Rear Brake Line Brackets

Time for brake lines

With the engine nearly done and ready to go back in the car, it was time to turn my attention back to the chassis.  For one thing, I can't put the engine back on to the chassis until I put the car back on its wheels and tires.  And I can't do that until I clean and paint the wheels.  I also have to buy some tires, and for the time being, I am out of cash, so that will have to wait.

In the meantime, there are plenty of things that I can work on that won't cost me anything and don't involve the engine.  Like the rear brake brackets, for example.

These brackets don't exist.  Or at least, they didn't until I fabricated them.  The reason I had to make them was because I installed a set of disc brakes on the rear, where the standard drum brakes had been, so the brake line configuration had to change.

In the old arrangement, the rear brake lines consisted of two parts: 1) a soft, flexible hose that went from the hard line junction on the chassis to a bracket on the trailing arm; and 2) a hard stainless steel brake line that went from that bracket/hose connection directly into the brake cylinder on the drum housing.

With the drum brake removed, the configuration became much more complicated because the disc brake has a flexible line coming out (instead of a hard line) and it emerges from the back and bottom of the caliper set, which is about eighteen inches longer than the original distance.

So now I have a double hose (consisting of a long and a small piece) and no place for that hose to connect to the hard line.  In words this sounds confusing and even in 'real life' it was not much easier.  I scratched my head for months after installing the calipers, figuring I would just have to figure it out when the time came.

Tapping the hole on the trailing arm

Well the time had come.  I looked carefully at the trailing arm and discovered that there were two small holes in it just at the point where the big rubber stop (which prevents the trailing arm from hitting the body with too much force) is mounted.  I realized that if I tapped one of those holes, it would be the perfect place to mount the bracket.

Now, the bracket has to have two holes in it.  One is large enough to allow the hose connector to pass through, but not large enough to allow the whole hose through.  Once the hose connector is in this hole, the bracket clip slides down into a slot between the bracket and the connector.  The other hole is small, used for the mounting bolt.  The whole thing can't be very big or it will get in the way, and it can't be too flimsy or it will bend and the brakes will fail.

The first prototype out of paper

Drilling the first hole

I started out with a piece of paper.  I drew what I thought would be the correct shape and cut it out.  Amazingly, my very first paper piece looked like it would work, so I set about to make it in steel.  I had a very thin piece of steel that I used to practice my welding on.  I bought it from a scrapyard, thinking it was about the same thickness as the sheet steel in the body, but it proved to be much thinner than that, so I set it aside.  Now it seemed like it would be just the right thickness, so I traced the paper template on the steel sheet and cut it out with a a high-speed cutting tool.

Several versions were required

Step drill bits that almost worked

One of the very first problems I encountered was the size of the big hole.  I measured the connector and  found I would need a hole no smaller than 9/16.  This meant I would have to buy a special bit of that size, since 1/2 inch was the largest bit that I could find in a reasonably priced set.  A 9/16 bit cost over $15, which is at least double what a new set of carbon-tipped bits (with sizes ranging from 1/16 all the way up to 1/2 inch) would cost.  And I only needed it to drill two holes.

Version #4

The compromise was to buy a step-bit set for about $8.  This three bit set looks like a stepped cone, and the idea is that it will drill holes of any size, one step at a time.  You start small and gradually the hole gets to the size you need.

The hole is first

This is the idea, but in practice, the bit heats up and fails as you get into the larger sizes, rendering the bit useless long before even one hole of the proper size has been drilled.  Eventually I decided to go ahead and buy the carbon-tipped set that included the 1/2 inch bit and use that and a file to get my 9/16 inch sized hole.

The piece is cut out

The raw piece

Compounding the bit problem was the fact that it turned out that it wasn't just to drill two holes.  Because I was going to have to fabricate several brackets as I honed in on the correct size and shape, it meant that I was going to have to drill a bunch of these big holes and the drill bits just couldn't keep up.

Eventually, however, I managed to make two holes of the proper size, but first I had to cut out, shape and bend at least five different versions of the bracket before I had one that I knew was going to fit and not fail.

Mounted, #4 is too big

Starting on #5

One key factor was the thickness of the steel.  I bought a piece of steel at Home Depot for about $9 and even though it was a lot thicker than my first piece of scrap steel, it was still too thin.  I couldn't find a piece of steel at Home Deport that was any thicker, so I settled on using a bit of the thinner steel as a shim.

Both raw brackets and shims

The bracket and shim in place

This meant cutting out two small squares of thin steel, drilling 9/16 inch holes in them, then placing those shims on the bracket with some epoxy.  Though complicated, actually worked, and eventually I had not only the proper shaped brackets, but the shims and bolts in place.  The connection is solid and secure, and it even looks like it was meant to be there.

Loopy lines

They look goofy but work

Unfortunately, the arrangement is not as neat as I hope it would be.  This is not because of the brackets, but because the brake lines that came in the kit I bought were just a bit too long.  This meant I had to bend them in some rather unusual ways, creating a kind of loopy look that will work but sure doesn't look stock.  Even though that wasn't the intention, if it works I will be happy with it.

Next up I have to install the front-to-back brake line, install the brake fluid reservoir on a temporary bracket (it's actually supposed to be mounted on the the body), fill the system and bleed the brakes.

Engine Rebuild: 3

With most of the major components now re-installed on the engine, it was time to start putting in and on all the ancillary pieces, like the engine tin, the manifold and heat risers, the alternator and stand, the carburetor and fuel pump.

Clutch alignment tool

Before I could put all those pieces on, however, I had to take care of some alignment/adjustment issues with some of the key components like the clutch.  Although I had managed to install the clutch plate correctly in round two, it turns out that I needed a clutch alignment tool to make sure it was perfect.  Fortunately this is a cheap plastic tool and I found one for a couple of dollars at Austin VeeDub.  It only took a minute to remove the pressure plate and install it correctly.

Oil Pump gasket seal

Another problem that had to be fixed was the oil pump cover plate.  This was leaking, and long before any serious pressure had been applied to the engine, so I knew it was a problem.  The specs call for a paper gasket between the pump cover plate and the pump housing, but for some reason this wasn't actually sealing the oil in.  I did some reading on the Samba and it seems this is a common problem.  Many old timers swear it just takes a gasket and the proper torque on the bolts; many others say it's a common problem best solved with a gasket compound like the stuff I used to seal up the case.  After a couple of wasted gaskets, I decided to go with the latter procedure. After all I had plenty of the gasket compound left over, and I figured that if this doesn't work I can always go with the 'belt and suspenders' approach and install both the gasket and the compound.

Engine tins

With the oil pump cover solved (for now) I moved on to installing the engine tin.  I have been cleaning, buffing, blasting, priming and painting all these bits for weeks.  Whenever I don't want to pull the cover off the car but I have some time to work, this has been my task.

...and painting.

Lots of buffing...

Lots of the tin is pretty banged up, but when I started looking at the cost of replacing it, I decided to keep to my original plan and re-use as many pieces as I can, especially when they are still functional.  Another factor--quality--also has influenced me.

I like seeing it...

The VW mark...

Most of the aftermarket products, including the engine tins, are just not as well made as what was already on the engine.  In fact, most of it is cheap crap that wouldn't even last.  In addition, the sight of the VW mark is enough to make me want to keep a piece if at all possible, keeping as much of the car a 'real' VW.  This has happened a number of times now.  I get some new pieces that look good, but when I compare them to what came off the car, I always choose the original piece, even if it's a bit beat up looking.

All set to install the tin

Pieces go on slowly

So I came to the conclusion that even though brand new tin would look a little nicer, it wouldn't be that substantial a difference because the tin is functional, not decorative.  Most of it won't even be visible.  Of course, I also want even the invisible parts of the car to be right, so this seems fair, and in keeping with the plan to 'refurbish' rather than 'restore' this car.  This meant a lot of time spent getting all the pieces straight and painted, but eventually I had them all done.

Most of the tin is on

Time to install the rest

Getting all the tin painted was just the first step.  Next I had to get it all to go back together and fit.  Just general wear and tear has taken its toll on the shape of these flimsy pieces, and getting them out distorted them even a bit more.

New screws 

Painted fan shroud

It was not until finally I tried to line them up and bolt them together with all the shiny new sheet metal screws I bought that I realized that they were getting a bit scratched up, and that a second coat of paint would be necessary after I had gotten them all in.  This was a small price to pay, though, for getting it all lined up well in advance of installing the engine in the car.

Buffed up alternator

Oil cooler is in

With most of the tin on but before I took it all off for a re-paint, I went ahead and mounted several other key components, like the alternator (now buffed and painted), the intake manifold and heat riser, the oil cooler and the fan shroud that covers it.  After those pieces were back on, I installed the muffler and one of the heater boxes.

Muffler goes on

Although I have purchased some shiny new chrome valve covers, I decided to put the old painted steel covers back on.  They don't have the bling of the chrome, but they do have that VW mark on them.  I found the same mark on the oil cover cap and the hose clamps that hold the fresh air hoses to the fan shroud.

With everything on, the engine is finally starting to look like it will work!

Almost done!

Engine Rebuild: 2

Phase two of my engine rebuild took me from a short block to a long block in an afternoon.  Essentially this meant adding the cylinders, pistons and heads.

Flywheel shims are first

The very first thing to go onto the short block were the shims.  Before the flywheel or the main oil seal could be fully installed--torqued down--I had to check the crankshaft endplay.

Crankshaft endplay is perfect

Endplay is the distance that the crankshaft moves from one end to the other --front to back--now that it is seated on the main bearings inside the freshly sealed case.  Too much endplay and the crankshaft will chatter and tear up the insides of the engine.  Too little endplay and the crankshaft will bind in its bearings will and freeze up the engine.

Just like Goldilocks would have wanted, the endplay has to be just right.

In goes the main oil seal

No more leaks here

It takes a set of three shims, which yield a total of no more than 7mm and no less than 3mm of crankshaft endplay.  I bought a set of six shims in varying thicknesses and a micrometer for measuring the endplay.  I chose a set that matched what came out of the car, figuring this would be a good place to start.  The shims go on under the flywheel, which is then torqued down and measured.   It was good sign for the previous state of the engine that the three shims I chose were perfect.  The endplay was just over 5mm.

The 'Torque Dude' in action

Flywheel lock is simple

Once the shims were in place, the next piece was the main oil seal.  This rubber ring is reinforced with a steel spring, and it fits tightly into the gap between the crankshaft oil slinger washer and the edge of the case, keeping oil from leaking and spinning all over the back of the flywheel, which goes on next.  The oil seal went in straight and easily, with just a  few taps.

Case studs ready to go back

Ready for some pistons

Next came the flywheel.  Using the two miracle tools that helped me get it off, I had no trouble installing and torquing down the flywheel.  The simple little flywheel lock and the ingenious 'Torque Dude' made this task like the proverbial piece of cake.  In a few minutes I had the flywheel on and torqued down to 270 ft lbs with just a torque wrench.  Tasty.

First piston is in

Cylinders are in place

Now it was time to put the 'long' in the long block, adding the bits that make it an engine.  This process began with the re-installation of the case studs, which hold the cylinders, heads and pushrod tubes in place.  These sixteen rods went back into the very holes that they came out of months ago.

Cooling tin between cylinders

Head test fit

With these in place, the pistons could be mounted on the connecting rods, and the cylinders could be mounted over the pistons, all of which took place in fairly rapid order.  Since this was at least the third (possibly the fourth) time to do this, it went rather smoothly.

Now for torquing

Pushrod tubes are tight

Pushrods tubes and heads were next, allowing for the shims at the base of the cylinders and the spacers on the top, next to the heads.  Bolting on the heads takes some patience and care, circling round the bolts to tighten it evenly.  The pushrod tube seals fit perfectly, as did the little cooling tins that fit between the cylinders before the heads went on.

Next is the rocker arm

Finally, some bling!

After the heads were toques down, I slid in the pushrods and bolted the rocker arms back into the heads.  It's too soon to check the valve clearances, but it looks good so far.  Nothing is binding or too loose, and everything is lining up the way it ought to.  The last step of the day was to put on a bit of bling: the chrome head covers look real slick!