Aircooled VW South Africa

Yup. I've finally solved this one. And Barry might just be proud of my pre-school metal working skills.

Anyway, with a bit of brain and brawn, I managed.

The problem was that Lady's rubber seal between the engine and body has completely disintegrated.
So, lots of hot air being sucked back into the engine bay.

Now, I have a new rubber seal, but installing it requires the removal of the engine. For which I simply don't have the time or man power right now.
But me being me, I wasn't satisfied to simply continue driving her that way. So I made a plan, using some tin and a bit of weather proofing tape.
Check out the pictures. My little invention might not look the greatest. But it sure solves the problem and does not require removal of the engine to fit it.

The materials used were:
- Standard galvanized tin, purchased from Builders warehouse.
- A pair of tin scissors. Also bought from Builders warehouse.
- Some nice thick weather strip I had for some obscure reason I can not recall right now.
- 4 X 6mm bolts with wing nuts. From Jakaranda Hardware.
- 3 X Drawer breathing hole covers (which serve as washers on the bottom of the engine plate). Also from Jacaranda Hardware.

Thumbs up to you!!!!!

This can be fitted with the engine in.

You do not slide the rubber in the grove but shoe horn it in bit by bit with a screwdriver and lots of my favourite. White grease in a can.

Yea, that's if the old rubber is already out. Problem is that peaces of Lady's old rubber is still stuck there and un-yielding to both force or gentle persuasion.

Well done Dirk, just shows what some commen sense and ingenuity can produce.

Was the coil still cool after you took it on that run up and down to and from Durbanville. If yes, even better!

I am sure with some heat resistant spray from a can or NS5 black, you would not even notice it in your engine bay. Also it will look so much neater (in a stock sense)... once again well done.

Muds

Muderick wrote:Was the coil still cool after you took it on that run up and down to and from Durbanville. If yes, even better!

Hmmmmmm. Good point. I'll have to check next time I take her on a run.

Muderick wrote:I am sure with some heat resistant spray from a can or NS5 black, you would not even notice it in your engine bay. Also it will look so much neater (in a stock sense)...

Yup. Definitely would, might do it at some point, right now though it's an emergency fix that might become a permanent fixture. If it does, it will definately get sorted. But I'd much rather have the proper rubber in there

Geeezzz the time it took to make the templates cut the metal fit blablabla you could've just removed the engine and replaced the seal in half the time...

But hay good for you....

I do remember someone telling you to check that seal very early on in the original post you made....

vader wrote:Geeezzz the time it took to make the templates cut the metal fit blablabla you could've just removed the engine and replaced the seal in half the time...

I had to sort the problem in as short a time as possible, without effecting Lady's mobility/drive-ability, because Nicky's golf was standing at the mechanic.
I.E. Lady had to be able to move at the drop of a hat, because she was the only running car between the two of us.

From where I'm standing, this was not only a timely solution, it was also a very good solution for all the problem variables at hand.