Author |
Message |
simmerda Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007 Posts: 90 Location: Scituate, MA 02066
|
Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 8:40 am Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
Hi Gang, hope everyone had a great Holiday and New Year! Anybody have this "tool" made up they'd be willing to rent out? Looking to replace the lever on my 78 bus. thanks!! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
JDub113 Samba Member
Joined: June 08, 2009 Posts: 758 Location: Reno
|
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 5:36 pm Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
I’m changing the center pin in a 79 bus. I took off the grease cap and this doesn’t look like the large pin head I was expecting. Is it just a weird pin head?
_________________ 84 Wolfsburg Edition Westy |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 7:34 pm Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
looks like a factory pin that came with the bus. Don't forget to remove the zerk fitting before you try to remove the bushings _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
Back to top |
|
|
aeromech Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006 Posts: 16922 Location: San Diego, California
|
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:12 pm Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
Not challenging Steve but all the pins I’ve installed had a convex shaped head. I don’t really see why it matters though _________________ Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:16 am Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
i have a couple factory pins. They have that appearance. The after market ones are convex. See https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?p...7e42ea9c0b
_________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 9:06 am Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
I am adding this here because I discovered it researching a different part number. Center pin kit is 211 498 171 A. There is a smaller kit 211 498 180 which has less parts. It doesn't show up in the fiche. It was part of a recall campaign. Apparently some 1977 & 1978 buses had steering center pin flaw.
thru G Books
_________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
Back to top |
|
|
JDub113 Samba Member
Joined: June 08, 2009 Posts: 758 Location: Reno
|
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 1:15 pm Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
I have the old bushings out. Once I press the new ones in, is that when I grease everything as much as I can before reinstalling or just use the zerk fitting? What grease? _________________ 84 Wolfsburg Edition Westy |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 1:19 pm Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
I believe the same grease you use in the torsion tubes Probably Lithium #2 grease. You lightly grease it putting it together and then use the zerk until it comes out. Be sure to follow Bentley and use a clamp when tightening it up otherwise it will have play in it. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
Back to top |
|
|
vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5680 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
|
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:42 pm Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
SGKent wrote: |
As long as the zerk fitting is removed, one can drive one into the other and both out.
WORD OF CAUTION. Back in 2008 when I did the 1977 bay, I discovered that a great way to put the lower bushing in is to tap the upper one in just a tad, slide the lower bushing onto the old pin and use the pin to drive the lower one in flush. It makes sure the bushing does not mushroom, and the bushing in the top keeps the pin and bushing straight. I wasn't sure if the pin could be used in the top to do the same thing but it dropped in nicely. Mistake! Once the upper bushing is driven in a little bit the pin no longer will clear the upper beam coming out, and you can't drive the bushings out from the top or bottom at that point because the pin is in the way. Thought well, I will hack saw the top off the pin and let it drop out, then lift the rest of the pin out. Wrong again. Made of exceptionally hard steel. I am sure they are ground to ID not lathed. Carbide hack saw blades bounced off the pin like bullets bounce off Superman. In the end it took me most of the day with dremel diamond cutoff wheels slowly cutting thru the old pin. And making matters worse, I had replaced pins before on my 1971 bay however I thought I had found a short cut. I have the factory tool now but have not used it. Usually a piece of threaded rod and some sockets are what I use to pull them out and put the new ones in. If someone wanted to pull one bushing at a time, they would need a hardened tool that is narrower that the ID of the bushing, that can be tilted on a slot to insert in then tilt it flat, drop a bolt thru the slot, and pull with a nut. Just keep the threaded rod lubed because most all thread is made from soft steels. |
Ha ha, I wish I had read more than the original post when I set about doing this job tonight!
I did the exact same thing with trapping the pin while installing the upper bushing.
I was able to cut the pin with my trusty Ryobi reciprocating saw and three metal blades. Thankfully it only took a few minutes to accomplish.
If one cuts the old pin roughly in half ahead of time, it does make driving the bushings in pretty easy. For the top one, I used the C-clamp and pin half to compress it on in. For the bottom bushing, I used the pin and a hammer to tap it home. I used the corner of one of the saw blades to hold the pin up in there while tapping with the hammer.
Otherwise, the job went smoothly and I appreciated the pics and writeup very much! _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50254
|
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:28 pm Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
JDub113 wrote: |
I have the old bushings out. Once I press the new ones in, is that when I grease everything as much as I can before reinstalling or just use the zerk fitting? What grease? |
A #2 moly fortified lithium grease will work fine for most chassis lubrication. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50254
|
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:34 pm Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
vwwestyman wrote: |
SGKent wrote: |
As long as the zerk fitting is removed, one can drive one into the other and both out.
WORD OF CAUTION. Back in 2008 when I did the 1977 bay, I discovered that a great way to put the lower bushing in is to tap the upper one in just a tad, slide the lower bushing onto the old pin and use the pin to drive the lower one in flush. It makes sure the bushing does not mushroom, and the bushing in the top keeps the pin and bushing straight. I wasn't sure if the pin could be used in the top to do the same thing but it dropped in nicely. Mistake! Once the upper bushing is driven in a little bit the pin no longer will clear the upper beam coming out, and you can't drive the bushings out from the top or bottom at that point because the pin is in the way. Thought well, I will hack saw the top off the pin and let it drop out, then lift the rest of the pin out. Wrong again. Made of exceptionally hard steel. I am sure they are ground to ID not lathed. Carbide hack saw blades bounced off the pin like bullets bounce off Superman. In the end it took me most of the day with dremel diamond cutoff wheels slowly cutting thru the old pin. And making matters worse, I had replaced pins before on my 1971 bay however I thought I had found a short cut. I have the factory tool now but have not used it. Usually a piece of threaded rod and some sockets are what I use to pull them out and put the new ones in. If someone wanted to pull one bushing at a time, they would need a hardened tool that is narrower that the ID of the bushing, that can be tilted on a slot to insert in then tilt it flat, drop a bolt thru the slot, and pull with a nut. Just keep the threaded rod lubed because most all thread is made from soft steels. |
Ha ha, I wish I had read more than the original post when I set about doing this job tonight!
I did the exact same thing with trapping the pin while installing the upper bushing.
I was able to cut the pin with my trusty Ryobi reciprocating saw and three metal blades. Thankfully it only took a few minutes to accomplish.
If one cuts the old pin roughly in half ahead of time, it does make driving the bushings in pretty easy. For the top one, I used the C-clamp and pin half to compress it on in. For the bottom bushing, I used the pin and a hammer to tap it home. I used the corner of one of the saw blades to hold the pin up in there while tapping with the hammer.
Otherwise, the job went smoothly and I appreciated the pics and writeup very much! |
Take your old shaft and cut a 1 1/2" piece of it off which includes the flange. Now grind the flange down until it will just slide inside the centerlink housing. Now drill a 13/32" hole through it from end to end. You now have a tool that combined with a piece of 3/8" threaded rod and a couple of other easily made piece can be used to both remove and install the bushings. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
RWK Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2009 Posts: 1337 Location: S.W. MI
|
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 5:37 am Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
If the Pin and bush is the same as split bus, I've made up some bushing drivers for other members, have a few left, PM me.
If you choose to cut the pin, you can grind thru the case hardend surface all the way around you can cut them easier that surface is approx .03-.06 thick, it's like a rocker shaft, hard case and softer inside. _________________ 73 Type 181
63 Type 113
63 Type 261- 428 071
62 Type 241-378 025 178 530 |
|
Back to top |
|
|
aeromech Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006 Posts: 16922 Location: San Diego, California
|
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 7:31 am Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
Anybody with a nice collection of sockets and an air hammer has all the tools needed to both remove and install the bushings _________________ Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
|
Back to top |
|
|
BUSBOSS Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2009 Posts: 2161 Location: Northern California
|
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 8:36 am Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
Tcash wrote: |
So I filed grease relieves into the sides of the new bushings. Important: when installing bushings they need to be oriented so relieves are side to side, facing the wheels. Not front to back.
|
I am about to do this project today and have a few questions:
Are the relief grooves necessary? Why aren't there grooves from the manufacturer and in the OEM bushings?
I have read conflicting things about orientation of the relief holes in the bushings. Is it one left and one right? or is it both holes facing the front zerk?
The latter seems to make more sense to me but want other opinions.
Thanks! _________________ All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
1976 Westfalia
1970 Karmann Ghia Convertible (sold - but not forgotten) |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 10:46 am Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
BUSBOSS wrote: |
Tcash wrote: |
So I filed grease relieves into the sides of the new bushings. Important: when installing bushings they need to be oriented so relieves are side to side, facing the wheels. Not front to back.
|
I am about to do this project today and have a few questions:
Are the relief grooves necessary? Why aren't there grooves from the manufacturer and in the OEM bushings?
I have read conflicting things about orientation of the relief holes in the bushings. Is it one left and one right? or is it both holes facing the front zerk?
The latter seems to make more sense to me but want other opinions.
Thanks! |
The original bushings were stippled so that there were many pockets where the grease could rest. The newer bushings are solid. It is hard for me to visualize how the grease gets thru .002 clearance when lubed so I personally used a small file to cut a channel top to bottom in mine where the grease could ooze thru. It is only a couple thousands wide and deep.
Be sure you pull the zerk fitting before you begin. DO NOT use the old pin to align the top bushing from above.It will fit in perfectly and make sense to do it that way, but if you do once the bushing is in the pin will not come out. You'll spend hours wth a die grinder getting it free. The top bushing is not flush. It sticks up a certain amount when it is properly installed. You will need a clamp large enough to hold the awing arm down and the pin up before you tighten the bolt on the top. Good luck. I'd tell you to bring it by but you could have it done in the time it takes to get here and back. Dave in Australia made the factory tools and sent me a set. Mostly just the bushing tool. You can find a socket normally to drive the old ones out, and a stack of thick washers to pull them in. I used the old pin to put the bottom bushing in just don't use it on the top. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
Back to top |
|
|
BUSBOSS Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2009 Posts: 2161 Location: Northern California
|
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 10:59 am Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
Thanks SGKENT!
I have everything out and cleaned already. I am ready for reassembly. Holes for new bushings oriented to front zerk or alternating sides? _________________ All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
1976 Westfalia
1970 Karmann Ghia Convertible (sold - but not forgotten) |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Humpst Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2021 Posts: 11 Location: Bowling Green, Kentucky
|
Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2022 7:34 pm Post subject: Pin Seals? |
|
|
guanella74 wrote: |
I'm looking for just the seals to redo the center pin, not the full $50-75 kit.
Might anyone know where I can find the pin seal and the outer seal?
Huge thanks,
|
Wondering if you were able to find just the seals? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2022 8:31 pm Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
I doubt it unless someone has a set they didn't use out of a kit. Postage these days is probably more than they are worth. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
Back to top |
|
|
kreemoweet Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2008 Posts: 3889 Location: Seattle, WA
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2022 9:16 pm Post subject: Re: Swing Lever Shaft Kit, Center Pin, Center Link, Installation |
|
|
Oh Kreemoweet - That is so mean. It is right there in front of him but VW Classic DE won't ship to the USA unless their policy has changed in the last 10 days. e'll have to either find a company that sells for them something that inexpensive, and ships it across the pond for just postage and no handling, or make a deal with someone in Germany to buy it and post it to him. I don't have the parts or I would send them. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|