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Post by owdlvr on Jan 15, 2024 16:04:13 GMT -8
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Post by Volktales on Jan 16, 2024 22:37:11 GMT -8
Thanks for the info, Dave. I am fortunate enough to possess some hard copy manuals of several Eberspacher models at my disposal. Finding info on the Webastos is quite difficult, and I doubt there are many cars out there with it in complete condition, let alone functioning. Hopefully this will be one of the few... Now if I could only get more done on this project instead of having to deal with frozen water lines in both my Mom's garage, and my rental suite above the garage... Not fun...
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Post by Volktales on Jan 21, 2024 21:37:34 GMT -8
Sooo, with all the bad weather the past week, and wonderful things like frozen pipes, I didn't get much done on the '66. Did get back to it this weekend though...  This is just a taste of what I have been up too. Didn't take many pictures of cleaning a bunch of grubby parts, as that is what I was doing. This is the main combustion chamber and housing assembly for the Webasto heater. I have finalized the wiring in my mind and how things will be mounted. So just a bunch of testing components, and selecting the best for cleaning and painting as required...  Once again, lots of things on the drying rack with quality control looking on... Should have more pictures to post up in a couple of days... |
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Post by Volktales on Feb 4, 2024 21:49:20 GMT -8
Trying to update this thread tonight, but the PC app that I require to upload the pictures from the phone is refusing to operate. It opens and then shuts off in a couple of seconds and I am getting quite pissed off...
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Post by Volktales on Feb 4, 2024 22:46:43 GMT -8
Continuing on...  That is a bit better... Took the tag off the other spare combustion chamber as it was in significantly better condition. The info on the tag is all the same, but now the serial number doesn't match. Oh no!!! If you look carefully you can see some black plastic spacers at the very bottom of this picture in the vicinity of the bolt holes. These were not present on the original six volt heater, and will not fit in place when installing the 12 volt version. Don't really know why...  Here are three in order of age from left to right. Note the different directions the temperature controller is pointing. VW loved to diddle around with things like this for no obvious reason. The six volt version also uses a different glow plug design that does not have a separate heating coil, while the 12 volt versions do.  Here is the fuel mixture pump all cleaned up and ready for reassembly. Those two circular steel plates have a very thin layer of chrome on them, and must be in perfect shape to work properly. Fortunately these two were OK, because most are not...  This is the heart of the mixture pump, a positive displacement or sliding vane pump. You can see the single thin vane in place in the middle of the round component that spins and lets the vane slide back and forth. Pretty simple, really...  And there they are. The 12 volt version is on the left. Differences include the operating voltage (obviously), the materials the center of the pumping chamber is made from, and the orientation of the spigots. Less obvious is the spigot size is smaller on the six volt version. Note the mounting brackets are very different, despite the pump being installed in the same location. The earlier version is one piece, and one end attaches to the same bolt that holds the starter to the transmission housing and engine. The later two-piece type instead attaches to one of the transmission side cover studs. The bracket in the foreground is a third design, and I think it is for Auto-Stick applications. The mixture pump is bolted to the transmission itself, unlike the other components that hang from the underside of the package shelf...  And speaking of that package shelf... Here are what the mounting points look like from above. That is factory original carpet, with the original mounting plugs and caps in place. These components were also made in very dark grey plastic as well...  The above plug and the bolt heads just visible above the seat belts are for the combustion chamber mountings. The earlier photo also shows the mountings for the "dosage". Continued... |
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Post by Volktales on Feb 4, 2024 23:11:31 GMT -8
 And speaking of that "dosage", here is one all cleaned up and ready to go. The center hole is the fuel inlet, that takes fuel under pressure from the engine's fuel pump. The large hole to the right is the combustion air intake. The key shaped thing is actually a holder for the jet, which determines how much fuel to mix in with the air for combustion, hence the name "dosage". The brass bolt is part of the banjo fitting that screws into the center of the fuel inlet in the dosage. The jet key screws into a hole in the side of the dosage and is accessible from the engine compartment, as it is designed to be periodically removed and cleaned. Once every 58 years I guess...  This is a different dosage that is very corroded and not useable. So I took the lid off to have a peak inside. That is a big thin rubber diaphragm with a metal support plate below it. When the mixture pump activates, it sucks on this diaphragm, which opens a valve that allows fuel under pressure to enter the dosage, and then mix with air to form a combustible fuel, that is then pumped through the mixture pump and into the combustion chamber. Hope the diaphragm in the "good" dosage works, because it not really possible to test it without the whole system together...  And here are all the main goodies, all reconditioned and ready to install. Going to be interesting....  So here we are with the main components bolted up in place... It is a tight squeeze, and the combustion chamber assembly and mixture pump are visible here...  And there is the dosage pump, installed as well. At least the mounting bracket was the same. The brackets remained the same on both 6 and 12 volt versions, but the dosages themselves had several differences.  This view from the other side shows how the mixture pump is secured to the transmission. Next up is to install the AutoStick starter in place.  And time to retire the old starter that was built into a hybrid. Six volt starter with bendix to operate 12 volt flywheel. It worked, but won't miss it...  Won't miss this either. Most six volt VWs ended up with one of these Ford style hard start relays. This always allowed the engine to crank over no matter what, but still only started when it felt like it. Will not miss that stupid six volt system at all... Did I mention six volts is stupid??? |
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Post by owdlvr on Feb 5, 2024 9:50:17 GMT -8
You know, after reading this thread, I'm beginning to think you have a very mild distaste for the 6 volt systems...
Man that heater is a tight squeeze!
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Post by Volktales on Feb 11, 2024 20:34:39 GMT -8
So no pretty pictures today, as I was figuring out how to run the various wiring for both the Webasto, as well as the new under-seat mounting for the voltage regulator. Things like this are more tricky when you are trying to do it without drilling new holes, nor modifying the original wiring harness in any way. Because I just can't help myself...
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Post by Volktales on Feb 18, 2024 22:13:33 GMT -8
So the "smart-ish" phone and PC decided to communicate today...  The 12 volt regulator is installed and wired up! This is located in the stock 1967 and later location under the back seat. Many people stick them all over the engine compartment in 12 volt conversions, or just go to a repro alternator. Not me... Those cheapo repro alternators are completely unnecessary on an otherwise stock Beetle...  Here is a closer look. I don't like how close the insulation on the heater duct is to the cover. I seriously doubt there will be excessive heat here however... On the later cars there is more clearance between the duct and the regulator, but not much more.  That is the single most expensive part of this project. Had to buy a new battery, as I did not have a suitable trustworthy one in my stash. Note that these batteries no longer come with the positive post cover anymore. Luckily I never throw anything away and had a couple in my stash... Also note that I had to buy a longer ground strap cable to fit the 12 volt battery. That correct braided style is sold by CIP1, and they think it is currently worth $47.99 (regularly $59.99!!!). Well that is not going to happen, is it? Lordco had the same part in stock for $24...  Even though my poor old '70 Beetle is a rusting derelict, it still upsets me to pilfer parts from it. It did have the needed battery hold down bracket and special nut, and despite the decay around them, these parts were in really nice shape. Go figure...  This was a bit fun. Replacing the time controller with the 12 volt version, and wiring it up to work. All the heater components were changed out except the wiring to the indicator bulb, and this is a bit different on the 12 volt versions. Hence the one double connector plugged in. This looks messy, but in fact is how VW did it and nothing was permanently altered.  The newly added harness for the generator D+, DF, and ground wire will not be cut to length until the engine is installed. And this will be very soon... This project is actually nearing completion soon! |
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Post by Volktales on Feb 25, 2024 20:48:54 GMT -8
Didn't get as much done this weekend as I would have liked to... Did replace the front wheel cylinders and serviced the front brakes, but neglected to take any photos of that...  I did clean up the wheel arches because somehow it got dirty over the last 20 or so years... |
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Post by Volktales on Feb 25, 2024 20:57:26 GMT -8
 The car has now assumed the position for engine install. The rear apron should clear the engine on the jack by a few mm. Hopefully...  The new jack is also ready. (although that locking bar is still in place for now)... Just have to get the engine down off the bench... Soon... |
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Post by Volktales on Mar 3, 2024 22:27:21 GMT -8
Back at it again...  So had a visit from Reagh and Rob this weekend, and the three of us got the engine off the bench and installed on top of the new jack. I had the rear of the car high enough on jackstands off the ground, that the engine on the jack just slipped under the rear apron. Of course the jack would not have enough travel to go high enough to engage the transmission. So how to deal with that? Look at the picture and you can see I set the engine on smaller jackstands, then lowered the jack enough to get some blocking on the pads. This would then raise the engine high enough to engage with the transmission. Except there were other issues...  How easily an engine slips into place on these cars can depend on which pressure plate you have, what generator and distributor, what exhaust, and what era of engine is going in. All these effect how much clearance you have when easing the engine into position. The main interference point is the generator shaft and possibly distributor. There is simply not enough room to squeeze past the rear apron (the generator shaft) when raising the engine. In this case you have to tip the engine forward or backward, and this is more difficult with this jack design. Given the potential for damage, I decided the safest way was to remove the generator (and later distributor), then the engine easily mated with the transmission... Another potential issue is, if the Beetle you are working on has been hit in the back, the slightest damage to the apron has a big influence on how the engine installation job will go...  A better picture of how I raised the lifting height under the engine. Was still nice and stable, even with these blocks in place. Note I did have to remove the locking bar on the jack to clear the exhaust system, just like Terry said was necessary. Otherwise I was very happy how this jack worked and am glad I got it...  And here it is completed. Went relatively smoothly, and the "new" Auto-Stick starter worked fine and dandy.  The add-on regulator harness was completed as well. The generator light went out when the engine was started, so I guess it is working. We will see once I can run it longer...  And has happened so many times in the past, the brake pedal was too soft after being bled, and no more air would come out. So I did nothing and waited a few days, and now it feels completely normal. Good. So now just a few more minor things left, before this car is 100% back together. Hope we get some good weather soon for a test drive!!!! |
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Post by Volktales on Mar 14, 2024 21:07:52 GMT -8
Sooo, still working away on this...  Saved this basically for last. This is where this sticker was found on the '67 to '70 Beetles. Or was it? Apparently on most '67's, the sticker was mounted higher, above the dome light switch. I didn't like it there, so chose the more common location. Won't confuse any future owners anyway...  Before the car was ready to leave the garage, I had to attend to a couple of fuel leaks. This rare VW accessory gas heater fuel filter was seeping a bit, and needed to be tightened up. This filter was found in the glovebox when I acquired this car all those years ago... Also had a leak at the dosage fuel inlet for the gas heater. New copper sealing washers to replace the original fibre washers solved this. Then it was ready for a test drive... Or not.  One thing I HATE is things that don't work correctly. When I had installed that Motorola radio earlier, I didn't realize the indicator light was burnt out. As much as I hate removing parts again that I had just installed, I just could not leave it like that. So out the radio was yanked, and sure enough the bulb was burnt out. Now where would I find one of those weird sized bulbs???  Turns out that the very common '70's era AM radios that were found in VW's, were actually made by Motorola. And I just happened to have a stack of them. Bulbs were identical, so problem solved...  Might seem like a small thing to many, but now I can sleep at night...  And YES, the '66 finally came out of the garage again, and is back on the road. So how did the test drive go? Well it was fine until 30 km/h was reached. That is when the "new" km speedometer decides to squeal like a demon! I immediately ripped it out and substituted the MPH version back in. Will rebuild the speedo at a later date... Otherwise things went very well. The generator and regulator are charging properly, all the electrics work correctly, the brakes feel great, the engine runs beautifully and most importantly: it starts instantly EVERY TIME! Something that just wouldn't happen on the old crappy six volt system. So I will fix the speedometer, change the last remaining fuel lines under the tank (will do this at the shop), and see if the gas heater will actually work. And then start driving it as much as I can! Good to get another VW sorted out at last...  Nothing to do with VWs, but look at that monster squirrel that hangs out in my yard all the time. He likes stuffing his face full of nuts while admiring Goldie the Corvair. Who can blame him??? Speaking of Corvairs, it is time to get back onto the Bluey project. Time to strip out the engine bay and make it all nice again... Soon! |
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Post by Volktales on Mar 15, 2024 22:24:24 GMT -8
So it was time to go deeper on the wailing speedometer issue...  And since we have to do a major disassembly, lets do something about that odometer reading...  First was to disassemble the unit. This time I had a bit of a think, and did NOT remove the needle from the spindle. To access the components I needed to get to, the dial face and pointer did not have to be removed, which was nice...  These parts make up the gearing for the drive mechanism. The original grease had dried out and was cleaned and re-lubed as necessary. Getting that brass bushing to release its' grip on the housing was fun. Mini vice grips got there in the end.  You can see that bushing on the left. It must be removed to free the white plastic gear from the housing. You must remove this to get at the rotating magnet assembly.  Now to reset the odometer to the correct value, you have to carefully disengage the shaft the white gears ride on.  This other speedometer internals shows this better. With the white gears disengaged, you can reset the digits, and then reinstall the shaft. Yes this is tricky, but can be done.  The digits were reset to what the car actually has on it, converted to kilometers. So from 101,730 miles, to 163,719 km. And yes the odometer has only been around once...  So mounted back in the car again. Will it work? It had better... |
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Post by Volktales on Mar 16, 2024 20:04:26 GMT -8
 So next up was trying to stop the gear shift from rattling while driving. The common cause of this is a failed shift rod bushing, but I had vague recollections of changing this in the past. Another potential cause is play in the shift coupler, so let's check that first... And naughty naughty, someone failed to lockwire the setscrew in the past...  This pin was too loose of a fit in the shift rod itself. The solution was to put a chisel in that gap, and whack it with the hammer a bit to spread the gap open slightly. It actually worked.  All the moving parts greased up, and the lockwire installed. Would this eliminate that nasty rattle???  Next up was what to make the shield for the voltage regulator out of? The cars with the underseat regulators had a cheesy cardboard like cover over them originally. This was not a heat shield, but just a simple cover to protect the regulator from shorting if objects fell past the edge of the seat onto the reg... So I looked for a suitable thick period correct cardboard. And found it too.  That box was once on Thompson's shelves, and I thought I might save it for something. And it was just what I needed...  So another test drive beckoned, and would the shifter be quiet and would the speedometer still work??? YES on both counts. So smooth on the highway that the speedo was tested to 120 km/h! Don would be proud... |
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