Howto: Removable apron (including adjustment access for carbs)
 

Hi everyone,

I will try to make myself clear and detail how I did my removable apron that includes adjustment access for carbs (as typical dub setup of pair of dual webers or dells makes them virtually impossible to adjust in place). I will be very detailed, exactly the kind of info I was desperate to find before getting in but without success. Hoping this will be useful for someone around. Here is the step by step method I used:

1- Remove rear fenders and the sealing rubber between the engine and the engine compartment.
2- Draw the carb adjustment windows required. Mine measure 4.5”x9” but depending on your application, they can vary from 4” to 6” wide by 8” to 9” long.
3- Cut the opening carefully avoiding touching anything on the other side, like say, CARB or fuel line... :bawling: Keep the cutouts, you’ll need them. At this point, it should look like this (minus the parting, of course):
http://bp3.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0597.JPG

4- Form a plate to bolt around the opening. I did mine from an aluminum plate ¼” thick of 8”x11” (make sure to have 1” around wider than the opening). It require bending to fit the body profile, you can use the cutouts as a guide. Drill mounting hole around the plate and in place.
5- Drill the final carb adjusting opening in the plates. Make them smaller than the cutout that you’ll be using for cover. I drilled and tap for #10 screws and sealed with seam and joint sealer. Cover finished:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0588.JPG
http://bp0.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0589.JPG

Howto: Removable apron (including adjustment access for carbs)
 

You can find the seam and joint sealer in any autopart shop:
http://bp0.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0603.JPG

6- Draw the cutting line making sure to have enough clearance to pull the engine out with carbs on while minimizing the visible part of the cut between the hood and the fender joint. Also make sure to keep enough surface on both sides for bolting everywhere along the cutting line.
7- Since I was a bit concerned to modify the original geometry of the assembly with the hood latch, I first made a pair of mild steel pieces (1”x0.5”x3”) with two holes drilled and countersink for M8 screws:
http://bp1.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0605.JPG

8- Mark the location of the holes on the surface where the hood seal is seating with one hole on both sides of the cutting line and drill. Assemble the piece in place and tight the screws so that the sheet metal takes the form of the countersink. This will keep the location of the apron assembly when it will be cut loose.
http://bp3.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0587.JPG

Howto: Removable apron (including adjustment access for carbs)
 

9- With the 2 locating pieces installed, cut the apron loose along the line. Remove the screws keeping the apron in place. Apron on the floor! That should look like this (note the locating piece in place):
http://bp0.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0598.JPG

10- I kept the cutouts of the aluminum plates to complete the assembly. I used many, many M8 bolts with 1” flats. As any project of that sort, it’s much overdesigned and can probably support the entire car weight, but, what the heck!
http://bp3.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0590.JPG

Howto: Removable apron (including adjustment access for carbs)
 

See the plate horizontally mounted inside the engine bay on the next pic:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0591.JPG

11- We’re almost done, seal the plate with the seam and joint sealer and bolt in place. I use the sealer also along the cut. That’s it, final result bellow: (note its only mocked up on the pics and not finally tightened and/or adjusted, thus the cut look wider than final)
http://bp1.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0595.JPG

http://bp3.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0596.JPG

That’s it guys, enjoy the project. I hope the post is useful.
Louis

http://bp3.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0593.JPG

Looks like a clean job. You have some good ideas, and fab skills. Thanks for posting this.

nice job keep the post coming :)

Chris.

Thank you guys. Don't give me more credit than I deserve, this job was quite easy to do, Any dub owner can do it. I believe the most complicated part was to find the right material and tools. Well maybe not, the worse is to find the courage to cut the car in pieces...
Louis

Nice ingenuity - well done for thinking outside the box!

With the number of fixings that hold the plate in place, is it going to be very fiddly to remove the plate to adjust the carbs whilst the rear wheels are on? Or do you plan to remove the rear wheels to access the carbs via the adjustment plate?

Hope my questions make sense! I was thinking of doing something along the lines of this with my oval but was concerned about how hard it would be to get access to the required area without removing the rear wheels and putting the car on jack stands.

Cheers
Alan

I am doing something very similar with mine, except that as I am using the rear end from another car, I can overlap the panels. I also don't care too much for carb access, as my engine is already tuned and will be moving to FI eventually.

I just thought, as you probobly did, if I am going to bother making a removable apron, then I might as well cut the whole lot off... :)

http://www.fastbug.net/drupalfiles/i...70.preview.JPG
http://www.fastbug.net/drupalfiles/i...72.preview.JPG
http://www.fastbug.net/drupalfiles/i...77.preview.JPG

More details to follow on fastbug.net

Chris

Loius,

Nice fabrication. Anyone who's every tuned a set of Webers or Dells will appreciate the windows.

How's the car running (and braking)?

Lanner

Hey Lanner! long time no chat buddy,
Thanks for the good words, coming from you that mean something. The car is in montreal since last august, thats what i needed to finally get the resources to solve my problem i guess. I tried so many things and, considering the gallons of brake oil i used to bleed the freakin setup, i wasn't too keen on dismantling it, but i was suspecting something wrong with the calipers. Finally got them out and to a brake shop. Problem was a bad piston assembly, something weird the guy never saw before.
In the mean time, i had problems with the engine-fuel system, I had to dismantle everything and that prevent me to trying the brakes ok. The season passed, the car guts are again all over the floor (did i told you before about the neverending aspect of these projects? :laugh: ) but spring will be nice with a fresh new cranked-up 2075
http://bp2.blogger.com/_5tctHEnJfzM/...0/DSCN0622.JPG

BTW, i am quite certain I will need to remove the tire to access the carb adjustment plate, but its no big deal. If you are running with dual carbs and are into that tranformation, i strongly suggest to take the extra time and make these access plate. You'll be glad you did later.

Louis