TheSamba.com :: View topic - Beginner Questions

Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:19 pm

I just bought a 1964 baja bug and have some elementary questions if anyone can help.

What are the nuts for in the bottom of the transaxle bell housing? Are these to shim the engine in? The almost look like studs w/ nuts on top but I am not sure what they are for.

I bought the baja with the engine out of it and when I was looking at the bell housing for the transaxle it looks like the clutch was scraping either side of the bell housing. Are there different size clutches for each size engine? I am thinking maybe the clutch installed was too big for the transaxle housing.

This might be the dumbest question. What is the hole next to the shifter for? I see that when people finish their projects they have nice new caps on this but I have no idea what it is for and mine is just a hole.

Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to offer.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:32 pm

The nuts inside the bottom of the bell housing are for the mounts. There should be some sort of bracket or rubber bushings between the outside of the bell housing and the frame horns. If your trans is stock, the it is for a 6 volt flywheel. There are 2 sizes, 180 and 200. IF it is really ground down then someone probably jammed the larger into the smaller hole. If it is just some minor scraping then it could have been caused by installing or removing the engine. Not sure about your hole near the shifter, someone may have cut it to change the shift rod bushing.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:38 pm

Thanks for the help! I work out of town during the week so I will have to look again this weekend and see which clutch is installed. The abraisions look like it was from the spinning clutch (they aren't straight lines, but more of a carving on each side) I need to look at the clutch again and see if I can tell if it is worn down.

I looked at the nuts and they don't come out the bottom of the transaxle - they're only on the inside of the bell housing. I will look again because I am new at this. Maybe I can post a picture this weekend.

Another guy I know who has auto experience told me just to replace the clutch while I have the engine out to ensure its the right one and then it shouldn't be an issue.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:38 pm

Well the marks in the bellhousing probably mean you have a 6V car (180mm flywheel) that has a 12V flywheel (200mm). No biggie.

Aww crud. I type to slow.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:17 pm

the hole next to your shifter is probably for your heater controls. on older vw's there was a knob that you would turn one way to pull the cables to turn on your heaters and the other to release them. if you don't have to little levers on either side of your e'brake then i'm sure that's the what the hole your thinking of is for. is there two little tubes inside of it.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:34 pm

Thanks. I'm not sure how I would have figured that out. The guy that had the bug before me ripped all the heating cables out and filled the heat tubes with spray foam. I did want to get the heat running again so I will have to fix this.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:41 pm

You might make sure to seal up those heater channels well, that foam can accelerate rust if moisture gets into it.. My baja is a victim of foam rust.

Best book I ever bought for my VW: http://www.amazon.com/Keep-Volkswagen-Alive-Step-S...amp;sr=8-1

Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:44 pm

My 65 Baja was the victim of foam and shag carpet rust.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:45 pm

Russ Wolfe wrote: My 65 Baja was the victim of foam and shag carpet rust.

yeah, just means you get to drive it like you stole it from a field! :lol:

Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:49 pm

I gave the car away back in 1985 due to a blown engine on the interstate, and I did not want to bother dragging it home.
I mailed the title to the tow truck driver.
In 2000, a local salvage yard that is owned by a good friend called me and said they had it. Still titled in my name. 2 days later, it was in my yard. I applied, and got a replacement title. But the years and rust had not been kind to it.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:52 pm

That's funny I'm sitting here reading chapter 2 "how works a Volkswagen" as we speak. I seem to be getting prett good info between this and the Haynes manual. Hopefully this forum can continue to take care of my complete lack of an automotive education for the items too simple to put in the "compleat idiots" guide

Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:44 pm

Hey, we all gotta learn sometime, somehow, at least VW's are a relatively easy curve to start upon. Imagine if it was a modern day EFI and computer driven vehicle.

Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:33 am

that's how i learned, when i was 16 i got my first vw, and yes it was a baja. I didn't even know what a generator was, now I can pretty much close my eyes and picture every nut and bolt in my head. Is that a disease or something? Naaa, it's normal for us vw freaks.