Aircooled VW South Africa

Greetings
dropping the front axle on the bus and have hit a snag
All the other bits came off nice and easy
But alas the square nut that seats and connects the two shafts snapped off
Drilled the thing out 2 4.8 mm as I guess its a 5 mm thread
question is
The ring and the front part of the shaft are one item ??
It looks like it slides over the rear shaft ??
The rear shaft is solid and the front a tube ?
How deep does the little sqaure nut seat in the rear shaft
I have heated the collar and put some penetrating fluid on the area but slill does not want to budge
Any pointers here as I dont want to break anything

Please

Here is the item


By lowlightwarwick at 2012-07-25

Exactly the same happened on the double cab, everything was so rusted the little screw broke off.
We then continued ripping out the front beam and managed to bend the back shaft.
The two is still stuck together though

The question is then - Why did they not build my bus out of that stuff as the rset is falling apart and the gearlink will stay like that for years

Warwick nice to see you back. Can't help but Sean and I took the G/box out of the split and had the same type of hastle with the link between the gear shaft and the G/box shaft. ended up moving the rust to one side in the floor and cutting off the join. The thing sticks like to a wollen blanket. I would keep heating and letting it cool a couple of times and maybe use 2 spanners that look like bobbyjaan (spelling ) spanners and twisting...... But I am sure you have tried that....
Have a couple of and come back in th emorning...

Try to soak it in coke, heat it to as hot as you can and then soak in coke.

( the stuff you drink, not the stuff that you can braai with or the stuff that you can sniff)

Hope it helps.

Herman

Warwick-Lowlight wrote:Greetings

question is
The ring and the front part of the shaft are one item ?? I checked one I have and it's seperate to both sections (ie, it just a hoop coupling)
It looks like it slides over the rear shaft ?? The front rod and coupling slide over rear shaft
The rear shaft is solid and the front a tube ? Only the first part of rear tube that slides into the coupling is solid



By lowlightwarwick at 2012-07-25

This here, is Hitler's Revenge.

See replies in red above.

I have had hideous luck with these. I stripped one still attached on a work bench the other day, I cut it through in 4 slices (ie, seperating the ring into 4 segments) and had to hammer each 1/4 off to separate them. The rust had completely fused the two together. I am pretty adamant it would be impossible to have dismantled this without cutting it. I had to hammer and cut the coupling apart!

I did have a spare coupling at least. I know the later coupling is freely available but not sure about this early variety as your bus has.

The one I cut off still on the bus, I mad use of a "Dremmel" mini grinder to get a decent cut with accuracy, hence not damaging the tube.

Try methods above first, cutting is last option.

As per main post on projects
Managed to get the bus up in the air
This will make access a bit easier

Thankyou for the pointers - esp Sean
Going to disconnect the rear part - where it links on to the gearbox
If this also proves a hassle will use two Bobbejaan spanners -one on the rear and one on the loop -after a lot of heat
Soaked it overnight with penetrating oil so hopefully will have the coke when the job is done -Thanks for the tip Herman

Holding thumbs

Shot again Sean for the pointers
So here is the process
Heat and alot of it the couplar ring
One times bobbejaan on the ring and a vice grip on the front shaft
Allot of penetrating fluid and slowly start to wiggle the spanners
When its moving clockwise easier after more oil
One times drift and tap the ring off try to go 12 and 6

Ring off


By lowlightwarwick at 2012-07-26


Now the other bits were fused together
so one times diagonal cut with grinder
A few taps in the groove with a screw driver to create a we bit of space - oil generousely


By lowlightwarwick at 2012-07-26

And hey presto end of problem


By lowlightwarwick at 2012-07-26

Seems that over the years the moisture entered from the front part of the shaft
so the wee bit of rusting causes a tighter fit with the ring

well glad to have conquered that one


Got good markers for reassembly