Clean Air

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.
Eleonora Duse

I have worked on the air filter and pipe today. The filter is a heavy duty jobbie that is part-filled with oil. This is designed so that the air through the oil and solid particles should be extracted and stay trapped. According to the M Plate it was chosen and fitted as an optional extra when the car was ordered. It seems to be in pretty good condition, apart from some gooey sludge and a missing gasket it is all there. Somebody during a previous service (long, long ago?) has replaced the gasket that divides to two main parts with a soggy trail of silicone sealer. I shall make a rubber O-ring to replace this as I cannot source the correct gasket locally. I don't think that rubber is the correct material for this but will check it often and carry on looking for the correct part.

I have also repaired the moulded rubber pipe that connects the air filter to the carburettor. It had split half way around. I made up two thin rubber O-rings from a larger one that I had bought for the swimming pool filter. I glued it up with the O-rings and lots of contact adhesive. It aint pretty but it should do fine until I can source a replacement. Of course the pool filter is still leaking but, och it's still wintery and far too cold for swimming...


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CooP

Engine Serviced

You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters.
St Bernard

We finished giving the engine a full service last night. I fitted new high-tension leads to the new spark plugs, Drained the old engine oil and removed and replaced the mesh oil screen and all the related gaskets underneath. Chopped out the rusty tailpipes and partly fitted the new/second-hand ones that I got from Beetle Beauties last month. New tappet cover gaskets fitted and all of the electrical connections were remade. We topped up with lovely clean, new oil and were daydreaming about perhaps trying to fire it up later this evening...


We were just fitting the rearmost piece of the engine cooling tin that forms a near air-tight seal between the engine bay and the outside air when - BUGGRIT! We discovered that the piece that we DID remember to fit when replacing the engine is actually not fitted correctly and is stuck fast in the wrong position! Oh dear. We turned the air quite blue in frustration which of course did not help one bit. This means that the engine will have to be unbolted again so that we can slide it back slightly and re-fit the panel of cooling tin. Rather annoying but unavoidable so I'm afraid that the beastie will have to remain dormant for a little while longer.


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CooP

Engine Back In

Every man dies. Not every man really lives.
Braveheart

Tank's clean, not too much trouble. Just got a wipe-down on the outside. For the inside I threw in a length of chain and spent a long, muscle-tingling hour shaking it all about. I managed to loosen most of the rust, I reckon, and then finished it off with a good rinse with clean petrol. New bits of rubber hose for the connectors on the breather tubes and a lovely clean fuel hose and filter to finish it off. I cleaned the copious fine dust from the compartment and replaced the tank this afternoon.

It took a bit of grunting and farting but with the help of the faithful neighbour we managed to rattle the engine back into place and bolt it up tight. Thanks mate! We are half way through giving it a service and have replaced points, condensor and a few other goodies. The tappets have been adjusted and the remaining service parts have been sourced from the helpful Charl at Beetle Beauties. Will finish the engine servicing during the week and we can look at starting her up again soon.


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CooP

Fuel Tank Out

Men, for the sake of getting a living, forget to live.
Margaret Fuller

Whew, fuel tank's out. A bit more struggle than I expected, owing to a pair of hidden bolts beneath the bulkhead that I took a while to discover. It was covered in fine dust but now looks brand new after a bit of soap and water. Inside a few spots of surface rust can be seen in the upper half but it's in fabulous condition for it's 41 years.


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CooP

I'm Back - Engine Out

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.
Andre Gide

Update
Seemingly endless torrential rain left me in a very fed-up state and I've neglected the project for far too long. I've been employed six days a week and have not had a lot of spare time. Excuses excuses!

One of my VW-crazy neighbours has motivated me to get cracking again and even offered to help out with tools, time and labour - thanks Marius! I'll come and help you with yours on alternate Wednesdays. Ah yes, the good old barter system.

He has persuaded me that I'd me a lot more motivated if I was actually driving the beast so my immediate focus will be on engine, running gear, brakes and linkages.

Marius has popped over with his toolbox and his "hard-labour" head screwed firmly on. He almost single handedly removed all the dirty bits and crawled around on the cold floor to loosen all of the right bolts.

After lots of hemming and hawing and re-checking the manual (a.k.a. book of lies) we managed to find the correct bolts. Then it was just a "heave"and a "ho" and she was out on the floor. Lots of little bits to buy for the engine, mostly rubbery ones, yee-haaaaw. Next the fuel tank is coming out...


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CooP

Straighten Up!

It's the most unhappy people who most fear change.
Mignon McLaughlin

Once again a samaritan has come to my aid. The front passenger door has been aligned correctly for me by neighbour, Marius, and it opens and closes beautifully now. The incorrect striker plate was the cause of most of my problems but the hinges needed spacing and aligning too. While he was here he aligned the driver's door accurately and correctly too, brilliant. Where would we be without mates, eh? Thanks Marius.


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CooP

Getting There

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.
Anatole France

I've been doing random bits here and there but have spent a lot of time working on making a replica of the "rock n roll" bed hinges. Maybe I can make a few bucks selling it off to another VW lover. I have managed to finish filling and flatting the left-hand sliding door. It still has the odd ripple and wave but looks pretty acceptable to my skew eye. I'm hoping that it won't be obvious to the casual observer that it used to be a sliding door...

Front is still a bit wobbly looking with a few high and low spots but it's getting there - gotta keep on sanding!


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CooP