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C

CalebinColorado

New member
construction manual

by construction manual are you referring to the 1970's build manual from shop.sterlingsportscars.com? and iv noticed your location is not far from theirs? just coincidence?
 
letterman7

letterman7

Honorary Admin
No, not the construction manual. One of these: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Volkswagen-Beetle-Karmann-Official-Service/dp/0837616468/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343946899&sr=1-1&keywords=vw+beetle+bentley+manual]Amazon.com: Volkswagen Beetle and Karmann Ghia Official Service Manual Type 1: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 (9780837616469): Bentley Publishers: Books[/ame]
That one book will tell you 90% of everything you need to know about your car unless it's a really early chassis or a later (after 1970) chassis. Even then, the mechanicals and engine/transaxle are virtually identical.

And yes, I'm about 4 hours from Sterling Sports Cars. I know the owner Dave very well.
 
C

CalebinColorado

New member
dead in the water

ok, so now im 1/2 debating just cutting the fiberglass from the engine cut out to the rear window tunnel? now...i am inexperienced in glassing so this may be the wrong thing to do, but im really not wanting to drop/pull the motor and tran. i will deff have to give it some thought, and would love to hear from ANYONE about fiberglass work...iv done small projects such as sub enclosures and a little bit of interior work on a chevy i used to own, but nothing this extensive.
 
letterman7

letterman7

Honorary Admin
:) Trust me. Pulling the drivetrain is much easier than fixing fiberglass correctly. There are tons of VW clubs in Colorado: TheSamba.com :: VW Club listing
find one near to you and get to know some of the members. My bet there will be someone who can do this almost with their eyes closed. Get a couple cases of beer and ask 'em to help you out!
 
delbertinie

delbertinie

Member
CalebinColorado said:
i have in fact found MANY ways for this process online, but still have the issue of my tank removal :( i have removed the back window and plastic housing, but the tank is sitting in what seems to be a plywood "shelf"? if i was to remove it through this opening, would i(or did you) be able to put it back through the same opening?

Caleb
Click to expand...

mine was held in place by plumbing strap. I was able to tip it up right and remove a drive shaft and shock j box then drop it out of the bottom..

I f you still cant get it out remove a trailing arm.
 
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C

CalebinColorado

New member
bare with me?

ok..i know we've been over this lol:worried:, what about cutting the inner wall? behind the seats Under the window tunnel? and pulling it through there? i dont have a lift accessable so out the bottom wont work :( but im still open minded twards pulling the engine and tran, question is, if i disconect the half shafts from the trani would that be ALL i had to do suspension wise to release the transaxle? and what else is holding the trani in place? (bolts, mounts, cross members ect..):worried:
 
letterman7

letterman7

Honorary Admin
You don't need a lift. Everything can be done off jack stands at their highest settings. The first question is: do you have the IRS rear or a swingaxle? I'm pretty sure I walked you through the engine and transmission removal elsewhere on the forum. If you can unbolt your rear valance where the brake lights are (not the black portion, the fiberglass piece that forms the bottom rear of the car) you'll make easy work of what you need to do.

As for cutting the back bulkhead... yeeaahh... I've seen it done, but you're left with the same issue as cutting through the deck. And you'll still need to be able to reach around the back (to the rear) of the tank to get to any bolts or fasteners. Can't do that from inside the car.
 
C

CalebinColorado

New member
letterman7 said:
You don't need a lift. Everything can be done off jack stands at their highest settings. The first question is: do you have the IRS rear or a swingaxle? I'm pretty sure I walked you through the engine and transmission removal elsewhere on the forum. If you can unbolt your rear valance where the brake lights are (not the black portion, the fiberglass piece that forms the bottom rear of the car) you'll make easy work of what you need to do.

As for cutting the back bulkhead... yeeaahh... I've seen it done, but you're left with the same issue as cutting through the deck. And you'll still need to be able to reach around the back (to the rear) of the tank to get to any bolts or fasteners. Can't do that from inside the car.
Click to expand...

you wouldnt happen to have any suggestions on how to achieve jacking the car up high enough for the stands to fully extend would you? and i have pictures for you on the gas tank, the suspension(not from my vehicle but the same thing) and of the panel i already took off
 

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letterman7

letterman7

Honorary Admin
Big floor jack. Really, it's that easy. And I forgot you've got the pancake engine which makes it easier yet since you don't have to clear a tall fan shroud. The rear valance is already off - a bonus. You can do this with two stands at the rear - put the jack under the frame at the rear just in front of the torsion tube (those tubes that stick out in front of the rear tires). Block the front wheels so it won't roll forwards. Jack up one side 6 or 8 inches and slide a stand under the torsion tube in the middle. Do the same for the other side. That's it. You will have all the room you need to remove the engine and transmission. Use the same floor jack to support the engine as you unbolt it and the same with the transmission.

The only thing I see as a possible issue is what appears to be a remote oil cooler over your driver's side tire. Just make sure that you account for all the wires and lines going to the engine before you start wrenching.



Of course, the other option is to completely remove the body... some 20-odd bolts around the pan and a few at the front frame head. 4 strong guys and lift!
 
C

CalebinColorado

New member
indeed it is an oil cooler, 1 of 2 actually(one on either side) although the lines have all been disconnected for some time now...(pre my getting the car) you wouldnt happen to know how to re-attach those would you...?
 
letterman7

letterman7

Honorary Admin
I imagine that there was a T fitting on both lines to the coolers; the central nipple to the T's went to that adapter. It doesn't matter which is in or out to the adapter since the cooler doesn't care how the oil goes in and comes back out. My concern would be how much pressure, or lack thereof, two coolers are producing on the oil pump. With that much hose going out, the stock pump may not be able to provide enough pressure in the engine case for adequate lubrication. My advice would be to either a) put the stock oil cooler back in place or b) eliminate one of those coolers, relocate the other one somewhere closer to the engine (maybe a bracket off the transaxle behind the torsion tubes so it's getting some air) and put a puller fan behind it. You don't want the oil too cool, either... 195° to 225° is the butter zone.
 
C

CalebinColorado

New member
letterman7 said:
I imagine that there was a T fitting on both lines to the coolers; the central nipple to the T's went to that adapter. It doesn't matter which is in or out to the adapter since the cooler doesn't care how the oil goes in and comes back out. My concern would be how much pressure, or lack thereof, two coolers are producing on the oil pump. With that much hose going out, the stock pump may not be able to provide enough pressure in the engine case for adequate lubrication. My advice would be to either a) put the stock oil cooler back in place or b) eliminate one of those coolers, relocate the other one somewhere closer to the engine (maybe a bracket off the transaxle behind the torsion tubes so it's getting some air) and put a puller fan behind it. You don't want the oil too cool, either... 195° to 225° is the butter zone.
Click to expand...

is there not a better or newer pump that would make the 2 a possibility? or does the stock pump/cooler combo work well?
 
letterman7

letterman7

Honorary Admin
There are higher output pumps, but I don't think you'll need it. Stock OEM setups are very efficient as long as everything else is up to par. VW engineers pretty much did their homework when they made the cooling systems. I don't know what to tell you... personally, I'd install a stock cooler and see what kind of temperatures the oil shows once you start running it regularly. If it seems to run hot, then adjust or change things from there.
 
B

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
One of the reasons that people (at least here in the desert)relocate the oil cooler to a remote spot is because the cooler sits over a cylinder and the hot air from the oil cooler blows over that one cylinder makeing it run hotter than the rest.

That might be why they did that.

If you decide to to stay with the remote oil cooler make sure it gets lots of clean air to it and maybe an electric fan(with a thermostat) mounted on the cooler so at those stop lights it still gets air.

Choice is up to you. It probably doesn't get really hot where your at and in the winter it maybe too efficient and the oil may not warm up to operating temps with a cooler plumbed directly into the oil system. Just something else to consider

Brett
 
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