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My 181 project pics
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 23, 2020 8:15 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

It's snowing, Lets work on the AC some more.

I mounted this larger fan. There isn't much clearance to the bottom of the car but it still seems to move a lot of air, and the mounting tabs reach the screw holes on the edge of the condenser (fate?). I'm feeling pretty good about it.

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Hoses!

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I'm not too sure about having this "in the line of fire" in the wheel well, but here it is. This is where Gilmore says to put it, and I'll be darned if I can figure out anywhere else. I even bought a horizontal dryer to try and couldn't fit it anywhere either. It's all about how to mount it and still get the stiff bulky hoses in without impossible bends etc.

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I installed this low pressure safety switch here. This was also surprisingly difficult to find a place for, no straight sections in the high pressure hose anywhere. The Gilmore kit didn't come with this but who am I to follow directions Razz.

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I found an unused switched terminal on my Ron Francis fuse block labeled air/heat with a 20 amp fuse already in it (second terminal from the left, red wire). Well that part was easy.

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I'm getting close, I wonder if it will work?
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:36 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Ok, here we go! I'm ready 'cause I watched a youtube.

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Purging the system.

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It's holding a vacuum! I never doubted it (lies, I gave it 50/50 it would leak all over the place).

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Here comes the stuff.

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Almost there! I stopped at 22oz of refrigerant at 170psi, within Gilmore Enterprises recommendations.

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Yippee! I can't believe it actually works. The only issue I had was the condenser fan and the compressor clutch were on the same relay, so when cycling the fan would coast down and act as a generator. This would cause the compressor clutch to disengage gradually, slipping as it went. I rewired with a separate relay and it now clicks in and out like it should.

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At idle it drags the engine down about 150 rpm, so some adjustment is in order. Maybe even a tune up or something resembling regular maintenance? Shocked
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Hyatt181
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 05, 2020 6:38 am    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Nice work.
Always wanted my own hose tools.
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 05, 2020 5:51 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Hyatt181 wrote:
Nice work.
Always wanted my own hose tools.


Thanks. I can't buy skill but by golly I can buy tools!Very Happy It was very entertaining to muddle through it myself, it was new territory for me.
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 05, 2020 6:27 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

The weather was nice today so my wife and I took the thing out for the first on road try after the AC install. It was 60 degrees so It's possible I may have run the gas heater and the AC at the same time for a number of miles. It seems to be working well, It'll be interesting to try it in hot weather.

I don't know if any one noticed my front sway bar has vanished. When I made the decision to pull the sway bar is when the whole condenser plan started to make sense. I was somewhat stuck before that, I had bought a long narrow condenser but it wasn't working out. I knew it would likely be ok without the sway bar, neither my 74 beetle or my dune buggy have one, but I discovered an unexpected side effect. The car seems to ride significantly smoother. It makes sense I guess, the suspension is more independent now, I kind of like it. Normal turns don't really seem any different to me, I'm sure high speed drifting would be different, but you have to admit that would be... different.

We incorporated a refill of the tater tot hole into the test drive. Social distancing was built in.

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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2020 7:29 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Sometimes while navigating down/side sloping terrain during a turn one of my front tires will rub the fender. The right side tire tends to do this more than the left.

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I've been wondering what would happen if I put air shocks on the front, just to give it a little boost, or if it's even possible to do. I already have them on the rear. I was inspired by a discovery with the airlift bags on my camper. It has very stout suspension, I added the bags just for leveling. I have read many accounts of people using the coil over shocks, resulting in poor ride qualities. You might assume that adding this type of lift would also cause the ride to be harsher but not so fast. Raising the camper a couple inches at the bumper resulted in a noticeably smoother ride. My hypothesis is the air bags are more forgiving than the truck suspension, and the bags are simply partially lifting it off it's own suspension.

Anyway, back to the thing. I decided to give it a go for the entertainment of it. I poked around the Monroe site and learned some specs but not really all I needed to know, so I fell back on a time honored method. I guessed Confused . After a few internet clicks and a couple days I'm the proud owner of a set of Monroe MA810 air shocks. The layout and length are right, but there are no bushings in the bottom eyelet end.

I cut the bushings out of some old shocks and cleaned them up.

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The length was too short, so I added a piece cut off another bushing.

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I was concerned the diameter of the shock was going to be too big and rub the torsion arm, but it turned out ok. They barely touch at full droop, then gain more clearance as the suspension compresses.

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Raised it a little bit.

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It turns out just like the camper the ride feels a lot more compliant, it's actually really nice. Who knew! It might get to stay this way a while.

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Hyatt181
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PostPosted: Sun May 10, 2020 11:46 am    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Nice work.
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mondshine
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PostPosted: Sun May 10, 2020 3:57 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Your OCD is showing Kevin...
Good work! Keep it going!

Hope to see you guys in person when the plague abates.
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sun May 10, 2020 6:25 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

mondshine wrote:
Your OCD is showing Kevin...

Tell me about it! Sometimes I drive myself nuts. Shocked

mondshine wrote:
Hope to see you guys in person when the plague abates.


Big thumbs up on that! Very Happy
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sun May 17, 2020 6:18 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

I decided to spend some time today installing velocity stacks from aircooled.net. I have no idea if they will do anything, just consider it screwing around. Will it run better? Worse? Will it sound different? I secretly suspect nothing will happen but that's not very scientific. I enjoyed putting them in, so there's that. Razz

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Those tall standoff nuts for the air filter with the beaver chewings in them come that way for this purpose, so I had to do it.

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It was storming rain plus tornado warning when I did this and owing to the fact I'm a sissy I put off the test drive for a bit.
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Mon May 18, 2020 6:42 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

I test drove it today with the velocity stacks. It's... quieter (wha...? Eh?). I'm absolutely sure it doesn't make an ounce more power, something about squeezing blood out of a turnip. It does drive like a turnip, after all.

(quieter... Think )
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2020 7:14 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

I've had a bit of air conditioner drama lately. When I installed it the weather was still fairly cool. Now that we're getting some hotter temps outside I've been driving around testing it, and I've lost the high side hose from the compressor at the back to the condenser at the front. Twice. After some research, observation and meditation I have come to believe it's building too much heat (= pressure) in the possibly too long high side hose. To address this today I added a second condenser, In perhaps a desperate state of mind I put it in here.

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This surely is the least desirable place to put a radiator, except for maybe duct taping it to the muffler or something. Yeah I'd like to see that too, just on somebody else's car. I wanted to keep it close to the compressor and out of sight. I think I'm on the right track, I went for a long drive and then threw the gauge on it, the pressure is staying in range not climbing like before. Also the coolant stayed inside the hoses, isn't that convenient! We'll see when it gets really hot out but I'm optimistic.

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mondshine
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2020 11:17 am    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Kevin-
Does the fan draw air through the condenser (blowing down to the road), or does it blow upward through the condenser?

I have often wondered about the relative air pressure under the car (while at speed), and which direction of air flow would be more efficient.

I have an oil cooler above my transaxle (for 30+ years) and I can't remember which way the fan blows, but I am curious about how others do it.
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2020 12:23 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

mondshine wrote:
Kevin-
Does the fan draw air through the condenser (blowing down to the road), or does it blow upward through the condenser?

I have often wondered about the relative air pressure under the car (while at speed), and which direction of air flow would be more efficient.

I have an oil cooler above my transaxle (for 30+ years) and I can't remember which way the fan blows, but I am curious about how others do it.


I wondered that too. I chose blowing down towards the road, not because I know anything but it didn't seem right to blow hot air right on the bottom of the car. I knew that people put oil coolers there, I figured all I needed it to do was get the hose temp down a little. The Gilmore kit came with both condensers but I had to be a smart guy and try it with one. Wink I ran into the same question with the other condenser in the front. It's angled forward a bit, but if the fan blows up through it then it's blowing on the gas tank. Then there's the flat front with the gap behind the bumper, so which way is the wind going? Confused I chose blowing down in the front too. It was working well yesterday when I drove it home from work 91 degrees and full sun out, I can tell the hoses aren't getting as hot. So far so good.
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mondshine
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2020 12:34 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Kevin-
It's guys like you that make me miss the KTE's the most.
Keep up the good work, Mondshine
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 07, 2020 8:01 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Today I cut my thing shop trailer hitch apart and welded it back together in a fashion that clears the vintage speed muffler and the scat oil sump.

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I'm not real proud of that welding. Some days I do alright, this wasn't one of them. Good thing it's under the car.
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:42 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

KAmes wrote:
I decided to spend some time today installing velocity stacks from aircooled.net. I have no idea if they will do anything, just consider it screwing around. Will it run better? Worse? Will it sound different? I secretly suspect nothing will happen but that's not very scientific. I enjoyed putting them in, so there's that. Razz


Well here I am again quoting my own post. I'm certain this is some kind of forum faux pas. At any rate regarding the velocity stacks the answer is, without a doubt, runs worse. They sucked the low end power right out of it, so those puppies are history.
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 5:29 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

The rear suspension squeaks. It has always squeaked, but now it SQUEAKS. I have never done rear spring bushings, here we go.

I drilled this shallow little divot to measure from, so I can put the alignment back.

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Copying Gary Mondshine's method.

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Measuring angle so I can put the splines back the same.

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I didn't trust that method so I did this also.

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It came out easy.

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See the shiny rubbings? There's my squeak.

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Rubbing against here

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Back in. Same spline first try.

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Pry a little here while raising the spring plate. As you can see, I also traced with a marker for alignment, I wasn't sure I would be able to see it.

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Almost done

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No more squeak!

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I'll do the other side tomorrow.
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:31 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Doin' the left side. Fender off.

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I "think' you might be able to do this with the fender on if yours won't come loose. Especially if you don't need the torsion bar out. I don't know for sure, 'cause I took the fender off. You would think (or maybe you wouldn't) that you would slide the spring plate out a little to clear the stop then lower it down. This doesn't really seem to work, too much tension, and is probably a good way to explode the spring in your face. Maybe everybody knows this but I learn the hard way.

I lowered it while prying here:

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Once it clears the stop I wiggled it back a little like this:

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Then lower the rest of the way and pry it off. This time the torsion bar stayed in.

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I measured the angle like before, in addition I traced the angle with a marker. This is all I really needed.

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Start the cap on with longer bolts then change them one by one when finished. The official vw manual says to do this. See the line? One spline seems to move it a noticable amount, I think this would be hard to get wrong.

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Back together.

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I bought new spring plate covers from cip1, they are supposed to be the right ones. The four holes are off by one or two millimeters so beware. It would have been hard to put them on. I used the originals, there's nothing wrong with them.

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The splines are back together exactly where they were, however doing this still raised the car most of an inch. Apparently the bushings being perished allows it to sag that much.

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KAmes
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 6:57 pm    Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics Reply with quote

Warning: The following is too long to read. Proceed with discretion.

I had some trouble with my good pal the always popular off idle flat spot while driving at make believe kubeltreffen. Maybe my car had a bad altitude! (rimshot) Sometimes it drives fine but sometimes it falls flat when I look at the gas pedal. I've been into advance spring rates, vac advance, idle timing vs total advance, carb float height (dual 40 IDF), accelerator pumps, some stuff I forgot, and good old fashioned cursing. All of these things affect it to some degree (except the cursing), yet the bog remains. I've become used to "driving around it". Due to something I read I found myself thinking about idle to main jet transition again. Not really expecting it to make much difference I upped the mains from 115 to 120. It's like somebody turned on the magic power switch, well you know by Thing "power" standards Rolling Eyes. It's fun to be surprised! I'm onto something now, the hesitation shows a little when the car is started cold then quickly vanishes when it warms up. It seems to cruise easier at speed too. I'm about that close (holds finger and thumb almost touching) to buying a wideband meter and really trying to figure out how this works. It's running pretty good, I should probably just drive it.

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