RetroVans's "Fugly Braziliamba" Project

[jolas]

drive safe !!! see you there hopefully ...

[retrovan]

Well guys the Fugly made it.

With only a few Km on the clock, off it went on its maiden voyage.

Just to ensure a good test, I through on a Teardrop Van on tow as well.



So off to George, with only one minor problem for the trip.

This originated from the RWC guy, who decided that there MUST be something wrong with the Fugly as it is OLD, so he had it on the Hydrulic shaker with the brakes applyed then released on and off for must be 10 min.

I asked him what he was doing, as he never tested any new car on this machine for so long.

His reply was that he was sure there must be something loose, so he will test till he finds it.

I was pissed, And he never found anything loose.

So on the way to George the brakes started making a loud screeching noise, like you get on old big trucks, when they stop.

Well was not going to let this spoil my trip, so I drove on the handbrake there and back.

Today I striped both wheels looking for loose brake shoes, but found nothing ????????????

This is a mystery.......

Decided to lub all contact points with a bit of copper-slip, in the adjusters, as well on the touch points on the back plate.
also on the plunger of the slave cylinders.

Did a short test,sounds OK, but need to do a longer run so the shoes can bed in again, and then see if it OK.

will let you know, but if you have ideas, let me know.

Herman

[jolas]

I can't understand why they have to put classic vehicles through that process, safety first yes, but I am weary of those machines - but nice to see you again Herman

[retrovan]

I can't understand why they have to put classic vehicles through that process, safety first yes, but I am weary of those machines - but nice to see you again Herman

Good to see you guys as well, the two 59's are great, pity of Sean's motor, hope its something small.
keep us posted.

[Johan Eagle]

Hi ,

My fugly was for police clearance in Humansdorp on Monday and it had to be I dotted before the clearance all without number plates!!!

On my way back I have found the gear lever to be a wooden spoon in a witches broth!! No gears and you could turn the gearlever 360 in the spot without getting a gear.

Do you have any drawings of how this gear lever setup fits together?? Please help !!

Thanks guys I have enjoyed the trip tremendously at a reckless speed of 80 km/h to humansdorp and closed to 90km/h back to J bay.

[retrovan]

Hi ,

My fugly......

...... at a reckless speed of 80 km/h to humansdorp and closed to 90km/h back to J bay.

You Evel Knievel you, ....

Sad to hear the gear lever went.

Think you can look at the gearbox nose coupler, think you will find the bolt has fallen out, or if the shaft was welded in the past, then the welding broke.

Some have a joint, same as the Split bus, but these normally rust so fass, that it is seldom them that come loose.

Do not think it is something big, think it will be a quick fix.

PM me if you need drawings, as this is not easy as you have to work off both Split and early bay to find the solution.

Herman

[Johan Eagle]

Thanks Herman, I have discovered after my evel knievel trippy that my brakelines is jointed. It seems that the point at the mastercylinder was broken of and then the brake lines were cut and joined vir a copper ferel fitting to have the correct mounting on the mastercylinder. I will try and take a photo of how not to do brakeline plumbing on a vehicle.

Thanks will let you know about the gearlever as I will raise the fugly onto trestles tommorrow.

[hitlers revenge]

At the bottom of the gear lever is a ball with a flat surface.

On one side there is a small hole in which a tiny spring and pin sit.

I imagine you have lost the pin.

Thats why the lever can turn 360 degrees

My 5c.

[sean]

Can you still select gears but the handle turning in circles?

If you have no gear selection its definitely as retrovan says, very doubtful it can be the pin under the shifter, unless there is some kind of severe damage that pin cant come out. Check the coupling at the gearbox.

[Johan Eagle]

Thanks for all the feedback!!

The fault as I see it is the shaft from the gearbox is not suspended in a bush as on the beetle. There is a 10mm thick pin from the front that fits into the shaft with a little plastic bush on the bottom of the cup. The gearlever is perfect with its ballbearing and pin and fits nicely in the cup.

The pin I think is to keep the cup on the same position to enable a perfect shift. The pin in my case is turning around and what makes it worse is that it was home made at some time in the past. The mounting position of the pin on the body is not on the same level as the bush if I look at the home made contraption.

What will be the correct part to fit and to have smooth gear changes? Sorry guys camera was left at home but I hope my english is not so bad that it could be classified as a weapon of mass destruction.

[retrovan]

sorry Johan, not sure if its Split bus or Bay window, maybe Sean or Paul could place some manual photo's so you can see which one it is.

Maybe take photo's then we will be able to see which one it is.

Once you sure, you can get the part from Volkspares, or even the Midas, or our local Beetle Shop in PE.

Herman

[retrovan]

Bringing the thread back to my Fugly....

Fitted a two probe temp. recorder to the motor, and took the Fugly for an extended run

The run was In town as well as high way driving at full speed. (100kph)

Had the one probe into the dipstick hole and the other between # 3 and #4 cylinder pots.

Will down load the graft page tomorrow, but for now, the temps, were as follows;-

Max oil temp = 103 Deg. C

Between Pots = 98 Deg C

Now before some one shouts........." that's too cold between Pots...... Well it was not fixed to the pot, but floating in the air stream.

I am well pleased with the cooling of the Fugly, so now, I know the conversion was a great success.

By the way the oil temp. of a Type 4 motor run at 80 Kph should be 100 to 105 Deg. C and not more then 110 Deg.C when run up hill under full load.

Till Later

Herman

[Johan Eagle]

Maybe take photo's then we will be able to see which one it is.

Yes my friends a 10mm bolt without thread with 10 mm bolt with thread welded on each others head looking away from each other. The 10mm goes into the bush on the bottom of the Gearlever cup and the 10mm goes into a hole and tightens down with a nut. That is what I have.

The plate that holds this bolt and nut is just infront of the gearlever shaft to the front of the bus.

Ok I know it is some sort of a puzzle but it seems to bee like that on my bus because the ...PO had not a clue of anything VW and not a feeling for anything VW.

Thanks guys for your dedicted support to get my fugly on the road again.

[retrovan]

Will get under my Fugly and take some photo,s for you

Then the Clever guys here can tell us if it is Split or Bay.

Herman

[Johan Eagle]

Herman,

You know they should rather make a law!!! That if you are not capable to work on a car you should not do it or face a jail sentence or ten shot with a weedeater on a sensitive point!!!

My whole problem with the gearlever is that the front mounting of the guidepin that holds the gearselector shaft in place in front was butchered by some @##$$%^%^PO.

Underneathe the combi there is two structural beams running parralel in the length of the combi just in the front section to support the handbrake and the gear lever selector shaft. Between these two supports the front support for this shaft is two identical plates welded in between the mentioned support bars and these two plates have a 10mm bar welded in solidly without any adjustments. This 10mm bar supports the gearselector shaft to keep the cup connected to the gearlever. This 10mm bar fits into the selector shaft under the gearlever cup.

On my fugly one of these identical plates were cut out. Then the two bolts I was talking about was welded head on head and the thread part of this welded marriage was then bolted through the oricginal bars hole. When you change gears the gearlever cup moves up and down depends on where this bolt and nut fitment is at that moment that is why the gearlever can turn around in his place.

Ok I will visit the scrapyard on humansdorp sometime to get that specific part of the combi out of one of there combi's. Cut out I mean.

Thanks guys