3 problems on my 72 Beetle cropped up

[rrb6699]

Have one more issue when i'm driving. the front right brake drum "clacks" when I apply the brakes. it seems the drum itself is not snug.

is it possible the castle bolt with the allen nut is not tight enough or do I need shims on the lug nuts?

all I did so far was tap the axle cap on tighter but it didn't make a diffetence.

no similar issues with the other drums.
tia,

[Piledriver]

The front brake drum and the hub== one piece units.
If something is clacking, something is loose or maladjusted.

Its possible its just a missing or damaged brake hose clip (the body mount where the metal hose and the rubber hose join)
If there is any slop the hose will jump and "clack" in the mount when you tap the brakes.

There are a few other things that come to mind, its possible the bearings are worn and need adjusted
(need to be checked, adjusted regularly, like every oil change, on a stock T1 thats every 3K at least)
...or the brakes simply need adjusted (ditto) or something is loose//broken...

Get it looked at ASAP, or sooner, by someone who works on old VWs, preferably.

Drum brakes are quite simple, but your life is riding on them.
Look at them yourself if you are capable, or get it looked at by a pro ASAP.

[rrb6699]

hi,

I did lift the car and removed the tire. before and after I removed the tire I tried to move it back and forth. as I suspected the drum itself can be moved back and forth with just a slight wiggle.

I will have to take the drum off. it got dark before I could do it. ill let you know if the drum needs replaced itself.

[Piledriver]

Sounds like the bearings need adjustment or have bitten it.

[rrb6699]

I just tightened the castle nut. it wasnt tightened down all the way. must have been my fault because I c'mon packed the bearings with grease last month. I remember not being sure how much to tighten it.

its on there good now.

things are much easier once you understand the design.

onward!

[Marc]

Overtightening the nut will also damage the bearings in short order. A reliable "shade-tree" method for adjusting it is to use the tip of a screwdriver to shift the thrust washer back & forth on the spindle. Don't insert it past the washer as you could damage the cage on the outer bearing; just put it in far enough to contact the edge of the washer and twist. Adjust the nut until you can shift the washer with light force.
Properly adjusted, there'll be nearly no discernible movement of the wheel unless the bearing's sloppy on the journal of the spindle or the race is loose in the drum - overtightening the nut in an attempt to compensate will place excessive preload on the bearings, resulting in spalling failure.

http://www.timken.com/en-us/products/ma ... s/6347.pdf

[rrb6699]

I still get some noise and can feel it thru the brake pedal if I brake in a left turn. the race in the drum sounds suspect. I hand tightened the nut but didnt overtighten it. unless you really try, its hard to really torque the nut.

if I brake going straight, no noise or cant feel anything in the brake pedal.

I'll take the drum off tomorrow.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

A trick. On tapered two piece bearings, clean the suspected race and bearing then carefully put the bearing on your two first fingers then carefully put the bearing on the race and lightly turn it clockwise then counter clockwise. If you compressed air to finish cleaning the bearing or dry it do not let the bearing spin, at best it is hard on the dry surfaces and the bearing can come apart. An old trick but I have seen young guys do it too.

You want the bearing to rotate smoothly on the race ... no rough or bouncy contact as you are turning it. If it feels good, then repack it ... correctly. If you question how feels, replace it. IIRC, it is the same same for all two piece bearings.

I heard lately that there might be a move back to roller bearing from tapered bearings. Hmmm!

Lee

[Marc]

Be sure to check the condition of the journals on the spindles. The outer one in particular is prone to wear which'll let the bearing float around it. If there's a step that you can catch your fingernail on, a replacement spindle is needed.

Not likely to be an issue on your `72 unless someone retrofit the spindle with a `66-`68½ part, but the inner bearings for those were about a millimeter smaller on the I.D. (so a "late" inner bearing will always be sloppy on an early spindle). Grease seal I.D. and diameter of tierod stud also different.

[rrb6699]

Inner bearing? I have to see a diagram of this before I take it apart.

ok, ive been using the bug for errands and it's had somewhat of an oil drip. now its getting worse. I'm assuming its the main oil seal.

what steps, pitfalls and "lookout fors" should I keep in mind when I replace it? oh, and what eqpt/tools do I need to get around?

also, what other stuff should I replace doing this job? it's got a new clutch cable and I have no idea if the manual transmission oil has ever been changed. just want to do this the easiest route I can. if thats possible.

[Marc]

Check the crankshaft endplay first. You can do this while the engine's still in the car (from the pulley end). It should've been set at approximately .004" when the flywheel was installed; if it's more than ~.006" it's likely that the thrust bearing is getting loose in the case and replacing the seal will be at best a temporary fix.

Smell the oil that's dripping off of of the flange. Transmission lube has a distinctive odor due to the sulfur-compound additives it contains - it's been likened to cat piss.
There's no longer an "official" oil-change requirement for trans fluid, but many folks like to replace it if it's over 100K miles old. The "correct" gear lube is rated GL4; Most modern lubes are GL5 which isn't correct for the ACVW trans and can theoretically deteriorate the synchro rings at high temperatures, but if GL5 is all you can find at least check that it meets the "MT-1" spec.
You'll need about 4½ pints (a totally "dry" trans takes 5.3 pts to fill, but some inevitably remains when you do a change)...make sure you can get the fill plug loose before you pull the drain plug. Both require a 17mm hex tool - sometimes you can improvise with the head of a bolt if they aren't too tight.

Replacing the flywheel seal requires removing the flywheel. It's secured to the crank with a "gland nut" (big hollow bolt) that must be torqued to about 250 lb-ft. Crankshaft endplay is set by selective-thickness shims between the flywheel & thrust bearing. The consequences of screwing up in this area are severe - as in, seizing the engine or destroying the crankshaft - so you may want to consider delivering the engine to a professional (or at least an experienced amateur) for the job. If any of the shims need to be changed, make sure to use ones intended for an "O-ring" crankshaft - the ones used on the earlier gasket-style cranks have a 1mm larger I.D. and will sling around on your crank, slicing a groove into/through it.

Besides the main flywheel seal, there's a specialized O-ring (311 105 295A) inside a recess in the flywheel which needs to be renewed to keep from oiling down the clutch. This would be a good time to also replace the oil cooler seals, and if you're still wanting to change over to an alternator here's your chance, while the engine's out, for the easiest possible operation.

[rrb6699]

ok, I was going by viscosity. I got SAE 80W-90 but it says api GL-5. would the viscosity be wrong too?.

as for an experienced amateur.. that's what im trying to be here. I've never worked old VWs before but want to know as much as I can learn about them. I find them quirky and fascinating. to me having the right guidance and tools will help me accomplish any restoration properly. I appreciate knowing the most critical issues I will encounter with tasks like this.

I also would like to keep just one more in the road to contribute to their heritage since I'm lucky enough to have a running one.

[Marc]

80W/90 is correct.


viewtopic.php?f=50&t=145530

[helowrench]

for messing with the gland nut or rear axle nut, this tool is incredible.


http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Flywheel-a ... e-tool.htm

[rrb6699]

80W/90 is correct.


viewtopic.php?f=50&t=145530

ok, so still need GL-5 in same viscosity right?