My Buggy (re)Build.

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:27 pm

check history on tools and tricks forum... Iowa mark has an EXCELLENT bleeding suggestion....

T.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 1:18 pm

Well I dont need the bleeders anymore. I tackled that beast before I went on vacation.

I should have some more pics tonight or tomarrow as I'll be putting the body back on tonight after buttoning up a few more things on the engine.

I pulled the Kadrons off yesterday and put the new parts in. It's running alot better now. YAY! I still need to dial it in a bit more but good enough for now.

Did a stupid thing yesterday though. I have a remote starter momentary pushbutton thing. Had it for years and years. Well... I hooked that thing up. Started the motor and draped it on the doghouse.
After the motor was warm I gunned it a few times... Well the motor shaking as I gunned it caused the remote to fall off and where does it go? RIGHT into the fan. CRUNCH. It's now about 500 peices. <sigh>

As far as electrical. I'll have 4 wires running along the tunnel on the passenger side that go back for Power, coil, oil lamp, Alt lamp. The rest of the wires are already routed through the body itself to all the lights and whatnot. I am currently trying to find a decent spot to put my fusebox. I really dont want it way under the dash where it was before. But the interior is so small I cant bring it out much as well. I'll have to think on it.

~Ry

Post by **Leatherneck** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:07 pm

Ryan what about a flip tray for the electronics, that way when you need them you just undo the latch and it pivots down and when not in use it is out of site out of the way. Just an idea.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:35 am

Leatherneck wrote:Ryan what about a flip tray for the electronics, that way when you need them you just undo the latch and it pivots down and when not in use it is out of site out of the way. Just an idea.

Thats a good idea. I had thought about ways to do this. However there is no room in the dash for this. It's a quite small dash. I may revisit this over this coming weekend though and see what I can come up with.

My goal is to put quick disconnects on everything. This way I can remove the hood and or body without cutting wires. If I put the fuse box in the dash somewhere that will increase the amount of disconnects I need.

Sadly, I havent found a decent source for molded quick disconnects. Looking for anything from 5-10 terminal types. I figure I am gonna have to goto the local Pick and Pull and scavenge them I guess. Not an elegant solution but should get me by.

Last night I buttoned up the motor as far as breather hoses and other small things. I welded in some nuts for my seat belts and I got the body back on. What a pain in the ass though. The body has been off for a month now out in the heat and I think it warped it a bit cause it certainly isnt lining up with the mount holes anymore. Nothing a pry bar cant fix I guess. Bleh!

I took some pics but my personal PC isnt running at the moment. I'll see if I cant get them uploaded this weekend.

I also ordered my rims for my sand tires. Was a pretty penny...

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetai ... toview=sku

That is the rear tires. I also got 4" wide fronts for the smoothies. I REALLY hate buying rims sight unseen. I hope these will work for me.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 11:04 am

Well the body is now bolted down. Alot of grunting, cussing, grinding and even drilling and it's not going anywhere. The perplexing part is I bought stainless nuts/bolts and I horribly miscounted. I need like 4x as many as I picked up.

I also put in some seats I cleaned up that came out of my 66 volksrod. However they sit almost 6 inches higher then the weird seats that were in there before. So that basically puts the steering wheel between my legs. Uhg. So, a couple hours down the drain for that.

Reason I tried the other seats is the ones that were in there before were jimmy rigged in there. When I moved some things around like seat belts and brake lines, they now interfere with the slaphappy mounts that were in there before. Now I have to cut up the bottom of the seats, weld in my own mounts and whatnot. Fun Fun Fun right!?

Post by **Leatherneck** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:57 pm

Yea that Slaphappy bunch and there cousins Jerry rigged are killers. I know what you mean about miscounting hardware, that is a pain exspecially when it has to be delivered.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:49 am

Well depression is setting it. I tried to drive the car today and I am fairly certain that a number of teeth on reverse are gone...

scott the viking · Post by **scott the viking** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:59 am

I know you wanted it to go flawless...but that is an easy fix. Yeah..you have to pull the motor..but you do not have to be a transaxle expert to change it. Almost everyone who has given a VW too much gas in reverse will have this problem...Hell...I even took the reverse gear out of a mendy...getting on the trailer no less.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:10 pm

I've never opened up a VW transaxle before. Happen to have any time to help between now and labor day? heh.

scott the viking · Post by **scott the viking** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:33 pm

Cool thing...you don't even need to "open" the tranny. Just pull off the bell housing.

Post by **Leatherneck** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:41 pm

RyanB wrote:Well depression is setting it. I tried to drive the car today and I am fairly certain that a number of teeth on reverse are gone...

Just for giggles try adjusting the hockey puck so it will engage further into the gears. Then if you have to pull the bell housing you might find you have more teeth then you though, Alot of times trannies are put together with minimum gear mesh. Maybe worth a try.

scott the viking · Post by **scott the viking** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:43 pm

That is a great point. You might try putting a little pressure on the shifter when you are backing up and see if it changes anything.

tuff_puff · Post by **tuff_puff** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 1:03 pm

Leatherneck wrote:
RyanB wrote:Well depression is setting it. I tried to drive the car today and I am fairly certain that a number of teeth on reverse are gone...
Just for giggles try adjusting the hockey puck so it will engage further into the gears. Then if you have to pull the bell housing you might find you have more teeth then you though, Alot of times trannies are put together with minimum gear mesh. Maybe worth a try.

wow i never thought of that!
worst case senario. i know a guy in portland who will seel 3ribs for $250 and there guaranteed! pm me and i will get you the number

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 1:20 pm

tuff_puff wrote: worst case senario. i know a guy in portland who will seel 3ribs for $250 and there guaranteed! pm me and i will get you the number

I'll go ahead and PM you. Certainly interested just in case. Are they rebuilt or something? Or have anyt5hing else done to them?

scott the viking wrote: Cool thing...you don't even need to "open" the tranny. Just pull off the bell housing.

Mmmm. Well then Maybe if I bust my ass tonight I can get the engine and tranny out and take a look...

I tried pulling the shifter while in reverse thinking it was popping out or something. I move the car about 3 feet then put it into reverse and it moved. It went another 3 feet and then went back to grinding. So I am nearly 100% sure i've lost some teeth.

Whats so disapointing is how much I spent on this car thinking it had a nice built up sand tranny and strong 1835 motor.

scott the viking · Post by **scott the viking** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 2:08 pm

So are you not happy with the motor either? No matter how strong a VW trans is built...the reverse gear will be a weak spot.
I really wonder if it may trying to pop out...I don't even think it would make it a full three feet if you had teeth missing.(clould be wrong though). The reverse gear is only about the size of a sivler dollar.