The winter build thread

[56oval]

Ok guys, its been awfully quite these past few months, im sure theres many of you tinkering away at your projects, lets see what your up to!!!

I'll make a start.


The engine is out, the gearbox is out and the rear end completely stripped down.

I went out on a limb and purchased a built gearbox, which is yet to land here but hopefully will be this week.

I have started to clean up the back end of the car, the wings have never been off, i started one side last night, it has a tough bitumen layer underneath, so i hit it with the heat gun and it peeled off very nicely to reveal a really solid inner wing. Note the factory crayon mark that has transferred to the underseal

Dave loaned me some 8" slicks to try for size too, no way theyre working hahaha.

Plans this next month are.

Clean up all the inner wings, redo the fuel system, add 2 sets of caster shims to the front end, limit the suspension travel on the rear, New gearbox built up and back in the car and sort out the frame horn brace. Then its heading down to Buggyboyshanes for some cutting This will pain me slightly, but it has to be done, im going to install some hookeys Hi Pac acces panels in the inner wings, i just cannot get those manifolds down tight enough so somethings got to give. I will however keep whats cut out.

what are you folks up to??

 

[trev]

I'm fluting around with TDI power in an auld Passat but that's a story for another thread

I'm hoping to have it on the strip for the Aircooled Drag Day #2, it'll have almost twice the power the Golf had so I'm gunning for better times

 

[58Panel-Youny]

I know I mentioned before, but our van is getting a makeover of sorts this winter.. I'll be starting a thread on it .. as soon as I get the first pics from Jon White..

As this project is pretty much Sarah's (as in she's paying for the bodywork) there's unfortunately no performance modifications this time around - Saying that, it will still be used at the aircooled drag day, and hopefully a couple of other race meets.

I had great plans of getting sub-18s times this year, but considering I've a taller gearbox now and no funds to boost the power, I'll be happy enough if I can match last years time..

The biggest dilema for the build will be the trade off between weight and comfort, as I'm planning on sound deadening and insulating the van too..

 

[johnnyg]

I've done shag all to the car for months except growl at it or call it names as I pass it by on the drive...
I only picked up my new engine case(thanks baz)from Jon Whites yesterday and spoke briefly to Jon about putting together a 1955cc package for me.
As soon as the brighter eves come in I'll pull the 1600 and get it checked out and probably run this for this year whilst collecting goodies for the 1955.
Yes without a doubt I am the laziest fecker on here...

 

[keithincork]

Spent a few hrs today working on the Eco bus today, I stripped out the dash to carry out a few repairs.
I'll stick it all back together again tomorrow, also some work to do on the rear brakes tomorrow. Looking forward to trying to crack those nuts.

 

[56oval]

Heres a job thats pi55ed me off a lot today. tying in the framehorns with a truss bar. It meant cutting the body (only slightly) but ive put it off too long, so the saw came out and i trimmed the body work to get the cross brace to the shock towers. (dont panic, it was all cut as one small piece each side and those bits are bagged and tagged for another day).
After many hours, it was in, but it looked like the gearbox was going to interfere with the diagonals.
Its tight, and im going to turn the diagonals down a bit as im full wound in on the heim joints, to get nice angles i need to shorten them a touch. A bit of trimming on the bolts as well then that should be it.
One thing i dont like is the way the diagonal tabs bolt between the framehorns and the rear cradle, effectively moving the engine back by 5mm, no biggie but not ideal, i may look at welding the tabs to the framehorns instead. Here it is mocked up and in its final position.

Its tight, but it works.

 

[56oval]

Meanwhile, the new race gearbox is here, Weddle hybrid mainshaft, 3.88 ring and pinion, Weddle close (ish) 3rd and 4th, superdiff etc etc, and chromoly short race axles.

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[trev]

The 5mm is going to mess with your shifter too, is there enough throw to adjust it out?

I never understood the point of the rose joints/heim joints on a fixed item like the frame horn brace. Once in place, the whole idea is that the arrangement shouldn't move, right? Rose joints are used where you have movement, like a wishbone.

 

[56oval]

The 5mm is going to mess with your shifter too, is there enough throw to adjust it out?

I never understood the point of the rose joints/heim joints on a fixed item like the frame horn brace. Once in place, the whole idea is that the arrangement shouldn't move, right? Rose joints are used where you have movement, like a wishbone.

There are a couple of reasons for the use of heim joints, one is the many different vaiables in how a customer will set the bar up in their car, the other is the bars need to be pre tensioned to prevent the framehorns from bending due to the rotational torque of the engine, you cant pre tension a bar that is just welded solid with no provision for adjustment.

 

[duts]

There are a couple of reasons for the use of heim joints, one is the many different vaiables in how a customer will set the bar up in their car, the other is the bars need to be pre tensioned to prevent the framehorns from bending, you cant pre tension a bar that is just welded solid with no provision for adjustment.

Schooled brady

 

[Dirty1]

Lol

 

[chewy356]

you cant pre tension a bar that is just welded solid with no provision for adjustment.

I always assumed the fact that the bars appear to be hollow and assumed they are threaded like tie rods (left hand thread one end and right hand thread on the other end) means you pre tension by rotating the bar to shorten to tension as required and locking in place with lock nuts?
on the other hand I have never had one to setup so best not assume!i can imagine there is more to it than that.

 

[56oval]

I always assumed the fact that the bars appear to be hollow and assumed they are threaded like tie rods (left hand thread one end and right hand thread on the other end) means you pre tension by rotating the bar to shorten to tension as required and locking in place with lock nuts?
on the other hand I have never had one to setup so best not assume!i can imagine there is more to it than that.

In a nutshell thats almost it, but you have to pre tension the bars against the rotational force of the engine, so if the engine is rotating clockwise the left hand bar needs pre tensioned outwards so its pushing against the upcoming force and the right hand bar wound inwards and pulling against the downward force.


Fuck knows if its right but thats how ive assumed it !!!!

 

[chewy356]

That makes sense. I wonder is the rotational force of the engine the strongest force, or the upward force from the diff/gearbox as power is transferred from engine to tyres. Imagine you have to tension for both, ie both wound out, but the left more than the right? There is an engineering conundrum that somebody must be able to answer? Any engineering students on the forum? I know my brain stopped being able to figure that stuff out years ago! Ok need to stop, brain starting to hurt.

 

[56oval]

When it comes to my standard of " engineering " if it cant be made or fixed with a lump hammer and an adjustable wrench im out!!!
i can safely say thats about the height of my ability!!!!


ill take a copy of the installation instructions, its laughable ( to me)

 

[Roadcow]

Building 2 race cars at once. I just bought a 2"narrowed and adjustable beam with 2.5" drop spindles and a huge anti sway bar from a 68 Bug for my Bonneville Ghia. The Bug beam is 4 lug and the 66 beam is 5 lug so I had to swap inner bearings for the 5 lug drum to fit.

On my Irish Bug I've decided to build a full race engine. The limiting factor will be my carbs. I have a pair of Delorto 45s but the heads and cam are full race. The comp rario will be around 13 to 1 so I'll need to run race fuel.
I just traded some 6 rib and 3 rib Bus transmissions for a full race close ratio IRS box. Welded gears super beatle main shaft 4.12 r&p and I chose a spool over a super diff. It will have the heavy duty side plates as well. All of these years hording has paid off, I could never afford to buy this stuff. I asked the engine builder what rpm he launches his race car at and he said 8100 rpm! Holy cow, at least he has confidence in his engines. I also scored a pair of drag slicks.
I'm super stoked about drag day 2, I'll have no seat time in the car but it will be fun.

 

[56oval]

Building 2 race cars at once. I just bought a 2"narrowed and adjustable beam with 2.5" drop spindles and a huge anti sway bar from a 68 Bug for my Bonneville Ghia. The Bug beam is 4 lug and the 66 beam is 5 lug so I had to swap inner bearings for the 5 lug drum to fit.

On my Irish Bug I've decided to build a full race engine. The limiting factor will be my carbs. I have a pair of Delorto 45s but the heads and cam are full race. The comp rario will be around 13 to 1 so I'll need to run race fuel.
I just traded some 6 rib and 3 rib Bus transmissions for a full race close ratio IRS box. Welded gears super beatle main shaft 4.12 r&p and I chose a spool over a super diff. It will have the heavy duty side plates as well. All of these years hording has paid off, I could never afford to buy this stuff. I asked the engine builder what rpm he launches his race car at and he said 8100 rpm! Holy cow, at least he has confidence in his engines. I also scored a pair of drag slicks.
I'm super stoked about drag day 2, I'll have no seat time in the car but it will be fun.

This is awesome Britt, thats a monumental task, 45's will make plenty of power, let me know if i can help in any way.

 

[Roadcow]

Thanks Ben, I know that I can always count on you and Dave.

 

[56oval]

Bit of a milestone, after 6 months of sitting on the garage floor i finally got the engine back in, a few headaches but nothing serious, did a quick service on the engine before it went back in, not much as theres less than 500 miles on it since we built it last year. A quick leakdown test showed everything was tip top, clutch inspection showed it was in good order so i left it but put some hi tensile bolts in, new c/s oil seal and a 38mm cromo glandnut, torqued to 600lb.
The MSD is all screwed in and i just have a few finishing bits on the wiring then tidy all the cables. there isnt really that much left to do, a couple of days would probably do it, im aiming to have it ready for the nw speed trials at ballkelly, then i'lll find out whether the gearbox was worth the money and the aggro

the side panels cutout make it so much easier to work on, ive made some aluminium covers for the holes.

it looks like ive done naff all, but theres been so many changes to the rear end of the car, most you would never see, lets just hope itll launch HARD now without breaking it.

 

[Roadcow]

Nice work Ben! It's attention to detail that make you go fast consistently.