New (to me) 1965 1500 Variant S(!)

squaretobehip · Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:33 pm Post subject:

Looks like you just need the next size up...707B.

1587MM.

http://www.vwispwest.com/311711707B.html
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1963 Squareback - Pearl White
1965 Squareback - Baltic Blue

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sjbartnik · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:37 am Post subject:

Thanks. I can't find the heater cables anywhere in the parts book to confirm part numbers. What section should I be looking in?

EDIT: ok according to the ISP west site the 311 711 707 cable is 1295mm, which works out to about 51".

The 707B cable is 1587mm which works out to about 62.5" would be wayyyyy too long - that cable must be for cars where the heater flappers have moved to the heat exchangers.

My car has them on the body still (very early '65).

I'll have to measure what I have and see if it is 1295mm. It seems like it only needs a couple more inches to be the right length.
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1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650

ataraxia · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:44 am Post subject:

sjbartnik · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:58 am Post subject:

ibldrc · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 8:18 am Post subject:

Tram · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 10:10 am Post subject:

sjbartnik · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2015 5:53 pm Post subject:

Bad news, my brake lights are acting up again already despite a newly-installed FTE switch. I noticed tonight I am getting intermittent activation of the brake lights - sometimes they come on as they should, sometimes they don't come on at all and sometimes they come on with a delay of several seconds after the pedal is pressed. These are the same symptoms I saw with the old switch shortly before complete failure.

So...maybe DOT 5 does eat these things?
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1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650

ataraxia · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 8:10 am Post subject:

I was reading in the repair book that the tubes that exit the pan are about 7cm long. If they're longer -that may explain why the cables are not working.

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

This image refers to trimming the tubes down if the pan is replaced - wouldn't hurt to measure them if you can't sort the cables easily.

sjbartnik · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 7:14 am Post subject:

Update to the brake light switch situation:

I swapped out the dead brake light switch last night with another new FTE switch that I bought at the same time as the dead one. New one works great...for now.

I checked my service records and the dead one had only been in for a month before it quit! Less than 1000 miles too.

We have been discussing it on the Type 3 e-mail list and Jim Adney has asked for the dead switch so he can cut it open in an attempt to learn why the switches don't seem to last long with DOT5 brake fluid. So I'll send that off to him.

I've also reached out to the vendor to see if they can get some official info from the distributor or manufacturer as to whether these switches are suitable for use with DOT5 brake fluid and if not, why not?
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1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650

W1K1 · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 9:13 am Post subject:

a good read on the dot 3/4/5 fluids
http://www.adlersantiqueautos.com/articles/brake1.html
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1973 super
1965 squareback 1500E
1971 bay window westy- subi swap

Tram · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 10:46 am Post subject:

Donnie strickland · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 11:12 am Post subject:

sjbartnik · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 12:14 pm Post subject:

DOT5 would not have been my first choice but the car came to me that way and it wasn't enough of a disincentive to reject the car.

Not sure if it's worthwhile to switch back to DOT3 or DOT4, some casual reading would seem to indicate that I'd pretty much have to fully disassemble the system and flush everything out with alcohol. That would be quite a job with 6 wheel cylinders and the master cylinder to take care of.

There don't appear to be any other issues with the DOT5 in this car except for the brake light switch issue, and it seems to be only an educated guess that the issue is due to DOT5 - no one seems to have anything conclusive.

EDIT: I did just read something on a Porsche 356 forum where a guy said his brake light switch (same type as VW) failed 2 days after switching to DOT 5. Some mechanic somewhere told him Harley-Davidson uses DOT 5 in their motorcycles and some Harleys have pressure-activated brake light switches. Guy went out and bought a Harley brake light switch, it threaded right into the Porsche master cylinder and has been fine ever since. So maybe that's my next experiment Very Happy

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1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650

Donnie strickland · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 5:34 pm Post subject:

I just talked with a coworker, who in the past worked several years for Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee, in several capacities. He says that Harley once used DOT 5 fluid, but has not done so since 2006. He says they stopped using it because the lubricity of DOT 5 is poor, and caused binding and premature failure of too many calipers.

He is a VW guy, having owned several over the years and currently owns a nice 73 Thing. He confirmed that a VW brake light switch will interchange with those used on Harleys, but he doesn't know if there's a problem using DOT 5 fluid on a VW switch.
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71 Elm Green FI A/T Squareback

sjbartnik · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 6:40 pm Post subject:

Yeah the info I found shows that they switched to DOT 4 in the last few years, but point being the brake light switches they're using should be good to go with either DOT 4 or DOT 5. I checked the parts fiche for a bike in the DOT 5 years and the switch is the same p/n as the one for the DOT 4 years. Will be worth a try I think, they are about the same price as the "high-end" VW switches.

Thanks for checking with your buddy, that's good info.
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1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650

sjbartnik · Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 1:36 pm Post subject:

OK so I've been researching this some more. Some of the Harley guys also complain of short life from the brake light switches but that seems mostly due to heat as the switch is located quite close to an exhaust pipe (this switch we are speaking of is the rear brake switch which is mounted near the right side footpeg rather than the front brake switch which is mounted on the bars).
Obviously heat will not be an issue if used on a VW.

Some guys have also said that the aftermarket switch made by Accel is built better than the official HD switch and they get more life out of it. Apparently the Accel switch is USA-made while the HD switch is of indeterminate origin.

So I've decided to order both!

I ordered an HD switch from the DOT5 years which is part number 72023-51C.

Then I ordered the Accel aftermarket switch, which is Accel p/n 181101 - this is available on Amazon.

Then I can do some unscientific experimentation when/if the FTE switch installed currently fails. So far it's still working.
_________________
1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650

sjbartnik · Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 9:18 pm Post subject:

Also, these guys came in the mail today: Very Happy

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1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650

sjbartnik · Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:29 am Post subject:

Last night I filled up the tank after what has been pretty much exclusively city driving and recorded 20.2 mpg. That seems more on par with what I should expect to see in city driving I think.

(Also it's about the same as what my GTI gets in city driving though of course the GTI is about 1200 lbs. heavier and produces about 146 more hp).
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1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650


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