Jimmy V’s 54 Oval Project

[VW_Jimbo]

[VW_Jimbo]

Time for some updating! I decided to take a 6 week vacation due to the numerous amount of hours I put into the business during the last 6 months. It was crazy! If I was an employee, I could have retired off of the time and a half pay! But as the owner, that luxury is not available to me. So, I take the hours accumulated after an 8 hour day, add them all up and take that number of days off! Works out well and I typically still get paid during the time off, unless I get to lazy and do not pay myself! Don't laugh, it has happened!

Anyways, back on the 6th, I had a few minutes of time to do something. Went out to the garage and popped the bearing races out of the front drums. I then cleaned the grease out of them and then had to go to the brewery because the wife was partaking in an art class, at the brewery! Awesomeness!

Seal out, then the races.

On the 7th, I then tried my hand at plating some bolts and tidbits black stainless steel. Wanted to clean them up in the blasting cabinet, but the dust has become horrible. So, first I manufactured a vacum attachment point, out of the 54's front shock! Then I bolted it onto the cabinet!

First cut off the shock.

Then welded this that onto a section of flat plate and silconed it to the cabinet, securing it with some bolts and nuts. The hose fits perfectly into the inside of the shock cylinder!

I then blasted and plated some hardware! This was my very first time doing this!

After the plating, I went ahead and assembled my passenger front brakes, to bolt onto the front beam.

Friday rolled around and I found myself with just a few more free hours. So, I started blasting some items. Check out the VW emblem in this front dust cap.

Along with the cap, I blasted a bunch of hardware to plate, since it came out decent on my first time! You can see the brake adjusters for the other front wheel in my hand, along with the other dust cap.

I then plated them, exactly like I did the other hardware, but had a worse experience! Everything rusted! It came out of the electrolysis bath black, but then turned rusty, as it dried. Not cool!

Then the vacuum took a shit while working upstairs with the wifey, so I had to stop and figure that out. Turned out that the oldest borrowed our vacuum and sucked up a 2 inch fluffy ball, which lodged in the sucky tube from the head to the bag. Took me a few hours to figure it out. That killed the rest of the day.

Then onto Sunday. Another few hours! Installed the one front backing plate I managed to get assembled. I forgot that the spindle arm is in line with the wheel cylinder hose port. I will need to turn that around! Damn it! But it looks like progress!

After fitting that brake plate assembly onto the beam, I dug out the pedal cluster and disassembled it.

Knocked the clutch pedal pin out.

Then sanded the shaft, so that it would not damage the pedal bore during removal.

Knock out the pin and pulled the pedal off the shaft.

Then slide the clutch shaft out of the pedal housing.

Clean up the pedal tube assembly extension off of the brake pedal, before removing that pedal. It is .039 inches proud of the pedal.

Then unbolted the brake pedal. You have to remove the bolt completely, the shaft has a recess machined into itself for the bolt.

Pulled the brake pedal off and there is the return spring!

Starting to get the parts laid out.

Then the removal of the master cylinder push rod attachment removal. Pushing the pin out.

I grabbed that retainer with a pair of pliers to remove it completely, then removed the pedal pads. They are OG pads stamped.

Onto the throttle pedal. This thing is corroded into the housing. Hope that they both are okay!

Had to wiggle it for a while, but I finally got the throttle pedal out of the housing!

Until I find more time to update. Thats as much as I could manage to do!
_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[matthew henricks]

Enjoy the time off Jim and keep pushing ahead. Good to see updates.

Did you re-try the plating and did the rust go away?
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1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[heimlich]

I stopped thinking about all the hours I work a long time ago. It takes a lot of time to do it all. It's not like I play golf or anything so what am I going to do? Don't forget about all the labor your kids have in them. They can be a great resource for training pay.

Are there any bushings inside the housing for the pedal assembly? I know the later model has them. It takes a special tool to get them out. Some people put a grease fitting in the later ones to allow grease to be squeezed in. I did mine and when I had it all installed broke the fitting off while putting in grease.
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[VW_Jimbo]

[VW_Jimbo]

[AlteWagen]

I used this kit with pretty good success. Last thing I plated was carb hardware and its still holding up in the humid environment here. The carbs have tarnished but the oxide is still black.

https://caswellplating.com/search-results-page?q=black%20oxide

I had rust issues at first after electrolysis rust removal (washing soda/battery charger). Had them in the tank, rinsed then left them on the counter overnight, total flash. Next try I used Evaporust which also worked well on rust, but was too difficult to remove for clean treatment. Next tried blasting cabinet using soda or regular black diamond but then dropped them straight in a can of mineral spirits to rinse the grit. Once clean I removed and dried with air (moisture trap at tool end) and dropped right into the prep solution. When ready then hit the activator solution and watched til it was as black as I wanted. I originally used their sealer product and regular hot used engine oil but wax dip seemed to last the longest and was SUPER smooth installing the hardware.
_________________
Grapes of Wrath $200 Engine Rebuild
Official Dual Carb Thread
Cylinder Head Quick Reference Sheet

[VW_Jimbo]

[AlteWagen]

What kit did you use? The black oxide is just controlled rust. I remember the instructions being really specific about the parts being grease/oil free. When I found a spot that wasnt clean the oxide was splotched. After I started with the spirit soak it seemed to get all the crap out.
_________________
Grapes of Wrath $200 Engine Rebuild
Official Dual Carb Thread
Cylinder Head Quick Reference Sheet

[esde]

FWIW, I use this all the time for items that are not subject to weather. It's pretty damned good. When exposed to the elements it's just a sacrificial coating https://www.epi.com/insta-blak-333.html
Probably illegal in California too
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modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that.

[VW_Jimbo]

So, another 6 hours. Continuing on the pedal cluster. I got the accelerator pedal out and started cleaning everything up. Heres all of the parts laid out for cleaning up.

Bead blasted, primed and painted.

No paint on the housing, just good ol fashion lacquer!

Onto rebushing!

Grabbed the main shaft and did a good inspection. It does have a little wear, but nothing too bad.

See that small bushing in there. It is worn fairly well on the front side.

So, I got a new bushing kit!

Here is the housing all nice and pretty!

But it also has worn bushings. Thats right! There are 2 of them in this housing!

So, I pulled out my clutch pilot bushing tool! My father told me when I was a little guy, maybe 5, every tool has more than one use! And he was not kidding! I am thinking this ought to do the trick!

Yep, sure did! See, no more bushing in the shaft!

Now, let us get the housing's bushing out!

This has a stepped interior area. I cannot get the correct diameter bearing press plate into the opening, at either end. So, when I was wrenching for a living, the head mechanic taught me a neat trick for hard to remove bushings! A hack saw blade and lots of patience and caution.

You have to cut a slit in the bushing, but not the whole way through, without cutting anything else or the housing. Like this!

Makes a cut like this.

Then I take my bushing cutting tool and set it on one side of the cut and hammer across the bushing, cutting it out.

I then go to my bearing race drawer and select a race that will allow the housing to rest on the edge of the race but allow the bushing to drop into the emptiness.

This one ought to work!

And so you can see what I cut.

I then stand the housing back up on the race and drive the race out from the other end of the housing. Once you hear the race hit the table, Bob is your Uncle!

Now the other end! Cut and push out the bushing!

This one broke in half!

All cleaned up and bushless! Now lets get the new ones back into the housing!
I set up the housing securly on a flat tabletop and gingerly pressed in the bushing as far as I could get it to go. I then take a 3/4" MAC Impact socket and gentle tap it into the housing. The shoulder on their 3/4" socket rests on the edge of the bushing perfectly!

See the shoulder?

Set.

Repeated at the other end. Then I reinstalled the grease zerk fitting.

Greased up the bushings and the interior of the housing, along with the shaft.

And slide that in!

Brake spring is next.

Then the brake pedal slides on. Install the bolt and set the distance off the end of the shaft. Remember the feeler gauge measurement!

The bolt.

Then the clutch hook shaft slides in.

Clutch pedal goes back on and the pin gets hammered flush. Cleaned up the OG pedal pads.

Then installed them. Done!

Pedal cluster done! Onto something else.
_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[AlteWagen]

[VW_Jimbo]

[VW_Jimbo]

[matthew henricks]

[matthew henricks]

[VW_Jimbo]

[VW_Jimbo]

2 more hours in. Had a few minutes between Christmas preparations and Christmas shopping! It is nice to take a break from the Christmas rituals! And to commemorate the event, I clicked a picture!

Got the steering box in place and just snug. Sure it will need a tiny adjustment to be in line with the shaft, once the body gets back on the pan, for the final time. Installed the tie rod assemblies as well and got them within the ballpark on length. Hoping to get back out to the Bug in the next few weeks, but the schedule is filled with a multitude of social events.

_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Bruce]

[VW_Jimbo]