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DUNGBTL 
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2022
Posts: 475
Location: Ashland, OR
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 Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:14 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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| bruceo98 wrote: |
| That came out nice . That’s what I plan on doing to mine is tuck it in the side and front and back . Moving along . How long before you crank it up? |
Thanks!
I’m hoping later this year for start-up. The ‘re-assembly’ has begun.
Have you had your operation yet? |
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bruceo98
Samba Member
Joined: February 23, 2021
Posts: 656
Location: LA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:23 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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No, they aren't going to remove it now. I have too much scar tissue there from previous operations that might cause complications. so now it radiation time. 5 days a week for 6 weeks.
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I may not be the best, but when the top 10 get together, they all talk about me. |
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SnowDaySyncro
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2006
Posts: 164
Location: Hartford, CT USA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:55 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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| bruceo98 wrote: |
| That came out nice . That’s what I plan on doing to mine is tuck it in the side and front and back . Moving along . How long before you crank it up? |
The only change I would suggest for emulating Dungbtl's very nice looking installation, especially in a southern state, is to glue a layer of closed cell foam landau top padding between the steel and the carpet. it adds a bit of sound and heat insulation without much weight, and it's easy to piece into place without visible seams. I would use landau top adhesive for both that and the carpet. We used bulk landau adhesive through a spray gun for headliners and everything else when I worked at an auto upholstery shop. |
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bruceo98
Samba Member
Joined: February 23, 2021
Posts: 656
Location: LA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 8:03 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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| SnowDaySyncro wrote: |
| bruceo98 wrote: |
| That came out nice . That’s what I plan on doing to mine is tuck it in the side and front and back . Moving along . How long before you crank it up? |
The only change I would suggest for emulating Dungbtl's very nice looking installation, especially in a southern state, is to glue a layer of closed cell foam landau top padding between the steel and the carpet. it adds a bit of sound and heat insulation without much weight, and it's easy to piece into place without visible seams. I would use landau top adhesive for both that and the carpet. We used bulk landau adhesive through a spray gun for headliners and everything else when I worked at an auto upholstery shop. |
Yes i planned on using the landau adhesive but mine will be glued to a poly wall sheeting which will tuck into to side,front and back rails like his and held up in the middle with the rag top weatherstrip. so `i won't have it glued directly to the roof panel.
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I may not be the best, but when the top 10 get together, they all talk about me. |
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DUNGBTL
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2022
Posts: 475
Location: Ashland, OR
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 10:18 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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| bruceo98 wrote: |
| No, they aren't going to remove it now. I have too much scar tissue there from previous operations that might cause complications. so now it radiation time. 5 days a week for 6 weeks. |
I see.
My father-in-law did that. Worked for him, cancer free.
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bruceo98
Samba Member
Joined: February 23, 2021
Posts: 656
Location: LA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 10:36 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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My nuts might be glowing after all this .
_________________
I may not be the best, but when the top 10 get together, they all talk about me. |
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DUNGBTL
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2022
Posts: 475
Location: Ashland, OR
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 8:25 pm Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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The steering box that came in my ‘72 SB was worn out. The free-play in the box could not be adjusted out per the Bentley Service manual and movement through the center was extremely rough.
Last year I found a used box on EBay for a very good price. I was presently surprised when I received it as it appeared to be either a NOS German box or a rebuilt box. I did not come with a pitman arm however. Its worm gear and roller shaft movement was very smooth with no sticking.
I popped the cover off to see inside and found it was full of grease that appeared to be relatively clean. I cleaned it out and replaced it with ‘00’ grease. Wiped off the ‘VW’ labeled cover gasket with acetone and reused it. Replaced the grease plugs w/new WW units.
I needed my drop-arm from my old box. My ‘72 SB is a February build with the steering stops on the pitman arm. I tried removing it with a typical 2-jaw gear puller…no bueno. I had to get that (s)ucker off!
Here’s what worked for me.
I soaked the arm/splines in penetrating oil for a couple days waiting for the mother of all pitman arm pullers to be delivered by Jeff Bezos…
…5 lbs of forged steel w/additional bolts to help keep the jaws from deflecting and slipping off the arm (the drop arm has two ‘lands’ where the puller is to engage).
The way this puller works is to tighten the center bolt to where you can longer tighten it w/a typical wrench, then you add a ‘shock load’ to the bolt with a BFH (the bolt has a ‘hammering’ pad on top for this very thing). You repeat this process until the arm comes off.
The combination of the puller bolt pressure and the dynamic shock load breaks the stiction. This puller made easy work of it.
I was not going to re-use this box so I was not concerned with damaging the roller shaft seal or bearings removing the arm in this manner. I’m not certain damage would occur, however I think there may be a possibility due to the shock loading. Proceed at your own risk!
The arm goes on the roller shaft splines only one way due to these two ‘blank splines’… I put a light coat of anti-seize on the splines to perhaps make it easier to remove the next time.
Installed the arm on the ‘new’ box, torqued the nut and peened its retention ring.
I made a ghetto version of the VW steering box service tool which is used to dial out play in the box in it’s “no-play” range…an 11 degree sweep on either side of the center (according to the Bentley manual).
I turned the roller shaft adjusting screw until the drop arm no longer had any play in this range and then tightened the locking nut.
This later model box has a dimple on the housing for the centering point instead of the earlier versions aluminum rivet.
I used a center punch whose diameter matched the centering hole in the arm…moved the arm until the punch tip was in the dimple. With the steering arm now centered, I installed the plastic retaining ring for the universal joint boot with its lug inline with the notch on the box.
Box is ready for install.
Last edited by DUNGBTL on Thu Mar 13, 2025 10:28 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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H2OSB
Samba Member
Joined: April 14, 2013
Posts: 1497
Location: Modesto, CA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 9:51 pm Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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J, I have that centering bolt. I had it made. I have plans.
H2OSB
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(o\_i_/o) I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals, I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants. |
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DUNGBTL
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2022
Posts: 475
Location: Ashland, OR
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 6:55 pm Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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Painted the roll bar and seat mount provisions…things that will protrude out from the carpet.
This completes all the modifications and painting I plan on doing to the body/pan! MILESTONE! Reassemble can begin!
I’m going to starting by installing the VW chassis wiring, i.e., headlights, turn signals/parking lights, reverse light, horn, wipers, dome light, emergency flasher, phone charger, license light, starter…I think that’s all…maybe some relays/fuses for future seat heaters? The Subaru engine/ECM will have its own harness.
I’ll do the brake MC and hard lines/front suspension on the side for when I get tired of wiring!  I would like to have the car a ‘roller’ by end of summer…2025! 
J. |
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bruceo98
Samba Member
Joined: February 23, 2021
Posts: 656
Location: LA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 4:59 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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Nice. Are you going to lay down any sound deadening on those pans?
_________________
I may not be the best, but when the top 10 get together, they all talk about me. |
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DUNGBTL
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2022
Posts: 475
Location: Ashland, OR
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 5:56 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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| bruceo98 wrote: |
| Nice. Are you going to lay down any sound deadening on those pans? |
Yes. Not going to slather it on every square inch…trying to keep it light (as you well know  )…just enough to dampen the drum! Similar to what the factory did to the door and quarter panel skins.
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H2OSB
Samba Member
Joined: April 14, 2013
Posts: 1497
Location: Modesto, CA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 7:41 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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Good job J! Nice milestone.
H2OSB
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(o\_i_/o) I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals, I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants. |
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VW_Jimbo
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2016
Posts: 10897
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 8:20 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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Nice job reaching the apex in the starting side of the project, to the completing side of the project! Now some cool stuff really starts coming together. I like the part when the entire assembly can move itself under its own power! Nice job, man!
_________________
Jimbo
There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!
| TDCTDI wrote: |
| Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look. |
| 67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!  |
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DUNGBTL
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2022
Posts: 475
Location: Ashland, OR
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 10:17 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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| H2OSB wrote: |
Good job J! Nice milestone.
H2OSB |
Thanks!
| VW_Jimbo wrote: |
| Nice job reaching the apex in the starting side of the project, to the completing side of the project! Now some cool stuff really starts coming together. I like the part when the entire assembly can move itself under its own power! Nice job, man! |
Thank you! Self propelled movement is the ultimate goal! 
I started losing a little motivation when I moved back to the fenders and added louvers and shaved the front signals (wasn’t in the ‘original’ plans). As cool (or not) as they turned out, at the time I felt I was losing fwd momentum since it was a month or two of work for me. I love the metal work, but body work can be tedious and soul crushing! 
Not that I’m in any hurry…
Yeah…looking fwd to installing some ‘cool stuff’! It should provide some motivational momentum…that is until I get bogged down by the wiring. DOH!
Thanks!
J. |
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bruceo98
Samba Member
Joined: February 23, 2021
Posts: 656
Location: LA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 2:15 pm Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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Did i hear wiring? Did i say i hate wiring before?
_________________
I may not be the best, but when the top 10 get together, they all talk about me. |
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DUNGBTL
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2022
Posts: 475
Location: Ashland, OR
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2025 8:05 pm Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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| bruceo98 wrote: |
| Did i hear wiring? Did i say i hate wiring before? |
I have to start somewhere. For the chassis harness I’ve decided not to use an aftermarket loom, but rather use as much of the OEM German wiring as possible. Started by restoring the 53 yr old fuse panel.
As removed from the car 3 yrs ago…
…stripped…
Cleaning…
…was very dirty…
Soaked for 1 hr in white vinegar to remove any corrosion from electrical contacts…
Rinsed in water and blown dry w/compressed air and heat gun…RESULT!
Ready for another 53 yrs!
J.
Last edited by DUNGBTL on Fri Mar 21, 2025 10:42 am; edited 1 time in total |
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H2OSB
Samba Member
Joined: April 14, 2013
Posts: 1497
Location: Modesto, CA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2025 4:54 am Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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Damn, J, looks outstanding!
H2OSB
_________________
(o\_i_/o) I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals, I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants. |
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bruceo98
Samba Member
Joined: February 23, 2021
Posts: 656
Location: LA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 12:25 pm Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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That cleaned up nice. Never seen Simple Green Extreme before. What is it good for?
_________________
I may not be the best, but when the top 10 get together, they all talk about me. |
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DUNGBTL
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2022
Posts: 475
Location: Ashland, OR
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 2:52 pm Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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| bruceo98 wrote: |
| That cleaned up nice. Never seen Simple Green Extreme before. What is it good for? |
Aerospace grade, safe for aluminum…rinses w/water, doesn’t leave residue. Bought off of Bezos’ website…
It was the vinegar (5% acidity) that ‘etched’ the contacts clean however…
Still working on converting this rat’s nest into a clean, parred down chassis harness…
J. |
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DUNGBTL
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2022
Posts: 475
Location: Ashland, OR
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| Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2025 4:16 pm Post subject: Re: The DUNGBTL Build |
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I took a break from unwrapping, cleaning and weeding out all the extraneous wires from the OEM looms to make something I’ve had in mind to make ever since I got the car.
When I bought the car, this was the ‘start button’… 
…obviously the OEM ign/starter switch was fubar.
I had something a bit more elegant in mind.
Bought a quality starter switch…
My idea was to mount it in the OEM ign/start switch location. No key required, push to start…the ignition switch is hidden and I’m not telling where! 
But how to mount it cleanly? Some imagineering and a CAD template…
…proof of concept…
Transfered to steel and whittled out a custom bracket…
RESULT!
Room for leads…
It’ll look more ‘factory-like’ once I clean up the housing and paint everything (‘cept the switch) with SEM Trim Black.
VROOM! |
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