WCSTA -06- 56 T1

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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#91 Post by Harlan Halsey »

I have installed the door seals except for the hinge cover plates. The door seals are a potential problem if as in this case the metal work is completed before the seal is dry fitted. Often it is found that the door won't close on the new seal or that it takes months for the seal to compress sufficiently. Of course I knew that but sometimes these things get out of hand. The seal channel didn't sand blast clean because of the buildup of old glue. Then the headliner and carpet was installed over the old goo. Then I inherited the job. It took me a couple of days with a sharp knife and narrow scraper to clean the channel so that the new material laps only over the inner edge, and the rest of the channel is clean. Del suggested 3M 90 High Strength contact cement which is only easy to come by in a spray can. However spraying it into a small can and brushing works. With the seal in place and glued in except for the hinge cover area, the doors shut and latch as they should. Lucked out on that one.
The hinge plates are one of these jobs: they need to be painted. But the new number plates need to be fit first. But the numbers need to be stamped before that. And hand stamping numbers exceeds my skill. I decided to make a jig taking advantage of the digital read out on the mill table position to aid the number stamping:
IMG_0545 Set Up.jpg
IMG_0545 Set Up.jpg (1.4 MiB) Viewed 2621 times
I made several test pieces and determined that a good spacing for the 3mm stamps I borrowed was 3.25mm. Even with the jig, the location still varied slightly. I concluded that to obtain perfection, I would have to machine the stamps, and provide a method of striking them consistently exactly on center. Time to note that the numbers on an original plate are not lined up perfectly either. Maybe imperfection is perfection after all.
IMG_0550 Number Plate.jpg
IMG_0550 Number Plate.jpg (883.1 KiB) Viewed 2621 times
So tomorrow the hinge cover plates go to Del, and in a week or so I can install them. They've been pre-fit to the car and the number plates to them, and the door seal job will be done.

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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#92 Post by Harlan Halsey »

Well a couple of things have been accomplished. The chrome door window pieces are installed. New holes for the 3mm sheet metal screws were drilled using a Dremel tool with a chuck and the brass trim strips modified by grinding the ends to fit. I had planned to use fuzzy strips, A La the T2, but they won't fit so I guess that the T1s had only the rubber squeeges inside and out.
Then I measured the alignment using two 6' beams with the center marked. I found he center of the bodywork front and rear, to start with, but used the distance from the strings to the wheel hubs to find the chassis location. The engine appears to be on center, but the gap to the side shroud is too small on the right and too big on the left so I decided to move the engine/transmission 1/4" to the left. I borrowed a laser line and ran it down under the car along the parting line of the engine, the center of the transmission and to the front of the car body center line. I turned out that my body centers are pretty good both front and rear. Then I pulled the engine, and bent the hoop, using heat, to move the rear of the transmission .200" to the left after loosening the front transmission mounts. With the engine out I found that the tray is not symmetrical. It is about 1/4" wider on the right which accounts for a lot of the fitment problem. Tomorrow I intend to install the engine and check the position with the laser. If all is OK, I will again measure the wheel alignment, and correct it. Most of this has been necessary because when I got the car, the transmission shims were gone, and the hoop was a little bent. Also the laser line makes locating the center line easy, and if it is dark enough in the garage it may substitute for the strings too.

Brad Ripley
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#93 Post by Brad Ripley »

Stamping of the data plates is usually done with a die holder so the numbers/letters line up. Below is a photo of a typical die holder. There are holders you hit with a hammer and others that go in a press.
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Die holder.jpg
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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#94 Post by Harlan Halsey »

Thanks Brad, I've not run across that holder before. My old cheap set of Craftsman stamps, and the set I borrowed didn't have a holder.
but I suppose if I spent more and got stamps and holder as a set, they would line up and penetrate more evenly. I could do better with my setup if spent more time...

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John Lindstrom
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#95 Post by John Lindstrom »

Harlan can I borrow your stamps? I only need them for about 5 minutes.

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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#96 Post by Harlan Halsey »

Sure

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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#97 Post by Harlan Halsey »

I've moved the engine and transmission 1/4" to the left to better center it in the engine bay, using the laser line to indicate car center.
IMG_0564 Laser Center Line.jpg
IMG_0564 Laser Center Line.jpg (2.16 MiB) Viewed 2517 times
Here's a new on on me, the left rear tire had oil in it. The leak was large to ignore and too small for the source to be obvious. I suspected the large o-ring around the bearing or the backing plate clamping but I wiped everything down and waited a day. I turned out that the leak was the axle tube locating pin. If you stare at the picture you might just be able to see the oil sheen just below the pin.

IMG_0568 Axle Pin Leak.jpg
IMG_0568 Axle Pin Leak.jpg (1.63 MiB) Viewed 2517 times

A potential problem possibly requiring removal of the axle in the worst case. I usually don't drive these pins in very hard and I was able to drive the pin back out upwards. The pin was a bit scored and that was probably the souece of the leak. I polished the pin smooth, coated it and the hole with 505 and drove it back in. That should do it, we'll see tomorrow.

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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#98 Post by Harlan Halsey »

Polishing the pin and coating with 505 didn't do it. Looks like another casting will be the answer. Magnafluxed this time.
Fuel pressure has been set to 2 psi at the regulator, and the engine run. Shift linkage adjusted. Tail pipes roughed out and installed, muffler pipe clamps made and body work clearance d.
IMG_0570 Clamp Parts.jpg
IMG_0570 Clamp Parts.jpg (1.17 MiB) Viewed 2451 times
IMG_0579 Tali Pipe Clamp.jpg
IMG_0579 Tali Pipe Clamp.jpg (376.13 KiB) Viewed 2451 times
Finally today the first drive test:
IMG_0582 First Drive.jpg
IMG_0582 First Drive.jpg (1.52 MiB) Viewed 2479 times
And back.
IMG_0583 Back From First Drive.jpg
IMG_0583 Back From First Drive.jpg (2.43 MiB) Viewed 2479 times
The first test is only to the end of my street and back. The shifter is slick (early 716), all four gears and reverse work and are quiet, brakes work, and steering is OK. However there is a fuel leak in the upper tunnel. Lucky I didn't try the much longer Crystal Springs run. The electric cord in the pictures is for the fan. Tomorrow, find the leak and fix it. A little below the bumper body work will be required, now that the tail pipe setup has been decided. I will raise the bumper 3/4" to clear the tail pipes.
Last edited by Harlan Halsey on Wed Nov 11, 2020 3:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Vic Skirmants
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#99 Post by Vic Skirmants »

A more generous application of sealer on the axle tube pin should do it. I can't see replacing the complete housing. JB Weld should do the trick.

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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#100 Post by Harlan Halsey »

Generous application of non hardening 505 was what I tried. It must be that the oil is seeping around the sealant through the crack. The leak seems to be slowing. Maybe the oil is carrying the sealant into the crack. If the transmission survives the 200-300 mile test running, and the leak stops, good if not ideal. If I have to pull the transmission then I will either replace the part or do a mechanical fix, probably involving sleeving the lower end of the pin hole.

The gasoline leak turned out to be the 1/4" Bing Alcohol Resistant Fuel Line from Airraft Spruce. The ID varied up to 5/16" allowing it to leak. I've replaced it with 7.5 mm Coline tubing from Stoddard. (7 mm tubing is the standard, but tough to slip on far enough. The 7.5 mm tubing seems to have plenty of grip. And it has the advantage of not stressing the tubing so much. Time will tell.)

Another problem: the turn signal switch isn't working on the left turn side.The flasher units work by sensing the current flow when the switch is closed. It must be that the contact resistance is too high on that side. (Switching the front turn signal light wires switches the problem.) That is a VW part which is not trivial to R&R. I will try a spray contact cleaner like the TV tuner cleaners we used to have.

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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#101 Post by Harlan Halsey »

I replaced the turn signal switch with the one which came with the car. And the new electric tach from Palo Alto Speedometer is installed. The second test run, this time to Rte. 92 along the Crystal Springs Reservoir was a success: I found a number of things which need work, the steering, and the throttle linkage not returning to idle, among them. But the transmission worked well, quiet in all gears, no R/P whine, synchros all good. While the engine and transmission were hot, I drained the oils, and replaced them. There is an engine oil leak-I suspect the blanked off tach drive. I need to replace the 6v generator with a 12v. I ran the test on the battery. Brakes were good. So lots to do, but most of it in the category of normal repair, rather than restoration.

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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#102 Post by Harlan Halsey »

Today I replaced the light switch. The original screw terminal switch worked well but it had no terminal which was on in both on positions. So no running lights in the first position. That can't be right, can it? So I tested the later bullet connector switches in the drawer and found one which worked well. In about two hours under the dash I put bullets on the wires The bezel nut is the same.
While I was at it I replaced the three instrument light wires (A misguided attempt to reuse the old wires.) with a single run and installed the Jules Dielen instrument lights. Most satisfying, with the LED outside bulbs.
I have been running the car around a bit letting the suspension settle in before the next alignment.
My $20 impact wrench from Harbor Freight arrived. My only use for it is to R&R the fan impeller nut. It occurred to me that there are only two places on a 356 where standard shop tools need to be supplemented: that impellor nut, and the tachometer cable housing on the oil pump where a slip joint pliers is needed to tighten it.

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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#103 Post by Harlan Halsey »

The generator charge light didn't come on. The regulator was a new Bosch solid state unit, and the generator was a 6v unit in a 12v car. My thought was that since generators output voltage is linear with RPM, the 6v unit should only reach regulation voltage at twice the usual RPM, i. e. about 2,000 RPM, no big deal. But that didn't happen so I decided to put a 12v generator in, as I was going to do that anyway. And it was a chance to use my new $20 Harbor Freight impact wrench. The new tool works well. I assembled the fan with a 2.8-3.0mm gap, which seems to be about right.

On disassembling the oil filler from the generator stand, I found the shroud side bolt hard to get to. So I Helicoiled the two stand holes:

They are 60mm apart, and take the Helicoil tap perfectly. The only difficulty was jigging the stand on the mill. The surface is far from flat, but the seal is the o-ring anyway. Using the mill insures that the holes are parallel, and of course 60mm apart.
IMG_0596 Heli Coiling.jpg
IMG_0596 Heli Coiling.jpg (1.29 MiB) Viewed 2311 times
I took the 12v regulator from the Carrera, something I hate to do even temporarily, and Vola! everything works. That regulator will be hard to duplicate, it was a brand new one bought from Stoddard in 1981, and even then I had to assure them it was going in a Carrera.

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Bill Sargent
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#104 Post by Bill Sargent »

Is the Carrera regulator a German 12V big black Bosch? If yes, I have found them at the L A Lit meet - usually around $250 to $300. They come set for 38 amps, so will need to be adjusted or you can fry a generator.
Regards,

Bill Sargent
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Harlan Halsey
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Re: WCSTA -06- 56 T1

#105 Post by Harlan Halsey »

Bill,
I have a solution: Rather than buy a used unit, I modified a current solid state 12v regulator. ( I'm not worried about the generator capacity as all the lights on this car are now LEDs, no radio.)

The solid state regulator commonly available for about $50 on my doorstep has two issues, one is that it looks like something from the moon, and second the case is hot, connected directly to D+ !!
Solid State Regulator
Solid State Regulator
IMG_0622 As Purchased.jpg (1.53 MiB) Viewed 2259 times
Both issues can be solved by placing the new unit within the housing of a defunct old 6v Regulator.
Modified Frame
Modified Frame
IMG_0626 6v Reg Frame Modified.jpg (1.51 MiB) Viewed 2259 times
IMG_0629 Installed 2.jpg
IMG_0629 Installed 2.jpg (1.41 MiB) Viewed 2259 times
Bottom View
Bottom View
IMG_0628 Installed 1.jpg (1.72 MiB) Viewed 2259 times
In the car without the cover, it looks like this.
In Car Without Cover
In Car Without Cover
IMG_0633 Solid State Regulator.jpg (599.99 KiB) Viewed 2259 times
And complete with cover, like this. The cover is open on the bottom, and the opening is difficult to see.
I must admit, I am pleased to see the red light come on with the ignition, flicker around 6-800 RPM, go out and stay out and measure a little over 14 V at the battery at about 1500 RPM.
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IMG_0634 Modification Installed.jpg
IMG_0634 Modification Installed.jpg (1.18 MiB) Viewed 2259 times

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