There's an easier way rather than using that tool. Get a length of chain. Put the chain under your floor jack and around the top of the top shock mount. Now you can use your floor jack to lift the spring plate off the stop.
2 2011-01-11 23:57:21
Re: How to get rear defroster to work (33 replies, posted in Technical)
burrhead wrote:
Bruce wrote:burrhead wrote:It is terminal, don't try to see what ails it.
It's not terminal, it's already dead.
I know this because of all the countless guys who've started topics exactly like this one. They spend all sorts of time getting the cct up to the grid functioning, only to discover the grid is shot.
I searched the junkyards 25 years ago for a good grid. All dead. Jump forward to today, the chances of it working aren't gonna get any better.Yep You're right Dr. Doom. Why bother to spend a little of your free time to see if it can fixed or not? Just s*** can it.
I'm glad I didn't have that attitude repairing these cars, I'd not have been successful for all these years.Contrary to YOUR opinion I have been able to get some to work so it is worth a little effort to check it out. Besides it is good electrical experience with the meter.
I did a quick search for all the "countess" people who post on this, all I can say I'm sure glad I can count higher than you
Go and buy a lottery ticket.
3 2011-01-08 10:13:42
Re: How to get rear defroster to work (33 replies, posted in Technical)
burrhead wrote:
Bruce wrote:burrhead wrote:Get out the meter and check each one for continuity.
You can't separate them and test them individually.
Trying to get a 40 year old rear window defogger working is futile. The grid on the glass is ALWAYS shot.
It is terminal, don't try to see what ails it.
It's not terminal, it's already dead.
I know this because of all the countless guys who've started topics exactly like this one. They spend all sorts of time getting the cct up to the grid functioning, only to discover the grid is shot.
I searched the junkyards 25 years ago for a good grid. All dead. Jump forward to today, the chances of it working aren't gonna get any better.
4 2011-01-08 00:18:36
Re: How to get rear defroster to work (33 replies, posted in Technical)
burrhead wrote:
Get out the meter and check each one for continuity.
You can't separate them and test them individually.
Trying to get a 40 year old rear window defogger working is futile. The grid on the glass is ALWAYS shot.
5 2010-10-07 20:43:25
Re: 79 fuel injected VW super beetle problems (14 replies, posted in Technical)
You can get the injectors professionally cleaned. Ask around at independant auto repair shops for who they use.
My buddy's shop uses a guy who has a mobile service. I think he charges $75 for a set of 4.
6 2010-10-02 00:08:29
Re: Crankshaft Gear Heat up (3 replies, posted in Technical)
thebignic wrote:
, I'm not sure what temperatures are required to "heat treat" or for how long it should be exposed, and I don't know what any of the drawbacks are of having such wild temperature differences when the metals come in contact.
Don't worry about the heat treat. There is none. The stresses on the gear teeth are low, it has good lubrication, and the cam gear is soft anyway. No need to harden the crank gear when the other gear is even softer than mild steel.
7 2010-09-04 20:38:27
Re: First breakdown! (6 replies, posted in Technical)
Altema wrote:
My dad had similar symptoms in his super, ....
Supers don't have the screen.
8 2010-09-04 20:29:59
Re: How to break in new rings (5 replies, posted in Technical)
I'm in the "drive it hard" camp.
Before I believed that, I bought my Mexican Beetle new from the dealer. It's first 100km were varied between 80 and 90km/h on a flat road. The result is significant blowby today. Clearly, driving it with a light load doesn't work.
I recall reading about two guys who both decided to buy identical motorcycles at the same time. One kept the revs down and baby'd it around town for the first few hundred miles. The other guy ran the crap out of it right off the showroom. Later, they both decided to dyno their bikes. The guy who beat the hell out of his bike made significantly more hp than the guy who took it easy.
Here's the theory:
We all know the rings have to seat into the cylinders to make a good seal. This happens in the first few hundred miles. Then after that, nothing you do will affect that seal. So you need to get the rings to seal properly as soon as possible.
The rings have a normal spring tension forcing them outward against the cylinders. But this tension is fairly small compared to the forces created by the cylinder pressure. The greater the cylinder pressure, the greater the force pushing the rings against the cylinders, then the better the sealing.
Because of this, you should take your new engine to the nearest hill you can find and drive it up that hill at full throttle. Repeat. This maximized the cylinder pressures, making them seat in much better.
9 2010-06-17 19:47:32
Re: Which is the better trans, Single or Dual sideplate? (5 replies, posted in Technical)
It is possible, depending on the year, that the DSC AH gearbox you have is identical internally to the guts of the SSC, but not likely.
A SSC will usually have a steel 1-2 fork, brazed 3rd and 4th gear synchro hubs, a stronger 9 tooth first gear, stronger 15 tooth diff side gears and 10 tooth spiders.
The DSC should have a much better reverse gear though.
10 2010-06-02 22:12:31
Re: Counterbalanced crankshafts (6 replies, posted in Technical)
Bug In My Nose wrote:
..... after power-coating your pans?
The process is called Powder Coating.
11 2010-05-28 22:57:34
Re: If you wanted your pans to last forever... (18 replies, posted in Technical)
Bug In My Nose wrote:
One way to extend the life of your pan is to spend an extra $50 every 5-10 years on a battery that doesn't leak ACID all over your pan. The Optima batteries are positively sealed and do not leak like that one you have. (what's the cardboard box for?)
12 2010-05-25 20:12:49
Re: what is better dual port or single port (5 replies, posted in Technical)
Altema wrote:
Reliability: single port is better.
What makes you say that? What do you think is unreliable with a dual port head?
13 2010-05-24 08:50:30
Re: Matched lock to original key (11 replies, posted in Technical)
Bookwus wrote:
Hiya Paul,
Yep, that is precisely why you do not want to mix lubricants in the lockway. That goop actually hardens over time and interferes with the operation of the lock.
It takes several decades for any grease you put in there to harden up, so mixing lubes is not a problem.
I use a bit of white grease on the OD of the lock cylinder, then some 3-in-1 on the wafers. I prefer to use grease because it doesn't wash out like an oil will when water gets in there.
If you need wafers, save all the lock cylinders from broken handles. The more the better.
14 2010-04-21 20:03:28
Re: freeway flyer trans..... (6 replies, posted in Technical)
Altema wrote:
.... so how about a 1973 or later trans in a Ghia with an upgraded engine?
When you say a 73 and later trans, are you asking about a 73+ Bug trans or a 73+ Ghia trans?
If you're asking about the Bug trans, there's no difference when in 4th gear comparing it to a 67-72 trans. Even though VW increased the R&P from a 4.12 to a 3.88, they dropped 4th gear from a .89 to .93 to compensate. When you do use the 3.88 gearbox (code AT), the first 3 gears are raised by a noticeable amount. You can go a lot faster in each gear before you have to shift, but the car accelerates slower. I used to switch between a 72 and a 75 a lot. Every time I got into the 72 with the lower 4.12, it was much nicer to drive in town.
If you're asking about a 73 Ghia gearbox, it is geared different from a Bug trans. The Ghia trans (code AN), kept the same 4th gear ratio as the 67-72 trans, so it's final drive in 4th gear is much higher. But wait, now you're thinking I said taller gears don't work. You're right, however, a Ghia is a much better aerodynamic shape than a Bug, so it takes less hp to push it through the air. Less hp, means the engine's not working as hard so it makes less heat.
15 2010-04-03 22:58:17
Re: freeway flyer trans..... (6 replies, posted in Technical)
It is real. And 2500 rpm is too slow for a Bug engine. You should be at least over 3k.
There're three big problems when you put taller gearing in your Bug.
The first is that it increases the load on the engine, so the engine has to work harder to push you through the air at freeway speeds. That's why you get worse mileage. The Bug body is really BAD aerodynamically. Since the engine is working harder, it makes more heat. All things being equal, the engine will run hotter.
The second is that taller gears cause the fan to turn slower. I don't need to tell you what that results in.
Third is that with the taller gear, it makes the car accelerate slower. Hills kill your speed much easier. It makes for a bigger hole between 3rd and 4th. Anyone that's done highway trips in a Bug with less than 80-90hp and loaded up will be able to relate to this. Third gear is only good up to about 50mph, but when you're in 4th at 50, you just slow down. If you could get it up to 60, it might hold that speed. But you can't get there due to the hole between 3rd and 4th.
This last reason is why I don't recommend taller gears for anything with less than about 100-120hp
You can regain some of the lost coolness with taller gears by putting in a larger diameter bottom pulley. It will cause the fan to spin faster, countering the effect of the taller gears. It won't help with the extra load on the engine.
When I first built my car, I set it up for big tires. I was using 225/50/15s for many years. I think I burned through 2 or 3 pairs. These tires are much shorter than stock, so to counter the effect, I built an extra tall freeway flier 3.88 x .82 (instead of the stock .93 top gear). The problem was that gearing was just a bit shorter than stock, and cruising for hours at 4k gets tiring. Finally I decided to go with taller tires. A 225/55/15 would have been perfect, but I could only find that size in one brand. And it was spendy. I couldn't find 225/60s, so I settled on 215/60/15. These new tires are about 1½" taller (but still shorter than stock). This is the same as putting in a taller gear. Right away there was a BIG difference. The oil temps were 20ºF higher on the freeway than with the shorter tires.