China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page!

[VW_Jimbo]

[Chinaclipper]

Hehehe Thanks everyone! Yeah, VW Jimbo you already tipped me about the Bakelite tubes....Roger that..
As far as the heater hoses, already in baby. Just need to put that funny "Y"/or "W" connector on top, then hose etc. Money.

r6kid, thanks for the comments, but the big issue with the front disc brakes is this: Stock works, I know. I just wanna get the thing together, and working!
To put on the front disc brakes, I will have to have the struts etc attached to the body and the chassis. I'm just not there yet.

This is NOT gonna be an EDD. Not planning on doin' the rear w/ disc brakes BTW, I don't see it as a need.

One good thing- today I got the new shift bushing in. Only took about 1.5 hours and maybe just 10 swear words, honest.
I polished up the shift rod real good too. I even safety wired the little square 8mm bolt that attaches the bracket to the rod.
I felt so A&P-like.......

Now I can put on the front of the frame head. Already redid the bolt holes, so she should go in slick as snot on a brass doorknob. (yuk)
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China Clippers Official 1971 Super Beetle Project!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728089&highlight=

[VW_Jimbo]

You are onto the feeling good portion! That’s a good feeling and one to remember! Victory dance!
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Jimbo

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

[VW_Jimbo]

Anything new?
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Jimbo

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

[Chinaclipper]

[Buggeee]

I love rustoleum satin black.
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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

[VW_Jimbo]

[Chinaclipper]

Hello everyone. As some have surmised, there was a bit of a break.
My world the last few weeks:

(moderator, if you look real close, there IS a VW in the picture)

Told ya!

Yeah, a California trip, with a Grand Canyon side trip. 31 ft RV, 6 people, and 3300 miles.
I drove every one of 'em too...Great times, kids were great. I love the Southwest.

To put it back into the VW realm, 35 years ago, I made the trip, out to California from the midwest, 3 times, back and forth, in a 1971 VW bug.
I fully intend to make the trip again, but only one way. My 65 year old butt ain't exactly the same as it was 35 years ago, and I don't think I could make a round trip

But seriously folks...
I did do some VW work when I got back and settled in.
Some have responded to my inquiry about the seals etc in the rear brake area; that's been researched and addressed, parts coming, bada-bing.

Also, did some basic put it together work in the front frame head. Got that little frontispiece installed and torqued in, all new bolts with clean threads, and a little anti-seize for good measure.

So, until parts start coming in, no major things to report.
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China Clippers Official 1971 Super Beetle Project!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728089&highlight=

[VW_Jimbo]

Where did you go in California? If it was close to me, I would have paid the beer tab!

Grand Canyon is amazing! I like the VW spotting!

All ready back to the grind. Damn! Glutton for punishment! All good, we are in the same boat! Glad you had a fun trip and good to see you are back at it! I am still a week out, wanting so badly to get back to melting steel! But, gotta enjoy the beach while I am here, in San Clemente.

Looking forward to some updates!
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Jimbo

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

[Chinaclipper]

[VW_Jimbo]

I was on a brewery tour between the 10th to the 14th. We left Hb on Highway 1, ending up in Moro Bay. We drove right through Ventura. Too bad the timing did not work out.

Next time!
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Jimbo

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

[Chinaclipper]

Sorry I missed ya Jimbo!

Today was a gradual, build back-up-to-it kind of a day.

I wanted to get the rear brake backing plates in and be done with that.
I had previously cleaned, degreased and primed and painted them, so all I needed to do today was get the new outer bearing seals, spacers and "O" rings in.
Oh, and I did get new drums.
Yeah, I prepped and painted the new brake drums. I'll put 'em on when I get the new brake pads in, but I could still prep 'em.

Yeah, German made; got the link to Amazon and got 'em fer $44 each. It costs more then that to get 'em turned, if ya can even find someone to do it....

https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-18B162-Professional...gen+Beetle

For some reason, the "Made in Germany" was the closer.... And I painted 'em too, Cleaned with a good degreaser, Heat resistant flat black. Didn't have ta prime 'em, the paint I used said it wasn't recommended.

Getting the old outer bearing seals out was a project; I just wasn't using enough onions, I guess. I tried pushing them out with a large (36mm) socket, but that was a no-go, so then I looked it up, and took a hammer and a punch and just punched it out.

Yeah, it wasn't pretty, but they came out. The left side (drivers side) actually was better the the right side. The right side bearing cover looked like someone tried to push the seal out from the rear. Argh! Yeah, not good. There was some markings on the race, but it would be covered by the outer bearing seal border. It will have to do.

I cleaned and lightly greased the outer wheel bearing spacers, bearing seals and tapped 'em in; put in the new "O" rings, and greased the outer bearings. Put on the cover, put just a little anti-seize on the threads, and torqued 'em to 36 ft lbs. Done. That is a go.

Next comes brake shoes, new wheel brake cylinders, and then the brake lines.
And those nice new drums.
Waiting for parts, might be able to do somethings tomorrow....
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China Clippers Official 1971 Super Beetle Project!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728089&highlight=

[Rome]

[Chinaclipper]

Had some time yesterday, wanted to get moving on the brake lines.
I got to the part where I start hooking up the lines, and discovered I need a "M/F" hose for the rear, I had a "F/F".... Argh!
No brake lines in that day. I did learn that my bender tool works pretty good tho....

So, I took to removing the CV joints, repacking and change the boots out.
This is the left outer (tire side) CV joint, and this side goes toward the tire side. I'm doing one at a time to avoid parts mix-up. This side the inner race has some little numbers/letters (vw?) on the surface portion, and the rim on the cage has 2 grooves in it.

When I opened the joint, lots of water came out... Could have been water from the cleaning a gave 'er a few weeks ago. Anyway, the joint looked OK, lots of dirty, nasty grease, but I rinsed it all out with a stiff brush, and "Krud Kutter", a non-flammable, non-petroleum based parts cleaner, and then went to work trying to get the darn thing apart and back together.

Watched all the videos, all the suggestions and will try 'em. I'm gonna get a adapter on my grease gun (like a needle point) so I can pack the CV joint, and then put 'er back together.

I actually was able to put it back together dry, (using the picture above) and will pack it and put it back with the new boot.
Three more to go!
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China Clippers Official 1971 Super Beetle Project!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728089&highlight=

[Chinaclipper]

The things you learn when changing/repacking the CV boots---

1) How to get that circlip to fit on the end of the axle.
A) Use a socket that fits over the axle, hit with a hammer, it compresses the conical washer, and then it will fit.
B) Who uses that washer anyway? Apparently a LOT of folks no longer use it.
I chose option B).

2) The second CV would NOT come off the axle; I beat on it with a brass hammer. naw, not happening. I bought the 5 ton hydraulic press bearing puller at HF; what the heck? A little overkill never hurt-and it came off pretty quick. I cleaned up the edges of the axle and it still required the socket trick to put the CV back on....

3) That little needle tip adapter for your grease gun you can get for $8 is worth its weight in gold when you have to repack CV joints.

4) Gloves are great for keeping clean when working with the CV /axle boots, and it gets really messy; a full roll of paper towels is needed.

5) Be SURE to line up the axle boot holes with the holes on the CV joint. A LOT harder when the inner clamp is on and is tight, and everything has that black Moly grease on it.

6) BTW, those little clamps they give ya with the CV/axle boot kits? They are NOT actually from Hell itself; you CAN actually use them, (though I see where a lot of people use a zip tie.) What's the trick? Well, if I told ya, you'd lose about an hour of time tryin' to figure it out-what fun is that? OK OK, suffice to say the trick involves using 2 tiny screwdrivers, one pushing and the other holding-and kinda' pushin' back.

7) Sometimes, you have to lose the gloves and just get dirty-ie, when you are putting the axle shaft back on in place-those bolts? Yeah, you just CAN'T have gloves on.. Too slippery.
Oh BTW, did I mention it's a good idea to line up the bolt holes (and make a plan for the backing plates-each CV has three.) before you get this far? Yeah, ask me how I know. Hehehe "We get things right 'cause we do 'em twice!"

A nice little jack stand makes a neat "third hand" when you are putting the axles back on the car.

9) Good idea to jack up the car with your floor jack. Just enough to clear the tire. And oh yeah, leave the tires on. It makes it easier to get things in. When getting the bolts started, get the bottom one and a top one first. It seems to line up the joint with the holes the best. Don't forget the backing plates..

10) When torqueing to 36 ft lbs, do the "star pattern-like" thing. I haven't seen anyone else do it or even mention it, but you'll feel better- trust me

You DID remember which one was the "inboard" and which one was the "outboard" CV joint right?

I still have the right side to do yet- pulled it today but it was getting late and it was about 300 degrees in the garage, even with the fan, so I shut 'er down. I will continue on; By the time this job is done I should have the new M/F brake hoses from CIP 1, so there's that.
Ta ta!
[/i]
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China Clippers Official 1971 Super Beetle Project!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728089&highlight=

[VW_Jimbo]

Nice!!

I got paid 4 hours to remove and replace all 4 joints. Took me 2 hours, from picking up the ticket to read it, till when the car’s keys were back on the keyboard!

I always reinstalled the concave washer. It presses against the joint to keep it from making a knocking noise. The kits used to come with all new bolts, so never had to clean those.

It now takes me a full 6 hours to repack 4 joints with new boots! Most of the time is cleaning stuff!

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I actually went and pulled out one of my time journals from back then. Man, stuff was way cheaper!
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Jimbo

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

[tzepesh]

I also use the conic washer. Hard to install, but it was there for a reason.
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'74 1303S, L98B Viperngrun (extra glitter), German Look
'64 1200, Sea Blue, under restoration

[Chinaclipper]

So yesterday and today, I finished the CV's and boots so the rear brakes were logically next.
Anyway, I did finish the CV's/boots. Naturally, the right one was much faster then the first one. Funny how that goes.....
Of course I had to learn that with the brakes and hoses too. Yup, they're done. Need to be tested and road tried, but that will be awhile..
Yeah, the left side took about 4 hours, a good portion of those hours figuring why the wheel wouldn't fit over the brake shoes.
I think I went and made just about every mistake, in spite of watching the youtube videos before hand.

Don't forget to..
1) make sure the wheel cylinders and star wheels are correctly aligned with the shoes
2) get the darn tool that does the spring thing; the "push and twist" can be done with a pliers, but the special $9 tool makes it so MUCH easier and faster.
3) make SURE when doing the LEFT HAND (drivers) side, that the parking brake push bar is UPSIDE DOWN. Why did they do that?? Took me a long time to get that figured out.....
4) check all the packages BEFORE you throw stuff away (argh)
5) get the chassis up in the air; It just KILLED me to be on the ground for those 4 hours. I'm not 30 years old any more.

Here 'tis.. The right (passenger side)

Yup, and got to the brake lines and hoses in the rear too. I'll do the rest next week, at least up to and including the brake master cylinder. Still need to get the pedal cluster and the front end started....

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China Clippers Official 1971 Super Beetle Project!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728089&highlight=

[VW_Jimbo]

WOW!!!!

Looking great! Awesome progress!

Keep going!
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Jimbo

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

[Chinaclipper]

I got the master cylinder in; in another post I made sure it was the correct one (it was) thanks everyone, and so, today I installed the clutch and brake pedal; I guess they call it the "pedal cluster."

Funny, just as I was getting ready to install, I saw that my little pedal spring, the one under the gas pedal, was broken. The bottom part was gone, probably rusted away.

I was frustrated, so...

I made my own. I used piano wire, had some for some pushrods for my model planes, and I made a mandrel with a piece of scrap copper tubing and a small screw, and just winded it on and shaped it.

Link

After quite a lot of trial and error, the pedal cluster was in. And, BTW, the term "cluster" was very appropriate. ( my military friends will understand and smile).

Things I learned:

1) I REALLY don't want to have to ever do this "in situ", ie, with the rest of the car in place.
2) In spite of everything I tried, you just CAN'T get the darn clutch cable on and working without removing the brake pushrod. (Unless maybe you have a backside port cut in the tunnel?- I don't)
3) Now I know what that "pedal stop" thing is and where it goes-I was wondering about that hole in the pan.
4) That little depression in the pan where the brake line supposedly fits to avoid being smashed by the clutch? Uh uh, not deep enough. (argh!)
5) A little wire wheeling, 1200 grit emory paper, and some paint really picks up the pedal cluster. I wished I'd take a "before" picture.
6) Sil-Glyde seems like it works pretty good for this pedal group lubrication needs. Thanks for the tip, Slade.
7) There's a way to get the clutch cable to stay on the hook when you are alone... Just don't let the clutch pedal roll backwards.. Duh!

Next up, maybe start thinking about the front end suspension?
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China Clippers Official 1971 Super Beetle Project!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728089&highlight=