Stewartsoda's '72 Super Build Thread

[stewartsoda]

I bought a '72 Super Beetle to work on as a project.

It looks pretty good as long as you don't look at it from the front...

It was originally orange I think, as evidenced by the interior paint

But the exterior has had a respray at some point and is badly faded

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1972 Super Build

[stewartsoda]

First adventure: Let's go driving!

When I bought the car, it wouldn't start or run. The battery was flat and the PO said it needed "a wire to help with charging". He showed me, a wire looked like it was a little shorted and burned but I didn't think too much of it (silly me). The PO nicely got a new battery (since the existing battery was still under warranty). New battery in, and she started right up. Runs good! Let's take the kiddos around the block!

Seems to run strong, but what do I know. Gen light stays on, so it's not charging the battery, check. Fill her up with fuel and head back home.

Hey, the gen light turned off, that means things are working now, right?

Gosh, these windows are dirty inside. I'll clean them. What is this stuff? Armor-all? It's all greasy.
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1972 Super Build

[stewartsoda]

Drove it to work the next day. Smelled a LOT. Hmm, I noticed that the filler cap was broken...

Theory: Engine blowby is causing atomized oil to be blown out the filler tube, sucked into the heater hoses, and blown all over the cabin, where it condenses on the cold glass. Theory strengthened as I smelled like a Jiffy Lube when I got to work. Okay, time to order a new filler cap.

Huh, the Gen light came back on while I was driving to work. Strange... maybe I do actually need to replace that wire.

Replaced the DF+ wire when I got home. Hmm, Gen light stays on. Let's test the generator max output... 0V. Well crap. Let's take the belt of and try and see if it needs to be polarized... no, nothing happened, no spinning.

Pull the nice chrome generator cover off and a bunch of burned plasticky bits fell out. The brushes look okay, but the generator is covered in soot inside. Looks like it burned up. Time to buy a new alternator I guess.
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1972 Super Build

[AlmostHeavenWV_VW]

Welcome Stewart!

Looks to be a solid starter for a project, but that front end!

OUCH

FYI:
Generators and alternators are of different size. I think the alternator uses a different stand (which is also the oil filler).

I know that going from generator to alternator will require some wiring changes. (especially if going to internally regulated alternator).

To be honest, unless you are planning to run a lot of high-amp-draw components (giant stereo, massive off road lights, etc) the stock generator will be plenty powerful enough for your purposes.

I would check google,phonebook, etc for a 'generator rebuild/repair shop' near you. Many times you can take yours to them and they will rebuild it for you for a fraction of the cost of a new unit. Plus you get to keep the high quality OEM part. Many of those repair guys are wizards when it comes to those and will make it like new again. Worth a phonecall or two.

Again, welcome! Please share more photos of your bug!
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1973 Standard Beetle
1600DP AK case
Solex 34PICT3 Carb
Bosch DVDA 205AJ Distributor

[TDCTDI]

[stewartsoda]

[stewartsoda]

There was another small wire with an eyelet on the end that was shoved under the generator strap, I assumed that was the ground. I'll have to go look and take some more pictures.
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1972 Super Build

[stewartsoda]

OK, I was looking at the wiring diagram again and I saw there's a little black wire that goes to test point 14 on the diagnostic connector. I can't get to the connector because it's behind a bunch of chrome in the engine compartment. But I think that's it. I'll get to it sometime later so I can test continuity.

It didn't come out in the harness under the L rear seat that I could see.

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1972 Super Build

[stewartsoda]

What is this thing?

Does anyone know what this is in the left end casting of my intake? It looks like some kind of sensor but it's not hooked up to anything.

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1972 Super Build

[stewartsoda]

Another story time...

Back last week before I had started taking the generator out, when it still ran....

So I drove it to work and back a couple of days, and checked my mileage when I filled up. 17 MPG. 17 MPG. That's worse than I expected. I mean, yeah a bunch was at speed on the freeway, but I didn't think it would be that bad.

It's got a Weber Progressive single carb on it. So I took the air cleaner off, you know because looking at the carb would fix it. (Actually, I was going to adjust the idle, because it was idling a little high, like way high) So I took it off, started it up, and let it warm up a bit, and... huh that's weird aren't the choke butterflies supposed to open? I read that the Weber has an electric choke... what's going on here?

Hmm, there's supposed to be a wire between the choke and the coil ... no wire. Just a connector at the choke end, with no wire attached. Okay, I can rig up a wire no sweat. And I hooked it up and the choke opened after a minute or two when the little wire coil warmed up.

So that's the story of how I discovered I'd been running the car with the choke on for a week.

I'm beginning to think the PO didn't know as much about bugs as he led me to believe....
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1972 Super Build

[stewartsoda]

Things I've been up to:

1. Dropped the motor to remove the generator and replace with an alternator. Ended up with a fan rubbing on shroud issue.
2. Ordered some shims, thought that would clear up the fan rubbing issue. It didn't.
3. Noticed the alternator had a clearance issue with the intake, which caused the alternator to be pushed toward the rear of the car. So I did some clearancing work with a drill and that helped. The fan doesn't sound as bad as it did before, but I have to take the belt off to double check.
4. Found all kinds of exhaust issues with the header fitting on the heater box exhaust outlets. I think I got that fixed, they are at least connected now.
5. Figured out the reverse light harness is missing between the fuze holder and the coil terminal, so I got a new fuze holder and get to make myself a new harness.

Things to do:

1. Splice in the fuze holder and wire it up to the coil so I have some reverse lights.
2. Mount the package tray speaker shelf so it doesn't fall down when I flip the seat forward (it's just resting on the seatback for now).
3. Install a new shift bushing.
4. Figure out why my radio doesn't work (it might be a bad radio).
5. Replace the window regulators, driver's side won't roll up, has broken teeth I think.
6. Do something about the crunched apron. I think I'll get a stud welder from Harbor Freight and try to do it myself first. If not I can get a replacement apron.
7. Get a new used hood from Idaho Bug Ranch as soon as our state stay-at-home order is lifted.
8. Make the windshield wipers work, only one speed works and they won't park. I remember reading about how that works, I just need to get after it.
9. Fix the fresh air fan since it doesn't work.
10. Once the hood is fixed and seals properly see if I need to refurbish the fresh air box flaps and stuff so I can control the air coming through.

Also- I think my car used to be an autostick? It has an autostick shift pattern on the ashtray, and there's an ATF warning light on the speedo. Is that a reasonable assumption?
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1972 Super Build

[stewartsoda]

Oh, and I did some degreasing work on the inside of the fan shroud (which was super nasty), replaced the fresh air hoses (after my son dropped a tire on them ), and washed out the inside of the heater boxes. Now I get pretty good heat and it doesn't smell like oily death!

So much degreasing all the chrome bits the PO put on the motor. SO DIRTY. And she leaks like a sieve.


And I found out what happens when you don't check your fuel filter for leaks.

It leaks. All over the garage floor. Like gallons if you don't catch it quickly.
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1972 Super Build

[jay64]

[stewartsoda]

It's just a little piece of plastic.

There was a lot of sloppy work on this one. I noticed someone cut a flap in the package tray compartment behind the seat. It looks like it was access to either the top left motor trans bolt or something else right there.

And I was all happy a few days before because there was dynomat in the back. Little did I know what it was covering...
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1972 Super Build

[marknmelcom]

[stewartsoda]

You know, I did think it looked like a fuse. I'm not missing any and the PO left some spares in the glove box. I would think that it would be leaking vacuum unless it was a tight fit, which I don't think it is. Would that cause it to run or idle rough?
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1972 Super Build

[stewartsoda]

Well during my lunch break today I went out to the garage and installed a new fuse holder and wired it up to the coil for my reverse lights. They still didn't work, so now I need to do some troubleshooting I guess.

That harness goes straight from the coil to an inline fuse to a terminal block on the right side of the engine bay. I'm probably going to have to pull out the chrome firewall trim to get to that again. Not sure if I can do it with the engine in or out or not.

When we had the engine out I tested the reverse switch continuity, it was okay. So it's either not getting power from the coil (unlikely), fuse is blown (which means a short somewhere), an open somewhere along that wire, or something not connected at the terminal.
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1972 Super Build

[cjsuner]

Did you check to see if the reverse light wire is connected to the reverse light switch on the transmission? It's toward the front of the car, ahead of the starter, on the "top side" of the transmission, passenger side.
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71' Super Convertible (Orange)
74 Super Beetle (Red)

[stewartsoda]

[stewartsoda]

Well I went to start the bug up this afternoon to back it out of the garage so I could adjust the valves on my mower. It made a heck of a racket.

Here's what happened:

Looks like a spring broke and caused all kinds of stuff to go clattering around in there.

How bad is this, folks? I'm going to start tearing stuff down, how much stuff do I need to plan on replacing? Or is it hard to know without getting inside and seeing what the piston and head look like?
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1972 Super Build