Engine decisions for 60 beetle

[mukluk]

[Kthomas]

I’ll do better. 😀

[Kthomas]

Got the body back on frame.

[Kthomas]

I trimmed the breast plate and it’s not exactly right but whatever 🙃 I’ll just get another. I only took 1/2 inch off all the way around. That was all that could be taken off without getting into the big holes. It fits pretty good everywhere except for about 6 inches from each end where I should have just left it alone. I guess everything is a custom fit when you go to changing things.

Some said trim 1 1/2 inches 🤪

[Kthomas]

Started to work on steering wheel. When I bought this years ago it was all I could find. There were no new 60 style steering wheels. It already had this later one on it so all is well.
Another issue— I ordered this turn signal assembly a while back and just looked at it. It’s suppose to be beige but it looks lime green. The box says silver beige. Is this what silver beige is supposed to look like ?
Sorry about the lighting.

[Kthomas]

Maybe this was a 60 steering wheel ? Either way . Progress not perfection. Too much work for repair right now !

[Kthomas]

Steering wheel installation.
I started to install my steering column and all associated parts. Upon looking at my turn signal I realized there was no longer a hole for the wires. I must have put filler or metal or something to fill up the hole I don’t remember as it was 9 years ago.
Does anyone know where the hole should be ? Picture ?

On a side note I painted the turn signal assembly because it came in this awful lime green color 😬

[Kthomas]

Installed heater tubes today. I had to cut the driver side but not the passenger side.

[Kthomas]

Anyone know where the hole for turn signal wires should be ?

[Kthomas]

Started hooking up heater cables
Driver side is too long. I ran the long side out the driver side as per posts on the forum but it is too long. I guess I could take it all out and switch the long side to the passenger side but will that side be really long.
The 60 originally had stale air so that is probably the issue but ?

Look at where lever is in relation to cable

[Kthomas]

Ok
I found a pic online of a hole for the turn signal assembly.
I assume this is where it should be on all early years or ?
I’m about to drill a hole
Just say
Yes or No

[Kthomas]

This is the cable I used
I’m wondering if I should use fresh air cable but did some fresh air systems have control knob like a 60.

Still no thoughts (yes or no ) on turn signal wire hole 😞

[mukluk]

[mukluk]

[Kthomas]

Thank you so much ! 😀
I can’t believe I welded up that hole
There was a lot of damage around the mount

[Kthomas]

I’m having a problem with getting my steering wheel mounted. When I put it all together I have almost an inch between steering wheel and the turn signal assembly and the column won’t move any closer . It looks like if I trimmed the plastic sleeve it would go further but maybe I’m not doing something or have something assembled incorrectly. I bought a new turn assembly and steering wheel and the steering wheel is just like my old one. I think maybe it’s not 1960 but a later assembly.

[Kthomas]

Anyone have any ideas ?

[Kthomas]

Is the spring seat supposed to be above the plastic sleeve or around the plastic sleeve ? Does the plastic sleeve slide through the bearing ?

[Kthomas]

I can’t figure out this steering assembly. The only way I can see to take up the gap is to slide the turn signal up the column toward the steering wheel ( isn’t it the stop for the bearing ? Doesn’t it need to be all the way as far as it can go on the column ? ) Or the plastic sleeve needs to be able to slide down into the bearing which it doesn’t want to do. 😩😩😩😩

[EVfun]

You have a '60-'61 steering shaft. I'm not sure I could tell if you have a matching column, or a later '62-'67 version. I'm also no expert on the different steering wheels but the horn system in the steering wheel was also changed in '62. I owned a '60 Bug when I was a teen, and fixed the system by reworking it function like the later system so I could run a Grant steering wheel.

Did you replace the upper steering column bearing? I ask because I have not seen the '60-'61 version available and the later '62-'67 one is not correct. Never tried to mix those parts so I don't know, but perhaps that can cause the steering column to not be willing to move up in the car to take up the gap between the turn signal switch and the steering wheel.

A quick description of the '60-'61 vs the '62-'67 horn circuit function:

The early system electrically isolates the steering shaft from the steering column. That black sleeve you see on the shaft is where the spring will be. Power goes to the horn, then from the horn to the steering column. When the horn button is pressed the steering column and steering shaft are connected. At the lower end of the steering shaft a jumper wire connects one of the bolts on steering shaft side of the rag joint to one of the bolts on steering box side of the rag joint coupler, since the rag joint electrically isolates the steering shaft from the ground path through the steering box to the frame.

The later system ditches the insulation between the steering shaft and steering column and electrically connects the 2 parts through the upper column bearing. The horn button in the steering wheel makes a connection from the steering wheel to a wire that passes down the center of the steering shaft, exits at the slot for the clamp at the rag joint coupler. That wire connects to a bolt on the steering box side of the rag joint.
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