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Progress....sort of...
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markie61
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:27 pm    Post subject: Progress....sort of... Reply with quote

After taking my Thing out of service for the past 8 months, I am happy to report that I am making progress towards my goal of getting it back on the road by Labor Day. Here's what I got done the past couple of days:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Reinstalled my freshly cleaned, gasketed, and sealed transmission (also a new Weddle reverse idler). Installed new tranny urethane mounts and clutch arm bushing. Replace the clutch arm with heavy duty kit and changed out the hockey stick. Replace clutch cable, bowden tube, adjusting nut, shift coupler (urethane).

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Reinstalled 3 cleaned/lubed/booted CV's and painted the axles. Replace 4th galled CV with new. Installed rear engine compartment seal, but am missing the upper one (ordered).

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Intalled clutch and pressure plate on flywheel. Reworked and sealed the doghouse tin around the oil cooler to make tighter fit. Intalled painted j-tubes and through-the-bumper exhaust system. Removed dual carbs to install engine, but shredded the manifold-to-head gaskets (thick paper.)

So, once again I am at a standstill waiting on parts. I will probably replace my rear wheel cylinders, e-brake cables, and front swaybar bushings while I a waiting since I have those things around.

Mark
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Woreign
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How about cleaning/painting your engine compartment? Now would be a great time to do so since the engine is out. I'm not being crtitical... If the engine is ever out of my Thing, I'll be doing the same!
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Space Ghost
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah! Clean that engine bay!

Your engine looks so spanking clean and nice! The engine bay would look great all shiny and yellow again!
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FreakCitySF
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How do you like that wild boar muffler system? When my original 73s are up im going to get that muffler i think.

Id like to have it cut in half though, dual exhaust.
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bucko
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great work! I tip my hat off to you for the work you've done.

Be sure to send some pics when it's all completed.
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markie61
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Woreign wrote:
How about cleaning/painting your engine compartment?

space Ghost wrote:
Clean that engine bay!


Believe it or not...... Shocked

I DID clean the engine compartment. The previous owner painted it (poorly) with a thin coat of black. What you see is the black paint that the cleanser and power washer didn't peel off. Dirt combined with oil coming out of every orifice and seam of both the engine and transmission - it WAS a real mess. It's still not perfect, but it is better.

Next year, I plan to work on the cosmetics - pan off, rust repair, straighten, clean, media blast, paint/powdercoat/bed liner - the works! The engine compartment should look clean enough to eat off of at that time.

FreakCitySF wrote:
How do you like that wild boar muffler system?


All I can say at this point is it fits real nice on the engine while it is out of the car and it appears to be a quality-manufactured piece. As far as noise and fit while the engine is IN the car: I'll (hopefully) let you know in a couple of weeks. I already regret that I didn't pay the extra $100 to have it ceramic coated - I learned the benefits after I bought it and painted it.

Later, dudes!
Mark
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Captain Spalding
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 11:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Progress....sort of... Reply with quote

Looks awesome. Can't wait for your first post after the maiden voyage.
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markie61
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 6:14 am    Post subject: Re: Progress....sort of... Reply with quote

Captain Spalding wrote:
Looks awesome. Can't wait for your first post after the maiden voyage.


The ultimate goal is make it look like the Photoshop rendering you created (with different wheels) with updated mechanicals under the skin.

Mark
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Captain Spalding
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 10:41 am    Post subject: Re: Progress....sort of... Reply with quote

markie61 wrote:
The ultimate goal is make it look like the Photoshop rendering you created (with different wheels) with updated mechanicals under the skin.

Oh great. Blame me! Wink
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markie61
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Progress....sort of... Reply with quote

markie61 wrote:
So, once again I am at a standstill waiting on parts. I will probably replace my rear wheel cylinders, e-brake cables, and front swaybar bushings while I am waiting since I have those things around.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I forgot that I had front shocks to replace too. So, today I replace them along with the front swaybar bushings. The shock are Monroe VIP models that I picked up on ebay last spring for cheap. Getting the 33 year old originals was a real pain with frozen nuts and a bushing that required much heat. Intallation was a breeze.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


The old stabilizer bushings had so much wear, I could wiggle the bar up and down 1-2 inches and slide it left to right about 3/4". The first challenge of replacing the stabilizer bushings was getting the old clamps off. Thanks to the ROMOTOC CD and the microfiche exploded parts diagrams, I was able to figure it out. The Bentley manual and my searches of this site yielded zip. The second challenge was sliding the new urethane bushings on requiring lube, a bench vise, hammer, and deep socket to pound them on. Twisting them for adjustment required big channel lock pliers. Once installed and clamped tight, the stabilizer is absolutely rock solid. Now maybe the front end won't wiggle any more. If not, I will move on to other front end parts.

Next up - more rear brake work!

Mark
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Chicks dig my Thing - so what if it's little and yellow...!?
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Ian Epperson
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 1:06 am    Post subject: Re: Progress....sort of... Reply with quote

markie61 wrote:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



What rear shocks are you using? Do you still use the torsion bars?
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markie61
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 4:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know the brand - the previous owner installed them. They are adjustable by turning the adjustable lower part to various notches (sort of visible in the pic at the shock's bottom.) The PO said that anything other than the lowest setting was too harsh of a ride - I can't verify because I haven't messed with it. I'm pretty sure the torsion bars are still there. The car's rear end definitely is not sagging.

Mark
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Chicks dig my Thing - so what if it's little and yellow...!?
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markie61
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 5:33 am    Post subject: Re: Progress....sort of... Reply with quote

Ian Epperson wrote:
What rear shocks are you using?


I was looking through the CIP website trying to find parts to finish my engine installation (due to an unreliable vendor... 'nother story) and found these http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC%2DC10%2D4075
They look EXACTLY like what I have on my vehicle.
Mark
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Ian Epperson
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's what I was thinkin too. I had heard in another thread that they don't do much over a decent set of KYBs and that they make the ride harsh.

However, extra spring at greater compression is something that I wouldn't mind. When I last loaded up the car for a camping I was sitting on the stops! Having the option to easily dial in more spring (then taking it out again once in the desert) would be cool.

They look good. Though, in general, I haven't been impressed with EMPI as a brand.

Yeah I'm torn Smile
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bluething
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ian Epperson wrote:
I haven't been impressed with EMPI as a brand.

Yeah I'm torn Smile
im looking for some EMPI wheels, cant seem to find any? the Minilite style! does anyone know of a dealer ?
thanks
mike
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Ferretkona
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bluething wrote:
I'm looking for some EMPI wheels, cant seem to find any? the Minilite style! does anyone know of a dealer ?
thanks
mike

You could contact EMPI and ask for a local dealer

There was quite a few dealers in the last Hot VW's magazine carrying Empi wheels. I just asked my buddy who has a tire and wheel shop to order me some, his price was the same as the mail order places without the shipping charge.
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74 Cosa
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:03 pm    Post subject: Muffler Reply with quote

Have you used that muffler before? I have it on mine and like the sound.
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