1974 Baja Build **pic heavy**

[TDCTDI]

Have someone turn the steering wheel to see if the collapsible section of the column is true, if not, turn the high point up & push down on it to straighten it.

After that, loosen the bolts holding the steering box to the beam & loosen the cinch bolt on the steering coupler to the steering shaft to let them find their natural center, turn the wheel lock to lock & tighten the bolts.

(Oops, I'm a little late, Richard already covered that)
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[MIBaja]

Good morning All,

I have worked on the steering and it is much better. I loosened it up turned lock to lock and retightened. It is much better but I think the shaft is still slightly out of true so I will have to make minor adjustments. I was able to get the fluid in the brakes and bleed them. Then I added fluid to the Trans. everything seemed to be going well, then it started leaking. Alot. It is a heavy flow from both the left and right sides near where the cv joints connect. Im hoping there is some seal that I either missed completely or put in incorrectly. I remember putting in something that was like a dust cap and thought that had a seal under it. Before I take it apart does anyone have an explosion of this assembly or part numbers that I need to order so I can take it apart and put back together right away? This project seems to be just one thing after another and without ever seeing one put together and starting with parts in boxes has made things very difficult. I doubt I will be able to get the parts I need by the long weekend since it seems like most of the online retailers are in CA and parts take a week to get to MI. I plan on starting to try to figure out how to mount my headlights, and other running lights. while also working on the wiring which I am not looking forward to this weekend.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Dark Earth]

Maybe this will help ...

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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[Dark Earth]

Here's a couple links ...

http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=URETHANE+CV+...7675.m4099

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trks...p;_sacat=0
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[Dark Earth]

And, how about a video ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm5Er2s48IA

I have to do mine too. Mine are leaking and I have a large drip pan under the car. I decided to just drain the transmission oil instead of letting it drip all the time (Since I can't drive it anyway because I'm currently in the "build" stage). Once I drained all the oil out, It stopped dripping That confirmed my suspicion that the seals were leaking. I'm upgrading my flanges, cv's, axles, and stub axles to Thing parts, but haven't gotten around to changing them yet. I know how you feel about the project seeming like one thing after another, but it's better to catch these things now.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[MIBaja]

Thank you the video helps I looked but didnt see that one. Im wondering if mine are just not seated properly, as they looked new. if i have time tonight i will start the pull apart process. Im not sure if I will be able to do it with the tranny in the car.

[Dark Earth]

[MIBaja]

The previous owner had rebuilt the trans and had the seal installed. I added the 2 flanges and the dust cap. Im wondering if he was missing the little spring things or something similar. I will try to take some pictures when i get it apart.

[MIBaja]

So I pulled the CV joints off Here are the results.

Dust cap in

Circlip removed

And Here is the problem. The seal was not leaking cause there was no seal. Both sides are the same. I have parts on order. Unfortunately they will not be there till mid next week or later with the holiday.

Thanks for the help the explosions made it pretty easy to figure out what I was missing in there.

[Dark Earth]

Glad you got it figured out.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[dustymojave]

Good job, DarkEarth!
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Dark Earth]

[MIBaja]

Mine was able to rotate with the 2 bolts loosened. and spin it around then tighten it back up. One of my big issues I found is I think this beetle had some rust in a lot of places so many of the panels were removed and replaced. I think the "Front firewall" may be installed in slightly the wrong place which on top of the steering column being slightly bent was making things worse. If it is not supposed to rotate on the beam I have another problem to investigate.

[Dark Earth]

[Dark Earth]

One more thought ...

Is there any way to put a spacer or shim between the steering column and the body where it attaches under the speedometer ? It would lower the steering wheel, but it might bring the steering shaft down enough to make it stop rubbing the top of the hole where it exits the firewall.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[dustymojave]

Yes factory ball joint beams have those 2 little discs spot welded in place to locate the steering box clamp. Later link pin beams had them also, like my 65. I don't know when they started doing that. Some aftermarket replacement beams don't have those locators. And sometimes, they get popped off the beam tube. Some folks remove them for various reasons.

Even with those locators welded in place, the box can still rotate on the beam some by the nuts on the studs being tightened differently.

If you have a bent steering shaft, it should be replaced.

The steering column can be shimmed down away from the dash to change the angel of the steering column tube a little. Some Bugs with locking steering column have non-removable studs mounting the upper end of the column to the dash for theft resistance though. You can get around that, but it takes more effort and time.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[MIBaja]

Thank you I will have to take a better picture of the steering box. I think I have that figured out it seems much better.

I ordered the seals and was excited I got them on Friday before the long weekend, but when I went to install them they were the wrong ones. So I reordered they should be coming later this week we will try again.

In the meantime I have mounted my taillights. I Just bought LED 4" round ones and mounted them in the rear fenders. I will take pictures when I can roll it outside again.

I was working on mounting my front headlights and have come upon another question. The first one I installed went in really well everything fit nicely and made sense to me.

The second one however appeared to be a different style. I dont know if it is just from a different year beetle but it doesnt appear to be the older style as I have a pair of that style for the 63. The bucket was much flatter and didnt appear to have a good place to mount springs like the other one.

My questions are first is this even a head light bucket or is it used for something else? Does anyone have any pictures of how the light mounts in there? Does anyone in MI have an extra bucket for a 74 that I could buy? I got the light mounted, but the ring doesn't sit as well as it did on the first side so I'm thinking something is not right.

Here is a picture of the front with the lights as they sit, it is starting to look like I might get to actually drive it.

Thanks in advance for all of your help Again I would not be able to do this without you guys.

[dustymojave]

That left headlight has some rust damage and is missing some pieces, the plastic adjuster screw anchors and the tension spring, for instance. It appears that the anchors will not fit in right because of the rust. I recommend replacing that headlight. Check the Classifieds for 1967+ year model Bugs for those headlight buckets. Try to use genuine VW because some of the cheap replacements have not been too good.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[MIBaja]

Thank you that is what I assumed I was going to have to do. It just didnt look right to me.

I received the seals and got them installed in the Trans axle. Filled it up and no leaks so I can finally cross that off the list.

I opened up the valve covers and checked all of the gaps. They were all set to .006 so That was nice. It was also very clean in there. So Im guessing the Previous owner did some work on them before I got it.

Im ready to start running wires and stuff. So Im hoping to set up Temp wires in the mean time so I can finally hear it run. I am trying to wire up a hard start relay and get the engine running for the first time. I found this link online and thought ok that is pretty straight forward I can wire that up.

http://www.glenn-ring.com/tech/relay_starter.htm

Well It was not so easy. The hard start relay I have has 5 wires instead of the 4 called out on that site.
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So from the instructions that came with it I understand it to be.
Yellow is the red from the link above that would have the 15amp fuse in it.
Blue is the ground.
Brown goes to my push button in this case so i can test it and the other side of the push button goes to the solenoid on the starter.
Red goes to the Solenoid on the stater.
Where does black go?
Also where does the wire from the coil go to in this? Is that what black goes 2?

Wiring is something that I have not been looking forward 2, but at least it means I am getting closer to driving it.

Thank you

[MIBaja]

Ok so for the time being I wired it up as a test bench setup without the relay. I tried to start it and was able to get it to try to fire, but i think my timing is off. So I watched some videos on timing and I found it looks like my distributor is not lined up properly. Everything i saw for the vacuum advance distributors it should point to the back right (direction of #1 cylinder) when at TDC. I Lined up TDC and checked to make sure I was on #1 not #3 and it is pointed like this. To me It appears to be 45deg or so off of its mark.

How do i adjust it to be pointed at the mark for #1 Cyl? Right now the Vacuum advance is inline with the crankshaft pulley.