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vamram Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2012 Posts: 7314 Location: NOVA
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Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2023 1:02 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Got a dusting of snow last night so this morning I put it on stands and gave it the annual Fluid Film underside bath. Used 4 rattle cans of the black FF, easy to see where you still need to cover. Did wheel wells, strut towers, frame head, firewalls, running boards, heater channels, all seams in those areas, frame spaces all around the motor compartment, underside of the package tray, trans mount, inner and under side of both bumpers, and other spots here and there. Quite a sticky mess, going to get very dirty over the coming weeks as winter takes hold.
Also, need to change the transmission fluid - have 32k miles on it since I last changed it. _________________ Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!
'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!! |
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GE90DC Samba Member
Joined: December 17, 2023 Posts: 1 Location: San Diego SoPk
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Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 1:22 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Installed fuel smell kit, with helpul hints. 72 super:
1. Purchase a 5gallon paint spout , Lowes #0505284/model 56181, superseded by a blue/gray part - model GPS5-PS, about 3.00
2. Put both "rubber bands" in hot water to soften
3. Cut 6-10 pieces, about 2" long, from 8" electrical tie-wraps
4. Put a rubber band on the green spout and work it up to the ribbed area (apologize for the condom undertones here)
5. Insert the 2" pieces between rubber and spout, space them all the way around
6. Insert spout into filler neck as shown, be sure to keep 2" pieces outside the filler neck
7. Work the rubber band onto the neck and remove tie-wrap pieces and spout.
8. Repeat process on tank neck, install new hose and all other kit items
The spout is an almost perfect fit into both neck and fill pipe. This became a 10 minute job instead of one I was dreading to do ! |
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BCE56 Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2013 Posts: 359 Location: So Cal
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2023 3:50 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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After two days of rain- crank but no start.
Considerable amount of water in engine compartment from decklid vents.
Distributor cap was dry inside but still no start.
Generator dust cover is absent and innards look damp.
(Not sure if wet generator would cause no start.)
Toweled up most of the water and removed the distributor cap.
It's stopped raining now and the decklid is up.
It might dry out enough to start if the rain holds off for a while.
Meanwhile I'll see about making the engine compartment more water resistant. _________________ =BCE56=
'86 Syncro tintop
EJ22, OBD II early SC adapter plate conversion
Side project: '69 Frankenbug "It's alive!" |
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Cusser Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006 Posts: 31396 Location: Hot Arizona
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2023 4:28 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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BCE56 wrote: |
After two days of rain- crank but no start.
Considerable amount of water in engine compartment from decklid vents.
Distributor cap was dry inside but still no start.
Generator dust cover is absent and innards look damp.
(Not sure if wet generator would cause no start.)
Toweled up most of the water and removed the distributor cap.
It's stopped raining now and the decklid is up.
It might dry out enough to start if the rain holds off for a while.
Meanwhile I'll see about making the engine compartment more water resistant. |
I'm in Arizona, had two sets of engine lid vents, plus I had lid standoffs; just once in several decades did huge rain prevent mine from starting (cranked fine). By the next day, all was dry and it started right up.
So I'm saying likely will dry out and be fine by itself, like when the pump motor on my above-ground pool gets wet in a big storm (now I have a little table covering that, call that my "pool table"). _________________ 1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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Rome Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2004 Posts: 9657 Location: Pearl River, NY
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2023 4:48 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Quote: |
After two days of rain- crank but no start.
Considerable amount of water in engine compartment from decklid vents. |
In the late '70's I had a new VW Scirocco. I remember driving through a large puddle (though not flooded) and the engine sputtered and stalled. The open-bottomed engine compartment allowed water spray to come up from the front tires. I coasted through the puddle to dry pavement. I had a small spray can of Kendall universal lube/water dispersant spray (like WD-40) in glovebox. I got out, raised the hood, sprayed the stuff onto the distrib cap which had no water protective cover; and the engine started almost right back up. A few years later I bought a new '81 Scirocco and it had a partial water shield around the distrib cap. I never experienced a stall-out in that one.
I also remember decades ago where there was an off-roader trick for Baja bugs to spray your (clean and dry) distrib cap and the plug wire caps that go into the cap with hairspray to prevent water staying on the surfaces. |
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BCE56 Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2013 Posts: 359 Location: So Cal
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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 4:41 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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BCE56 wrote: |
Meanwhile I'll see about making the engine compartment more water resistant. |
Fired up the Frankenbug.
Drove to a local sign shop and purchased some flexible magnetized sheet.
Fashioned these prophylactic vent covers:
...for temporary use in case of rain or car washes. _________________ =BCE56=
'86 Syncro tintop
EJ22, OBD II early SC adapter plate conversion
Side project: '69 Frankenbug "It's alive!" |
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OTTO 1303 Samba Member
Joined: March 17, 2020 Posts: 638 Location: Louisiana
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2023 5:45 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Installed rain guard then went for a cruise
_________________ 74 Super Sun Bug - OTTO
74 Super - DANZIG
74 Super - HERZOG |
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plastikman187 Samba Member
Joined: July 05, 2016 Posts: 92 Location: Gilroy Ca
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Installed the roof rack my wife gave me for Xmas.
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BCE56 Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2013 Posts: 359 Location: So Cal
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2023 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Rain was forecast for yesterday PM, so I deployed my new magnetic vent covers.
Sure enough, it rained overnight.
They worked like a charm. _________________ =BCE56=
'86 Syncro tintop
EJ22, OBD II early SC adapter plate conversion
Side project: '69 Frankenbug "It's alive!" |
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Ajros Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2023 Posts: 6 Location: Waterbury, Connecticut
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2023 12:11 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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whodunititmate wrote: |
I haven't done anything yet but I do need to ask a bit of a dumb question. I've got minor oil leaks from both valve covers and was wondering if they could be removed without too much oil leaking out so that I can check the condition of the seals. |
shouldn't have a ton of oil leaking out. put a rag or two underneath the valve cover, or a way to catch the oil that will come out, but it won't be a ton. I just did the same two days ago, removed the covers, adjusted the valves, cleaned/painted the covers, replaced the gaskets and re-installed.
Good luck! _________________ 1974 Super Beetle |
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Ajros Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2023 Posts: 6 Location: Waterbury, Connecticut
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2023 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Samba - Roxy post
Front Brakes
Full disclosure, I started yesterday. It was a rainy day so naturally I headed outside and worked on Roxy
The passenger front wheel wasn't seized, but it wasn't turning by hand when the car was lifted. Figured the brakes weren't adjusted; we just picked her up earlier in the month so we're doing general maintenance.
Found the adjustment screws were practically seized/rusted into one piece, so I removed the drums, springs, backing plate, got to PB Blasting, removed and refurbished nearly every component.
Checked the wheel cylinders (no seepage), found the brake hose had cracks, but not leaking. Got a new one from Autozone, painted the backing plate, the adjusting screws, and called it a day.
Today I put the components together, re-used the brake shoes - they have meat on them yet and I’ll be either replacing both drums and pads in the spring, or going to a disc brakes. I also ordered brake lines to replace the hard line portions.
After installing the drums I proceeded to bleed the front lines. The pedal still had too much softness (went all the way down to the floor) and barely stopped the car. I put the car in gear (still on jacks), pressed the brake and it took a few seconds to actually stop it. I noticed a swooshing/squishy sound as I pressed the brake pedal, only to find the culprit for my inability to bleed the brakes - broken brake line right by the pedal, coming from the ‘firewall’ into the cabin.
THAT was enough to call it a day. Nothing I can do until the brakelines come in. I’ll fashion a grommet to stop the line from rubbing on the firewall, which I think is a good reason why it’s bleeding at that spot.
TL;DR: worked on the front brakes.
_________________ 1974 Super Beetle |
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Cusser Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006 Posts: 31396 Location: Hot Arizona
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Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2024 8:19 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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To minimize oil leaking while adjusting valves/installing new cork valve cover gaskets, i jack up the right side a little (just a couple of inches) to do #1 and #2, then jack up the left side a little to do #3 and #4. _________________ 1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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BMFBMF Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2020 Posts: 358 Location: Swtzerland
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 8:38 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Made a little bracket to fix the RSA AA badge to my South African Beetle.
Nice to have a beetle that was made in the same Country as I was 😉.
_________________ -----Slava Ukraini-----
1971 Stock South African Beetle 1300 : My mom's european "Thin Chick" spec. Completely stock with torsion bar front, swingaxle rear, smooth hubs, single MC, 40 mm shoes, 31PICT3 carb and 5 bolt drums all round, currently Running a 1976 SF:AS engine with the original SF:AD engine overhauled in a box, waiting to go back in one day. |
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Cusser Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006 Posts: 31396 Location: Hot Arizona
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 4:04 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Just charged the battery on my 1971, because it cranked quite slow. I checked, it's a 2016 battery, so 7 year life is awfully long in the Arizona heat... _________________ 1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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BCE56 Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2013 Posts: 359 Location: So Cal
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:51 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Started work on interior:
Carpet by PO looks fine. Door cards are beat.
OG seat covers are good and will be reused. But the cushions are completely shot.
New seat foam, door cards & fasteners etc should arrive tomorrow.
Passenger seat is out, partially disassembled, awaiting refurb. _________________ =BCE56=
'86 Syncro tintop
EJ22, OBD II early SC adapter plate conversion
Side project: '69 Frankenbug "It's alive!" |
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stagewex Samba Member
Joined: November 17, 2021 Posts: 166 Location: New Rochelle, New York
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Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2024 8:38 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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Didn't do a whole lot with the Bug today. We got our first snow in 2 years. At least I think we got snow, not sure if it was 1 inch or more and that's apparently what they count.
Freezing rain on top of the snow dusting encased and made an igloo of the car. Got into her and she started right up so did some careful chipping away at the ice while she warmed. In the end I realized the handle of the drivers door had frozen "open". So the door would not actually close. Slammed it a few times but no-go. Determined that was enough of a message NOT to go for a joyride on the frozen roads today. Warms up a bit tomorrow so hopefully the door handle with thaw.
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FixinBettyBug Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2014 Posts: 43 Location: Central Iowa
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Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2024 6:41 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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I looked at Betty as I walked by her today. Other than that...NOTHING cuz
ITS TOO FRIGGIN COLD!!!!
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slayer61 Samba Member
Joined: June 01, 2021 Posts: 1018 Location: CA
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Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2024 7:48 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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It was finally time to fix a pestering little pushrod seal leak
I found a "smoking gun" and installed a JayCee push rod and fresh seals.
_________________
Cusser wrote: |
... Most folks are idiots when it deals with electrical !!! |
67rustavenger wrote: |
3/4 race cam? What's missing, one of the lobes? |
Paul
'68 Manx clone... Sears??
2276 built on AS21 case
W-125 w/ GB 1.25:1 rockers
Mahle forged pistons
CB 4340 crank
CB H beam rods
deep sump
44 HPMX
EMPI GTV 2 STG II wedge ports
CB Magna spark
1 5/8 merged collector w/ hater stinger |
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slayer61 Samba Member
Joined: June 01, 2021 Posts: 1018 Location: CA
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Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2024 7:48 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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It was finally time to fix a pestering little pushrod seal leak
I found a "smoking gun" and installed a JayCee push rod and fresh seals.
_________________
Cusser wrote: |
... Most folks are idiots when it deals with electrical !!! |
67rustavenger wrote: |
3/4 race cam? What's missing, one of the lobes? |
Paul
'68 Manx clone... Sears??
2276 built on AS21 case
W-125 w/ GB 1.25:1 rockers
Mahle forged pistons
CB 4340 crank
CB H beam rods
deep sump
44 HPMX
EMPI GTV 2 STG II wedge ports
CB Magna spark
1 5/8 merged collector w/ hater stinger |
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stagewex Samba Member
Joined: November 17, 2021 Posts: 166 Location: New Rochelle, New York
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Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2024 5:14 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Bug Today? |
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I had great aspirations to install a bunch of the parts I have laying around in the box's they came in. Best layed plans. Did the least challenging project, replaced the Sun Visors. Passenger side had broken away and was dropping every time I hit a bump. Drivers side was held in place by a wood screw.
The replacements are off-white and match roof interior other than them being so clean vs. 51 years of dirt. I tell myself in the Spring I'll use some bleach based cleaner. But for now while it's cold it's fine.
When I screwed them in to the same holes that the OEM's had been they were too short for the plastic nub to reach the plastic "catch" it's supposed to rest in. Thought they sent me the wrong size or maybe the type for regular beetles? Turns out you can gently twist back-and-forth and extend the rod on the outside end and adjust to fit perfectly.
Very nice.
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