Yikes! I bought a '74 Super!!

[vamram]

[Tim Donahoe]

Victor, I did it with the engine out. It wasn’t much fun. Moving the manifold out of and back into position was the real bitch. Also, managing the two manifold end pieces—getting to the nuts at the head, and tightening them back again—not easy, even with the engine out.

But, give it a shot with the engine in. You might have a lesser tolerance for being pissed off than I do .

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[vamram]

Yep, I'm going to give it a shot, engine in car. In the meantime, while i wait for the new boots to arrive, a friend recommended a temp fix brake cleaner to clean the bad boot followed by a silicone sealer. All i want to do for now is test the brakes so just need it to hold for a short time.

Anyone ever try the (gasp) split boots that can be installed without taking apart the manifold...?

_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Cusser]

[Tim Donahoe]

Victor, I’d try the split boots for now. If it works, it works. In the Spring, after the weather is reasonable, you can install the proper boots.

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[vamram]

For a TEMPORARY fix, i cleaned the "holy boot" with brake clean, then used ultra-copper RTV to seal the side w/the torn half section (RTV'd all the way around the boot), and let it cure for 24 hours.

I yanked on it a few times by hand to validate that it was holding to the boot, and Yes, it's ugly as shit but guess what - it worked!! Cranked right up, all 4 cylinders happily chugging away like before. I let it idle for 20 minuites. Revved it up a few times to 3-4k, no leak, no stumble at idle.

Tomorrow I'll drive it to see how the brakes feel w/the new MC...and if the RTV survives 30 minutes around the neighborhood, I may drive to Buggy Man 20 miles south to get replacement boots!

Hands-down, this is the biggest hack i've ever done on a Bug.
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Tim Donahoe]

Just like filling a cavity ... without Novocain.

If it works, it works.

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[vamram]

Worked. Holds w/out a problem. I'll replace w/new intake boots when the weather warms up.

Now I gotta figure out why the fuel gauge stopped working. Registers to the left of empty, the needle doesn't even move. I pulled the speedo thinking I may have disconnected something when I replaced the speedometer cable a month ago, but everything is connected as it was. Sigh....
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Tim Donahoe]

Ground the power wire at the sender to see if the gauge moves. If not, the vibrator and/or gauge is probably shot.

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[vamram]

Problem solved. When I removed the trunk liner, both wires were disconnected from the sender. I had placed a rather heavy box on tip of this area of the trunk when i parked the car over a month ago. It included 2 rear drums. Its weight was probably enough to push the connectors out of the slots. Glad i didn't strip them out!
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Buggeee]

[vamram]

Finally broke down and filled the hole in my dash w/a $40 Pyle radio, just like in the '72 Super. Has bluetooth, aux, SD cards slot and USB. Can't beat it, for what I need.

I really wanted to install oil temp and pressure and voltage gauges in the radio slot, but have to make $$ choices at the moment. I'll have to replace both sets of window scrapers over the next couple of months, so gauges will wait for another day.

Oh...i'm still running w/the intake manifold seal repaired w/ultra copper silicone....I'll change that in April....maybe.
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Tim Donahoe]

It looks good, Victor. I got the trim piece in mine after showing off the stereo in one of my posts awhile back. It makes for a clean look, but I had to file off some inner flanges to make it fit.

Installing the scrapers isn’t too hard, but take care. The new inner scrapers are a bit more tricky than the outer ones. You need to line them up very well, or else you’ll bend the crap out of those flanges. And since they’re only four of those bendy pieces, you don’t want one getting screwed up.

I got my scrapers from Wolfsburg West. They’re pretty good, but not as perfectly fitting as the originals. Still, they’re the best out there.

Use mnusbau’s Regulator How-To for reference. That thread helped a lot.

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[vamram]

Thanks Tim. I normally buy scrapers from Westcoast Metric and will probably do so again this time around. They are a pain, I did them on the '72 and the '62 too a few years back. But I generally learn from the experiences and have an easier time each time (except for the damn headliner). The radio only took me about an hour and half! Took me much longer on the '72. I think the wires are easier to access on the '74.
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[vamram]

Had developed a clunk when letting of the gas suddenly, over the last couple of weeks. If you've followed this, you'll remember that I replaced the tranny and engine mounts early on. I raised the rear and and checked everything, everything's bolted down solid, no loose cv joints or other things.

Moved to the front and started shaking things around. I hadn't looked at the front because this car has not shimmy. There's a tiny amount of play in the idler arm bushing, but minor. Turns out this guy was bad -

The driver-side centerlink tie-rod end was shot. Pictured is the "new" one. On the bad one, I could push up and down on the bar and it went in and out at the fat boot end, as if whatever holds it hard in place had broken inside the fat part of the end. I think this was a factory centerlink too, based on comparing memory to cheap after-market ones I've seen.

I replaced it w/another orginal VW one that I know is good and had pulled from my other Super. We'll see tomorrow on the work commute if the bad end was indeed the source of the clunk.
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[Volswagon]

Supers have the wider track in front which always feels like it would rather turn around and go backward under power. Stresses the joints.
But that early '71 I had was the smoothest ride I've owned.

People tend to over-tighten the intake boot clamps while stretching the boots. Holding the clamp opposite the screw side while tightening helps too.

The main appeal for me with a Ghia is room on both sides to work on the motor!
_________________
I know the pieces fit, cos I watched them fall away.
Wanna hear God laugh? Just talk about your plans.

'75 Bus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=697183&highlight=

[sb001]

[vamram]

[Volswagon]

[vamram]

Back to the clunk...got rid of the front clunk, still having a loud clunk when I let off the gas if I was accelerating. Managed to get this video:

Link

Broken left rear engine mount...?
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!