TheSamba.com :: View topic - Rebuild 1968 Squareback in one year? = FAIL

Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:30 pm

bkeith85 wrote: Bobnotch wrote: Donnie strickland wrote: I'm in St Clair county, about 30 miles east of Bham.

Well, I'm in St Clair county too, but I'm about 6 miles west of Port Huron. :lol:

OP, would the items that don't belong happen to be the type 4 valve covers?

Looks good, lots of OCD running strong with this build. 8)

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

I noticed those when I posted the picture. I wasn't going to mention anything about that phase of the project until I was actually working on it, but...

I do intend to "ruin" it by swapping in a T4 engine. My apologies to the purists. But, I have valid reasons for doing so. Here's a brief outline of what I want and why:
My plan was to rebuild the stock 1600, upgrade to an alternator, add full flow oiling, and A/C. Since I wanted to drive this everyday, dependability and economy are the main concerns. The only experience I have with generators was having one converted to 12V for a '49 Ford pickup. I do know that they only put out about 30 amps max. Honestly, I probably don't need any more than that if I keep the stereo reasonable. But, if I can get a small, modern alternator that puts out twice the amperage, maybe I could run it at a slower speed and put less drag on the engine. Bottom line is, I've read of many happy folks who have switched and recommend it.

Air conditioning is pretty much mandatory in Alabama. I want to haul my kids around with me, and at their age, they don't need to be hot and sweaty all the time. A/C was an afterthought on these engines and even though I've heard they worked ok, I've heard many more stories about how it will destroy the engine in no time. I don't want to have to rebuild the engine every year or so.

Next, the oil filter. This was mandatory. An engine without proper oil filtration is 40's technology. Sure, I could change it more often, but I'll be putting 100 miles a day on it, so that would mean changing it once or twice a month.
I read all the posts about the full flow mod on a Type 3 using the typical method and a bunch of 90 deg. fittings. I didn't like all those sharp turns. It probably works fine, lots of people do it that way. Plus, it's not like the oil galleries in the case have nice sweeping turns. But, it bothered me, so I looked into running the lines out the side of the case. I had only seen where Brothers Machine did this mod, so I called them. Their prices were reasonable, but I also need a line bore and I still had to ship it across the country. That was going to run me about $500 I think. At the time, I felt that was too much. And I still kinda think spending a ton of money and still having a single relief, mag case is a shame.

Then, I discovered the Type 4 engine. I like the aluminum case and now durable it typically is (I now question this). It comes with an oil filter already. I don't have to run hoses everywhere or find a place to mount it. They came from the factory with A/C. Well, it was an option, but I like to think that VW took that into consideration when designing the engine. Just humor me on that one. They also come with an alternator already. I had found a stock VW engine, designed exactly for my needs, and it practically drops right in? Sign me up!

Yeah, they cost more. But when I did a cost estimate, they weren't that far apart - to build engine with all the same qualities. One of the deciding factors was knowing that the 1600 was the largest, most powerful engine built from that basic design. Essentially maxed out, by VW's standards. I know people push them waaaay further, but what is the lifespan of a 2.0L or bigger Type 1-3 engine? If I went with a 1700, I'd have the smallest displacement for the Type 4 design. It would probably be bulletproof.

That is my current plan, to build a nice stock 1700 with A/C. But, that is not going to happen right away. When I started collecting parts, I found out that no one in my area will do VW machine work. Well, there is one guy. I asked how much to line bore my case, and he told me $250. He runs a VW resto shop. He seems like a great guy, but I am not one of those guys who can just give him a blank check and tell him to have at it. That's where the allure of the Type 4 really got me thinking. So many guys said they rarely need a line bore and many reuse the stock pistons and cylinders. So, I started collecting engines. I got screwed on the first one; nothing usable. Paid a lot for another one, that was in pieces, but had a lot of new stuff. Plus, I feel like I helped the guy out. Then, I found the best one of all, a complete, possibly running 1800 for cheap. I should have waited. But, I have one of every size now.

Anyway, at one point, I was just trying to get an engine together. Either the 1600, or one of the T4's. I finally found a guy who did machine work in his spare time, so I took him my case. He had it for a month or so. During that time, I kept trying to get a type 4 together. Whichever could be finished first was the winner. That turned out to be the 1600. When the first two sets of T4 heads I got turned out to be garbage and the guy finished my case work, the plan changed.

I still want to do the T4 engine. But, I also want to drive this car. So, for now, I am building the stock 1600. It's cheaper, and I don't have to figure out a carb setup or re-wire for the alternator, etc. Also, I get to set a baseline. I didn't like that I would never have gotten to drive it in it's original form (well, close to it anyway). So, I am going to put the 1600 together just as I got it. That means a generator, stock oil strainer, and no A/C. That way, I can drive it and fix other things while I take my time building a T4 engine. If I ever have a mental breakdown and decide to sell it, the buyer will get a low mileage stock engine to install if he so desires.

Did I say this was the brief version? Oh well, I tend to ramble. It's a WELL documented tendency.

I don't blame you for looking at doing a T-4 conversion. Just make sure you've got everything you need before hand, and you should be fine. Do ALL of the research into what's needed to convert as well, as it would suck to get most of the way there, only to be held up on 1 part.
Yes, there are quite a few people on here that have converted to T-4 power. In fact I had 1 in a car with FI, but never really had the time to finish it (busy doing other stuff, and it was a fill in project).

My 65 Notch is running an ALL aluminum case t-1/3 style engine (universal case). I love it, and have driven it a bunch (long distance cruiser) in the last 8 years that I've had it. The only real issue I've had with it, was vapor locking of the mechanical fuel pump. Once I went to electric, I haven't had an issue with it. Granted, I'm not running an external oil filter on it (I do change the oil regularly), but then I don't use it all the time, as we get real winters here with lots of salt thrown down on the roads. I use the car mostly between April and October, and not for work either.I built it mainly as a cruiser, and it does that job well. It got converted to IRS in the rear, with disc brakes up front. I love the car, and am going back in to fix some stuff that came back (rust) after 14 years of ownership. I'm finally getting to the point where I can do some of the stuff to it, that I've wanted to do for a few years now. Don't get me wrong, I DID drive it this summer too. 8)

In your case though, I think going with the 1600, and getting everything else mechanically fixed will go further in allowing you to enjoy it and base line it for any future mods you plan to do. Good luck, have fun, and most of all enjoy your car. Once you get it up and running correctly, you'll have a hard time putting it down for an engine swap, or anything that takes more than a day to do, because you'll want to use it all the time. :shock:

Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:54 pm

Bobnotch wrote:

I don't blame you for looking at doing a T-4 conversion. Just make sure you've got everything you need before hand, and you should be fine. Do ALL of the research into what's needed to convert as well, as it would suck to get most of the way there, only to be held up on 1 part.
Yes, there are quite a few people on here that have converted to T-4 power. In fact I had 1 in a car with FI, but never really had the time to finish it (busy doing other stuff, and it was a fill in project).

My 65 Notch is running an ALL aluminum case t-1/3 style engine (universal case). I love it, and have driven it a bunch (long distance cruiser) in the last 8 years that I've had it. The only real issue I've had with it, was vapor locking of the mechanical fuel pump. Once I went to electric, I haven't had an issue with it. Granted, I'm not running an external oil filter on it (I do change the oil regularly), but then I don't use it all the time, as we get real winters here with lots of salt thrown down on the roads. I use the car mostly between April and October, and not for work either.I built it mainly as a cruiser, and it does that job well. It got converted to IRS in the rear, with disc brakes up front. I love the car, and am going back in to fix some stuff that came back (rust) after 14 years of ownership. I'm finally getting to the point where I can do some of the stuff to it, that I've wanted to do for a few years now. Don't get me wrong, I DID drive it this summer too. 8)

In your case though, I think going with the 1600, and getting everything else mechanically fixed will go further in allowing you to enjoy it and base line it for any future mods you plan to do. Good luck, have fun, and most of all enjoy your car. Once you get it up and running correctly, you'll have a hard time putting it down for an engine swap, or anything that takes more than a day to do, because you'll want to use it all the time. :shock:

Yeah, I know how that can happen. I made a point to do as much pre-fitting as I could now, so that when the time comes, I shouldn't have too many bugs to work out. I mocked up one of the T4's already, so I could make a pattern for the bellows adapter, cut down my intake manifolds, and build mounts to grab the ends of the shortened bus bar I'll use to help support the rear of the engine. I really want to figure out a way to use the stock oil filler and dipstick, but it would take some major re-engineering. The angles aren't anywhere close.
I already have everything to assemble a T4 engine except heads and a cam/lifter set. I have a set of 1700 heads that seem to be pretty good and a pair of 1800 heads that may be ok too. As usual, the heads are the most important part, so I'll have to get them rebuilt at some point.

Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:17 pm

Next, I worked on the brakes. I think the only things I didn't replace were the hard lines and the rear drums.

I dropped the front beam and just cleaned it up real good. I touched up the paint a little and put it back in. I had to order a couple of the upper mounting bushings from ISP. A year ago, I would have laughed at the thought of purchasing and installing USED rubber bushings. This project has changed my perception of "hard-to-find" parts.

I got new rotors and calipers for the front and put it back where it belongs:

My tie rods were mangled and I didn't want to reuse them. I also figured that used ones wouldn't be much better. So, I took a huge risk and got a pair of these:

Yeah, they're dune buggy parts. Is that mentioned in the Type 3 Redneck thread? They seem to be well made and clear everything. We'll have to see how they work out.

I learned another lesson here. When everyone here says "Buy the German ones", do it. I thought I was being smart by going with a brand I trusted for my tie rod end and ball joints. Moog is one of the best names in suspension parts, so that's what I used. It had to be better than some random brand that just happened to have "Made in Germany" on the label. Well, when I opened all those Moog boxes, I pulled out parts wrapped in plastic bags with weird names and "Made in Germany" written all over them. That's what I get for trying to be clever. Either way, I ended up with good parts, so I didn't mind too much.

Fri Dec 19, 2014 4:24 pm

Mandatory A/C? Well, I would agree it's desirable, but I've driven VWs in Alabama since 1984 and never had it. My 9 year old son has ridden everywhere with me in them.

I've never heard of A/C destroying an engine in a year. Whoever told you that is full of it. Modern compressors have much lower drag than the originals, so that's not an issue.

You're right about the difficulty of finding machine work. I wish I had a better answer, but I don't.

Bob's right about driving it. Once you start, you won't want to stop. :D

Fri Dec 19, 2014 5:31 pm

Donnie strickland wrote: Mandatory A/C? Well, I would agree it's desirable, but I've driven VWs in Alabama since 1984 and never had it. My 9 year old son has ridden everywhere with me in them.

I've never heard of A/C destroying an engine in a year. Whoever told you that is full of it. Modern compressors have much lower drag than the originals, so that's not an issue.

You're right about the difficulty of finding machine work. I wish I had a better answer, but I don't.

Bob's right about driving it. Once you start, you won't want to stop. :D

Me either. :? These stories about A/C "destroying" engines are just that.

Fri Dec 19, 2014 5:35 pm

I suspect they were the "straw that broke the camel's back" wherein a driver runs a poorly-tuned motor hard and the death spiral begins up some long hard incline in the summer with the A/C on. It does compromise airflow and adds a load (especially the old ones), and it might have been the thing to put it over the edge. Of course the owner doesn't blame himself...

Sat Dec 20, 2014 9:53 am

KTPhil wrote: I suspect they were the "straw that broke the camel's back" wherein a driver runs a poorly-tuned motor hard and the death spiral begins up some long hard incline in the summer with the A/C on. It does compromise airflow and adds a load (especially the old ones), and it might have been the thing to put it over the edge. Of course the owner doesn't blame himself...

I really don't think it would happen in a year, but you never know.
I think it's more of a case like my old 70 Squareback had, in which it saw summer temps in the 103 to 115* range, being used in city traffic (with AT at low revs), and having the AC on high (trying to cool the inside of the car), and having the old style York compressor with slots cut for the belt in the cooling shroud.
When you add all these things up, the engine is working hard to shed heat, and it's got limited cooling air flow due to the low revs (or idling for long periods). That's hard on the engine, and was hard on #4 rod bearing in it. Now, I know you're asking where this was, well, it was in North Texas. :shock: I know, not much of a surprise, but, that's what I figure caused the problem. It also happened under warranty, as the engine had a VW recycled symbol stamped on the case next to the engine number. :shock: That tells me it had to have happened at least once before. Definitely the "straw that broke the camel's back", as the car got parked for almost 20 years afterward before I got it.

Now, with the newer compressors out there, I'd think you'd fine with it. You just have to up size some of the components for use with R134. :wink:

Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:43 pm

I'm an engine guy. It's my favorite part of a project and I usually drag it out for as long as I can, trying to make sure everything is just right.
I didn't go into a lot of detail about what I did to the rest of the car because I am in the middle of the engine phase and I wanted to be caught up in case I had any questions. So far, I haven't had any trouble finding answers throughout the site, but sometimes you get better info when someone is looking at your specific issue.

Anyway, here is what I had the pleasure of starting with:

And here is initial cleaning of the case so I could check everything out. I only have one half done at this point.

It looks like I have posted almost every pic I have in the gallery, so I'll have to upload some more when I get home.

This car had just a hair over 100k miles when I got it. I feel very confidant that it's accurate. I'm pretty sure this is the first time the engine has been apart. I couldn't tell where it was leaking from, as it seemed to be everywhere. I think it was due for an overhaul and was parked for that reason. I regret not checking the compression before I pulled it apart, as that might have told me more. But I had already decided to rebuild it anyway.
I don't know if the FI system failed or if the PO tried to fix a worn out engine with a new induction system, but it has a pair of Dellorto FRDs on it that appear to be brand new. I took them apart to clean them, but there was nothing to clean. The car could not have been driven much at all after they were installed.

I know there is a big group of D-jet fans here, but I like carbs. I fully understand both systems, and have no fear of FI, I just like carbs better for certain applications. Plus, I have a nice, almost new set of Dels, and zero D-jet parts. I do wish I had a stock carb air cleaner though. Depriving my engine of cool air through the carbs is a shame. But, as I said before, until I decide otherwise, this engine is temporary, so I have to resist re-engineering things like the air cleaners.
I do at least have a 205L distributor, so it ought to run nicely when it's done.
That's enough for now. Next time I get a chance, I'll cover what I have done so far.

Oh, I have very detailed records of my engine dimensions and stuff like that. Does anyone have any interest in seeing that stuff? I had planned to include it, as I would find it interesting if I were following an engine build, but not sure if anyone else cares. I don't think I took enough pictures for this to be a good step-by-step guide, but maybe the info would be helpful to someone.

Wed Dec 31, 2014 7:35 am

I have a couple questions:

How important is the cap in the middle of the fan? I found one post saying that it was just a dust cap, but I can't help but wonder if it helps direct the airflow, or at least reduce turbulence a little. I'm sure I am over-thinking this a tad bit...

The other thing: I noticed in some pics that there is supposed to be a small rubber bumper on the right side air flap in the fan housing. Mine is missing. Do I need it? ISP doesn't even show the flaps in their diagrams, so I doubt it is available. I'm sure I can get one from the hardware store or McMaster-Carr if I really need it.

I think someone already commented on my Type 3 OCD. Am I having another episode?

Wed Dec 31, 2014 10:34 am

bkeith85 wrote: I have a couple questions:

How important is the cap in the middle of the fan? I found one post saying that it was just a dust cap, but I can't help but wonder if it helps direct the airflow, or at least reduce turbulence a little. I'm sure I am over-thinking this a tad bit...

The other thing: I noticed in some pics that there is supposed to be a small rubber bumper on the right side air flap in the fan housing. Mine is missing. Do I need it? ISP doesn't even show the flaps in their diagrams, so I doubt it is available. I'm sure I can get one from the hardware store or McMaster-Carr if I really need it.

I think someone already commented on my Type 3 OCD. Am I having another episode?

The cap is there for a reason, and it probably does help smooth some of the air flow into the small fan. But, when you install AC, the cap is removed, a different bolt is used, and a 2nd pulley is installed in it's place. Just something to think about (monkey wrench thrown into the works :wink: ).

I don't know what the rubber bumper is there for honestly (maybe to keep it from rattling on the tin?), as I've never given it any thought. Bentley says to adjust the gap to 1 to 2 mm from the lower edge of the flap to the housing. They don't even mention the rubber bumper, so it might not make any real difference being there. :shock:

Wed Jan 14, 2015 7:35 am

I know I said I would be starting on engine assembly, but a few things have popped up that I want to finish first. One of those is replacing all the dried out window seals. I replaced the rear and quarter window seals already. They are the cal-look ones, but I got a good deal on them from here in the classifieds. Since I may end up painting the car in the next few years, I didn't want to spend a lot on something I may have to replace soon.

Anyway, I just got new popout seals from JBugs (WCM seals), and I went ahead and ordered some pinchwelt for those windows. It's too short, so I may have to send it back. I think it must've been cut to length for a beetle, because it really needs about 3 or 4 more inches to work.

My question is, since I may not use this stuff, is if anyone makes the CORRECT style pinchwelt. The new stuff I got looks nothing like my old ones. If everything in the interior were new, it might look ok, but next to the original stuff, it looks pretty cheap. I did a search and all I found was Anthony from ISP answering a similar question with something like, "yes, it's correct. Quit asking questions and just use what you were given."
I paraphrased that some, but that's impression I got. I need to order a few things from ISP tomorrow, so I could get their pinchwelt, but from the pictures, it looks to be the same as what I just got.

Mine is in great shape, except that it has shrunk to the point that it has pulled away in the corners. I'm really tempted to get some out of a parts car and just splice in a piece, but that might look worse than the shiny new stuff. I could look around for some NOS, but I'd rather not. I could just replace it all and then it would match, but the pieces around the doors are the original white and brown and look great. I was able to rework those to make up for the shrinkage, so I'd like to keep them.

Any ideas? Or do I have to just take what I can get and quit whining?

Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:46 am

pinchwelt is available from upolstery shops by the foot, so that is a possibility if you have someone near you.

Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:53 am

I have saved a lot of pinchwelt off the doors/windows on my squares because I think it's good enough to clean and reuse. The aftermarket stuff never looks/fits as good as original.

Wed Jan 14, 2015 10:30 am

W1K1 wrote: pinchwelt is available from upolstery shops by the foot, so that is a possibility if you have someone near you.

I did find a supply house in MS and will probably order a few things from them. They have carpet, seat padding, etc. Check them out:

http://www.albrightssupply.com/

There is also a shop in Montgomery that sells upholstery and supplies, so I may stop by there when I get a chance.

I kinda figured that no one was making an accurate reproduction of the OE welting, but it's always a good idea to check.

Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:41 pm

Just a quick update on my progress. I am trying to hold off on assembling the engine until I have everything ready. I could go ahead and build the long block, but I'd have to wait on a few other parts to put it in. So, I have been working on my heat exchangers this week. They looked pretty bad, but are cleaning up ok. The stone shields and the cloth-like stuff were intact, but it looks like the cloth held moisture and rusted out a few places. I will leave that stuff off, but maybe put the shields back on. Here's one after cleaning:

And here is the other one after blasting:

You can see a couple of the holes I have to deal with. I have started patching them and should have them both fixed up this weekend. I haven't loaded the progress pics to the gallery yet. Maybe I can do that early next week.

I also got my wheels finished and my tires mounted. I bought this set of thin lip Formula Vees from a guy out in KS.

I found them in the classifieds and was able to convince my Dad to bring them back for me. I got lucky that he happened to be working out there at the time. He just had to babysit them for about a month until he came back home.
Since I needed tires and wheels to be able to drive the car after the engine goes in, I had to get to work on them. I painted the spokes and polished the rest. I'm sick of polishing and glad to have these done.

This shot was taken before I resprayed them. I thought they were too light. They looked like somebody just painted them with cheap silver spray paint. Which is sorta correct, except the cheap part. I used moderately priced spray paint. I decided to go a little darker, hoping to simulate the natural color of old magnesium wheels, but I went too dark. I was tired of dealing with wheels at that point, so I decided to just wait till I could see the car on the ground, then decide.

With darker paint:

I have a feeling, that when the sun hits them, they will look great. I'd love to get a set of the billet center caps that ISP offers, but a set of those is almost as much as I paid for the wheels.

My current plan is to put the engine in, do the cam break-in, and be able to drive it around some to start seating the rings right away. I don't want to run it for 20 minutes and then have it sit while I finish other things. So, I am trying to get everything ready first. When you think you have everything covered for firing an engine for the first time, you might have 75%. There will still be a few thing you forgot or didn't account for.

I am replacing as much weatherstripping as I can right now in case it is parked outside and a storm blows in. I am almost finished with one of my popouts. I should have it back together tonight. I have to wait on parts to come in before they can be installed though.

That's it for now.

Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:08 pm

I forgot one thing. These wheels required slightly longer lug bolts, but I didn't want to pay $5 each for some that probably were made in China. I needed them to be about 5mm longer, so I did some research and found that the ones on the new beetles are 26mm vs. the 20mm of my stock ones. One trip to Pull A Part, and had a whole set of genuine VW bolts. There were at least three cars out there, each with 5 lugs per wheel, so I was able to cherry-pick the best ones. These were only 50 cents each:

Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:06 pm

Ok, so lately I have been working on my popout windows. The old rubber was so dry that I just broke off as much as I could, then scraped off the rest. When I got to the screws, the ones in the first window (passenger side, I think) came out ok. The heads got chewed up a little, but that's all. The bottom bar had a little surface rust, so I sanded it down and put a little paint on it. The drivers side frame was tougher. I had to drill out two of those screws. The bar on that one was pretty rusty so I media blasted it before painting. I probably should have made a new one, but I think it will hold together a while longer. I was able to save the old threads, but they weren't perfect, so I ordered a 3.5 x .6mm tap from McMaster-Carr just in case. I probably didn't have to do that, but it was about $8 for the tap, which seemed like a small price for knowing the screws would go in easily. I also went ahead and got all new screws from ISP. Typically, if I need some kind of weird fastener, I'll get a whole box from McMaster because they are usually pretty cheap. I got all new screws and washers for my tinwork for about $5. But in this case, I got all the screws I needed from ISP for $2, and I was already ordering other stuff. I was also pretty sure that I would never find a use for the other 92 screws I'd have if I ordered from McMaster-Carr.

Anyway, I was able to eventually work my way down to this:

I used a razor blade to scrape the old rubber off the edge of the glass, but it always leaves a little bit behind. I found something that really worked well on the last glass install I did, and that is this stuff:

We use it for cleaning stainless cookware, but it works great for glass. It is a very mild abrasive, so it scrubs off all the old gunk that has accumulated on a window over the years. I think it also polishes the glass a little bit. It looks like new afterwards.

Anyway, here are a couple other shots as I went along.

When I got to this point, I had trouble with the sharp edge of the frame digging into the inner seal. I was able to slowly get it on there, but for the rest of them, I took a file and slightly chamfered those edges. You probably can't see it in this picture, but this is the area in general:

It must've helped, because I didn't have that problem again.

I read every thread I could find about this project and used every trick I found. The ratchet strap method worked perfectly. Although, I did screw up once by using the bare hook directly on the frame. I must have used a lot of force, because it left an ugly dimple. I was able to smooth out the area so the outer seal would fit, but the dip was still there. I was lucky that the outer seal covers up that area. From then on, I wrapped the strap around the frame and hooked the two ends together. That way the frame only had the nylon strap against it.

Another trick I found when installing the other windows, was to use some *ahem* water-based personal lubricant. It is super slippery, cleans up easily, and doesn't hurt the rubber. I've tried the soapy water before with mixed results. It always dries before I get finished and I have to keep applying it. This stuff worked great and as long as you had it on every surface, everything went together without much trouble. Yeah, my fingers still hurt three days later, but I got both sides put together.

I think they turned out great. I now have new seals inside and out, new rubber washers where the latch attaches to the glass, and new hinge seal/sleeves from ISP. I decided to just go ahead and use the windlace I got from Jbugs. No one else had anything any better that didn't cost $5 a foot. The package I got was labeled as Type 1, but according to their site, it should also fit a Type 3. After installing one side there wasn't near enough for both. I called them up and they offered to send me some more if it wasn't enough. It should be waiting on me when I get home today. I thought that was pretty cool of them.

So, I tried to install one of the windows this morning, but failed miserably. I tried the tape trick, but that didn't help. It's almost like the sleeves on the hinges won't go in the holes. I went back and re-read all the popout threads hoping to figure out what I am doing wrong. I'll try again this weekend with a helper and maybe some lube on those areas.

I saw where a few people had problems with the hinge sleeves popping off and falling down into the door pillar area. I don't want that to happen. Has anyone tried gluing them to the hinge first? Just a little weatherstrip adhesive would keep them in place. Or does that part need to move? What part hinges? Does the frame hinge move in the sleeve while it stays stationary in the body, or does the sleeve stay in place on the hinge, moving in and out of the slot in the B pillar?

Fri Jan 23, 2015 9:37 pm

Nice job on the windows.
The sleeves could be glued, as the curved part of them is what's the hinge.
Don't be scared to use more 2 inch tape. You really want to roll the front seal lip back and out of the way.

Wed Feb 04, 2015 5:52 am

Thanks! I think they turned out pretty good. It's a tough job. At every step, I kept thinking "please let me get these back together".

I did screw up on the second one. I learned on the first one to pull the outer seal a little to thin it out, which allows it to go into the groove a bit easier. But, I stretched the second one too much and had to work it around to un-stretch the rest of it.

I still haven't put them in. I am going to wait until the car is back on the ground. I don't think I could get enough leverage on it at 2 feet off the floor.

So, what tape do you recommend? I tried the blue painters tape, but it doesn't like to stick for long. Maybe I just need to clean the glass again.

Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:33 am

Ok, I have finally come to a problem where I couldn't find the answer with a search. Or, at least, not a satisfactory answer.

I set my distributor drive to 60 deg. at TDC, just as it shows in the Bentley.
I go to drop my distributor in, and line up the notch for #1 and I can't get there. The vacuum advance can hits the left side cylinder tin before it will reach that notch. I know it doesn't HAVE to be in that exact spot, but I have been trying really hard not to jury-rig anything on this engine. Well, even if i wanted to move #1 to another spot, the condenser hits the fan housing before it will go far enough. So, after weighing my options, I pulled the drive out just enough to turn it back about 1 tooth. Maybe I didn't hit 60 degrees the first time, because now, it looks more like 30 degrees. Regardless of angle, I now have a little more room and can get one cap terminal to line up and be #1.

But that isn't my problem.

I did some reading, and decided to check the oil hole in the distributor body yesterday. I read that the shaft oiling hole should line up with the oil hole in the case. It doesn't line up. Not even close. If I line them up, it looks like this:

Not gonna happen.

When I got the car, it looked like this:

This is roughly where I have mine set to be. But, those oil passages don't line up at all that way.

Is that a problem?

The crazy thing is, this is a Type 3 distributor. It has to fit somehow, right?

The distributor numbers are: 0231163001 and 311905205L

This should be the stock distributor, so what's the deal?

Honestly, if I could just find a pic of where the vacuum can is originally supposed to point, I can make it all work. But I looked through the gallery and did several searches and never found an authoritative answer. I can't even find it in the Bentley. I do have some extra room with the fuel pump gone, so installing it "wrong" would give me more options.