661 Reply by David H

(4 replies, posted in Technical)

Be very careful what you use stainless fasteners for.  If original design specifications call for Grade 4 or higher, DO NOT USE STAINLESS.

Stainless fasteners are soft and might be okay for mounting running boards and fenders but should not be used to fasten the body to the pan, or the bumpers and mounts to the body, or anywhere on the suspension.  Any screw in the car can be stainless.

"Air Cooled" tells the story :
However, because stainless steel is fairly soft (it only seems harder because it work-hardens) it TENDS TO GALL. ALWAYS use never-sieze (anti-sieze) or a similar product on the threads to prevent this. These are all slightly stronger than Grade 2 fasteners. Unless you have a death wish, do NOT BOLT YOUR BRAKE OR SUSPENSION SYSTEM TOGETHER WITH REGULAR STRENGTH STAINLESS STEEL FASTENERS!. However, because stainless steel is fairly soft (it only seems harder because it work-hardens) it TENDS TO GALL. ALWAYS use never-sieze (anti-sieze) or a similar product on the threads to prevent this. These are all slightly stronger than Grade 2 fasteners. Unless you have a death wish, do NOT BOLT YOUR BRAKE OR SUSPENSION SYSTEM TOGETHER WITH REGULAR STRENGTH STAINLESS STEEL FASTENERS!.

David H
'66 sunroof Beetle

Go to forum: Technical

662 Reply by David H

(2 replies, posted in Technical)

The windows are very easy to remove.  Basically you can just push them out.  For the rear side windows, start in the inside at the upper corner, immediately behind the door and push a butter knife down between the rubber and the headliner.  Bend the rubber down and at the same time, push on the glass close to the knife.  The window will start to push out there.  Continue pushing across the top of the window from the inside while also supporting it on the outside so it doesn't just fall out.  After you have pushed out the top, you can just grab it from the outside and pull it the rest of the way out. 

Do the same with the rear window and windshield, starting at a corner and working your way across the top.  Then pull it out form the outside once the top is free. 

You can reuse the rubber but if it is dried out, cracked or torn you would be well advised to use new rubber.

Instead of using a butter knife as I described, sometimes you can just pull the rubber in and down with your fingers.

David H
'66 sunroof Beetle

Go to forum: Technical

663 Reply by David H

(9 replies, posted in Technical)

I coulde have been a bit more helpful regarding that lever.  It is connected to a cable that branches out under the back seat.  If you look at the vertical panel that is under the front of the rear seat you'll see a 2" hole on each end.  Those are the under-seat heat outlets.  If you simply stick your finger into the hole you should feel a metal flap that closes off the outlet.  Simply move the white handled lever back and forth and see what the flap does.  In many cases the cable has broken or come loose and moving the handle does nothing.  If you find this to be the case, remove the rear seat and check things out.  The operating cables exit the center tunnel immediately behind the vertical panel and enter into curved tubes that are welded onto the floor panel and run over to the Y-shaped heater duct.  They should be connected with barrel nuts to a wire coming out of the duct.  This wire operates the shut-off flap.  Again, operate the white-handled lever and you'll see how it should work.  You may have to reconnect them or adjust the connections to make them operate properly.

Your high beams not operating and there not being an audible click when you close the switch indicates that either the switch is bad or the high beam relay is faulty.  It's easy and cheap enough to replace the relay to check it out.  Replacing the switch is quite a bit more involved.  Let us know if the relay replacement works.

David H
'66 sunroof Beetle

Go to forum: Technical

664 Reply by David H

(9 replies, posted in Technical)

Correction on the purpose of the gas (petrol?) pedal spring.

It actually exerts forward pressure against the pedal to help keep the connecting link on the pedal engaged with the loop on the end of the accelerator cable.  This keeps the pedal from flopping loose when there is no foot pressure on it.  There is no adverse affect on operations if it is missing.

David H

Go to forum: Technical

665 Reply by David H

(9 replies, posted in Technical)

The switch on the indicator stalk is indeed the hi-low beam switch.

The blue light at top center on the speedo is the high beam indicator light.  It's ON when the high beams are on.

The red lever turns the heat on and off.  Forward is off.

The white lever directs the heat to either out the bottom of the rear seat or to the front wheelwells and defroster.  I forget which position is which and can't check mine right now as the car is in winter storage several miles away.

The two switches are aftermarket add-ons and could be for just about anything.  You'll have to trace the wires to find out.

There is a spring that wraps around the pedal hinge pin with one end of the spring hooked into the tab on the pedal and the other end resting against the floor.  It's purpose is to return the pedal to an upright position, but actually has little effect as the accelerator cable also does that job.  The two springs shown in your picture are not the described spring.  Can't say what tey are from.

David H
'66 sunroof Beetle

Go to forum: Technical

666 Reply by David H

(3 replies, posted in Technical)

Can't say for sure, as I have a 6-volt, but the situation I have may be similar.  The "6-volt" generator is actually a 7-volt item, and the case is stamped 7-v.

The 12 volt generator is likely the same.  Check out the case or any tag on it.  It probably says 14 volts.

David H
'66 sunroof Beetle

Go to forum: Technical

667 Reply by David H

(23 replies, posted in Technical)

A year and model would help diagnosing the problem as most years have different wiring.

You've checked the obvious - the fuses - but it wouldn't likely be that since each light is fused separately. 

I'm assuming the problem happened suddenly and to both lights at the same time.

I'd check the wiring at the headlight switch.  If you're lucky, the headlight wire viberated off of the lug.  If the wire connection checks out okay, it could be the switch itself, they're not the most reliable part of the car.

Another good place to look is the flasher relay.  Since the circuit goes through that, if it fails, the lights would probably fail too.  I don't think it's fail-safe.

Good luck,
David H

Go to forum: Technical

668 Reply by David H

(4 replies, posted in Technical)

Two possibilities come to mind.

The simplest is a plugged up fuel filter.  Not the easiest to visually confirm as it won't always look bad.  Try replacing it.

The second is a collapsed or plugged gas tank vent line.  As fuel is drawn from the tank, it has to be replaced by air through the vent hose.  If this is plugged up or collapsed, when the fuel is drawn from the tank, it will leave a vacuum behind which will eventually be stronger than the fuel pump and the fuel will no longer flow.  Sitting a while lets air leak back into the tank and the pump can then do its job again.

Good luck,
David H

Go to forum: Technical

669 Reply by David H

(6 replies, posted in Technical)

First of all, if you've had to replace broken cables twice before in four years, there's something going on which might explain why you can't get the new one in.

As a quick guess without having additional information, I'd say the guide tube for the cable has a worn through section which jams up the new cable when  you try to run it through.  The tube isn't perfectly straight and the worn spot is at one of the slight bends.  Since you can get a wire through from the back. I'd suggest getting a long peice of piano wire, or something else stiff enough to shove all the way through from the back.  When it exits at the pedal cluster, loop the end around the new cable and have someone pull it through slowly while you guide it from the front.

Another possibility is to just push the cable in from the front as you already have tried.  When it gets to the place where it stops, try spinning the cable.  This might walk it past the point where it is binding.

Of course, none of this will solve the problem and the new cable will chafe where the previous ones broke and will eventually break.

Questions for you - did the previous cables break at the same point, and before the old cables broke, did you feel binding or catching in the action of the gas pedal?

David H

Go to forum: Technical