TheSamba.com :: View topic - My 54 european deluxe from start to finish

Thu May 20, 2010 10:15 am

i swapped to type 3 rears but had no problems with th cables as well.

hard to see in your pic but where is the tension bar that your e-brake hooks to?

it's been awhile but i don't think 54-55 are any different.

Thu May 20, 2010 10:44 am

Nice job on your brakes Russ. 8)

This is why I take pictures "before" I take stuff apart, because I will never remember how they go back together. But there is differences between 54 and 55 rear brakes. In 54 there was 2 springs from a tab on the adjuster side to each shoe. this didn't allow an space for the parking brake lever to be on the outside of the shoe. It was in behind the shoe and therefore the cable is stuck between the shoe and the backing plate. Take note below.

You can make out the lever in behind the r/h shoe and the cable in behind the 2 springs. This is my right rear brake assembly before disassembly.

Left rear, not as good a picture but you can make out the lever behind the left hand shoe with the cable behind the springs again.

Right rear again, maybe easier to see. You can see why the width of the cable end is so important with only a small space between the backing plate and the shoe to pass between when you pull on the parking brake.

I will have to investigate more when I get back from St. John's. :roll:

Thanks for the pick, nice job on the 55.
Mike

Thu May 20, 2010 12:02 pm

i do see it there now it was just hard to see in the first pic.

it really is a tight fit

Thu May 20, 2010 12:49 pm

Hey Russ,

Yes it is close, it fits fine when it is just on the lever in the off position but as you pull the brake on and the cable attach end approached the edge of the shoe the backing plate starts to close the gap and the cable end jambs up a bit. I will check the measurement of the old cables, still have them and measure the new ones and post my findings.

Cheers,
Mike

Wed Jun 09, 2010 4:50 pm

So just to prove that I am not out to lunch (on this anyway) I have pictures for proof. I have been having problems with the parking brake cables jamming in between the shoe and the backing plate and I wanted to know why.

If you look at the first photo this is my original 1954 brake cable end that attaches to the lever on the shoe. The width of it is 0.415 inches.

If you look at the width of the replacement cables from CIP you will see that they are 0.463 inches. This was enough to jam up the shoes and not let it return considering all there is for the return springs are the shoe springs themselves.

Here I have shaved the sides of the cable to the same thickness as the original and when I put it back together it works perfectly now.

So I now have the front end almost ready to go, just have to restore the steering box. Front brakes all done, parking brake adjusted and cotter pinned, temporary mount made for the brake reservoir maybe to take the pan for a spin soon?

Finally I didn't want to strip the black paint off the newly overhauled tranny, so I decided to paint over it instead with tremclad. I think it looks pretty good, especially since I did it in situ.

I am off to Florida for training for the next week but will update more when I get back. Next will be the steering box and mounting the engine and all the connections that involves.

Thanks for watching.
Mike

Thu Jun 10, 2010 12:34 am

54bug'n wrote: More pics to catch up to this year.

Reassembling the shift rod, and the parking brake cables from the front end. Gotta love the 54 set up.

More to come we are almost caught up.
Cheers,
Mike

Got some more pic's of the parking brake setup, need to do this myself but don't know how it was put together because they removed it when I bought the pan and had to buy a set-up appart from the pan?

Great work, real insperation for me. Need to do all this, this summer :D

Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:42 am

Hey Nick,

I will see what I have to post. The front end is basically the rod is inserted from the front with the slot up and it goes over your brake handle. The spring is inserted over the front end of the rod and then the rod end and the cable ends are routed through the holes in the retainer plate which is bolted on as shown. Then the solid cast 3 hole piece is inserted over the rod and and cables, nuts installed on the cables and then the nut retainer installed over that with a cotter pin to retain. Then when you are ready, set up the brake so that it starts to grab the rear wheels at 2 clicks of the handle and can't rotate the rear drums at 4 clicks according to the Bentley manual.

Hope this helps, will see what I have for more pics.

Thanks for watching.
Cheers,
mike

Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:53 am

johnshenry wrote: Wow, nice work! That engine looks stunning!!!
=D> =D>
I'm curious as to why the tranny was painted black though? Just a custom idea? Ir is it some kind of coating??

When did VW start painting the trannys black? I have seen photos of the 1960 Beetles going down the assembly line with black trannys?

Fri Jun 11, 2010 12:32 pm

Hello Agave,

I am not sure as to the answer to your question, but I have never personally seen a black tranny originally from VW. To answer John and your question, mine was painted black by the overhauler (John's bug shop in Welland Ontario) with an anti corrosive paint. It did make a nice base coat to repaint it back to a more original color for the 54 era.

Anyone else on black tranny's?

Cheers,
Mike

Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:57 pm

I believe transaxles started coming black from the factory starting with the 1966 model year.

Sat Jun 12, 2010 11:16 am

janerick3 wrote: I believe transaxles started coming black from the factory starting with the 1966 model year.

Here is a picture taken in Oct 1959, for the new 1960 models. So apparently VW started painting the trans earlier then 1966?

A VW body coming down on its pan.

Sat Jun 12, 2010 12:18 pm

russ I just changed over to type 3 brakes also. I believe your e brake arms are backwards but I may be wrong, also the attachment clip goes to the back but I dont think this makes a lot of difference. Any one else notice this? awesome job have fun with it mL.

Sat Jun 12, 2010 1:03 pm

I checked my Bentley manual when I was home and I noticed that for 55 they did switch to the single spring on the top, but it still showed the parking lever on the back side of the shoe in between the plate and the shoe so I think you may be right mike.

It doesn't seem to make a difference in the operation by the looks of things, maybe better with such a small apace behind the shoes as I pointed out above. Looks good though Russ.

thanks for the comments all. :)

Cheers,
Mike

Sat Jun 12, 2010 5:33 pm

Sorry, I came in on the 2nd page and thought russ was the op as I was talking about his picture of the type 3 rear brakes. Very nice job on the oval though. I enjoy your pictures and postings. Keep up the great work

Thu Jun 17, 2010 7:45 am

Even though I am in Florida on business, the purchases for the bug never end. My wife laid down her decision this am and I have ordered the 5.60-15 coker bias ply whiltewall tires for the 54. 8)

Can't wait to get them, put them on the rims and get that pan sitting on its own rubber. Home next week, the project will continue then.

Cheers,
Mike

Thu Jun 17, 2010 8:43 am

I just noticed the thread and think your doing an awsome job! I noticed the snowflake mid 55 and later tail lights! What' up with that? It shoud be hearts! Also just letting you know I have a friend that has the same tires you just ordered new and still wraped cheaper!! He bought them from coker but has since decided to do a different look! pm me if your interested :wink:

Thu Jun 17, 2010 8:54 am

Hey EMPIFLAKE thanks for the comments. As far as the snowflake tail lights, they were put on by the son of the original owner after he sold the hearts, guess he figured some people wouldn't notice, they are sold and I have original hearts to replace them with. He had just enough knowledge to be dangerous sold the hearts, the seats but at least not the semaphores, or the headlights. Given time I am sure he would have had them gone too. :roll:

As far as the Cokers, wish I had heard of your friend with the tires before, I have already ordered now and paid. Oh well but thanks for the offer. 8)

I will be posting more as I go along check it out ffrom time to time.

CHeers,
Mike

Mon Jun 28, 2010 6:15 am

Hello all, back at it again, hopefully will be getting more done now that my travels have slowed.

I spent some time to clean out the fuel line running through the pan. It was all clogged up with varnished fuel and a bit of rust. I used Acetone and a long piece of stainless steel wire in a drill running back and forth through the tube, you can see the set up at the back end below.

And at the front of the pan I had a brake bleeder cup to catch the crud being rinsed out so I could monitor the cleanliness of it. After about 3 hours of work and numerous runs with the wire in the drill and acetone, It now runs clear and free. One more step done, picture of the front end setup below.

Today I am adding a NOS rotor and yellow wire Capacitor I picked up to my engine as well as a German Repro brown Dizzy cap thanks to Glenn. Also start the overhaul of my steering box. Pics to come soon.

Cheers,
Mike

Mon Jun 28, 2010 6:52 am

Looks great Mike,

this may be a question for the body forum but how did you prep and finish your pan and front beam?

Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:12 am

Hello 2 Dokas,

A friend of mine media blasted the pan, beam and all associated parts separately after I disassembled the whole lot. See photos on the first page. Then he epoxy primed it all and finally chassis black paint. I taped off and protected all sensitive areas during the media blasting process especially on the beam.

I hope this helps, there are a number of threads on the samba as to pan restoration if you need more info.

Thanks for the props and looking,
Cheers,
Mike