TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:04 pm

Had to replace the fuel pipe on my 53 and despite my sane rational side saying run the tube along side the tunnel ,i decided to run it inside .

I found a few previous access holes which had been badly covered up so this was an opertunaty to tidy it all up.

Looking towards the front .Note clutch cable to the top right.

Here shows plastic pipe used to pull copper alloy pipe (doesnt go brittle like pure copper)through the frame head as i didnt want to cut a hole there.

New pipe was tie wrapped to the existing stuff to make it rigid .

Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:55 pm

Nice tunnel pics! 8)

Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:06 pm

is that copper alloy brake pipe too :shock: ( link to recent info on british copper line technology ) :

http://www.dimebank.com/BrakePlumbing.html

I saw some pics of some Germans redoing split frame tubes somewhere on here and they cut the whole bottom of the frame tunnel off, replaced ALL pipes at once, spot welded everything back up like factory, I was impressed, no extra holes, that would be some serious work

Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:38 am

billmetric wrote: is that copper alloy brake pipe too :shock: ( link to recent info on british copper line technology ) :

http://www.dimebank.com/BrakePlumbing.html

I saw some pics of some Germans redoing split frame tubes somewhere on here and they cut the whole bottom of the frame tunnel off, replaced ALL pipes at once, spot welded everything back up like factory, I was impressed, no extra holes, that would be some serious work

i have seen that report before but copper nickel brake lines have been used since the seventies in the UK .i think if it was a real problem it would have been taken off the market by now.

Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:26 pm

Here in German language how VW asked to make it. Pages 29...30.

From Page 31 to 32 is show how to made pipe an other way, fast and dirty.

http://www.vw-classic.net/repleitfaden_typ11_52_57/repleitfaden_52_57_kapitel_R.pdf

Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:34 pm

virtanen wrote: Here in German language how VW asked to make it. Pages 29...30.

From Page 31 to 32 is show how to made pipe an other way, fast and dirty.

http://www.vw-classic.net/repleitfaden_typ11_52_57/repleitfaden_52_57_kapitel_R.pdf

thats a great link.Unfortunatly the hole in the end of the framehead is small and has the handbrake rod in the way .it will be useful if i ever have to do it again though.thanks .

Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:56 pm

Sinbad wrote:

Man, That is like a colonoscopy of a VW. Cool picture

Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:11 pm

that's funny, i was thinking the same thing. sweet pics!

j

Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:01 pm

That is seriously the only part of a ACVW I've never seen before. Now I've seen everything... :lol:

Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:54 am

c.davis419 wrote: That is seriously the only part of a ACVW I've never seen before. Now I've seen everything... :lol:

LOL. I felt the same exact way when I saw that picture.

Sat Feb 02, 2019 5:44 pm

Access holes ?
Are you kidding ?
Those you shown in your photos are obviously fresh.
I'm facing this same problem and looking for ways to push new stainless tube through the tunnel of my 56: of course I don't want to cut a holes if I don't have to...

Sun Feb 03, 2019 11:07 pm

There's no need to hack up your tunnel like that.
When I did it, I fed the line in from the hole between the front axle beam tubes. I had a bare light bulb in the tunnel at the trans end to completely illuminate the inside of the tunnel. I fed it in, following the path of the original line. The original line was cut off at the shift rod coupler, and inside the frame head. I inserted a piece of welding rod into the hole in the left frame horn, all the way to the shift rod. Then when the new tube got to this point, I put the tube around the welding rod and continued pushing it. The welding rod will guide the tube out the hole in the frame horn. Easy.
I was also able to bend the tube 90º at the front to go out the top of the frame head.
Once it is in place, you can go through all the factory holes using long hemostats and secure it to the original fuel line with zip straps. Or you can use baling wire.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 10:40 pm

Thanks a lot Bruce ! I will try your recommended instructions before I start cutting holes. Without trying, my biggest concern so far is pushing the line through the original hole up front...but i'll give it a go. Thanks again !

Tue Feb 18, 2020 7:50 pm

I just did this on my 54' .

I went the other way around. I got 20' of stainless line to use. Started at the rear where the original line was/is. Used a dremel to make some extra room in the same 'outlet' that the old line protrudes from then unfolded a coat hanger and ran it up through the frame from the rear until I could grab it at the shift coupler. Advance the hanger (guidewire in surgery) as far as you can.
Then run the new fuel line over the hanger and maneuver it through the tunnel forward.
I used a 1" hole saw to make a hole- it sort of has to be a size where you can shine a light into the tunnel AND use a tool/hook to grab the new fuel line- and fed the new line forward until I could see it in my 1" hole.
Then used a short section of hanger to 'hook' the fuel line and pull it up through my access hole. rust proof the hole, use a grommet for the new line and plug the original fuel line hole up...
No way to weld inside the tunnel, so it's just trial and error and patience to make sure the new line doesn't sit against anything that moves ; like the clutch cable near the front..etc..
Overall a good outcome I think,

Thu Nov 30, 2023 4:16 pm

I finished up this repair a few years ago, but just ran across this thread. So, I thought that I would post up another method. Always more than one way to skin a cat!

The fuel line is held in place. It is not welded at the retainers. No where along the run is this conduit welded. Funny stuff I never knew!

So, to get the old fuel tubing out, I had to get creative, as the retainers were super tight. The tubing will push through the retainer, but not the rust. So, I cut the tubing as close to the retainer as I could and hammered out the remnant piece.

Like this! The retainer has an unwelded seam!

Pulled out the roll of tubing and cut a segment off.

I then threaded it into the retainer. Perfect fit!

Had to cut a small triangular piece out of the tunnel bottom to access this retainer.

See the tubing going through.

Then the retainer in the middle.

Then, utilizing the previously cut fork, I push, bent, pulled and pried the new fuel tubing through the fork.

And then I pulled it out of the opening on the top of the fork.

With the tubing sticking out the back, I turned my attention to where it needs to exit the tunnel at the front.

Utilizing that front access hole, directly in back of the Nap Hat, gives me access to the area by the pedals and the area in back of the frame horn. And there it is, the fuel line!

I then pushed the line all the way forwards, till it came out the inspection cover hole. Cut off this piece from the roll I had and returned to the rear of the car To pull out the line, back to the Access hole I made, so I can bend the tubing, to help get it through the exit hole.

I then returned to the front, bent the end of the conduit at a 45 angle and weaseled it past the e-brake conduits. It has to curve under these and then stick out the tunnel. Spent a lot of time, pulling a small amount, bending it, pulling, bending, on and on. Until finally, the tubing cleared the adjacent conduits, cleared the tunnel and exited the front hole!

I then worked my way back to the rear, tightening up the clamps and bending the conduit to enter the fork nicely, without rubbing on anything!

Excess at the rear. Better too long than too short!

Cut, recent and pushed back into the tunnel!

Looking down into the fork.

With the new line installed, I wanted to add a rear tubing support, within the fork, to keep the tubing from bouncing around inside there loose. So, I added a support in each fork and secured the tubing within each one.

I then checked the fit of the previously removed pan and made some cuts to ease in alignment. There, perfect!

Tacked that side in and went to the other side.

Then welded the two of them up.

Also, welded up a rust hole in the fork.

With all of that installed, I moved onto buttoning it back up. First, prepared the front access hole. Ground it down to clean steel and shot some weldable primer onto the surfaces.

Same with the cover. Also, had to hammer this one flat again.

Laid into place and welded! Keep catching the seam sealer from the pan install on fire.

Then over to the triangular piece.

It was then time to stop, clean up and return to the family! Until next weekend![/quote]