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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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 Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:35 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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| mondshine wrote: |
Have you driven the car since you installed the Type 3 rear brakes?
I am curious because I did that installation a couple of months ago, but won't be driving my car for quite a while yet, and I see that you are from the south where it might be warm enough to drive a Thing.
What are you using for front brakes? |
Umm, no, I have not driven this beast yet. BUT, I have put 50,000 miles on this combination of brakes & tires (And suspension) in two years while they were on the Ghiapet.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691306
Link
The front brakes are a disc conversion for drum brake spindles that I installed on the heavily modified ball joint beam using Thing trailing arms & spindles.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2021 8:05 am Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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With only a few minutes to rub together, I decided to prep the other spring plate. I began by measuring out the original & then transferring it to the new spring plate.
I then wedged a couple pieces of scrap between the plates to reduce deflection & drilled a couple holes through both sides of the plate.
Once the holes were drilled, I used this hateful little bastard to remove the excess between the holes & clean up the slot.
And I now have a double spring plate for the Thing.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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didget69
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 4927
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:55 am Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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Nice work!
I'm 2 days in on fighting removal of stuck rear drums...
Adjusters are frozen.
... why me?
B
_________________
I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 2:24 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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Today I tackled the driver side torsion bar & spring plate. I began disassembling & removing the old parts...
The spring plate on this side was seized to the torsion bar also so I wrapped the torsion bar with a shop rag, locked a set of vice grips onto that & then, using a c-clamp, secured the bar to the torsion housing.
I was then able to wiggle the plate back & forth to free it from the torsion bar an after unbolting the leading edge of the fender, I removed them both.
This one appears to have been submerged also, unfortunately, due to it’s being within sight of the coast, this was likely salt water.  (It was dry before I pumped it full of penetrating oil to help free up the seized splines.)
So I scraped & vacuumed out the torsion housing on this side too.
After Hoovering the crust out with the PVC pipe again, I zip tied a shop rag to the end.
And then, after inserting it all the way into the housing, I poured some Ospho into the pipe & douched out the housing.
With that done, & after letting it cure a bit with a fan aimed at the housing, I notched the spring plate on this side too & reassembled everything.
This is quite possibly the first Thing in the history of the world to be raised by parts scavenged from a Karmann Ghia. 
Dammit, that tire not centered in the fender well is gonna force me to buy some extended trailing arms.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 10:28 am Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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Today’s task was to make the last corner match the rest so I zipped the castle nut off & removed the drum.
After removing the old backing plate, I started to install the TypeIII plate, I decided to address the mangled adjustment holes. These had been irritating me the whole time they were on the Ghiapet, & knowing that I wasn’t likely to do something about it once the car was a driver, I grabbed a piece of scrap & started to make it fit & then fused it in place.
The second hole was just wallowed out so I closed up the diameter wit a bead, ground off the excess, & bored some new holes.
Once done, I bolted it up, reassembled the brakes, & slipped the drum on.
And here’s the beast on all four Marathons.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Buggeee
Samba Member
Joined: December 22, 2016
Posts: 4406
Location: Stuck in Ohio
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didget69
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 4927
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 7:11 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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Interesting to see Chris work on the car as time allows, touching his Thing daily...
bnc
_________________
I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4854
Location: Connecticut
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| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 7:21 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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Jeez, I turned my attention elsewhere for a moment and WHAM!
This is gonna be fun to watch.
_________________
1973 Porsche 914 2.0
1959 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
1979 Volkswagen Rabbit
1973 Volkswagen Bus
1970 MGB-GT
1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire
More tomfoolery on
The Karmann Ghia Fever YouTube Channel! |
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kent70ghia
Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2020
Posts: 176
Location: Tacoma, WA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 8:55 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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| Nice to see the Ghiapet live on as parts are moved to The Colonel! Will be fun to watch the progress and now have to keep an eye on the Thing tthreads! |
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Vladiiiii
Samba Member
Joined: February 24, 2019
Posts: 518
Location: Munich, Germany
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| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 11:57 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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Although I don't really care for Things that much, this topic I will follow because of the whole Ghiapet thing, your personality, and because..... you make it interesting. *subscribed* 
Vlad
_________________
Vlad's 72 Ghia (Once in a Lifetime Restoration topic)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9237746#9237746 |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 1:59 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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Thanks y’all! I gotta get this Thing back together, I find it weird to be confined to the paved right-of-ways.
Yes, I too am not really enamored with a Thing, but I do like the additional interior room over that of a Beetle.
Today I opted to try to awaken the beast... Since it had been left dormant for a (considerable) amount of time, I removed the plugs, squirted to penetrating oil into the holes, walked the engine through by hand a dozen or so times & then cranked it to build up oil pressure, then I reinstalled the plugs & tried to light it off with some carb cleaner shot down the throats of the carbs.
After a few cranks, it stopped turning over. Apparently the float on the driver side Kadron stuck wide open & flooded the left bank. So I yanked the plugs on that side, disconnected the electric pump, disabled the electronic ignition & spin the engine over to pump out the fuel. Once done, I pulled the dipstick & confirmed my suspicions.
Screw it, I stuffed the plugs back in, gave the carbs another shot of carb cleaner & fired it up. Well, it runs... but it made a shitload of noise.  Fortunately, this was “only” caused by a generator pulley that was incorrectly installed/tightened
& now useless.
In addition to this, we have an incorrectly clocked generator on what appears to be an alternator stand. Knowing the shop that put this together, I’m sure to find all sorts of fuckery & shitty parts.
No matter, I planned on shit canning most of it anyway.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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didget69
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 4927
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:34 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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Sounds like the engine may have been assembled by bunch of ham-fisted monkeys...
But then, I'm insulting monkeys.
B
_________________
I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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Marcdeb
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2019
Posts: 3030
Location: Vermont
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:46 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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That Thing (pun intended) looks so good on the outside. Hard to believe the mechanical side is so disappointing. Well it's in good hands now. I can't wait to see more photography made possible by it's road (and off-road) trips.
_________________
Marc
68 Karmann Ghia Cabrio Autostick
71 Karmann Ghia Cabrio
Previously Owned:
2011 VW EOS Hard Top Conv
2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T Conv
2003 Saab 9-3 SE Conv
2001 Saab 9-3 Conv
1998 BMW 3 Series Conv
1997 Saab 900 Conv
1997 Mazda Miata
68 Ghia Vert Survivor with 22,350 miles: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=768107&highlight=
71 Ghia Vert Restoration: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=726710&postorder=asc |
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Buggeee
Samba Member
Joined: December 22, 2016
Posts: 4406
Location: Stuck in Ohio
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 7:46 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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| TDCTDI wrote: |
After a few cranks, it stopped turning over. Apparently the float on the driver side Kadron stuck wide open & flooded the left bank. So I yanked the plugs on that side, disconnected the electric pump, disabled the electronic ignition & spin the engine over to pump out the fuel. Once done, I pulled the dipstick & confirmed my suspicions.
***
No matter, I planned on shit canning most of it anyway. |
I did this to my hydrolocked air-cooled vanagon engine without disconnecting the battery and the whole rear end of the van went up in a plume of fire balled blaze of glory! Thank heavens for a handy fire extinguisher. One set of curtains and a wiring harness refresh and we were back in business. Yours seems like a more reasonable approach.
Just tear that engine out of there and put the pet engine in it. What a mess of mysteries. That abandoned dog motor will strand you in the woods for sure.
_________________
1966 Sportsmobile Camper https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
72 Super Duper http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=672387
(adopted out) 61 Turkis Pile https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728764
| SnowDaySyncro wrote: |
| Every setback is an opportunity to learn stuff and to buy new tools. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 8:04 pm Post subject: Re: Colonel Church |
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| Buggeee wrote: |
I did this to my hydrolocked air-cooled vanagon engine without disconnecting the battery and the whole rear end of the van went up in a plume of fire balled blaze of glory! Thank heavens for a handy fire extinguisher. One set of curtains and a wiring harness refresh and we were back in business. Yours seems like a more reasonable approach.
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I only knew to disconnect the coil for the same reason.
Late ‘80s/early ‘90s Moronic & Digifuked VWs would go full dump on the injectors when the ECMs failed & fill the block with fuel. I got one in at the shop so I pulled the plugs & spun the engine over & watched as the fuel shot about 30’ up & in front of the car. About the third rotation, the fuel lit off & set the upper half of a 130’ Oak on fire. Fortunately, the flame front followed the fuel & only scorched the ignition wire set.  Boy was I glad that it wasn’t in the shop when it happened.
VW did have a service bulletin about this very issue after several dealer service departments met the same fate.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:15 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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As I dig deeper, I have decided to rename this project The Warthog, ugly as hell but brutally robust as I transform it into a beast that will be exploring both urban & rural settings, it seems so much more fitting.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Buggeee
Samba Member
Joined: December 22, 2016
Posts: 4406
Location: Stuck in Ohio
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kent70ghia
Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2020
Posts: 176
Location: Tacoma, WA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:30 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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| Awesome name change, fits well. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2021 7:45 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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Today I began the process of removing the engine & began the Kadron exorcism.
Definitely a good place to start as all of the fuel hose was crunchy at best.
And since I couldn’t really plug it, I took the easy way out to drain the tank.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Vladiiiii
Samba Member
Joined: February 24, 2019
Posts: 518
Location: Munich, Germany
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