1974 Super beetle, basket case...

[cegammel]

See those lovely flower petals in the pans? They fell AS SOON AS I SPRAYED THE LAST COAT OF PAINT... Flower power, baby...all in my shiny new paint job...


Today consisted of new brake lines and hoses and installation of the pan.

So far, I've encountered or created the following issues:

1) Broken bolts: three on the fenders and 4 in the pan. I have been able to drill out and retap most. One I obliterated.
2) It's monsoon season in Georgia, so the danged watertight floor pans have been filling up every night. I had to pull out the canoe kit and bail. I know it's sacrilege, but I'm considered drilling some drain holes in the floor pans...
3) Lining up ALL of the holes to reconnect the pan is a royal pain. As soon as I tightened one fastener, I found another that wasn't exactly right...then had to loosen all the tight ones...and there are a heck of a lot of fasteners.
4) The paint experiment is ok...but not great. I tried shooting at a much higher pressure (60 psi at the gun) to overcome my extreme orange peel. It's a little better than the van, but not much. Tomorrow, I'm wet sanding the whole car and clear coating. Then, wet sanding and polishing. Oh, and assembling all the missing bits.
5) Are the fender trim pieces supposed to be black? The old ones were painted orange along with the car.
6) Glass: I tried to buy new window seals for the non-moving windows with the trim slit, but I keep forgetting to order the danged trim. So, I'll be sitting without windows in monsoon season covered in plastic for the next week. I'm also fully expecting window installation to be awful, so I'm not too happy about tackling it anyway.
7) The worst part so far has been getting incorrect bolts through the floor rubber into the heater channels. I tried to order new screws, but they are naturally sold out. Next time, I'll put in the right ones.
safety: Note that in the picture above, the tires ONLY are supported on blocks, just long enough to attach the tops of the struts. In monsoon season, it is also necessary to cut plywood for the jack stands to sit on...they will sink very rapidly. Also, I learned the hard way that if the jack or wheels don't roll, the bolt holes that you are trying desperately to line up will not end up where you want them when you raise the jack...That whole geometry thing bit me in the butt. Luckily, I was able to lift and shimmy the body enough to line it up. I did stupidly attempt to jack both ends of the car a once...thereby leaving the car rocking across its centerline...luckily, it tipped 1/2 inch off the ground, preventing a literal flip.
9) brake hoses: Am I correct in thinking that the front brake hoses should not connect directly to the backing plate, but rather there should be a steel line leaving the plate to which the front hose attaches? The car currently has a hose only, no steel line. The van has a tiny steel line and a hose (also what Bentley shows for the Beetle).
10) Refreshingly, every part is exactly half the cost of the same parts for the Vanagon!
11) BusDepot, so far my favorite dealer by far, has annoyed me...twice in the last week. Not giving up on them, but they are on the list.

[Amskeptic]

2) It's monsoon season in Georgia, so the danged watertight floor pans have been filling up every night.

Yikes, no good, got tarp?

3) Lining up ALL of the holes to reconnect the pan is a royal pain.

Like any multi-fastener joining project, you need to keep all fasteners loose until all are installed.

4)I tried shooting at a much higher pressure (60 psi at the gun) to overcome my extreme orange peel.

Orange peel is too much drying between nozzle and surface. Try less pressure closer.

5) Are the fender trim pieces supposed to be black?

Are you talking about the fender welt? Black.

6) I'm also fully expecting window installation to be awful,

Bug size glass isn't too bad, will you have help?
I find that parachute cord makes life easier. Lots o' soap, too.

7) The worst part so far has been getting incorrect bolts through the floor rubber into the heater channels.

What was the problem? Damaging the rubber?

9) Am I correct in thinking that the front brake hoses should not connect directly to the backing plate?

My Squareback has hose directly to caliper.


11) BusDepot, so far my favorite dealer by far, has annoyed me...twice in the last week.

I am so not terribly surprised. It is amazing to watch you plow through this enormous undertaking, in the rain, no less. What is the goal for this car?
Colin

[Boxcar]

Grreat plowing progress, rain and all.

I sense a nice depth of skills and patience

[cegammel]

Thanks for the encouragement. It was supposed to rain, so painting is put off until tomorrow. The rubber on the pan was the issue. Without those pointy self centering screws, the job is much more difficult. I hope to have the wife driving it by summer. My daughter says she will hold out for a green one... maybe a Thing next...

[cegammel]

Weekend... got one seriously stuck lug nut...

[cegammel]

Update: Most of my body fixtures are back on. Window seals and trim come in today, so I should have that done by the end of the week.

Question: That stuck lug bolt on the back wheel is still stuck. The head of the bolt is in bad shape, but enough to get a socket on. So far, I've tried heat, PB Blaster, a BFH, and a 5 foot cheater...I was able to lift the car with the cheat, but no go on the bolt. The other wheels are off and nicely painted...all but this one.

Do the rear wheels work like the front? Can I remove that center nut, then pull the whole drum off. Would that allow me to access the bolt from the backside? I may be able to get some oil on it that way...and also see if that joker is welded on the inside...


Also, my master cylinder seems frozen. If and when it unsticks, is it going to leak? If so, I should go ahead and pull it, then replace or rebuild it. Seems like the process of unsticking it will likely break the seals.

Also, the spring on the clutch lever on the bellhousing is broken, preventing the clutch from returning to the upright position. Looks straightforward enough in Bentley, but let me know if there's something amiss here.

With all tidbits in place, I'm almost ready to start on the engine. I've convinced myself that it's not in that bad shape. So, I think I'll pop it back in and see what happens. I need to get a thermostat and thermostat link first.

[asiab3]

Do the rear wheels work like the front?

No, they don't steer.

Can I remove that center nut, then pull the whole drum off. Would that allow me to access the bolt from the backside? I may be able to get some oil on it that way...

Yes, the axle nut will allow you to take the drum off with the wheel. This would be a great way to get more penetrating oil in the threads. You could also then take the wheel/drum to a tire shop to use their Serious Impact Gun.

Robbie

[Boxcar]

If you get an amenable situation.EvapoRust !immersion! is great too!
Hard to fathom cherry red,with the blue tip wrench not working..oh bolts? Or lug nuts?
That EvapoRust™ isnt cheap but has worked serious McGuivers for me.

Great progress. I'm moving to.Georgia next winter!!

[cegammel]

Come on down! I need an excuse to build another garage...

We can add CV joints to my list of no longer good parts...The bearing cage has a tiny crack, but I think I may put them back together and give it a shot until I get the thing running, then go back in later and replace joints. They're so easy to get to on the beetle, I could almost do them for fun...almost.

Unfortunately, I have to put the other three wheels back on, put the car on the ground, then try that axle nut. I just about tipped it off the stands trying to get the danged lug off.

Thanks for your help.

[cegammel]

I am now going to ask a series of dumb electrical questions:
1. There is a bundle of three wires running from driver to passenger side, under the rear seat. Any idea what they go to? The plugs are corroded, and this location is where Ifound them, not necessarily where they go. These are not the seat safety wires...
2. When I turn the key to start, I hear a click from the dash behind the fuseblock, like a relay but the starter does not turn over. I have battery voltage at the solenoid. Is there a relay in there to the starter?
3. Headlights work, tail lights work, turn signals do not. Is there a relay for those as well? Could also be the switch, havent checked it yet.

Engine is back together and ready to go in...but I would like to have a functional starter first...

[Amskeptic]

I am now going to ask a series of dumb electrical questions:
1. There is a bundle of three wires running from driver to passenger side, under the rear seat. Any idea what they go to? The plugs are corroded, and this location is where Ifound them, not necessarily where they go. These are not the seat safety wires...
2. When I turn the key to start, I hear a click from the dash behind the fuseblock, like a relay but the starter does not turn over. I have battery voltage at the solenoid. Is there a relay in there to the starter?
3. Headlights work, tail lights work, turn signals do not. Is there a relay for those as well? Could also be the switch, havent checked it yet.

Engine is back together and ready to go in...but I would like to have a functional starter first...

1. Seat belt warning buzzer? Voltage regulator to battery? I am lost without wire colors or photographs to see the gauge of wire. Plugs? are corroded? What are these "plugs"? Connectors? Imagine that you are the person who has to answer the question, then that will help you pose the question. Get some carb spray and wash down the wires if they have been painted, that will help you find original colors. See if you can find source or destination for them, as well. See if they have a "memory" that lays them down and directs you to potential components . . .

2. "Battery voltage at the solenoid", again, specificity will help. The post on the solenoid is the battery cable's destination and we would expect that it has 12 volts. Have you tested for voltage at the spade terminal on the solenoid, that is the one that directs the starter to operate from your command at the ignition switch. You look for any dimming of the idiot lights when you press the key over to "start", the click from the dash area tells you that the ignition switch is likely passing the command to the wire that is supposed to lead to the solenoid spade connector, usually it is a black wire with a red tracer. There is no relay between the ignition switch and the starter, but there is an interrupt between ignition and starter that kills the headlamps if they are on.
BUT
3. You say the headlamps work. They should only work with the ignition on! That makes me wonder if somebody codged the wiring. Turn signals use a flasher relay, you did not tell us if the emergency flashers work, they use the same flasher relay as the turnsignals and they do not require the ignition to be on, and they don;t care if your bulbs are all screwy (like the double terminal bulbs that are so frequently installed backwards. Got wiring diagram?
Colin

[cegammel]

I'll dig up info on the mysterious bundle tomorrow. I have the Bentley, but making those diagrams line up with the entanglement is difficult.

The hazard flashers also do not work. The headlights do not work on bright. Is there a standard codging I should look for on those headlights?

By solenoid, I meant spade from ignition at the solenoid, which shows battery voltage when the key is turned to start. The only idiot light that comes on is the G...which I assume is "generator."

Not that any of this is my strong point, but I am highly intimidated by wiring...

The mysterious three wire bundle are some variety of battery test links to the test block in the engine bay. Still working on starter click...

[Amskeptic]

The mysterious three wire bundle are some variety of battery test links to the test block in the engine bay. Still working on starter click...

If you get voltage to the plug-it-in spade at the push-on terminal at the starter solenoid at "start" position of the key, then the problem is likely in the starter. Make sure car is in neutral or wheels off. Get cheapo wrench to bridge the posts on the solenoid. This might be sparky-ish so be accurate and gas leak free.
It will run the starter motor only. Does it?
If yes, then try bridging the spade terminal and the battery cabled post on the solenoid. This should energize the solenoid and push the starter pinion into the flywheel. Much ruckus.

Turn on the headlamps low beam or whatever with the ignition OFF. The headlights should NOT turn on.
Keep the headlamp switch pulled out. Now turn the key just to ignition "on". The headlamps are supposed to turn on NOW.
Do they? That is what I was asking. If, after you get known good low beams, the high beams don't work, we're dealing with dimmer relay etc.
Colin

[cegammel]

Here's where we are now:



Engine is in and spinning. New plugs are in.



Things left to do before trying real ignition: valve adjustment, last bit of fuel line, finish wiring patches...and probably several other things.

Looking at this image:

Is the fuel filter supposed to be right there? It seems awfully close to the wiring. I think I read on Atwell's site (or superbeetles....somewhere) that it should be relocated outside of the engine bay.

The engine turns nicely. Getting to anything on this engine makes me really appreciate my Vanagon's gaping bay. I still haven't figured out how to get a compression gauge hose in there.

[cegammel]

Engine wiring is done...still no fire from the coil...I suppose I shall order a new one.