Stan Galat posted:I dunno’, Ted. Those AC Industries brakes are like having barbell plates bolted to the hubs.
Lol.. Yeah, there is that!
TRP posted:It would be a pretty big pain to have Greg do it. There should be many qualified shops closer than 500 miles away.
Qualified - yes. Trust - maybe 
Okay, I spent a few hours on/under/around the speedster this weekend. This is what I accomplished:
- Bleeding the brakes. Invested in a pressurized solo break bleeding system from Pelican. Well worth it... sort of. More on that later.
- Double check torque on all caliper brackets (front and rear)
- Installed new bowden tube, rubber boot for clutch/accelerator tubes.
- Ran clutch cable and hooked it up
- Double checked all of the bolts/brackets/mounts for the trans.
What's left to do (this is a punch list for me to remember...):
- Install new outer tie rod ends
- Wire up Starter
- Install new ground strap
- Clean up motor tins
- Clean up carbs / check float levels
- Relocate Setrab
- Wire up Setrab / Cooler relay
- Adjust valves
- Check Crank nut
- Check alternator nut/belt tension
- Install motor (fill with oil)
- Adjust carbs / cables
- Set ride height
- Purchase/Install new battery
That's a big list!
About the pressurized brake bleeder. Oh man... what a mess.
So, the instructions read: Attach hose to Master Cylinder reservoir. Fill tank with favorite fluid. Pump to no more than 20 PSI, bleed system as per instructions.
I did all that.. pumped to about 15 psi and the cap on the reservoir popped/shifted a bit and pumped/sprayed 2 pints of Motul RBF 660 brake fluid all over bottom of the car, the garage floor, etc.
I cleaned up what I could. Wiped everything down with purple power and a few shop rags and went at it again. Turns out 5 psi is enough to bleed the brakes. So far it seems to have worked pretty well. I rotated the rear calipers to 12 o'clock and all of that. I didn't see any major difference in what came out of the line.
I will go back tonight and make sure all of the air bubbles are out of the system. I may still go back and purchase a different MC from CiP1. I like the one they recommend for the vented disc kits. If I do that, I'll get a reservoir that fits the bleeder cap a bit better.
Ted
I had some small residual bubbles that I couldn't get out with the pressure bleeder.
Sorry about your bad luck with the bleeder. I run mine around 2-3 psi, but no higher than 5. I simply installed a Shrader valve in an extra cap, and keep a close watch on the reservoir.
The best way for a final bleed is several spirited pumps, on the pedal, by a strong human, then hold and bleed.
That's what I had to do with my Spyder to get a consistently firm and repeatable pedal.
Wired up the starter yesterday. Added 3 quarts of Brad Penn 80-90. Set the kaffer bars.
Today i will trim the firewall scoop a bit and stab the motor back in.
Ted,
that simple trans swap turned into a year long project...???
Shhhh... Mind your manners.
"Life" kept getting in the way, it seems.......
Kitchen remodel kept the trans on the garage floor for 1 year. Once I got started on the swap, I took on 10 more projects (Ridetec shocks, new ball joints, tie rod ends, CSP brakes, drop spindles, adjustable spring plates, relocate the cooler, etc.
I should have stayed true to ONE project at a time.
Meh....
Projects (and projects and projects) Happen on their own schedules.
You do what you can, when you can and the only schedule to adhere to is your own.
We've got a new bathroom on the horizon (when the Gods of contractors and suppliers all line up) after barely tolerating a 1970's vintage, Lime Green tub-thing in there for the past 14 years. Not even a "Little Mermaid" curtain made it look better.
It's a good thing I really don't have anything to do to the Speedster for a while.....
Other than drive it!
I had to give to you a hard time. In our conversations I mentioned to you that it's never a simple task of installing the trans. while the motor is out you can do several things that adds to the cost. As you very well found out.
Love those air cleaners.
edsnova posted:Love those air cleaners.
Yep, very 'Factory Porsche' or 'manly ' looking. 
Were they made in Taiwan?
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Thank you. They aren't bolted down properly yet. I believe they were made over seas, yes.
It's really nice when it's on the ground after being up for a while.
You kind of forget what it looks like on the ground.
Motor looks good in there, keep up the good work!
Ted,
Those 'taller' beehive lens for the front turn signal lights make your car even more distinctive.
At "Mr. Fiat" in Atlanta, I found some of the 'taller' lens that come in Amber which actually fit the horn grilles that came with my VS. Marked 'Made in Germany' with 100% OEM specs but they're not cheap. $132 a set plus $12 shipping. I've yet to install them but may be able to do so next week.
http://mrfiat.com/porsche-356-...turn-light-lens.html
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@DannyP, you are right about it looking different when back on the ground. My car is on jack stands for several months over the winter and it looks so low when I get it back down on the floor.
Thats soooooo true. It looks so low right now that I keep wondering if i assembled it wrong.
Oh fount of knowledge and divine wisdom... I am looking for the following items:
1) A diagram of how my oil lines should run now that I have a Setrab, a thermo fan switch, a Mocal sammich plate, and a spin on oil filter. Assuming I have a standard full flow case.
2) A wiring diagram for the fan switch relay. I'd like to wire up the relay so that the fan does not operate when I'm cranking/starting the car.
Thanks!!
I have a thermostat controlling the fan. The instructions say to put it on the input side but, I put it on the output side thinking that sometimes there would be adequate cooling without the fan.
With the thermostat, the fan wouldn't run when starting a cold engine.
I thought I had diagrams for this stuff, but I can't find them. My oil cooler fan will spin when the starter is working AND if the fan thermostat switch calls for cooling, but it has never been an issue. From my car manual:
"The Oil Cooler Fan: Located in the driver’s side rear wheel well, it is managed by a 180° thermostatic switch in the oil line on the input side (top) of the cooler. The switch drives a relay inside of the engine compartment just ahead of the ignition coil on the driver’s side inner fender wall. Power to the fan is fed through the relay from the battery and energized by the thermostat and the ignition circuit such that, even if the fan is operating, when the key is turned off the fan will stop."
So, without a diagram, power goes from the ignition circuit ("+" side of the coil) to the thermostat switch, then the other side of the thermostat goes to the relay coil "+" side, and connect the relay "-" side to ground.
On the fan, the "-" side to ground and the "+" side to the normally open side of the relay, and the arm of the relay to a fused link to connect to the solenoid/battery post at the starter.
All I have on the oil circuit is this, so far:
Here's the section out of Pearl's service manual:
2.5.2 Internal Oil Cooler
It uses the larger, 1972, stock VW internal oil cooler within the fan shroud. The shroud must be removed to service the internal oil cooler. It has two O-rings between the cooler and the engine case and an extra cooler shroud on the back.
Back to Top
2.5.3 External Oil Cooler
In addition to the internal oil cooler, the engine case has been modified for “Full Oil Flow” directly from the oil pump out of the pump cover to an external oil filter and cooler. The external cooler is a 16-pass, fan assisted, DeRale cooler mounted in the Driver’s side rear wheel well and plumbed into the oil delivery system with ½” ID hoses with AN-8 fittings. The cooler fan is driven by an electrical thermostat set at 180° which drives a relay mounted on the driver’s inner fender wall, just forward of the ignition coil, to operate the fan. The relay then turns the fan on and off as needed. There is no over-ride switch.
Back to Top
2.5.4 Oil Cooler Flow Thermostat.
The oil flow to the external oil cooler is not needed when the engine temperature is below 180°, so the flow is managed by a mechanical flow, sandwich-plate thermostat located between the spin-on oil filter and the filter mounting bracket. The thermostat used was a MOCALThermostatic Sandwich Adapter from Aircooled.net, model MOC-SP1T and is installed as shown:
2.5.4 External Oil Filter
The oil filter is found next to the Driver’s side engine valve cover with a mounting bracket attached to the car frame.
The filter is a Napa Gold 1515 (a WIX 51515)
The engine oil pump has a pressure relief valve (set at 125 psi.) which is part of the oil pump cover (see more under 2.7 Engine Oil Pump).
Back to Top
2.5.5 Oil Flow Description
Oil flows from the oil pump to the external filter, through the filter and into the thermostatic sandwich plate.
If the oil temperature is below180° F, the oil flows directly back into the engine to the bearing oil gallery via the port just above the oil pump.
If the oil temperature is above 180° F, the sandwich plate re-directs the flow from the filter output to the external cooler, then back to the sandwich plate, from there back into the engine oil gallery.
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Some thoughts from a curmudgeonly old fart:
First, if you don't want the fan running while you crank the engine, take the feed for the fan relay from the accessory tab on the ignition switch. I wired mine that way - along with the relays for the headlights and running lights.
Next, you really don't need no stinkin' thermostatic switch for the cooler fan. A toggle switch works just fine. At first, you might think you'd be toggling on and off all day, but it doesn't work out that way.
On cool days, you don't need the fan at all. On days when you do, you flip it on when the temperature hits about mid-gauge and pretty much leave it on for the rest of the drive. There are a few situations on chilly days (mostly long downhills) when the oil will dip down a little too cool for the fan after warming up, but that's pretty rare.
And (blasphemy!) you don't really need no mofo sammich, either - at least not here in sunny Kalifornia. On any day nice enough to be driving a Speedster, your oil will be up to temp in maybe 15 minutes - quicker on toasty days. So, just don't put your fat ole boot in it until then. Which is probably a pretty good idea, sammich or no.
Another thing. Working the fan switch by hand, you start to get a feel for when the engine will begin to need extra cooling. If it suddenly needs more fan than usual, that can tip you off to problems brewing.
Bottom line is - no matter what kind of gizmos you do or don't have - you should be watching oil temp every minute you're driving one of these cars (and adjusting how you drive accordingly). It's an important indicator of the health of the engine.
There's a reason the temp gauge is right up on top where you can see it.
Kalifornia ain't like anywhere else (except for Arizona, and maybe Hawaii). If I have oil circulating through the cooler (without the sandwich bypass), I'd never come up to operating temperature except in July and August.
Stan Galat posted:...If I have oil circulating through the cooler (without the sandwich bypass), I'd never come up to operating temperature except in July and August...
Stan, we tried to tell you that 40-gallon dry sump tank was overkill.
It ain't the dry sump. My type1 has no internal cooler due to 911 shroud. I only have the external plate cooler with thermostatic fan.
I have a remote filter and an oil flow thermostat to send oil to the cooler. That thermostat stays closed a long time in spring and fall.
So bottom line if you're anywhere not in California it's probably a good idea.
out of the pump to the filter,from the filter to the cooler and out of the cooler back to the engine. your thermo switch should be before the cooler coming from the filter. you can use a relay to power the fan or not. If you have a thermostat and a thermo switch your making things more complicated than needs to be. [other than stan running a dry sump, you need that thermostat to get the oil to a decent temp]. Keep it simple!
I have set them up with a manual switch and the thermo switch to make it easy for the customer. if you just want to drive and not bother with a manual switch and for it to come on and off on it's own the thermo switch is for you. If your the type that looks at a long grade coming up and knows the temps will climb quickly and you want to turn it on in advance the manual switch is for you.
Just remember the simpler the better.
"Just remember, the simpler the better."
That's what I was always told by my engineering managers. I was doing avionics stuff waay back when and the rule for the flight crew was; "Only if they need to know something to make a decision do you alert them." That meant system monitoring (like your oil temp) was done in the background (even though the gauges were always visible) and when it got out of limits (hi or low) you did something to get their attention (light, sound, whatever) for corrective action.
I have a Mocal plate and found that the engine warms up in 5-10 minutes regardless of the outside temp, from 20F to 90F, and that plus the external cooler keeps everything between 180F and 205F regardless of the outside temp, how hard I drive it or any hills/mountains here in New England.
I never worry whether I should be turning on the fan - it just happens. Something as critical as a cooling fan I don't want to have to remember - I want it to be automatic because I'll probably ignore it or worry about it (but that could just be me! )
And my hose routing is what Anthony described.
My system is pretty much the same as Gordon's
I disagree Anthony. A well-designed system to automatically regulate the oil temperature is not over-complicating things. On my car, which is a Spyder with no integral cooler, the thermostat is needed. Thermostats and thermo-switches are quite reliable. I keep an eye on my oil temperature, but don't need to obsess about it or manually remember/forget to flip a switch. It isn't 1950 anymore.
I'm OCD. I obsess about everything. Just ask my wife.
Gordon Nichols posted:I'm OCD. I obsess about everything. Just ask my wife.
She is still with you 
... your doing ok then
Keep Hawaii out of it, we ain't like anywhere else! Volcano just erupted again...
Here is a diagram of how I hooked the hoses up. You won't have the Accusump or check valve. Connect the input to the cooler at the bottom so you don't have to deal with air in it.
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I appreciate all of the ideas on the oil system. We're never short on ideas.
I think I'm overthinking the Mocal. If I'm looking at the image above properly...Oil pump to the "In" on the filter bracket. From the filter bracket "out" back to the oil galley/block. Thread on the sammich plate. The sammich plate just gets plumbed to the cooler. Follow Anthony's advice and put the fan switch in line to the cooler.
Everything works as expected and we're off to the beer garden...Right?
The only other question I have is regarding bolting to (through) the square sub frame in the rear. I've always been leery of bolting clear through square hollow tubing because eventually you can buckle the walls. I've always thought you should drill through and then weld in a sleeve to run your bolts through. I'm trying to bolt the oil cooler bracket to the square sub frame behind the rear tire. I could weld the bracket on I suppose. Am I over thinking this again?
I bolted through the tube. It is best to bet the holes near the middle of the tube vertically.
Everything works as expected and we're off to the beer garden...Right?
Yup
The only other question I have is regarding bolting to (through) the square sub frame in the rear. I've always been leery of bolting clear through square hollow tubing because eventually you can buckle the walls. I've always thought you should drill through and then weld in a sleeve to run your bolts through. I'm trying to bolt the oil cooler bracket to the square sub frame behind the rear tire. I could weld the bracket on I suppose. Am I over thinking this again?
Yup.
(3) 3" long, 1/4 X 20 bolts with stop nuts. I used a piece of 3" X 2-1/2" aluminum angle plate as a bracket for the filter mount (It was kicking around in my scrap box) and just bolted everything up. The filter is mounted such that it hangs with the threaded end up so I can pre-fill it when I do oil changes (remember, I'm OCD) and when removed it doesn't dump oil all over everything.
The filter is just to the rear of the valve cover so I can get the cover off and adjust things with the filter and exhaust in place.
Here is the cooler and filter:
here's the cooler and fan switch:
A look at hoses from filter to engine and the filter mount:
All hoses were made up from templates provided by me. The place I used was "Tubes and Hoses" - They're nation wide, but any place that makes up hydraulic hoses can do them.
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Looks good, Gordon. I'm super excited. I think I'll have the car running this weekend.
Whooohooo!
@Gordon Nichols said- "but any place that makes up hydraulic hoses can do them."
The only thing to watch out for is to not fall into the temptation to use hydraulic fittings (which are somewhat less costly), as some are quite restrictive, and engine bearings need oil flow through them.
TRP posted:I appreciate all of the ideas on the oil system. We're never short on ideas.
I think I'm overthinking the Mocal. If I'm looking at the image above properly...Oil pump to the "In" on the filter bracket. From the filter bracket "out" back to the oil galley/block. Thread on the sammich plate. The sammich plate just gets plumbed to the cooler. Follow Anthony's advice and put the fan switch in line to the cooler.
Everything works as expected and we're off to the beer garden...Right?
The only other question I have is regarding bolting to (through) the square sub frame in the rear. I've always been leery of bolting clear through square hollow tubing because eventually you can buckle the walls. I've always thought you should drill through and then weld in a sleeve to run your bolts through. I'm trying to bolt the oil cooler bracket to the square sub frame behind the rear tire. I could weld the bracket on I suppose. Am I over thinking this again?
TED................. drill into the square frame tube, use a nutsert. you can get them from Olander in mtn view or santa clara. they have them in metric. we use them often. the tool is available or make your own. when I mount to the inner panel we make a plate on the inside to take the load. After seeing many cars from all the manufactures and the use of tex or sheet metal screws in to the frame a few holes for the oil filter or cooler isn't a big deal.
I bet Fastenal here in Morgan Hill has what I need.
I just received a PILE of sweet black AN -8 fittings. Can't wait until after baseball tomorrow.
Car is running. Shifting. Stopping. Cooling... But not charging. Grrr!! Red light stays on the dash no matter how many rpms I throw at it.
Front is too low by anoit 3/4 of an inch. Not super excited about that.
Gears are super tight. Need to sort that out
, , , , 
You remembered the tranny ground strap, right?
No. I figured it was gounded via the solid front tranny mount. Think that could be it?
Maybe yes, maybe no, but it's a good thing to eliminate as a possible cause.
All trannies need a strap LOL.
Seriously, I'd put one or three on. And I have a solid trans mount as well, via my PBS nosecone(cable shifter thingy). I put one ground from nosecone bolt to chassis(solid engine mount bolt). Battery ground cable attaches there as well. Also I have a copper braid that jumps the rubber from trans mount to cradle.
If your lights and ignition work maybe your regulator wires are suspect, if all grounds are good. Mine was charging but the idiot light wouldn't go off(defective regulator) so check with a voltmeter.
did you excite the field windings? While the engine is running, touch the dash light wire to a ground. The light should go off, the engine rpms will actually dip for a second while the alternator starts, well, alternating.
Is the dash light an LED? I had to add a resistor in parallel with the LED bulb.
Michael McKelvey posted:Is the dash light an LED? I had to add a resistor in parallel with the LED bulb.
No. Standard bulb.
Alternator test:
Confirm ground from trans to chassis,
Connect a test light to 12 (B+) terminal on the alternator and the other end to ground the light should come on.
Now connect the test light to the (61) terminal on the alternator and the other end to the B+ terminal, the light should come on.... start and rev the engine above 1200 rpm's the light should go off
With the engine running and above 1200 rpm's check the voltage , it should read about 13.8 volts. ...........let us know what happens .
Ed - I thought you only had to polarize/excite the windings of a generator. Do you you do the same for an alternator?
Alan - this is a 2 wire Alternator. I will test this in a few days. I'm in meetings until late tonight. I assume 61 is the blue wire to the male spade. 12, is 12V (formerly terminal 30) from the starter.
I will throw on a new ground strap. The old trans had one. I didn't install one on the Berg because it has the solid mount up front. I assumed that would be enough. That... and the fact that the car started... I figured I was good.
Thanks for the info!
Ted
I assume 61 is the blue wire to the male spade. 12, is 12V (formerly terminal 30) from the starter. .....Yes ~
Yes, Alternators can lose their "excite" magnetic field, similar to generators.
Here's a short paper on getting it back:
Thanks, Gordon! That article says to flash the R terminal with 12V. This alternator only has two wires. One has 12V from the starter. The other terminal has a blue wire plugged into it. I unplug it and the dash light goes out. Oh, there is also a screw on the outside of the alternator body. I assume that's ground of some sort.
Which of these would be the equivalent of R? I assume R is 'regulated' or 'regulator'. Would that the blue wire? (formerly noted as terminal 61?)
The "R" terminal on a Delco-Remy alternator is the same as the "D+" terminal on your Bosch or Bosch equivalent. I should not mean "Regulator" because the regulator is built in to the alternator housing - there is no separate regulator and I don't know what the "R" means in Delco-Remy-Speak. Why the hell do the Bosch guys call the +12Volt terminal "30"?? I dunno. They prob'ly have a decent engineer-like reason, like Radio operators signing off with "73 " (Best Regards) or "88" (Love and Kisses). For this episode, "R" = "D+"="Blue Wire".
When you touch the B+ and D+ terminals together with a wire (those two on the top of your alternator) even for just an instant, you momentarily create a magnetic field that remains when you remove the wire because the charge creates that field in a ferrous (iron) core within the alternator which holds that "charge". That magnetic field is what begins to generate a voltage field when the alternator begins to turn. Because the bulb is attached to the D+ and the battery is ALWAYS connected to the B+ terminal, that magnetic field is maintained seemingly forever, unless the battery is disconnected for a looooooooooong period of time, which then sometimes allows the magnetic field to collapse (actually, it dissipates or weakens over time until it is no longer strong enough to generate the state changes inside of the alternator to cause it to generate voltage). Touching those two terminals together, even for an instant, re-institutes that field to allow the alternator to start producing electricity. Even to a lot of seasoned engineers, it is almost like magic.
Its magic! I did what Ed and Gordon suggested. Started it. Nothing. Light staued on. Hooked up a test light like Dr. Clock suggested and it did exactly what he said it would do. Then the light went out. I turned of thw car and restarted it. Works like a charm.
So.... WHAT'S IT DRIVE LIKE??? (guess he hasn't come back home yet...)
Oh, I had meetings until 10pm tonight. Tomorrow I work late again then I leave Wednesday at 6am for a business trip. I need a new throttle and clutch cable. I wont get to drive it until Saturday... If i get the new cables.
I think im going to drop the beam and elongate the adjuster holes so i can raise the front end up an inch or so. The drop spindles and the heavier battery lowered the front car too much.
So maybe just switch back to standard spindles????
Glad you got it charging! It does seem like Magic, doesn't it?
It's easy for me to offer advice, and sometimes it even works out!
No charge for the tossed Chicken Bones, either.
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DannyP posted:So maybe just switch back to standard spindles????
I gave them to Troy with the old discs! Maybe i forgot to tighten the select a drop?
thankfully the driving season is almost year round in northern CA........
Ha! Good point. I'm not too concerned about this driving season. I've been driving the A.
I've been kicking around the idea of getting the car painted this year, so we'll see what happens next.
While troubleshooting my soggy clutch I found out that my clutch tube is broken free from the front and rear mounts. I need someone with a welder to come bail me out. Maybe I haul it to Ken Jansen to have him fix it.
Pooooop!!
An alternate fix ( if you know exactly were they are broke) you can drill a hole above and below the tube secure the tube with a hose clamp ..not the best method but functional.
Look at the driver side of the tunnel for original spot welds for the tube. Cut a slot there. Remove the shifterand push the original tab out and re-weld.
Ok...here's an Ozzy..."no more tears" approach and it's easy and permanent.
The Bowden tube is at the rear most part of the clutch cable assembly and it puts forward pressure on the clutch cable tube which is welded in several places along the tunnel and also at the most aft place where that tube exits the body. ( aft end of tunnel ) . These welds can fail and make your clutch go US. Many cures may be suggested.
Here's an easy fix. Imagine if you could weld up a simple fitting that would prevent the front end of the Bowden tube from putting any forward pressure on the clutch cable tube, welds broken or not ?
Check this simple fitting out that I developed a few years back. I photo'd it badly because here you see it left to right and really it should go in the opposite direction.
Weld a small tube that the front end of the Bowden tube will slip over onto to a small cross bar that will lean against the aft end of the bodywork and that will prevent any forward motion of the tube, thus making the clutch work properly when any or all welds are in anywhere in the tunnel. No more tears and this method has been in action for many miles.
$59.99 US ( plus HST in Canada ) painted , or powder coated add only $30.00 more shipped anywhere in North America free OR make it yourself for $2.00.
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TRP posted:DannyP posted:So maybe just switch back to standard spindles????
I gave them to Troy with the old discs! Maybe i forgot to tighten the select a drop?
@TRP I have a set if needed/wanted
Bill Prout posted:TRP posted:DannyP posted:So maybe just switch back to standard spindles????
I gave them to Troy with the old discs! Maybe i forgot to tighten the select a drop?
@TRP I have a set if needed/wanted
Hey Bill,
Thank you for the offer. Troy packaged my originals up and sent them out to me.
I just need tonswap em out and then fix up this clutch tube.
Tow it up in the morning. In at 8 and should be done before noon
@Anthony
I hear you, buddy. I'm buried with events for Corinne and Austin (my children). Hopefully things will slow down in a few weeks. I'd like to start driving the car again. I feel like it's been down since August of 2017! That reminds me!... I need to harass Mike Lempert about my replacement wheel.
Ted
I understand, Daughter played softball every weekend......if you change your mind we can always get it done!
Okay! I think the clutch problem is solved. Tube is all welded back in place. Holes patched. I also found that the little tapered bolt was not fully engaging with the detent in the transmission shift rod. This was creating a bunch of slop. That's all fixed.
Next up... "The why so low?" needs to be addressed. After that... Should be nearly ready for paint and body!
Okay! I uninstalled the drop spindles and installed the standard spindles. In that process I realized the I hadn't reset the ride height to as high as it could go. Do I cranked the beam to the maximum height I could. I found I now had 2 inches between the top of the tire and the wheel arch. * huge sigh * I found my problem. I went ahead and uninstalled the standard spindles and reinstalled the drop spindles. The car now sits at a nice 23 1/8" to the top of the wheel arch. It has a ton of downward travel before the shocks and ball joints botrom out .Good enough for me. No more riding like a covered wagon. Yay!
I drove it a few miles yesterday. Everything works as it should. Trans is very tight. I also still have some air in the lines as the breaks are weak.
Today I eyeballed the alignment. 1/8" to 3/16" of toe out. That will get me to the alignment shop. I raised the rear up a 1/2" or so. So the car sits level. Maybe a touch nose down.
Need to adjust the clutch a bit and reinstall the engine tins.
After all that, it will be driveable again. Yay!
Still waiting on my replacement wheel from Mike.
Need to find a paint shop I can trust. Stone Gray or Black? Maybe the metallic silver blue?
.Alignment is eyeballed. 1/8" to 3/16" of toe.... IN.
Too bad to you are on the left coast, I 've been using the same painter in PA that does show quality at half the price.
5710 Stone Grey
Toe out is for autocross. I use 1/16" to 1/8" toe IN!!!!!!
Oh man. LOL. Thanks, guys. I'll fix that today.
Hello kids:
Ummmmm I always thought
“Toe in” Tennis shoes, “toe out”. Sandals or flip flops..
Hope everyone’s haveing a great summer!
tebs
Ha! Shes back on the road again. Had a shake down cruise today. 20 or so miles. Died on the way home. Fuel pressure was at 0psi. I jacked it up and adjusted the fuel pressure up to about 2.5 / 3.0psi. Fired right up.
Couple more kinks to sort out. 4th gear is hard to find. I'll adjust the shifter a bit.
Super exciting to see it on the road again.
Great. Your fuel pump allows you to dial in the pressure? Whose are you using? And you have a fuel pressure gauge? In the engine compartment?
I bet it was warm in your neighborhood. We are painting the house, at least until noon, when the thermometer was 100, before noon !!! 
I have a fuel pressure regulator back by where the hard line exits the pan. While the car was down this winter I installed a full stainless hard fuel line setup from airkewld.com. It came with a nice pressure gauge. The fuel pump is one I picked up from Amazon. It was the same pump that CB and Summit sell for nearly 2x the price.
Off...
On... 
Yeah, it was like 93 today. Hotter than I'd like. The cooler came on which was nice to see it working.
Super grateful to see the car going again.
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Can you screw the gauge to the left more?!?! We need to read it without tilting our heads!!!! Amateur...
*LongFella posted:Can you screw the gauge to the left more?!?! We need to read it without tilting our heads!!!! Amateur...
Having it in focus would help us too.
Robert M posted:*LongFella posted:Can you screw the gauge to the left more?!?! We need to read it without tilting our heads!!!! Amateur...
Having it in focus would help us too.
I thought you guys were drivers? Big red arrow is straight up = good. Easy to read from 1 foot away. Easy to read from 15 feet away.
Maybe a stupid question?
If you bought the pump from Amazon, I'm guessing it's the Carter. This pump is self-regulated at 3 to 3.5 pounds. Adding an adjustable pressure regulator is adding complexity to what should be a simple system. I'd remove the regulator completely.
My 2 cents.
But glad you're back on the road......
You are 100% correct. The regulator was a hold over from when I had the Solex/Kadrons. Removal is on the agenda today. I also need to put a general clean on it.
Took that photo last weekend at a local brew place. Notice how high the rear end sits now? I adjusted it with the adjustable spring plates. Need to lower it a titsch.
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Looks good. About time😀
as for the fuel pressure, Weber’s only want 2.5 psi. Any more unless racing will cause you issues. Float level is also critical. My two sense
I believe it's NO MORE than 3.5, but pretty sure 3 psi is good. Isn't 2.5 a little on the low side? Not trying to be a jerk, Anthony, but you're the only person I've seen recommend 2.5 psi in the 15 years I've been around aircooled.
TRP....I'd leave it a little high in the rear. Seldom do I ever bottom out since I did this. It also feels a little more stable (above 80 mph) since I did this. Since I have IRS, the wheels are only slightly negative camber as well...photo below.....Bruce
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Ted, how close are those to rubbing? Looks like the widest part of the sidewall is darn close. Or my old man eyes.
Ted
Just make sure the rear is not to low so the rope drags on the ground....
tebs
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Art posted:Ted, how close are those to rubbing? Looks like the widest part of the sidewall is darn close. Or my old man eyes.
They only rub under super hard cornering. I shaved my rear fender / inside lips.
When I remove the spacers they dont rub at all.
Question for the weber experts!
Car is sluggish off the line. Like its loaded up or bogging down. Coughing and spitting and then it clears up. High RPMs in first gear it starts to miss and pop. High RPMs in third gear (4300l4500) the motor starts to miss and break up.
This is all after a clogged idle jet. Maybe some crud in the main jets? Too rich?
DannyP posted:Maybe a stupid question?
If you bought the pump from Amazon, I'm guessing it's the Carter. This pump is self-regulated at 3 to 3.5 pounds. Adding an adjustable pressure regulator is adding complexity to what should be a simple system. I'd remove the regulator completely.
My 2 cents.
But glad you're back on the road......
Just to loop back on this...
I pulled the regulator and found that I would get 4 to 4.5 psi. Put the regulator back in and dialed it to just at 3. The pressure gauge will read 0 from time to time. Manufacturer says to 'burp' it with the little rubber plug on the side of the gauge. Seems silly but it works.
The next bit of info is embarrassing... I share only because we are all friends here.
I figured out why the car kept dying while driving! Symptoms were that the car would die after about 15 minutes of driving. Every time it would die, it would happen at idle. I knew the car was warm/hot because I could hear the fan running. I figured it was vapor lock (0psi on the gauge). Figured out there wasnt a problem there with the burp thing. Then I thought maybe it was the coil. I replaced that. Same issue. Car would die after a bit of driving. I figured it had to be the electronic ignition in the megaspark. I put a call into CB to see what we could do about a replacement.
About this time the car developed a clogged idle jet. I knew I needed to chase that down so I went to yoga and practiced my downward praying mantis dog maneuver. I found the little bastard. #2! Haha. Cleaned it out and went to putting everything back in order. It had been a while since I had checked the carbs so I figured I'd check everything. Finicky ignition or not... the car still idles like a champ and runs well for about 10 minutes. I took it for a quick burn to warm it up. Came home and went about getting into resetting the caeb. I was fiddling with the Sync Linc and getting ready to install the snail when I heard the fan click on... and then the car died. So close.
*** wait a minute ***
The fan was running each and every time the car died. Could the fan be killing the motor? I unplugged the fan power wire and tried to start the car. Sure enough. Car fired right up.
*** But Ted, why did this just show up recently? ***
When I put the trans in I moved things around a bit. I moved my oil cooler to the rear of the right fender. When I wired in the fan in it the new spot I grabbed 12v off the ... (don't judge me...) coil. Here is the issue... When I was wiring it up, I found 12v by turning the ignition on (car not running) and used my test light to find 12v. I found 12v on the top side of the coil! And and open spade?! Perfect! Why hadn't I done this before?!? (Stan, Gordon, Al, Danny, and Anthony are all coming to take away my tools.)
So? What's the problem? 12v + on the coil changes to - when the coil collapses to deliver its spark. I knew this. I even had a voice in my head saying not to use the coil for power.
How does that make the car die? When the thermostat switch on the fan reads 180 it completes a circut and needs 12v to power the fan. If that 12v is being delivered to the fan apparently it can't charge the coil.
Lesson learned. Now I am left to track down this miss at 4500 rpms (while under load) and the super soggy / loaded up / rough transition while coming off idle in first (at a stop light, etc.)
Lesson learned.
Dedicated 12v to the coil is a must as you discovered a voltage drop will kill the electronic ignition op. OEM Volkswagen the only thing that was connected to 12v coil was the keyed ignition wire and the remote "Bakalite" fuse housing wire for the backup lights. Similar follies the time I couldn't get a fresh engine to run but would crank ok, finally in frustration I pulled the engine and took it to the builder, of course with much embarrassment, it started right up in an engine stand and I knew instantly what the problem was, a bad engine to chassis ground connection ...and so, we learn.
A good place to 'grab' 12V at the back of the car is the B+ connector on the alternator, which is connected via heavy cables back to the battery (via the starter). Just remember to use an inline fuse with whatever you connect there, as there ain't none twixt there and the battery.
Idles good, runs good at moderate revs, breaks up at high revs 'under load' (which probably translates to when you've got it floored).
Have you ever set the float levels in the carbs to spec? (Hint: let Tony do it for you.)
Keep your tools in place - we all do something like this from time to time.
Mitch wrote: “A good place to 'grab' 12V at the back of the car is the B+ connector on the alternator, which is connected via heavy cables back to the battery (via the starter). Just remember to use an inline fuse with whatever you connect there, as there ain't none twixt there and the battery.” (My italics)
If you don’t use a fuse on anything connected to the B+ terminal, you have a potential there for 600 amps to ground, turning the wire you’ve connected into a lightbulb filament if it gets shorted to ground. It’ll go up so fast there won’t even be much smoke.
You'll have a vivid awareness should you be holding into said wire too...burnt flesh stinks.
Yeah. You wanna see something like that?
Next time you meet me, look at my left thumb or index finger.
Pretty impressive scars, for sure.
OK, so it’s an RF burn, but it looks the same. UGLY!
Drove the car to the office today. Sure is great to drive it again. Pulled the carbs apart to check for crud in the jets. All ship shape. Pulled the tops off. All clean.
Can't figure out whats causing this crappy miss under hard acceleration / under power.
I will check the floats: 
So each of these photos above has the float arm just touching the spring loaded BB. One is 20mm at the edge of the furthest float. The other is 22.
FULL droop is 28 on one 30mm on the other, plus the gasket
9mm inside / 11mm outer side (closest to my thumb)
9.5 / 9.5
This is all voodoo to me. Thoughs?
Ted
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How’s the timing curve look as your engine revs up? Are you getting proper spark advance?
I will check that tomorrow. Good call.
Ted
@Stan Galat / others
Any suggestions on the floats? I'm at a loss. I read the stuff in the KB. Not sure I' too far out of spec and may error on the side of not messing with them at all and just reassembling the carbs. What do you guys think?
Ted
Here is my suggestion:
french vanilla I cream a dibble of Carmel and some hard root beer (6% abv)
tasty and a buzz in one awesome FLOAT!
Was that the question?
Tebs
I'm wondering if I need to mess with my carb floats. Car is running like pooh. High RPM miss in first. If I hammer the throttle in first the rpms start breaking apart like crazy above 4200. Same thing with a long pull in third. 4300 the car starts to stumble and sputter. Its a crap show.
Need a weber mechanic local.
Havent ruled out the ignition module from when I wired the cooling fan to the negative side of the coil.
Pertronix module? You know how I feel about that. What you are describing sounds exactly like a bad module. You can prove it by throwing a timing light on and watching the spark scatter all over.
I’m not wild about the floats being a different height side to side inside the same carburetor, but I think your miss is ignition. Those floats have been exactly like they are for a long time- they were like that when the car was running well. Nobody got inside and bent them while you were sleeping.
95% of all carburetion problems are ignition.
Totally agree.
It's the Magnaspark II distributor. If that's a Pentronix module then you can put me in the same camp as you. I think this was my fault though.
I ordered a new one. $70.00 plus shipping. I slap the carbs back together tonight.
I will say that I drove the car all over yesterday and it was joy. The 5 speed was nice but it wasn't life changing. (eeek!)
TRP posted:...The 5 speed was nice but it wasn't life changing...
Wait until @Terry Nuckels is chasing you down a twisty mountain road.
Sounds like the start of a bad dream...
Drive the car!!!!!!!! be honest with us. shifting thru the gears with that five speed has to be better than that four speed. If it isn't, maybe it's time to buy a boxster.
Give it time
But if you were looking for a drop in rpm cruising with an aircooled you dont get ghat with a five speed
IaM-Ray posted:Give it time
But if you were looking for a drop in rpm cruising with an aircooled you dont get ghat with a five speed
It's all about how you build the five speed to achieve your goal. yes with tire size, motor size/cam/head combo and the right fifth gear you can dropping the rpm at cruising speed. type of shroud and fan speed are also a factor.
Anthony posted:Drive the car!!!!!!!! be honest with us. shifting thru the gears with that five speed has to be better than that four speed. If it isn't, maybe it's time to buy a boxster.
Hahaha! Let me gwt through this spell with the ignition and then I will be able to focus.
I will say going from 5th to 4th is great. No more pegging the RPMs with each down shift.
Ironically, the close-ratio five-speed makes more of a difference the slower you drive.
If you normally blast around all day at 4-5000 rpm, and make most shifts near the redline, you may not need a five-speed. Yeah, you'll get off the line and through the quarter faster with that extra cog, but if that's all you care about, you can probably just juggle the ratios in your four-speed box and accomplish almost the same thing.
It's the rest of the time - when you're just noodling around in the neighborhood, or carving through some twisties, or cruising a fast two-lane with some steep hills, that you start to really appreciate the five-speed.
I think my engine is just about in the middle of the heap as our cars go. A mildly-tuned two-liter set up to have some low-end torque, but to keep its cool here in the land of Dry Heat. It's strong, but not a screamer. It's happiest around 3000 rpm. By 3500, it's starting to work. By 4000, it's tapping me on the shoulder and saying, "Hey, how long are we going to keep this up? I take it to 5000 when I really need to scoot - like merging onto a freeway. It's a blast and comes on strong there, but that's not where I or the motor want to spend most of our time.
Ted rang one of the five-speed bells - that 5-4 downshift is one of the main attractions. You're on the highway, around 55-60, and you come to a hill that's a little too steep for top gear. With my four-speed, I dreaded that downshift to third. Bang, there we were at 4500, and I had a buzz saw in my ear. Now, it's 3800 or 4000, and no big deal. A two-liter will pull up almost any hill in that gear at pretty low speeds with no complaints.
That gear is also my cruising gear of choice on a lot of the foothill roads around here. These were graded for horse-drawn wagons in the Gold Rush - tight turns, and short, steep grades. You're cruising at 35-60 and need short bursts of torque to power through. A freeway gear is just too tall here, but third is too short.
Bottom line is that the car is just a lot quieter when you want it to be with the five-speed. You've got more options. Tear it up or just cruise. You never worry about having the right gear in a Civic or a Corolla. This brings the same kind of ease to a Speedster, even if you don't have a monster in the engine bay.
Three - four through the twisty stuff.
You either get it or you don't.
Stan Galat posted:Pertronix module? You know how I feel about that. What you are describing sounds exactly like a bad module. You can prove it by throwing a timing light on and watching the spark scatter all over.
I’m not wild about the floats being a different height side to side inside the same carburetor, but I think your miss is ignition. Those floats have been exactly like they are for a long time- they were like that when the car was running well. Nobody got inside and bent them while you were sleeping.
95% of all carburetion problems are ignition.
Listen to Uncle Stan. We all know the Pertronix (piece of sh*t) modules are made to a price point and are not up to the heat of a VW engine compartment (was it Gordon who said they weren't made of sufficiently hardened components for the intended use? Typically built for the cheap assed VW aircooled market!).
And yeah, the extra gear isn't life changing- that's what getting married, having kids, committing to buying a house and changing careers (you know- growing up and becoming (ughh; I hate this word!) responsible!) is for. Listen to Mitch, though, and go chase Terry down through a nice canyon drive. I'll bet when you tell us about it you'll be pretty excited when it gets to the part where you were able to keep up with him and sliced and diced those guys who thought they'd blow you away and make you both look like fools.
That's what 5th (and a 2 liter) is all about...
"That's what 5th (and a 2 liter) is all about..."
It's even better with 5th and a 3.6 liter...
Bob: IM S6 posted:"That's what 5th (and a 2 liter) is all about..."
It's even better with 5th and a 3.6 liter...
You could have a two-speed powerglide with that engine, Bob.
We need several newbies to buy cars. The State is burning to the ground.
If the Pentronix is a pile, what's the right distributor and ignition to put in there?
To be fair - I've only had the pleasure of driving the car on the freeway (mostly) since I've been trying to sort out this ignition issue. Maybe I need to find some curves and have some fun. There is the other issue that I haven't driven the car for a while. I've only put 2800 miles on it since I bought Tom's motor! it's possible I forget what the 4 speed was like.
I've noticed the 5 speed is significantly louder in 3rd and 4th. I'm assuming that's normal.
Regardless of all that, I'm super excited to have the car running and drive-able again.
Ted, when we discussed the five speed a while back I mentioned that the third and fourth will be louder than the stock gears due to the gear tooth cut. [aftermarket gears]. Also the front berg mount with the alum spacers transmit more noise.
the pertronix is a hit and miss. some customers have no issues and others been thru a couple of modules. remember you can't leave the key in on position while engine is not running because it will burn the unit up. Mitch has had good luck with the CB unit and we have installed a few MSD units with great success.
Anthony!
Im sure you mentioned the gears being louder. That conversation was two and a half years ago! Im sure it slipped my mind. I run the Magnaspark 2 from CB. I bet I smoked it when I wired the 12v+ draw to the - on the coil. I'll own that.
What the heck have you guys been up to!? I haven't replied here in over a year?!
Here is what has been keeping me busy:
Started out as a good runner. Poor paint. Okay interior. I went nuts and completely redid the entire car top to bottom.
Here is the punch line... Tinkering with the notion of a ... 5 speed!
Now that this one is done I can shift my attention back to the Speedster.
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Ted,
Nice car. Boy your son has grown !!! I guess the Austin, will be his driver education vehicle.
Art
He really was mini
Actually my son and I did the Pacific coastal highway in April of 2015 when he got home he tells me you know dad I could not see over the dash at times...
I said to him why didn't you say something then we could have gotten you a cushion.
Today he is nearly 6'2" and has no issues.
Wicked cool, Ted.
850cc, 1,000 or 1275?
He's grown so much in the past year, it's crazy. The pants he's wearing in the photo above are now about 3" too short for him!
I'm looking forward to getting back on the speedster.
Gordon Nichols posted:Wicked cool, Ted.
850cc, 1,000 or 1275?
1310. HIF44 SU. Mainflow Long center branch header, single can silencer. 3.44 diff. S discs. Big valve head. 1.4:1 Carver rockers.
I went bonkers with it.
Okaayyyy! I have had an issue with the Speedster since putting in the motor/5 speed. The car would just die when driving it. After about 20 minutes or so it would buck a little bit and die. After a bit... It would just start again without any issue.
When I installed the motor I "upgraded" to an AN6 stainless steel fuel line setup. It buttoned up the engine nicely.
The last time the car died and wouldn't restart I noticed the fuel pressure gauge was buried on 0 with the fuel pump running. When the car started back up... I noticed the fuel pressure was right at 1.5psi. Made me wonder if the fuel was vapor locking.
Pulled the stainless lines and swapped out with low tech rubber fuel line. Drove it for an hour. Let it idle for 20 minuted while I futzed with carb adjustment... No stalling.
Now I have two odd carburator issues. Im running 44IDFs
1) The fuel mixture screw for the number 1 cylinder has zero impact on the way the car idles.
2) When trying to balance the carbs, the number 3 cylinder has more draw than the other 3 are all at 3" that other one is 4".
Need to do some internet searches / you tube research. Once I button that up... I will be placing the car up for sale.
I never thought I would type those words.
First of all, 3 psi for Webers, not 1.5, that's for Solex/Kadrons.
The cylinder with no effect on screw most probably has a plugged idle circuit.
The snail gauge readings at idle can be addressed by my article on carb sync, available here for paying members and on Spyderclub.com for everyone else in Tips and Tricks section.
Do you have any tight bends in the AN lines? Rubber works with tighter bends that stainless AN lines.
No tight bends. Just big beautiful sweeping curves.
https://www.airkewld.com/IDF-W...-Line-Kit-p/8083.htm
May be too early to tell for sure. I need to fix the uneven draw on the left bank and then figure out why the #1 mixture screw isn't working.
That hard fuel line kit should be ILLEGAL to sell. Yeah, lets put hard lines on an engine that grows maybe 1/4" and then shrinks when it cools. Can you say metal fatigue? Eventually, those lines are going to crack. When that happens, I don't want to be around.
That kit could be fixed with a 2" long flexible hose between the carbs.
I just worked on an engine that has that setup and told hi, to get rid of it or modify it.
@TRP bring the carb with both barrels reading 3 up a touch with the idle speed screw on that carb. On the carb that reads 3 and 4, bring the low barrel up with the idle air bypass. Then re-balance and make it happy at idle with all 4 throats the same at whatever idle speed you prefer. Don't shoot for any particular reading, just all 4 the same. Then do a high speed sync.
I tried to adjust the idle air bypass on #4 to bring it up to match #3 and it didn't make ANY difference. Super odd. I took a break for the rest of the day.
1- What Danny said about the hard fuel line kit. There has to be some flexible line to account for expansion during warm up or it's a disaster waiting to happen. It won't happen for a while, but when (not if) it does...
2- Again, as Danny said, 3psi for fuel pressure and start with all the rest he said as well.
Sorry to hear you're selling the Speedster, Ted, but after your experience with the Berg 5 I'm not surprised. Good luck with putting a 5th gear in the Mini, and if you're ever through Vancouver, look me up- you still owe me a couple beers
Well... After nearly 8 years of ownership this thread will draw to a close. This past weekend I sold the speedster to a new owner. The car now resides in Turlock California. I'll let the new owner introduce himself when he is ready.
Selling the Speedster was step two of a three part plan to simplify the garage (step one was selling the mini at auction back in November). The final step will be listing and selling the Boxster.
It seems fitting that selling the Speedster brought with it some rain to our golden state. Or maybe the rain came from me buying another plastic car?
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Sorry to see it go, Ted. From the 2 liter, wide 5 discs (what kit did you go with again?) to the Berg 5 and Tecnomagnesio wheels (the only thing lighter than the Vintage 190's), you built a pretty neat car. Sorry to see it go. At least you had the sense to buy another convertible (what year is it?) and I hope you still hang out here occasionally. Al
Yeah, sort of sad to see it go. Fun ride for sure.
The new car is a 1966. CA car it's entire life. Central Valley car up until 83 (two owners; one in Fresno and one in Lodi). From 83 until 2020 it was owned by the same guy in Alameda. It's in fantastic shape. 327/300. 4 speed. Very well documented maintenance record and ownership history. Oddly enough this was a factory soft top delete car.
I'll hang around here for sure. Someone needs to pick on Teby. Plus I'll be heading to Fresno to bug Robert when I have the soft top installed on the car. As luck would gave it, Fresno is home to THE best (only?) C1/C2 soft top frame builders in the US.
Anybody wanna buy a 2000 Boxster S, 43k miles, soft top and hard top.
Ted
.
Sad Ted, but I guess life must go on.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, plastic to plastic.
.
...Rust to rust.
Let me know when you show up in Fresno Ted. I think I owe you a beer or two!
had a 66 396/425, no PS or PB, was a handful to drive at low speeds, blue with white soft top, no hardtop
Great looking car! I want an early C3 chrome bumper, but haven't completely convinced my wife...yet.
But, I have a question...does your neighbor get high-centered driving into their garage??
Ted!
You gonna put a 5-speed into the 'Vette?
Just kidding, but there was a guy in one of my car clubs that had a Doug Nash 4+3 overdrive in his Vette. It was a later model car, though.
That '66 is a very pretty car, for sure and they never, ever look old.
Not sad Ted! It's much fun to see a new owner having a great time. I love when @Ryan (formerly) in NorCal post photos in the car he got from me. Plus I'm sure you will stick around these parts. I owe you post COVID beers, I think you bought last time.
-=theron