Yes could be, but my jack seemed to be very tight. I tried it on the car (less engine) and it worked flawlessly. It’s mostly for show and “just in case” as I would use a hydraulic jack at home.
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Getting the ‘57 beetle back on the road in 2024
- Thread starter bosco659
- Start date
None of those jacks were ever for crawling underneath. I hope that goes without saying.
Not a lot done today, but bent a hard line for the master cylinder to reservoir. Interesting at the reservoir end, the line isn’t flared and the rubber hose connecting the two together is just a slip, fit with no clamps. Not snug enough so I’ll add clamps for sure. The flared end sits in a rubber grommet so the tweaked end should be ok.
It’s been a long time but here’s an update on beetle related activities. There was a rather large gathering of VW rnthudiats in Niagara Falls, Ontario this weekend. I attended the show and shine as well as a swap meet. I came home with a few items.
- 1957 Ontario licence plate
- a new 6V horn
- 4 tires and rims. This was a great deal. I was dreading buying nee rubber for the car. Quick research told me I would be in for about $800+ for 4 tires. I found a set of 4, on rims with essentially no miles for $180!
. The tires are old, date code wise (2017/18) but in this application I’m fine with that.
Now I just have to get back working on it.
- 1957 Ontario licence plate
- a new 6V horn
- 4 tires and rims. This was a great deal. I was dreading buying nee rubber for the car. Quick research told me I would be in for about $800+ for 4 tires. I found a set of 4, on rims with essentially no miles for $180!
. The tires are old, date code wise (2017/18) but in this application I’m fine with that. Now I just have to get back working on it.
I would guess these tires were shielded from sun (garage/shed) so should be OK. I put these tires in in 1991, pic is from 2017, they still hold air with no checking. Car is a garage queen under a cover. Back story is It was wifes B-day present in 91. We restored together and she treasures it. So, it does not get many miles, approx 10k mi since 1992. But, I do wrestle with whether I should get newer tires on it.
A bit more work on the beetle. The first picture is the intake manifold. The larger tube is the actual intake and the smaller is a tube that runs between the two exhaust manifolds. This tube provides heat to help atomize the fuel / air charge from the carb. This tube is notorious for being plugged up with rust and carbon. When this happens, the intake temp drops and apparently the engine won’t run right.
I checked mine and sure enough there was at least partial blockage. I chipped out what I could with a screwdriver and a lot of debris came out. I tried blowing compressed air through it and it was plugged 100%. A visit to YouTube provided a method to clear the blockage. You basically get different lengths of aircraft cable (I used 1/4” & 5/16”) and with the help of a drill, slowly hog it out from both ends. The process took a couple of hours but it’s clear
at last. If I wanted to go the extra mile, I’d fill the tube with Evaporust and let it soak for a week. I still may do this although air flow through it very well now.
I also mounted a pair of tires and cleaned up the rims.
I checked mine and sure enough there was at least partial blockage. I chipped out what I could with a screwdriver and a lot of debris came out. I tried blowing compressed air through it and it was plugged 100%. A visit to YouTube provided a method to clear the blockage. You basically get different lengths of aircraft cable (I used 1/4” & 5/16”) and with the help of a drill, slowly hog it out from both ends. The process took a couple of hours but it’s clear
at last. If I wanted to go the extra mile, I’d fill the tube with Evaporust and let it soak for a week. I still may do this although air flow through it very well now.
I also mounted a pair of tires and cleaned up the rims.
Remember, before you mount the wheels, place them face down on the ground and give the bolt mounting tabs a smack with a hammer. This will force the tabs out and allow the wheel to seat against the drum.
Yes, that single carb and that horrendous manifold must have run like crap without the heat.
I don't know if it will help much, but I found when I left my grungy pistons soaking in a mix of ATF and gunwash / cellulose thinners (with lots of toluene, acetone, xylene, etc in it) for a few weeks, they came out entirely grunge free and the erstwhile stuck rings were free as a bird and shiny.
I'm not sure how quickly the miracle occurred, because I wasn't checking.
So, entirely by accident I found a de-carb method that really works.
Now, if I could find a de-carb method for my gut, that would be great.
Another method would be to use the old 2-stroke silencer de-coke trick of setting it alight and feeding it oxygen. You'd need the oxy/acet setup first though, and not many places have it now.
Thanks. The method of “burning” out the grunge is apparently not recommended. Not sure why but could be for concern of damage to the pipe or warpage? The other concern might be delamination of the aluminum / white metal casting around the center of the pipes. This part is needed to improve heat transfer and perhaps higher temps may damage the bond? Just guessing here.
An engine rebuild question. I’m searching for the ideal piston to cylinder clearance. A friend suggested an old school rule of .001” clearance per 1” diameter of piston. My pistons are approx 3” or 77mm, so does .003 - .004” sound right? What’s the spec for the XS?
That's only a few mm more than the XS. So yeah, XS is .002" to .0022 at the skirts (book)... most folk will accept about .002" to .003" or so.
I think I'd shoot for 2 to 3.
Btw, that's the old school way I learned too.... 1 per 1.
Same rule of thumb for ring gaps.
Wonderful car Kevin, and well worth cherishing. If it were mine (I wish) I would put new rubber all around. All tire compounds deteriorate with age. Not worth taking a chance; you may bend it without any fore notice due to an unexpected deflation. Do the right thing. Even new budget tires are going to be better than old aged ones.
More inspiration to get back working on the beetle.
Ooooh Ooooh! Is that a Holley/Weber 32/36 I see on top? Old age is a bitch.
Went to a beetle meet yesterday and came home with a spare wiper motor. Unknown if working or not. I decided to take it apart and see what’s inside. The nice thing about these older parts it they’re held together with screws so you could actually service them. Of note, with some questions:
1. This is what dried 67 year old grease looks like. When I reassemble it, what grease should I use? Maybe a white lithium based grease?
2. The gunk under the cover suggests it may have gotten hot under there.
3. The carbon brush holder is cool. Pretty simple. One side moved freely but on the other side, the po did a bad solder job and the brush holder was stiff to move. I need to replace the copper strap (full of solder) with a new, more flexible one. I have this material but it’s too thick. Can I just use a length of flexible wire?
3. At which points do I test the armature to make sure it’s not shorted or an open circuit? Any guess for resistance readings? Better picture to follow.
Once it’s back together I can test it. Maybe an excuse for that power supply I’ve been wanting to buy.
1. This is what dried 67 year old grease looks like. When I reassemble it, what grease should I use? Maybe a white lithium based grease?
2. The gunk under the cover suggests it may have gotten hot under there.
3. The carbon brush holder is cool. Pretty simple. One side moved freely but on the other side, the po did a bad solder job and the brush holder was stiff to move. I need to replace the copper strap (full of solder) with a new, more flexible one. I have this material but it’s too thick. Can I just use a length of flexible wire?
3. At which points do I test the armature to make sure it’s not shorted or an open circuit? Any guess for resistance readings? Better picture to follow.
Once it’s back together I can test it. Maybe an excuse for that power supply I’ve been wanting to buy.
They make de-soldering braid in various sizes. Pretty sure I have some small stuff around, be happy to send it to you if you need some.
Thanks @Downeaster. I managed to take apart a larger copper harness and harvest something that appears to work ok.
Here’s more pics -
