Thunder Ranch build thread

Dude, you left a Big-A$$ed wrench lying in there.........

But the welds look nice.......  You do-em?

That's a braze, and yes. 

They say, if you can gas-weld(braze) you can Tig easily.

reference:

And that is a...?

Lane Anderson posted:

And that is a...?

breather/collector?

PS- Great work Ed!

Here ya go, Lane

I thought that might be it, having seen yours, but I wasn't sure.  Pretty amazing work, Ed, as usual.

That's a pretty big hole in the case. Of course, they made it that way.

Yeah I won't be punching a hole in the top of the case, just piping the valve cover vents to it a la Danny P's method. 

It also won't fit exactly where the originals had them, since my engine has that big honkin' Type IV oil cooler in the way, and the DTM shroud covering it. But the mount looks like it will fit well on the trans bolt, and that puts the tube up tight against the oil cooler shroud, running up just behind the passenger side air cleaner, so the look should be pretty close. 

It's an aluminum tube with brazed and epoxied bits—the epoxy needed after trying to braze new stuff near previous brazes. That doesn't work.

Filled it loosely with some copper wool and the aluminum turnings from making the holes in the mounting plate—artisanal aluminum wool. The top hose will go into my bogus "oil tank"

and I'll probably put a little mushroom breather filter on top of that and a second drain-back fitting on the bottom, mainly in case anyone ever dumps oil in it.

The result will be too much more breather volume than the 1914 would ever need: over a gallon by my lights. But it's mostly to get the look close to what it should be and, I think, too much breather volume doesn't hurt anything does it?

Nope.

And remember, Oh meticulous one, that the original 550 4-cam was a whopping 1,500 cc's.

If a big breather tube was good enough for Porsche and Glöckler it will be good enough for a "Tribute Car".  

Yeah, don't have to worry, Ed. I don't think an engine has ever actually 'suffered' from too much breather volume.

My new deadline for Spyder is late August. I'm hoping to drive it up to Lime Rock for the Historics. I gotta get after this thing.

But today was not the day. I set out to do the 200,000-mile service on the Frontier this am (oil change, some grease for the drive shaft, this and that, plus a look at the front and rear brakes) and got stymied. 

Bought 5 quarts of High Mileage Semi-synth and a new filter, pulled the truck into the garage, spilled a bunch of oil draining it (it clung to the pan and diverted away from the catch basin), ripped a hole in my knee on a screw the PO half sank into the concrete floor, cut off the screw, got the filter changed and poured in the new oil.

I then took my collection of part-full 5-quart oil containers and combinated them into one container. Mostly 10-30 semi with a bit of 5-30 and some 5-20 full synth. Had about four quarts total and I was very pleased with the prospect of using that in the truck's next oil change in about 5000 miles.

Checked the oil in the truck and saw none on the stick. Checked again and

oooh. ****. REALLY?

Yup, really. I'd forgotten to put the drain plug back in.

So that was...messy. I reckon about a full quart came over the basin. $26 of new oil into the recycle tank and on the floor. I put the drain plug in, poured the mutt mix in and set about fixing the squeal the truck makes on start-up. Figured a little more tension on the inner belt might do it.

Climbed under to get at the lower idler pulley. The center bolt did not want to loosen. Finally got it a little backed off, put the wrench on the adjuster bolt and...

Broke the head off.

Seriously??

So that was fun. I didn't have another bolt that was right, but I did scrounge up one that was longer and, by turning it through a die for about three inches, then cutting an inch off the bottom, I made it work.

Those of you who know something about mechanical things already know that my new adjuster bolt got me nowhere near fixing the incessant squeal. Because the bearing in the pulley is shot.

So I put it back like it was. Fought it to a draw.

By this time it was raining, so I backed it out of the shop and brought Bridget in.

I'd hung laundry on the line though...

So I moved on to beers. 

Some days it just doesn't pay to get after things with the wrenches. 

Oh my.  Those kind of days just you wonder why am I doing this? Hang in there!

  This one's for you...

I feel for you Ed.... Years ago I changed out a bad oil pressure switch on a Miata, it was a blind install I had to feel for the oil pressure port but there was also a boss right next to where I needed to be on the head that happened to be the same size hole as the oil pressure switch and that was where I wrenched it into ..... Started the Miata and in an instant five quirts of oil blew out of the motor ...Clean up in isles 1 & 2 ~ I was throwing down throw rugs, blankets anything I could grab.....

Ed, someone gave me a new chain saw for a gift about 20 years ago.

It's still in the box, never used.

Every time I think about firing it up, I remember all of the days I've had over the years like the one you just described and I put it back in the box.

 

...So I moved on to beers... 

I'm opening 1 right now to join you so you're not drinking alone. Friends don't let friends drink alone (and you know, now that we've met, that that's the kind of guy I am!). Cheers! 

Your buddy Yoda _(uurrrpppp!)

I saw someone SawZall a rusted spring hanger, as the blade made it's way through  it took  out a new rear tire  ( not me !)

I've head plenty of days like that recently with my wifey's coupe build. It's taken me three months to finally get a hard brake pedal. Really? Three months? It ultimately came down to replacing the entire front disc brake kit (EMPI was the first kit - yes, I know about EMPI brand, but that is what Greg gave me and what he will be getting back). Once I switched it out, I had to make two new hard lines (which I've mastered doing) and FINALLY - it worked.

There were several beers and Jameson involved the past three months...

The wiper motor works and I'm only two or three wires from sorting it to the switch. What a pia though.

Took a break from that and dry fit my windshield. Drilled the holes, cinched it up loose without the tensioning rod and started CAD-ing up the side screens.

Question: are there rubber gaskets or something to fit under the windshield posts? Looks like there ought to be and I'd rather buy than make 'em if they're not NLA. Someone chime in please.

Also, excellent news today from SMS: a UPS tracking number for my interior material. Supposedly it's coming tomorrow, a mere six months after I ordered it. 

Motor: Low High Part and Ground...tap the wires quickly with low amp setting from a battery charger and see how it moves 

From memory ..I think,

  52a low   53b  high   53 to 12v hot ( for park )    31b 12v in    31 ground

Windshield posts, in the past I made rubber gaskets, now I just squeeze a ring of black latex caulk around the post hole in the body, secure the post and wipe away the excess caulk

I recognize those side curtains templates from Merklin Motor Works:~)

Here's what VS does:

Stoddard has this for six bucks (per).

That may be the cheapest thing you can order from Stoddard. Using it would allow you to casually slip into conversation the fact that some of the parts for your build are sourced from Stoddard.

Something to think about.

Fender welt works to.

I think Greg from Vintage motorcars uses some edge trim for the windshield posts, same stuff he uses for the license light, headrest/fairing, and engine grilles. It's about a 5/16" or 3/8" U shape.

Thanks, guys.

Alan: my wiper motor has no markings for 52a, etc. Just wires that went into a plug you're supposed to plug into the one on you Super beetle. hence the hassle. I got high and low power, and the ground, and I have to ground the body again. There's also a blue wire that kind of goes off somewhere. probably for a washer motor? And then two in the bundle that don't seem to do anything. I can ground them, leave them loose, twist them together or touch them to the + battery terminal. Nothing happens whatever I do with them...

But I'll sort it. It's just a dang wiper!

Per the template: I just made those. I should have looked in my pile of Merklin Magic (TM). 

New blog to catch up on a lot of not-posting.

Alan is right, Low, High, Park, and ground. I'll get the colors for you.

Beetles didn't have a washer motor, remember? Hose from spare tire to washer reservoir. Washer "switch" is actually a valve!

Does this help?

This is basic half but this is what I do with wiper motors when there are no terminal numbers . 

Using the lowest amp setting on a battery charger I clamp charger negative to the wiper motor housing .....stay with me. 

Then I very quickly tap against one wire at a time until I get movement, if I do then go to another wire until I find the one that moves then stops ( mark that as your constant 12v for the park position. Now go back to find two wires that will energize the motor..One will move it faster than the other  ( mark low and high wires)    REmove the black off the motor housing. Lastly keep your red from the battery charger to either the high or low wire and then take the battery charger black and tap that against one of the couple remaining wires until you get motor movement ( this is your ground wire)........ It's now beer thirty ~

I have received five yards of "Barberpole" vinyl from SMS. Just under six months after I ordered it.

This is the stuff that was in Spyders in the day. Called my upholsterer for a long-delayed appointment & hope to get the seats, seat heaters and material over to him this week if possible. 

Also handed off my gas tank to a machinist buddy. He couldn't drill the stainless welds either so he plans to cut the whole thing out and mill a plug/flange to fit the hole. So, fingers crossed that'll get it.

Cut my shorty Troy-inspired cruisin'/Ralleye side windows tonight.

I've got the hardware to make them fit and now just have to get the gaskets from McMaster Carr. Thinking this should do it. But would like advice.

I've got more Lexan to make the taller side windows but I'll wait until I have a top before I cut those.

I'll finish up the wiper system this weekend I think. Gonna go with the super skinny early wipers to make them look more like they might have come with the car. 

Other inspiration btw:

Sorry I haven't been updating. The lift broke last week. Got a seal kit for the hydraulic cylinder and just pulled that heavy bugger out of the lift.

Meanwhile I got my gas tank filler sorted, I think. The guy I sold Bridget's old engine to a few years ago thinks I gave him such a great deal that he owes me some work. And he's a machinist. I said "naw, man" but he insisted and so I felt cornered into letting him solve my problem.

(BTW this is the guy who built the fake Lambo I posted here a few weeks ago. He also made parts for police and Coast Guard helicopters).

I think we're ready for final welding on this. Then I can finally Por-15 the tank and be done with that little adventure.

That filler looks REALLY NICE!

Yeah. Nicest thing on the car, so far!

I assume that that flange is designed to accept your fuel gauge ? If so, I'm sure you have already thought about making the fuel sender float lever a little longer ?...Bruce

The sender goes in the stock location, Bruce. The new flange is for the filler neck and cap. Same bolt pattern, six inches higher up on the tank—closer to the spot Ferry intended. 

Here's the barber pole vinyl that Ed and I are both using (there are multiple colors, I'm using tan). There's a picture of the original car, and then my seats. 

Anand, love it.  Who is the  vinyl vender?

@arajani

SMS in Oregon, @Marty Grzynkowicz

they've got the original tooling, I’m told!