TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri May 04, 2012 12:52 pm

I'm going to just weld my braces in solid from the top ends of the frame horns to my roll cage above, if I have to pull the tranny I'll just cut em out-no big deal. So my question is when the engine is in do the frame horns sag a little from it's weight? I'm wondering if it's o.k. to weld my braces solid without any load on the frame horns.

Fri May 04, 2012 1:12 pm

Of course the frame horns will sag with 250_ lbs hanging on them.
While I think this isn't the brightest idea in the world, I would weld them in, and then install the engine.

Fri May 04, 2012 7:45 pm

Then I will weld them in as they are without any weight on them. I will Never ever have to take my trans out I just know it.

Fri May 04, 2012 8:33 pm

rrcade wrote: I will Never ever have to take my trans out I just know it.

Bahahaha :lol:

Dude, even if I wasn't the least bit superstitious, you TOTALLY just jinxed yourself there. Mr Murphy isn't gonna let that one slide.....

Fri May 04, 2012 9:34 pm

rrcade wrote: Then I will weld them in as they are without any weight on them. I will Never ever have to take my trans out I just know it.

I'm confused. I'm the only reply you have, and you decide to do the exact oposite. Why even ask? :roll:

Fri May 04, 2012 10:14 pm

Hotrodvw wrote: Of course the frame horns will sag with 250_ lbs hanging on them.
While I think this isn't the brightest idea in the world, I would weld them in, and then install the engine.

He is doing exactly what you said to do :roll:

Sat May 05, 2012 6:48 am

Running a tube from the bottom plate on the rear leg of the cage down to your steel mount is super easy and no cutting needed to remove the tranny,

brad

Sat May 05, 2012 7:43 am

my trans comes out without cutting the tubes.

Sat May 05, 2012 8:13 am

rrcade wrote: I will Never ever have to take my trans out I just know it.

I would take your transaxle out before you weld up the frame horns. It's no big deal to install swing-axles and tubes after the transaxle is mounted. Plus, depending on where you will be welding up the frame-horns, you wouldn't want to inadvertently catch the magnesium transaxle on fire.

Sat May 05, 2012 8:55 am

That right there is a BIG issue!

Sat May 05, 2012 10:08 am

I don't know, I do a lot of welding for a living and it seems very unlikely that I would catch the transaxle on fire, yes it's made of magnesium but it's not made of magnesium shavings or a pile of oily rags.

Sat May 05, 2012 10:15 am

Then do it.

Sat May 05, 2012 1:58 pm

I'm going to do this even though you got me all nervous, but as I'm looking at my trans I'm wondering how Transwest welded gussets on my transaxle and didn't start it on fire but if I'm welding near my transaxle I could?

Sat May 05, 2012 3:04 pm

rrcade wrote: I'm going to do this even though you got me all nervous, but as I'm looking at my trans I'm wondering how Transwest welded gussets on my transaxle and didn't start it on fire but if I'm welding near my transaxle I could?

In all likelihood, you're probably not going to ignite it, but I know nothing about your experience, or how you plan to prep and weld this job, so precautionary advice would be to remove the transaxle. Since I imagine you'd likely weld up the supports near the end of the frame horns, removing the transaxle would provide ample room to weld around the joint without being obstructed by the bellhousing. The rest of the advice is simple precautionary.

Since you claim to have more than enough experience to do the job, just do it. You are probably not going to hit the bellhousing with your angle grinder when prepping the job, you're probably not going to leave any magnesium dust near the area you plan to weld, and you're probably not using a stick-welder and probably not going to accidentally strike a freshly ground and dusty spot of magnesium. How am I supposed to know what precautions you're going to take to do the job? Take a look at some of the work folks around here perform on their VWs...many shouldn't be allowed near tools, much less a keyboard.

Sat May 05, 2012 7:48 pm

quote"Take a look at some of the work folks around here perform on their VWs...many shouldn't be allowed near tools, much less a keyboard." Is there a sticky with pics? Sounds like a fun time killer.

Sat May 05, 2012 8:12 pm

rrcade wrote: Is there a sticky with pics?

Boy, do I wish.

Good luck with the project!

Wed May 09, 2012 2:06 am

I have an RLR 5 pt rollbar in my 70. It is an old prototype I am told but it came with down bars for the tranny. I am running an aftermarket padded rear trans mount and the downbars had holes that lined up holes in the trans mount. Not sure if it was coincidence but the fact it can be unbolted is nice. You might want to look into doing smoething similar.... they are bent thickwall DOM tubing with plates on top. If I can find them I have picts of the setup.