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Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2021 10:13 pm
by sgnimj96
I just bought one of those mk1 steering column bushing repair kits from mk1engineering.com .
My hack job is still working, but starting rattle sometimes at idle so picked one up to fix it right some day.
That kit is a real blessing for the price,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/182893002005?h ... Swk-1aKA3n
but they may stop selling them for all I know. Any one of those components is rare to find in stock anywhere these days.

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2021 12:25 am
by Fatmobile
I've been stuffing a 3/4" washer into the end of the column
to hold everything in.
It usually works but I had one fall out so I made a tin thing bent around the column to hold it in.

I have needed the delrin bushing,.. like I needed one on this truck.
To take the slop out of the right rod coming from the rack going to the tie rod.
The one I put on this truck was so tight I could feel the drag on the steering.
Until this last test drive where the steering was smooth.
So it might be broke in.

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2021 9:48 am
by sgnimj96
Mine has the plastic bushing on the inside was starting to crumble, but I put it back together with the old pieces anyway.
Put a zip tie on the inside so it couldn't ride up and a hose clamp on the bottom so it couldn't fall out. It works, but with more play in it now, it must be on it's way out. The washer(s) addition sounds brilliant, but I think this one is beyond fix.
Btw, my order hasn't done anything yet, "unfulfilled" :|

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 11:20 pm
by scrounger
With a cold engine you can sometimes tell by feeling them after running the heaters a cycle and not starting the motor.
One cylinder may be completely cold or just weak. I would not recommend grabbing them tightly

I made a video of testing glow plugs on our 300D. https://youtu.be/R2c2IhWp15w
As you can see the injector sprays right on the glow plug.

For a long time I didn't realize how they operate but we use electricity to heat them which assists in the burning in a cold engine but the glow plug contributes significant heat to the pre chamber the entire time the motor is running.

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 11:45 pm
by scrounger
Fat
Instead of a delrin bushing find someone with a 3d printer and make one. It wouldn't be as long lasting maybe but then again it might work fine for quite a while. Never had the steering wheel off so can't visualize the part.

I have used mine for lots of bushings and parts on all sorts of things around the farm.

For some solutions you can wrap twine or tape around an area that loose or out of tolerance.

For heavy duty solutions, maybe making a tool, I begin to think of the mig welder.

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 1:25 am
by Fatmobile
The bushing I'm talking about goes around the inside of the housing,
around the shaft the tie rod screws onto.
The passenger side end gets loose and moves side-to-side.

It would be nice to have a 3-d printer.
I don't know anyone else that has one locally so maybe I should get one.

Well it's time to do some more body work on (Pa)Tina.
It needs the rest of the rocker panels repaired in stainless.
Along with several patches on small holes.
I'm starting with the passenger side this week.
I'll be posting pictures of the progress.

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 4:32 pm
by Fatmobile
I got a bunch of rust repair done on the Rabbit this fall.
It was way worse than I imagined but I've already put so much time into this car it's hard to let it go.
So here it begins on the passenger side rear rocker:


I know it looks bad and that's the area the rear end is bolted to.
But the inside area where the rear is actually bolted to is very solid.
I've had a rear end break off before so this is an area I keep an eye on.
I've been spraying it with SP-400 from the inside access for years.
Image

It begins:
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All the patches are made of stainless.
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And here's a cover over it:
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There was a stainless patch on the pside rocker from last time I worked on it.
Much of the underside of the rocker is also already stainless too:
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Image
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And a picture of the pside rocker done and partially coated with epoxy primer to help alleviate some of the trauma caused by early pictures:

Imagepsiderockerrearprimed by vwfatmobile, on Flickr

And this part wasn't too bad. Stayed tuned for more horrific pictures of rust and the carnage of time.
I also took videos of the work and intend to host them somewhere.

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 5:19 pm
by Fatmobile
OK this is how I fix the nose of the pside rocker panel.
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aaaand done:
Imagepsiderockernosedone by vwfatmobile, on Flickr

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2022 3:14 am
by Fatmobile
Inside the rear passenger side wheel well was really bad.
I cut it out and made a cover so I could run my vegetable oil fuel lines inside the rocker panel.
So there was a lot to patch up:
Here it is before starting. You can see the stainless I put in near the rear rocker panel:
Image

And here it is with the rear rocker panel welded in place:
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Some more stainless added to cover the area near the rocker panel.
In this picture you can see how bad it rotted out around the area the fuel lines pass out of the wheel well:
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Because of the curves I had to make 2 pieces to cover the fuel line area.
Here's the bottom half set in place:
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Here's the fuel line area covered in stainless.
You can see there is still a hole above the fuel line area and one above the stainless off to the right that needs done but I don't see any pictures of the work.
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Here's the remaining part of the floorpans that I didn't turn all stainless 5 years ago when I did the rest of the floor pans.
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This is the rear floor on the passenger side. Starting on the outside edge along the seat rail:
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I don't have the tools to roll stiffeners into the metal so I welded ribs onto the bottom to keep the floor pans stiff:
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Here's the floorpan done and everywhere stainless meets regular steel is coated with epoxy primer:
Imagepsidefloorpandonecoated by vwfatmobile, on Flickr

Pictures don't include the work done under the right fender but the passenger side floor pans, rockers, fender and wheel well are done.
Next is the driver's side work,.. and if you thought this side was bad,... stay tuned.

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2022 1:43 am
by Fatmobile
I found a couple more pictures of work done under the right fender:
The top area of the strut was bad on both sides:
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I forgot to drill 5/16" holes for the buttonhole welds before I welded this patch on so I drilled and welded it later.
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If you look at the struts from the top,
there are a couple holes to spray corrosion inhibitor into that would keep this from rotting out.
Don't spray straight down or you will just hit the top of the strut.
Turn the tip toward the outside and get between the 2 pieces of metal.
You can be sure I sprayed the hell out of this area when I was done coating it with epoxy primer and acrylic enamel paint.

There was also a small spot that went through to the inside of the passenger foot well:
Imagepsideinnerfendersmallpatch by vwfatmobile, on Flickr

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2022 3:34 am
by Fatmobile
OK, on to pics of the driver's side.
Starting in the rear.
This is what it looked like from inside the wheel well looking back:
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Same thing different view:
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I did not realize the car was this bad before I started.
Thought it was mostly going to be rocker panel repair.
Oh well, can't turn back now.

Start with a piece inside the rear of the wheel well:
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While I bend stainless for the area behind it:
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More plate added to the inside rear of the wheel well:
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Got everything inside this welded up and here is the skin.
I'm not going for perfection.
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Stainless inside skin for upper edge of the rear of the driver's side wheel well:
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Eventually the whole edge of that wheel well got repaired but I think it was the last thing I did.
After it was back on the ground and running around.

On to the front of the driver's side wheel well.
Even though much of this is already stainless, there is a lot of metal that needs replaced/upgraded.
Looks like some weak metal above it and off to the low right of it.
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You don't really know what you have until you start digging.
Took it back to good metal.
Here's what got removed above the stainless:
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Here's the patch for it.
With some holes for spraying corrosion inhibitor in.
I sometimes forgot to put these access holes in the covers and had to drill them later.
So they aren't in the pictures for the rocker nose or the rear half of this wheel well.
Image

Working my way up the rocker panels, starting at the rear:
Imagedsiderearrockcutout by vwfatmobile, on Flickr


There was some stainless rocker already so I jumped forward about 1 1/2 feet.
Some more rocker in front of that to tear out and replace:
Image

Looks like I didn't put stainless on the inside area of the rocker,.. where the seat rail connects to.
So I cut out the bad rocker, removed the seat piece and replaced the rotted-out inner rocker with stainless.
Now all of that is stainless on both sides. When I'm done both inner and outer rocker skins are stainless.
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View from the inside:
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Outside covered:
Imagedsiderockinplace by vwfatmobile, on Flickr

Isn't that lovely? Shiney. Shame to have to paint it.

Probably enough for now. Next comes the front driver's side rocker and what is hiding behind the fender :shock:
I also took video of the process. Maybe I'll get that chopped and posted sometime.

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 12:28 am
by sgnimj96
That paint is going to love having SS to stick to.

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 6:20 am
by Fatmobile
Are you being sarcastic? ha.
I didn't really scratch up the stainless surface much so I'm not sure how well the paint will stick.
As you can see the paint on the stainless rocker that was added several years ago is starting to peel.
It doesn't bother me, in fact I kind of like the stainless shining through.
Gives it a Delorian vibe, hehe,

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2023 11:34 pm
by sgnimj96
New, clean stainless compared to 40yo rust and oil impregnated steel?
No, I'm not being sarcastic, just dramatic.
Happy paint, happy... idk, maint-enance :roll:

Re: RIP "Old Blue"

Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2023 9:08 pm
by Fatmobile
Many years ago I went to a paint store and asked if they had any paint they mixed wrong and were going to have to throw.
They came to the front with several cans of mauve or salmon or pink.

Then they came back with a gallon of dark green metal flake with a little poo tint in it.
I really like it.

They gave it to me so I buy all my thinner and hardener from them.
I have been brushing it on so it sticks well.
Might get the rest of the car painted this summer.