Gordon you are a modern day automotive renaissance man and unbeknownst to us until now Master Gardener. Keep up the great work and write ups.

Minor setback #152:  Tried to get the clutch cable into the tube right behind the pedal cluster hole.  Couldn't even find the end of the tube and don't have a mirror small enough to squeak in there (even tried a small USB camera on my laptop -- That was a disaster - all I could see was darkness).  The answer was to re-open the big, rectangular hole I put in the side of the tunnel 20 years ago, peek in and see what the heck's going on.

From the looks of things, the clutch tube had let go at the weld attaching it to a hangar just behind the pedal cluster, sometime back when I was building up the pan.  I had tried (with my feeble mig-welding talents) to re-attach it but I guess the weld didn't hold well, so I later "fixed" it by holding it down with an industrial strength length of tie wrap and that was that.  

OK, so remember that mouse condominium I talked about months ago?  All the contortions I went through to vacuum everything out (about a half-shopping bag of stuff??).  It seems they didn't like that tie wrap - I guess that Tie-Wrap-Gray was not in their interior decorating palette - so they chewed through it and moved it out of the way, allowing the clutch cable tube to pop up towards the top of the tunnel. FRIGGIN MICE!!!!

Anyway, now that I can see in there (and have plenty of space to work with) I'm trying to decide whether to re-weld the tube to the hanger (but all I have is a gas welding setup here) or use another tie-wrap, declare victory and button up the inspection hole.

friggin mice.........

What's next??

Oh!.......The Master Gardener thing happened when we couldn't get anything to grow in the gardens in South Carolina (our concept of growing seasons was all out of whack for SC).  In desperation, we signed up for a Clemson, Univ. course that, in 16 weeks, turned us both into "Master Gardeners", able to plant 1,500 ButterNut Squash seeds in three hours flat (among other nifty things).  Google "Community Harvest Project, MA" and read about the project.  Pretty cool stuff happening there.

Epoxy + Tie wrap?

OK, PICTURES!  (with commentary.)

Here's the Bugpack Rear Truss assembly (aka "Kafer brace"),  assembled on the bench.  That's pretty much how it'll be configured once in the car.  Notice the nice, uncluttered working bench:

Once assembled to the car, the long bolts at the top replace the existing shock top bolts, and the two tabs at the bottom are assembled (once a little trimming is done) to the big, moosey bolts holding the transaxle to the frame horns.  This thing got painted black before assembly to the car (it was unpainted metal).

I ended up making longer lower tabs because I didn't like the way it was sitting versus the transaxle saddle mount and wanted a bit more space for the bolt heads (so they wouldn't be touching the frame horns) so I fab'ed two new tabs from slightly longer 3/16" steel plate, bent to fit better and all cold formed:

The front, or intermediate, brace from Berg, fit the bolts of the transaxle perfectly, even with minimal excess clearance in the brace holes - just replace four studs with longer ones supplied by Berg, align it and tap it on with a small mallet.  It only fits one way:

After installation of the transaxle, it looks like this, but remember that the rubber snubbers for the ends of the brace nor the corresponding brackets to be welded to the frame horn arms are installed yet.  I loved the hammer-tone finish.

The brace outriggers don't really touch the frame horns - there's about 3/8" clearance.

So that's it for the additional braces which should insure that I won't be mangling any more motor mounts.  Speaking of those, here are the Rhino mounts I used, first, in the front, which looks like solid metal be is really a silver/gray Urethane set into a metal locking-perimeter mold:

And the lower Transaxle mounts, made of the same stuff:

The Craftsman Motorcycle Jack works perfectly for installing both transaxle and engine.  One of those "Best things I ever Bought" tools.

So the transaxle and associated bracing structure is in there and ready to take on the World, and the next step was getting the clutch cable in, but we've already heard about that.  This shot is the carnage to the tunnel, but if you look closely near the right end of the clutch cable tube, you'll see where I just brazed it to the hanger inside of the tunnel.  I brazed it to keep the heat down (the fuel line is about 4" away, that greenish tube lower right) and have decided I should have saved my money on the MIG welder I bought (which adopted Chris) and just kept on doing Gas welds.....

BTW:  The throttle cable tube starts on the outside of the tunnel and then goes inside just beyond the left margin of the picture, so it was never affected (or so the theory goes - we'll see tomorrow).  Everything in that area of the tunnel will get a POR-15 treatment and paint before I button it up, but that'll delay getting back on the road, too.

So, tomorrow it'll be take 2 on installing the clutch cable and then checking "The List" to see what's next - probably bleeding the brakes (which weren't supposed to leak in the first place, but did....grrrrrrrr, and then getting the engine off of the work stand and onto the floor stand to replace the main seal, then install a new clutch and then get the engine back in.  

Things are moving, if not always in a positive direction.

This is turning out well, but that ticking in the background is the New England Summer season ticking away.  Hoping to be on the road by Mid-June.

COOL! 

Gordon,

Keep up the good work.  Keep us posted on what you find out about reverse.

I wont be surprised to hear that they took it out to save weight in that racers transaxle you have 

Things are slowly grinding along, but I'm wondering if anyone has a spare "C" clip for the pivot pin of the VW handbrake lever.  I was putting mine in and one of the clips took off for parts unknown, somewhere in the garage.  It's about 1/2" in diameter and a simple spring wire clip.

If you have one, maybe it could find its way into an envelope addressed to me?

Thanks.....gn 

Orchard Hardware Supply. Sorry no spare, just used the one I bought.

Gordon, my VW handbrake lever has a bolt and a nylock in it. I put a nice billet handle on it. I now have a Spyder handbrake(copy) so it's yours if you want it.

Thanks, Dan, but I found the clip I needed locally.  I think I lost the original one down into the tunnel in 1998 and never found it.  After vacuuming out the mouse condo in there, it might be in the shop vac, but I'm not gonna look for it.

Pearl Update!!!!!!!!

Peter Venuti was looking for something to do so he showed up last week and we re-installed the engine.  I didn't pull the fly wheel but checked behind it with a Mag-Light and it looked dry back there so I opted NOT to change the main seal using Navy CB logic (If it ain't broke, don't fix it.)

Tossed the Kennedy clutch back on with a new disk and with Peter's help everything slid right back in.  I've been re-connecting the wiring back there and replacing questionable connectors as I go along (all of them were crimped before I got a really decent crimping tool) and I'm almost ready to get the Carbs re-installed.  

Remember that my rear wheel cylinders leaked after I pulled the pedal cluster?  After getting the wrong parts from Aircooled.net I got the right parts from Bug City in Connecticut (Those folks are GREAT!!!!!!!!) got them installed the other night and will be bleeding everything this morning unless I go for a bike ride.  Shouldn't take long with my power bleeder.

The Berg Tranny mount installed without any further "adjustments" and now I'm waiting for my new-to-me MIG welder to show up and get Chris to weld the mounts in.  One mount is kinda close to the fuel line, so I can't gas weld them and MIG'ing them is just the ticket.

The Berg mount, as well as the Bugpack Rear suspension Truss literally fell right in (once I made longer, lower mount tabs for the truss) and everything looks neat and factory.

Shouldn't be long, now......

Along the way, I rediscovered the seats I originally tried to use when I built her and have been storing in Chris' shop attic.  They're out of a 1992 Chrysler LeBaron GT/Maserati, are vinyl, roadster-seat comfortable and a perfect color match to Pearl's interior, but they're a tad too wide to fit a CMC.  Maybe that'll be my Summer project - to get them modified and installed to replace my off-color 914 seats (and all y'all just thought I liked sheepskin seats, right?)

That's all the news that's fit to type.......   gn

Why not try that vinyl dye on the off color 914 seats?  I used on old speed boat and was amazed how good it covered and held up.

Gordon- Great to hear it's almost together. Any pics of the truss (and a closeup of the new lower mount tab and the midmount? What did you put in for trans mounts? Did you scratch up the flywheel and pressure plate with some sandpaper? Be sure to document modifying the seats. Al

Any pics of the truss (and a closeup of the new lower mount tab and the midmount?

Yeah - look up above.

What did you put in for trans mounts?

Rhino mounts, recommended by Carey Hines, along with the Berg intermediate mount (with BIG rubber snubbers).

Did you scratch up the flywheel and pressure plate with some sandpaper?

Yup - both or 'em.  Roughed up the disk, too.  I also converted from the early to late style through-out bearing with that little tube it slides on.  Should be interesting to note any differences.

Be sure to document modifying the seats.

Will do.  I think my 914 seats are 17"-18" wide and these are 19"-20" wide, but the important width is that of the seat tracks and they're about 1"-2" too wide at the base.  The seat bottoms are a bit taller, so if the tracks were narrower I think everything should fit and work right.  The 914 seats were only stop-gaps for "a few months, til I get the "real" seats in".  That was back in 1998 or so..... 

OK, so does anyone have the inspection cover that goes over the shift coupler opening???

I've mis-laid mine and can't find one locally and would LOVE to have another one.

Let me know if anyone has one kicking around.

Thanks,  Gordon

LONG POST WARNING!!!  Too many coffees today, so be prepared to read a bit!

Well, Speedstah Watchers, things are slowly trundling along.  Got the engine back in with Pete Venuti's help, then hooked up the clutch and throttle cables and had issues with both being weird on me.  The throttle cable was about 1/2" too short (WTF??), so I pulled it and installed my spare, which is a stock VW cable (German, of course!).  Only when I had the new cable all in and went for my linkage hardware did I realize that I use a special end terminator - WHICH ADDS ABOUT 1/2" TO THE CABLE LENGTH.    

Sigh....

Well, at least I have a brand-new throttle cable in there, now.

Moving on to the the clutch, no matter how much I tightened the clutch adjust nut, the pedal always had about 1-1/2" of free play.  (WTF-2 ???)  Finally pulled my new side-of-the-tunnel inspection panel and found that the clutch cable end at the pedal was catching on the cable tube end and holding it from fully returning.  Apparently, when I built the car I released the welds on the clutch tube and allowed it to be pulled out and cut to length and then replaced.  I would not recommend this to anyone, especially newbies.  As it turned out, those crafty German designers positioned that tube exactly long enough to guide the cable within, but exactly short enough at the front to not hit the end of the pedal termination, which is a metal loop with a tube attached which has the cable in it and then crimped.  When the careless, crafty me put it back in after cutting it, I positioned it about 1/2" too far forward and the tube hit the cable end, holding the cable and allowing the pedal to flop.  Oh, and while messing with it, I broke the nice, gas brazing job I did a few weeks ago.  

Sigh....  

Pulled the friggin' cable, (surprisingly, it came right out) clamped the tube where I wanted it and tried gas welding it again.  In fact, I tried gas welding it FOUR FRIGGIN TIMES!  It just wouldn't take and remember that I'm welding about 3" away from a metal gasoline line.  Finally gave up on the torch (I was truly worried that the car and garage would blow up, and just try to explain THAT to your wife) and I broke out my new-to-me MIG welder.  Two good zaps and I converted that separated tube and sheet metal mount to a small mound of weld-looking-like-bird-poop.  I was, indeed, pleased to see that my other-worldly MIG welding skills have not diminished in the least.  Still the worst-looking arc welds ever.  

But it held!  It was wicked hot from the torch, but the MIG weld held!  And, besides.....No one will ever see it besides ME!  

Heady with success, I got out my angle grinder, attached a worn-smaller but still good cut-off wheel, stuck it into that huge gaping hole in the side of the tunnel and, ZIP-ZAP!  Cut about 1/2" off of the end of the tube.  Cleaned the end of the tube with an assortment of small files, re-lubed and replaced the cable and all is now right with the world.  Friggin FINALLY!

So several nights ago I bled the brakes.  Things went very well and had THAT done in about 20 minutes.  Then I started to adjust the shoes on the drums.  Driver's side went great, but when I spun the wheel on the passenger side it sounded like I was grinding up walnuts in the wheel bearings.

Sigh.....

Got on the Bug City web site, ordered a new set of bearings and seals, took the chance that the internal spacers and rubber bushings were OK (remember that I'm running IRS, not swing-axle....WAY different) and drove across town to "Charlie's Rod Shop" to see if I could get his help and use his hydraulic press to get the bearings out and new ones back in.

The parts arrived the next day (yesterday!  Overnight delivery!!  Bug City is Friggin GREAT!) so this morning, ahead of the hot, muggy weather, I pulled the diagonal arm and re-read the Bentley's service manual which said that everything should drive right out with a drift.  OK, so let's try it before resorting to an arbor press and bugging Charlie - he was working on an antique John Deere tractor, anyway...

Son-of-a-Pup, the damn things popped right out.  And I had some really big sockets from my 1" drive set that I could use as drifts to get the new ones back in.  By 12:30 I was nicely covered with old bearing grease and the diagonal arm was reassembled with new bearings and seals, but by that time it was getting pretty damn hot out there (unlike last April when it was pretty damn COLD out there - there's no pleasing me) so I had lunch and went for a bike ride, flush with success.  Felt so good I rode an extra 20 miles, just for the hell of it.

Tomorrow, I'll be out there re-closing the carnage to the tunnel, replacing the diagonal arm, (hoping I can get it back to the same alignment settings as when I started) and then will be one step closer to getting this damn thing, I mean, Pearl, back on the road.

OH!  And with my astonishing MIG welding skills fully intact, I'm now confident that I can weld the tranny mounts to the frame horns as the Berg instructions tell me.  But then, those frame horns are pretty thin, so maybe I can get Chris to pay a visit and do it for me......Yeah, that makes a lot more sense.

The frustrated Speedstah Guy, still lying on his creeper, while his torch gently weeps........

Good read, Gordon.

I think anybody who ever worked on their own stuff understands completely. 

So Stan, how do I get to that point/place? I obviously do not understand even 2% of what Gordon said. AND he is a very clear communicator!  I'm 65, so do I give up and hire out? Probably can't afford that.

TL;DR

Someone give me the Cilffs Notes?   (kidding...)

Way to stick with it. You'll be driving in no time!

Ted

Oh, Gordon, I've so been there!

And Art, just keep on trying new things and getting dirty, and you'll look back and surprise yourself! Do you have a good manual?

Awesome progress Gordon. Cant wait until Pearl is back on the road so we can meet up with Al for that lunch. Let me know if you want help with the mig welding my skills on the light rusty sheet metal of a 60s era car have been being tested all week. I'm back working on the B coupe make a little progress every day. Will you anf Kathy be joining us on Sunday at Allen's house?

We'll be there. What do we need to bring?

I'm laughing in sympathy, Gordon.  As you are well aware, I have had days much like that.

It's nice to know that other run into problems when working on their cars. 

Misery likes company.

Hey Gordon, did your kafer bar have directions?  Mine didn't so I put the lower tabs in like yours, under the large bolt heads, had to flatten the motor mount bracket a little so the tabs would fit.  Then I found out the tabs to my bar which is a Mendeola, go right next to the frame horns or between the frame horns and the motor mount bracket. They fit better that way but its almost impossible to get the pins in for the clevises. Then I found out the bar wouldn't fit with heater boxes. It took a lot of head scratching but everything fits now. However, my upper cooler fitting leaks now which was caused by the person who assembled it putting straight pipe thread fittings in a tapered thread cooler bung which galled the threads.  Now I have to take the bar out for about the tenth time to get to the cooler. I already fixed the bottom fitting, it was galled and leaked also.

Hey Gordon, did your kafer bar have directions?  

Yeah, sort-of....It's a Bug-Pack and they showed me a picture and basically said; "Assemble it this way".  I put the tabs between the bolt heads and the tranny cradle (like in their picture).     Doing that, and adding to the length of the tabs by making longer ones, solved the problem of zero clearance to get the Heim bolts in and seemed to make everything fit properly.  I have no heater boxes (real men don't need heat!) so that wasn't a problem.

Bird poop welds, eh?

Mine look like bubble gum wads stuck under the movie theater seat. 

Hey, it's only frame.

Ed:

. 

Well, after four months of screwing around; of really, really cold weather followed by really, really hot weather, of three semi-major projects which turned into about 30 minor projects, of leaking wheel cylinders that weren't supposed to be leaking, of clutch cable tubes becoming un-welded and needing re-welding, of waiting two months to find out that a rear truss  "backordered" from Aircooled.net wasn't really coming and then ordering from somewhere else, of finding out that what was wrong with the tranny wasn't nearly as serious as it might have been (and getting terrific service from Rancho), of finding (thanks to Danny P) Bug City VW parts in Berlin, CT and getting TERRIFIC parts and service, of finally getting it all back together and still managing to ride 500+ miles on my Bike, of priming my oiling system and having it pump up via engine starter in 12 seconds flat..........Finally:

Pearl Lives Again!!!

Now, all I have to do is find a good source for door "D" weather strip for the doors and hood and I'll call it a season.

Awesome news Gordon!

When will you be ready for a lunchtime cruise....

I'm sure no one here ever doubted for a second that Pearl would back to her old self with you no worse for the wear.  That was a lot of hours devoted to the madness!

Good job!!

McMaster/Carr: they've got everything

^ It's a link. Click it.

Your wish is my command, sir.

Ah, Dear Leader........always one step ahead of his Minions.

Thank you for the link.  I'll get on it tonight!

One of those heart-arresting moments of automotive repair:  I get the oil system primed and wanted to get pressure up with the starter motor.  Hop into the driver's seat (literally - the car is still up on jackstands), step on the clutch, hit the key and.......nothing.  I mean....nothing at all.

So I turn off the window fan blowing right at me from three feet away (it's hot out, after all), I turn off the stereo blaring Jean Delafose and his Zydeco band and, with everything quiet, I hit the key again and hear.......

click 

- a very small click, which turned out to be the relay which drives the starter solenoid.  At least THAT was working. 

Got under there and found that the wire going from the relay to engage the starter solenoid was attached to the wrong little electrical tab.

What the heck.....there are four different fast-on tabs down there and I didn't make a picture when I pulled the harness three months ago - and I cleaned the most obvious one and used that when it went back together.  Put the wire on the right tab and, WHAM!  The starter spun and my heart started again.

Amazing what a bio-mechanical connection these things have.

There's very little for me to take credit for there, Gordon. McMaster/Carr has everything. None of it is cheap, but neither is flopping and twitching (and I do a lot of that all by myself). I've learned to just pay up, and wait for the UPS man.

The arrival of the UPS guy in the neighborhood has been the highlight of the day for my Jack Russell pups for years - both here and in Beaufort.  

Down South, we lived at the end of a cul-de-sac with a busy lawyer just up the street, so the UPS and FedX guys came down around the loop every day to drop off papers at his house.  The pups would see the truck coming and run out across the lawn, running to the limit of their electronic fence, barking furiously and then happy with the fact that they had "chased them away", back up the street.

Of course, whenever he stopped at our house for a delivery they would run out and try to lick him to death - until they got their puppy treats.

Yup, package arrivals here are always a big event - for everyone!

My UPS guy likes my car and knows that he delivered half of it!

Just got some arm restraints and an Anti-submarining(crotch) belt. Got a DE in two weeks!

Finally got the engine running today.  Right (1-2) bank is fine, left bank ran like poop.  Definite manifold leak.

Decided it was because I took a shortcut and replaced the carbs/manifolds without popping off the air cleaner bases - I just mounted the passenger side carb/manifold, put the linkage rod through the heim joint pivot, slipped it through the left side heim joint, then mounted that carb/manifold to the head.  Doing it that way puts stress on the manifold base before you tighten it all down and I suspect that it didn't tighten down right and leaked at the base. 

At least, that's the theory (sounds good to me).

So I pulled that carb/manifold and, while I have it out I've checked the jets (no clogs - didn't expect any) and blown out the passages with compressed air.  Also found a missing mixture screw o-ring, so I'll find a new one tomorrow morning and then everything goes back in.  

One step closer, every day (or so).

We're all pulling for you Gordon!

Keep at it,
Ted

Yeah, I know you all are.  I'm just hoping to get it going so I get a few rides in this summer.  Currently have zero miles on the Speedster and about 450 miles on my bike.

What's wrong with this picture??

Your heart is Happy

Yup, and so is my cholesterol - now at 130, and that's for a guy who's battled high cholesterol (250-375) all his life.  Just shows what a better diet and a LOT of pedal-pushing can do!

Anyone watching the Tour de France on NBC-SN??  This year is beyond belief.  They should call it the "Tour of Crashes".  TERRIBLE road and weather conditions in the past two days have taken out three of the five top riders in heavy crashes and now the rest of the field is very nervvous and gun-shy of riding the race.  Cold, very wet, cobblestoned roads, nutty spectators (thousands leaning way out into the road with their backs to the Peloton as it approaches, taking selfies.....and then they get hit from behind) have made this one of the nuttiest Tours I've ever seen.

People who take 'selfies' deserve to be hit from behind.

I've never seen such a narcissistic practice...