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The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 7:23 pm
by Amskeptic
Returned from Miami with a 46 year-old Volkswagen running flawlessly into the haze of the unknown.

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On my way back to Pensacola, I ran into this wall of remembrance. Remembrance of the fierce haboob out in Utah last summer that whipped me for three days. But, Florida? Florida does not have exposed dirt anywhere. Dirt in Florida gets rained on and covered with luxuriant fungi and mold and seeds and a steady rain of organic debris from trees:

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The wide camera angle pushes away the impact of this fog wall, but driving at 58 mph in real time, visibility was reduced quickly and dramatically. It was smoke, irresponsible smoke with no consideration for motorists in smoke-colored Volkswagens driving 15 mph less than the posted speed limit .

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Oh yeah, so I got this here thing in my dashboard.
BEFORE

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AFTER

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It is a tachometer made up to look "original-like":

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See that little number "4"?
Now that I have a real tachometer, I compared my shift points and cruising speed for the past 50,000 miles and discovered that I haven't actually hit 4,000 rpm but maybe three times. My engine is babied, more even than RandyInMaine's jeep.
Colin

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 8:59 pm
by asiab3
Thank you for the narrative! While we may be few in number, I'm sure the readership here is more appreciative than we show.

4,000RPM? That's cute! My old engine hit 3,800 ONCE. The first night I got curious with my tach installed, I knew by the unmistakeable apocalypse of vibration happening around me that it had never done that, and would never do it again.

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:15 am
by wcfvw69
Colin,

What year is that instrument cluster? My 70' doesn't have those red boxes identifying the positions of the heater controls.

Re:The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:33 am
by THall
I'm guessing there are many like myself who tune in daily, but fail to contribute regularly....I am very interested in hearing how this all pans out.

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2015 8:48 am
by Amskeptic
wcfvw69 wrote:Colin,

What year is that instrument cluster? My 70' doesn't have those red boxes identifying the positions of the heater controls.
That is a 1973 instrument cluster that does not belong in this car, but the prior owner (Bookwus) really liked lights.
Colin

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2015 1:59 pm
by wcfvw69
Amskeptic wrote:
wcfvw69 wrote:Colin,

What year is that instrument cluster? My 70' doesn't have those red boxes identifying the positions of the heater controls.
That is a 1973 instrument cluster that does not belong in this car, but the prior owner (Bookwus) really liked lights.
Colin
Gotcha! It looks good in your bus.. However, I do feel compelled to share that I've reported you to the stock/originality Nazi's. lol

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2015 8:01 pm
by hambone
Beautiful tach, what's the deal? Did it cost a thousand? :blackeye: It really looks stock.

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 8:09 am
by Amskeptic
The tachometer was purchased from Just Kampers in the U.K. It cost $200.00 which is only $15.00 more than what I paid for the tachometer that graced the Road Warrior for 29 years:

posted to my gallery on theSamba December 23, 2002:
Dash With Tach
Amskeptic
I have no idea if this will have sufficient resolution to show the custom tach face. I installed this thing in 1980, it has a Lucas movement from an old Jaguar, got it done at Mo-Ma Manufacturing in North Hollywood, CA for $185.00 twenty three years ago, ouch.
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Turns out well and truly that a tachometer in an early bay bus is as useless as the factory deemed. Who needs it when you are attuned to your engine as much as your average early bay bus owner is? I will use it primarily for double-clutching improvement. A glass smooth downshift is a thing of beauty.
Coliun

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 8:15 am
by Amskeptic
wcfvw69 wrote: However, I do feel compelled to share that I've reported you to the stock/originality Nazi's. lol
Achtung! Ich haff reporten meinschelf to zee Ministry off Wolksvagenoriginalityordeathenschnell!

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 4:00 pm
by hambone
Tach is awesome in the mountains, various climbs up 1 lane gravel. I use it instead of the speedo.

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 9:24 pm
by asiab3
Amskeptic wrote: Turns out well and truly that a tachometer in an early bay bus is as useless as the factory deemed.
What, and a clock is better? In a car that gets you there when it decides to get you there? That's almost as bad as having a tach that goes up to 6,500………

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 10:24 am
by BellePlaine
It still drives me crazy that VW provided the perfect spot for a tach and then threw off the instrument cluster feng shui with a blank! On the other hand, making our own orginal-like tachs can be fun!
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Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 5:05 pm
by Amskeptic
BellePlaine wrote:It still drives me crazy that VW provided the perfect spot for a tach and then threw off the instrument cluster feng shui with a blank! On the other hand, making our own orginal-like tachs can be fun!
That's a fine tach. Was that a home computer print out deal? I always hated that blank in the dash, cheap!
Colin

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 5:07 pm
by Amskeptic
asiab3 wrote:
Amskeptic wrote: Turns out well and truly that a tachometer in an early bay bus is as useless as the factory deemed.
What, and a clock is better? In a car that gets you there when it decides to get you there? That's almost as bad as having a tach that goes up to 6,500………
I think yes, the clock used to be utilized as an optional accelerometer.
"Wolfsburg One to Traffic Control, we have commenced taxiing down the onramp at oh nine hour fourteen minutes."
"Roger that, be advised that merge point will be three thousand feet V1 forty mph minimum, mandatory full throttle."
"Wolfsburg One to Traffic Control, we are at maximum throttle, we'll check in at oh nine hour sixteen minutes."
"Godspeed."
"Wolfsburg One to Traffic Control, merge executed at nine hour seventeen minutes, current velocity fifty two mph full throttle in lane three."
"I'll check in after my coffee break to see if you have hit cruising speed."
"Wolfsburg One to Traffic Control, cruising speed of fifty nine mph attained here at . . . . nine hour and twenty three minutes full throttle with slight headwind."

Re: The 2015 Main Lap Prep

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 6:47 pm
by Amskeptic
Main Lap Prep continued . . .

You can drop a Type 1 engine carrier in no time. Just jack up the engine a bit, remove the mount bolts, unscrew the three that hold it to the engine, arc it out.

Why would you do that? To paint, of course. Here it is, hanging from two coat hangers off the middle of an extension ladder across two trash bins. I dremeled every sharp edge off of this thing, and took two clearance cuts under each exhaust pipe clamp relief. Sanded it smooth of forty years of rock dings and pocks, I wanted this sucker to look good:

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Here it is after two coats of gloss black Rustoleum 500* Engine Enamel:

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The cascade of other projects ensued. For example, this pulley tin has never fit correctly. Took it off. Had to do tedious metal work to get it all correctly aligned. This Volkswagen engine tin is a very springy steel. Then had to sand the ins and the outs and the crevasses:

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Had to take the crankshaft pulley off to get to it. Found out that the oil pump studs were still too long. Why were they too long? Uh oh . . . :

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Took off the pump cover, because I am suspecting something:

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Yep, it is a 30mm Shadek.

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No wonder my 155* 20-50W oil pressure readings last week were so robust:

IDLE

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2,500 RPM

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This discovery was AFTER I wrote Lubrication Notes in the Engine Forum, scolding and clucking about the marketing that drives us too far. Well . . . I do have too much pump. So I made sure that the control valve piston was beautifully smooth and I borrowed a stick of staples and snapped off exactly 20mm to check the preload tension:

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Pressed my finger on the the control valve spring until it touched the staple stick and read just about seven and half pounds of pressure (this scale does 10ths not ounces)

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Put it all back together and admired the new reflectivity under the engine:

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Barely warmed up the oil and hit 4,000 rpm to make sure that the control valve could limit the output of this Shadek monstrosity with 20-50W oil:

4,000 RPM

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I've gained a little weight now that I eat bon bons every time I want a cigarette:

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The ash tray, after all, is now modified (!) with a hole in the left side and a door clip grommet:

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I cut the end off the grommet and threaded my new hard-wired Dakota Digital gauge through it:

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Cut and drilled the Motel6 card key ash tray gauge mount and painted it with the Rustoleum gloss black engine enamel from far away to give a dry landing for the paint particles and a little semi-dash texture:

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Always lock your gauge securely and throw a bolt for added security, here's how:

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Installed here.

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I pulled the dash cluster out so I could neatly and discretely run the 12 + the ground (-) and the instrument dimmer signal wire all to the fuel gauge cluster. The sensor wire from #3 spark plug was routed right along side my tachometer wire installed two weeks ago along the brake line under the car, and I look forward to getting some undercoating on the obnoxious yellow wiring. My gauge holiday is over. Will report on CHTs later.

Closed the doors . . . . :

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Pet the cat . . . . :

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. . . . and came in here to write all about it.
Colin