North GA 1973 Veteran's Addition

[Heiferman]

[Heiferman]

Proper lug nuts sorted.

Replaced my electric fuel pump with a Holley with far less uga-duggas. Seems to have helped.

And I was smelling has in the frunk and had replaced all the fuel lines and filler. So Impulled the sender. Yeah - no gasket. Lol.
Fixed.

Now this looks like a PITA. I got seat rails but they for sure don't want to be where I need them to go. I am going to have to do some serious improvising here.

And although I have the passenger seat figured out, I can not find a spring that will do what I need it to. McMaster Carr does not have what I need. I.made one from a compression spring but discovered it would need to be twisted opposite the tension spring to work. I am going to go back to Ace armed with the compression spring I just made and see if theynhave any thatbhave a reverse twist.

Anyways.
We are headed outta town Wednesday so I need to check the fasteners under the Landcruiser since it will take a beating and need to get us home later in the week.

The wesekend I turned round wood into flat wood. That is hard work.

Oh - and I got the driver's seat back together and good to go. Just need a place to put it!

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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

Low and behold, a guy on another forum spoke up having just retired from a place that made springs. What are the chances. He had 4 made and sent them gratis.
Finished up the seat bottom today:

Got some black spray paint on there and will.let it get cured before I put them back together.

And also got these fine Ebay specials:

So now to get the seat slides mounted in the car which will need serious moding. Then get back to trying to get the carbs and timing tuned in.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

Howdy from the Wilmington, NC Brew Fest.

Sunboy had their '78 Type 2 powered by a 94 subaru.

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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

Back from a little away time with some friends and I got back on the seats this afternoon.

This was a super huge pita.
The bends in the new seat rails do not match the floor where I need the seats to live to I have to build shims and wels those on then weld the shims to the floor. In retrospect I should have just used Beetle seats and sold the Thing seats thatbwere all mangled but here I am.

I need to learn to tig. That would have been better for all this.

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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

Awwww thank ya Budda! <or your choice of deity

I have the rail inserts and springs so just need to check the welds then prime and paint ans this should be a rap on this side. I was really not sure how this was going to work out. Passenger side should be easier.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

Patched a seat cover today so I could put the passenger seat back together. Far from perfect but neither is the car.

And finalized the driver's seat rail.

Night out planned that includes a few errands. Have to be at the VA tomorrow then another evening out in Hotlanta with friends. See you guys Sunday.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

No pics from today but the passenger seat is back together and the slide is in and painted.
And then there is the Karmann Ghia discussion going on in the house
Seats are supposed to be cleaned tomorrow for installation and seat belts installed.
Then I will get back at the carbs. Darn carbs.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

No sale on the Ghia. Was a little too far gone. Probably for the best.
Gotta keep my eye on the ball.
I have a few chores to take care of before it rains Wednesday and Thursday and then will get back to it.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

W00t!
Here is a grainy photo of the Thing rolling back into the shop after a couple wet laps around the compound!

I spent a bunch of time with timing, mixture, and synching again today. If you are following along you know I swapped the carbs left to right and my issues have followed the carb. I checked for a vacuum leak woth no indication of one. I richened the mixture significantly and that helped the constant backfiring out the carb. (When it started backfiring at the tailpipe I knew I went too far.)
I definitely feel the flat spot on the 009 and will likely swap to an SVDA.
Pretty excited to have driven it. Even if it was just 100 yards but it has been pouring rain all day.

Question for the masses - should I bother with a crossover tube?
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

I went ahead and dropped the coin in an SVDA with pertronix installed last night. On sale otherwose I would have waited a while. Hopefully I can time it with more ease than the 009 I was struggling with.

I need to learn where to connect the vac line but it appears I may need to send them in to KS get a mod done for a vacuum line to get enough vac to pull the SVDA.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

I messed with a door check today as well as the wiring cover. It is all welded, painted and ready to go back in with some #12sheet metal screws.
I also dropped the duck boards that came with the car in on the DS. So cool.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

I am losing my mind with these Kads.
Understanding I am likely having a lean issue I took out the mixture screw on the offending carb and sprayed in some carb cleaner and replaced it with the same number of turns (four full turns out is where it idles well). The idle was great but under load I loose all kinda power and then I get sputtering and back firing out of that carb only. It is acting like I have a huge vacuum leak. But I sprayed carb cleaner all around the carbs and got no evidence of a leak.
I have good compression all the way around. As mentioned, the issued followed the carb from the DS to the PS when I swapped them.
Next I hooked up a balance tube and the engine ran like absolute doodoo so I took that off, plugged the ports and was back to great idle.

I wonder if I hooked a vacuum gauge up to each carb to see what that shows. I know that works for tuning a single carb but also read you should attach it to the balance tune if trying to tune the duals.

I don't friggin know.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

Happy Thanksgiving all.
Going to start over with the tuning. The car is sputtering, and backfiring out the carbs again and has 0 power.

This is my plan:
Pull the main jets and measure them, clean them and reinstall
2 turns out on the mixing screws.
Re-time to about 30 btdc at 3000rpm
Disconnect linkage and balance from 0
See where I stand.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

Pulled the offending carb and pulled it apart again. Nothing seems wrong. No trash in it. Nothing clogged. I can't find my jet measuring tool so I guess I need a new one. But the non-working end of a 1/16 drill bit will just barely not enter the main jet. I am guessing this is a #150 - that seem ridiculously huge. I thought they should be #125s.
I measured the action of the accelerator pump and set it to an 8mm action like some have said.

Then discovered the friggin crank pulley bolt and washer had decided to leave the show. Wtf. Ordering two sets and will add some blue locktite to it I guess.
I have never seen that happen on a VW engine before.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

I just dropped some coin on a set of main jets. 123, 125, 128 and 130.
I based the choices on the Lowbuggit site and the Kadron bible.
I am also going to pick up some ether and see if it reacts to a suspected vacuum leak better than the carb cleaner (which did not).
Since it is only 1 carb and they are new I am starting to think a bad throttle shaft?

I did get the repaired metal loom cover installed and the passenger seat in. Plus the duck boards. The back passenger board I had to trim due to the position of the battery and the seat slides. I am considering some heavy duty velcro to keep them in place.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

Highs and lows.
The wife went for a walk and found both the concave washer and crank pulley bolt. She has special powers and finds lost stuff all the time.
So I cleaned it all up and installed it a little tighter than spec with some blue loctite.

Then went back at the tuning.
It does not matter what I do.
I continually have backfiring from one of the carbs. It does not matter what side it is on and I have increased the mixture to well past what it should need.

I have had it and about to toss these Kads in the scrap heap. I read that they can have throttle shaft bushing issues out of the box. I am guessing that is it but if I spray carb cleaner at it I get no increased idle.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

More detailed thread on my carb woes:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=798156&start=20
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[Heiferman]

Spent a few hours on the carbs today and among other things posted in the other section, swapped the lids side to side. I am confident that was not the solution but things are better.
I would have liked to have taken it down the road but it is rainy, cold and a bit muddy on the shop approach so it is going to have to wait.
Fingers crossed.

Still on the hit parade is rebuilding the wiper motor (no high and no park - it seems pretty loose too) and repairing the frunk floor and front bumper.
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- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[wbailey2112]