For my next amazing act ...

I ordered a couple clutch cables from Carey's folks in Indiana. They arrived just about two days later, and I've been working too much to really do anything on the car. I took the pedals out and cleaned things up a couple days ago, and finished the clutch cable today. Carey's cable fits perfectly for what I have, complete with the giant wing-nut and jam nut arrangement. Even the same thread pattern on the fork end. Incredible.

It hit me as I was staring at my pedal cluster this afternoon; I have a pulley in the house. Usually, a cable takes a couple people; one in the car and the other behind it. I thought to myself, "If I can attach this little quarter-inch pulley to the Bowden guide hole on the gearbox, maybe I don't need that second person."
So, that's what I did. I used a bit of butcher's string (about 15 feet or so -- the butcher cut it) and tied it to the old clutch cable before I pulled it out.
Then I used the same string to pull with one hand as I fed the new cable through a dollop of grease on its way into the tunnel. Left hand, grease. Right hand, string. Easy as pie.

The Sloppy Jalopy rides again. I set the pedal to about three-quarters of an inch of pedal movement before the clutch engaged; first time, right out of the 'chute. No further adjustments. I''ve never got it exactly right on the first try before.
Nothing quite like that feeling at the end of a long day. Let me also add that I'm very, very glad I opened up the bodywork and got the detachable steering wheel. That would have been an enormous PITA if not.

Good job Cory, ....remember that the free play at the pedal isn't as important as having an 1/8" travel at the throw out bearing.
You grab the clutch arm (where the threaded rod and wing nut are) and move that an 1/8" until you feel it against the throw out bearing, that is the correct adjustment. ~Alan

Right on. I took the car out on the streets in the neighborhood for a quick check-ride before taking the other car to dinner with some friends. Perfect.
I do need to do something about my shift knob, though. Anybody have one of those black VW mushroom jobbers that screw on?

Very slick Cory!

Cory - it looks like you and I took the same Correspondence Course on Automotive Repair...

Egg-sactly, Jim! That's why I have that butcher's string in the tool bag.
Good to see Im not alone in the universe, my Guamaniac braddah!

Syl, thanks! Scratch one red shop rag, though.
Shouldn't we be getting some kind of mid-Atlantic cruise together or something? Maybe we could welcome Mickey's car's new owner to the neighborhood one of these weekends.

Something "new" to add to the "spares" kit we all carry......25 ft. of dental floss.....It could happen.... :-)

Throttle, clutch, emergency brake ... Or just in case we're down your way and happen to run into Jimmy Carter!
How are things, Leon? Doing all right -- and did that guy ever call you about the car?
I think his missus might have reality-checked him. Not sure.

Things are Ok here.(just wet, and hot)......The guy's wife must have zipped his lip.....One e-mail was the total response..........Say HI to Teresa....

Cory,

Nicely done -- never a doubt you could handle this one, except you said you'd call me when it came time so I could help. I'm very good at giving advice and holding the beer so it won't spill. Can also aim a drop light pretty well . . .

So we'll set up for Lane to visit, and then terrorize the neighborhood once again. Sounds good.

PS: I finagled w/ the brake lights and got them working again. Wonder how long they will last this time. I have had chronic problem here: and is bad sending switches (yes, there are two) in the mast cyl. May have to R&R w/ new unit.

Kelly:

I was having the same brake light problem as you - remember when you told me mine weren't working at Carlisle but they worked when I stomped on the pedal? It has been chronic for years - just now decided to fix it for good. I've been through a switch per year or so and they're STILL failing regularly.

I dropped by Charley's Rod Shop here in town and he told me that the Hot Rodders have been seeing the same problems with the hydraulic brake light switches they use (they're about the same as ours). Seems they're all made in China now and only last for a couple of years before they go South, either by leaking or no longer working or both.

I ended up with a mechanical brake light switch from a '37-'54 Chevy Pickup from NAPA. It has a mounting tab and a long actuator arm that can be bent to work no matter what. Mounted the switch on the floor about 1" behind the brake pedal and bent the arm to form a tab that rides against the brake pedal arm such that the pedal opens the switch when at rest. Charlie tells me they're damn near bullet-proof.

Took about an hour to fab it up and wire it in, and it works every time with just a little movement of the pedal - in fact, it comes on WAY earlier than the juice switch ever did. Always good in panic stops!

The NAPA part number is SL128. Here's the NAPA page for it:

http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?A=ECHSL128_0160679279&An=599001+101950+50014+2014099

BTW: I had the old Chevy switch in hand when I dropped by Charlie's shop and when he looked up to see who it was, his comment was: "Oops! Looks like something serious - Gordon's here with a '37 Chevy Brake switch!"

gn

Gordon, thank you! I had the same problem with Bridget--a TD replica on a 69 VW pan. Both brake light switches (and the new one) seem intermittent at best). Wondered if I could use a pedal-actuated one like on my old chevy. You da main.

I had the same problem with the fluid pressure-actuated brake light switches on the Red Man and finally went to a mechanical one. The results were better, but I still had to replace it at least once. I don't think NAPA is immune to cheap Chinese parts in their inventory so, while an improved situation, regular functional checks are still the rule.

BTW Cory, your procedure sounds like a good candidate for the KNOWLEDGE section of this website. And yes, YOU DA MAN!!!
Hoss

OK the obvious question: how about some gen-u-ine German VW switches?? Any chance to get soemthing like that? Or are they ALL Chinese?

Not sure but I think the ones that failed on my car were originals. German crap! And only 41 years old!

By the way, Kelly, I'm in Joppa, maybe 50 miles up the line from you.

Ed,

We (OK, maybe just I) keep sayin' the local (DC-B'more) folks, of which there are a few, need to arrange to gather/drive some. Looks like if we read this post (or is it another?) Lane Anderson may be the catalyst in Sept. Sounds like he will be in town, and so it would by our SOCish duty to meet/greet/wine/dine/rally his sorry ass around a bit. Maybe that could include you?? just need to get organized a little and figure out what works.

Kelly

Kelly:

Regarding original, new, GERMAN brake switches.......

You might have better luck finding plover eggs.

XYZZY

XYZZY....? Oh yeah!?

Yeah, Kelly, that's why I been lurking on this board. Hard to get a quarum of TD Replicas in any given place these days. If you guys'll put up with my car getting more admiration than yours ;) . . . plus not drive too fast ('cause Bridget be sloooow), then I'd be honored to cruise near you.

Dude, you're on. hooptypilot AT gmail.com -- I could use a good cruise. It's been a long week.