes later it fits perfectly. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4529/...06fb7da53f.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4583/...72311f6041.jpg I will still need to move the shifter back by about 2”, and perhaps water jet a new handle for the hydraulic handbrake…but when those are completed, I think I’m done the changes to the ****pit. -Dave |
Very nice work as usual! I need to look at upgrading to the Tilton pedals when I get back on my project. Let us know, how they work out.
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I will definitely report on them once I've got the car on the ground and running again.
Next up on my agenda is getting the brakes back on, which means first addressing the suspension that's sitting on the floor. It's high time I got around to fitting the Silver Project upper camber plates, as they've been collecting dust on a shelf since before my move. For those of you who aren't aware, these are direct fit for 73+ super beetles, but require some adjustments for 71 and 72 super beetles. The adjustment is to simply open up the large strut tower holes slightly on the body. The strut towers are made from two stamped pieces of metal welded together, and in my case it was just a matter of cleaning out where one layer was slightly skewed from the other. About 2min work with a die grinder on either side, and then some primer and paint for the, now, exposed edge. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4572/...d3b6c6c3_c.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4549/...79c1cb5b7a.jpg Hmmm...it would seem the bump stops in my winter setup are toast :P https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4561/...90a98527ef.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4585/...818d912145.jpg The local performance parts shop, Lordco, had some Energy suspension bump stops I figured I could make work. Problem though, they don't fit the upper washers too well... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4581/...ff392ea6_c.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4522/...c65001ee43.jpg Nothing a flap disc on an angle grinder can't solve! I forgot to take a photo of all the urethane coating the white wall of the shop...that's going to be fun to clean off. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4563/...bf34d9cc_c.jpg After reassembling everything I realized that without the factory bump stops and cover, I was leaving the upper strut seal exposed to the elements. On my winter setup, and plans to hit Thunderbird Rally in February, and maybe some ice racing, this isn't an ideal thing to have! Off to Lordco again, to see what else I can find in the performance department... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4581/...cc1f7fc7a9.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4553/...574aae0265.jpg "But Dave," I can hear you saying, "that is an off-road truck shock boot." Ah yes, it would appear that way. But funny enough, if you cut the top six ribs off it, it becomes a VW Part! https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4536/...ca18e5a1_c.jpg ...alas, we end there as I head off to Big White Rally in Kelwona. -Dave |
Ugh. Its going to be a full month before I get to work on the car again. I don't even have a list of things I could be buying while I'm gone!!!
This is painful...start updating your threads, I need to live vicariously through other projects. :P -Dave |
Well, a contract in January turned into another contract in February, and that turned into an event in March...and just like that, I'm almost three months down on car time :P
On the plus side, thanks to these contracts I've driven some absolutely incredible roads and crossed things off my bucket list. I've driven through Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virgina, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan. I've visited Barber Motorsports Park (including laps of the track, tour of the museum and a special tour of the museum workshop), BMW club of America's museum, The Lane Museum, Rick Hendrick's private collection, The Corvette Museum, The Amelia Island Concours and the Kennedy Space Centre. I've been lucky to tour some pretty incredible automotive shops as well. The Creative Workshop in Florida was unbelievable. Wood floors, a hidden dyno, and cars you only dream of. Detroit speed builds some incredible muscle cars of the SEMA-type...but the sneak peak at this year's SEMA cars was pretty exciting. White Post Auto Restorations might be the oldest restoration shop in the USA and four generations have owned/worked/run the place. Duncan Imports is a car-guys dream where the warehouses of cars just goes on, and on, and on. How about a beetle with less than 30 miles on it? How about four of them...from three different decades. Unreal. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4776/...846172c394.jpg But alas, it means the poor Rally Bug has just sat without me. Having finally returned home, I've been crunching away on it as much as possible. Photos are limited, as I'm trying to get the work done vs. document it. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/798/2...3f5a2ec112.jpg Moving the shifter back 2" resulted in some interesting issues. First off, the mount on the transmission tunnel suddenly had a tonne of flex in it. Previously each of the mounting bolts (three of them) were "boxed in", but the move back results in flex I definitely didn't anticipate. Fortunately the addition of two extra bolts, and a 2" gusset welded between mount and trans tunnel resulted in a flex-free install. The carbon shift rod I built needed to be shortened, which was a bit of a pain since I had to rescue the aluminum end I had bonded in originally. Without my buddies lathe, there was no way to whip up a new one. Managed to shorten the rod without shattering it...and then got to do it all over again as I cut it a 1/4" too long! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/808/3...1be9009b44.jpg With everything installed in place, I discovered a new problem…the shift rod angle is just steep enough that it was hitting something in the tunnel. I ended up cutting out a little more than I wanted, but worked out it was the throttle cable tube (figures, the only one I CAN’T cut out). Ended up having to cut the tube so I could move it, and then weld in a section to keep it inline so the cable won’t get cut. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4794/...04ab9b6c0f.jpg Extended the brake light harness, since the switches are now inside the cabin, in front of the shifter. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/811/3...cc3c0fd0c6.jpg Suspension has been re-installed, with all new bushings…simply because I was in there. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4785/...7cdea6d26a.jpg Hmmm…it would seem this box was not the correct set of wheel studs. Where the heck are my 25mm studs!?! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/784/4...77f533526d.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/806/2...9cb46c5bd8.jpg And taking care of some details…trying to freshen it up a little. -Dave |
Great report Dave! Sounds like great fun what you do for a living!
And thanks for the tour tips. If I ever get to the US, I have some good musea to go and visit now :thumbup: |
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Continued tackling the list of things to do on the car today, the major points that might be of interest were: https://farm1.staticflickr.com/809/2...fbf76158_z.jpg Fresh coat of black on the bottom of the chassis. I hate this job, but rather then patch some sections that needed it, I cleaned the whole chassis and painted it from front to back. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/787/3...e65217db_c.jpg Under-dash area is now ready to go, and looking the business. No photos, but I fired it up after it's winter break and started tuning the cold-idle a little bit on the fuel injection. There's still no fluid in the brake or clutch system, so I couldn't take it out for a real warm-up. Found a couple of stripped out bolts in the front transmission mount while doing a nut-and-bolt check on the car. Drilled, helicoiled and new bolts installed. We'll see how that goes. It may explain why I've broken one of the kafer bar mounts twice previously, and again before the winter. Welded and reinforced that bracket, so we'll see what breaks next :P Dealt with some wiring in the front end, and then looked over at the seat you can see in the floorpan photo above. I had a pair of those OMP seats with the headrest in the car for the Retro-Cars shoot many years ago, and the Cobra Imola 2 seat I'm using is looking quite worn. So, after perfecting the driving position after the pedal install, I of course decided to swap the seat out. Sigh. Fortunately I was able to get the seat in a position that I think will work well. Getting in and out of the car with the headrest is going to be annoying, so I doubt this seat will last long! Retorqued the heads, and checked the valve train. I have some oil leaks which appear to be coming from the headstuds(?), but didn't show up when I started the car and idled it for 20min (after retorquing the heads). I have a sneaking suspicion the engine is coming out after the road test to find the leak :P Tomorrow I should get my Motive brake bleeder back, and I can get the car back down on it's wheels. Need to do a front end alignment, and then I should be able to road test it. -Dave |
Stoked to see you back working on it. I really love that car. I really should start a thread on my Super.
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---- https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4795/...4f10425d_c.jpg Top Tip! Before bleeding the clutch and brakes, confirm you actually installed everything tight and correctly...not just for test fitting. If you don't, you'll be figuring out how to pull the clutch pedal with it full of fluid so you can tighten the master cylinder to the mount. Oops. After bleeding the brakes, I came to the conclusion that I also didn't consider that by doubling the rear brake pistons, I would need a larger handbrake master cylinder. Oops #2. Having ordered the replacement parts, and them taking a while to get to me on the island...I figured I might as well take it out for a test drive. First test drive with the car was, to be fair, less than exciting. The clutch is VERY different from my last setup, and I actually think Tilton may have been incorrect with their master sizing suggestion. The pedal travel is very short, so a smaller master cylinder might be needed to get some pedal travel back in the action. The initial brake bleed was pretty terrible as well, but that is somewhat to be expected. I've always found I need to drive the car for a few km and rebleed to get the job done correctly. After another bleed, the handbrake came back (fancy that), but still has a longer throw than I would like. The foot pedal, however, feels much better! The first half of the second test drive was better, but honestly not that great. A race car that runs kinda poorly and the controls are all in slightly new places is not the type of experience I was hoping for out of the shop. About a third of the way through the test, however, I remembered that I didn't build this car for puttering around town...so off to some empty highway, where I put my foot down. OOOOOOOHHHHH, riiiiiight. THIS is when the car is fun! My gosh it's a blast when driven properly. Before destroying the tires I thought I should return home and get my alignment tomorrow. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/803/2...b6097f8f_c.jpg Motor oil leak is one of two things...I think. It's either leaking from one of the cylinder studs (at the head end), or the oil cooler seals are leaking...or both. I cleaned off all the oil with brake clean, and after my tests one of the studs is wet. I'll pull the stud, reseal the washer inside the head and try again. You know, presuming I don't wake up to a puddle of oil under the car. -Dave |
Changing the seat has created a new problem. I can no longer reach the switches mounted on the side mount...one of which controls the water sprayer for the oil cooler, so I need to be able to reach them!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4777/...24b8a0b7_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/822/3...7f8d4717_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/817/4...a310cd5f_c.jpg Figured I'd make a quick strap so I can close the door and lose the armrest. RS style pulls weren't really possible, since the door panels already have holes...so a simple strap it is. https://scontent.fyvr3-1.fna.fbcdn.n...f6&oe=5B47CA2B https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4781/...be377849_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/785/4...11cda3a8_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/809/4...a48b34d8_c.jpg Ugh. That simply will not do. Can't have the door panels looking like crap...so it's off to the drawing board! https://scontent.fyvr3-1.fna.fbcdn.n...57&oe=5B736F55 Need to head out of my small town tomorrow to see if I can get the material I want for the new door panels I've got planned. On the plus side, it hasn't been dumping oil anywhere! -Dave |
Hi
I used door pull handles from a bay window as my my door pull handles, I'm pretty sure the same one is used on the roof area of a 1303 as a passenger grab handle. https://au.vwheritage.com/211867161b...black-vw-spare Steve |
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