Right then - on with part two, which is getting it ready for MOT inspection and registration.
Before I started on the electrics, I'd been bothered about an issue with the air control ring which was getting sucked into the closed position as soon as the throttle was opened which is not good.
I toyed with several theories until I was sent a document via an old school VW mechanic which was scanned from an original workshop manual....
This may look like the same information that is in the Bentley and other manuals, but it has the addition of a real nugget of important information.... it states that the 20 mm measurement is a static measurement and that when hot and running, the gap is actually meant to be at least 25-30 mm..... which makes all the difference in the world.
To correct this, I ran my engine for 20 mins and noticed that due to the very cold ambient temperature, the thermostat simply wasn't opening all the way, which is why my control ring was hovering in a state of equilibrium and easily sucked into the housing... So with the engine running, and to simulate hot summer running, I added the hair drier to the thermostat until it opened fully...
Here you can see the thermostat now fully extended and firmly up against the upper part of the bracket, which is at an angle hence the stat tends to look bent when fully extended.
This yielded the 20 mm gap I'd originally set...
Which I now no is too small for dynamic hot running. so with it in this condition, I then reset the air ring gap to the 25-30 mm gap that VW recommend.
With is in this position, it is no longer drawn towards the housing when the engine is revved and feels much more solid in this position.
When the engine cooled down, the ring returned to it's preloaded condition pressing against the fan housing.
This solves the mystery and I hope is a help to others with the same problem.
What this did also highlight is that in cold ambient temperatures the stat simply does't get hot enough to force the ring out all the way - which in itself is not a problem as it will just restrict air flow and encourage the motor to run as warm as it can in the given conditions.
I then had another fiddle with the engine for about an hour adjusting and tweaking everything until it was running as well as I could get it...
Here's a little LT-TV - no music this time!
Runs nice!
What I am noticing is that I'm getting manifold icing on the vertical part of the manifold under the carb. The pre heat pipes are fairly clear and get hot enough to burn the paint. The horizontal part of the manifold is warm - just the vertical part that is icing. Is this normal and just a function of the cold weather?
Anyway, on to the electrics...
I have read that when the 6V system is new, it works very well, but ass contacts dull and corrode, the system starts to lose some of it's potential
In this vein, before I started, I pulled all the fuses and cleaned them up one by one. To do this I used tooth paste and an old tooth brush to great effect.
I then cleaned up all the contact points in the fuse box to make sure everything was as it should be.
And likewise on the main fuse panel. Note the original labelling card.
With the fuses and contacts all cleaned and ready, I was just about to start testing stuff, when I was rudely interrupted by Mrs LT with a nice hot toasted bacon sandwich. Damn shame!
With my belly now satisfied, I started to test the electrical systems...
Tail and brake lights work, but this picture highlights the need to upgrade to the LED system. When I get round to installing them, I'll do one side at a time and take a with and without side by side comparison test to demonstrate the difference.
The headlights work on both low and high beam.
The number plate light works, as do all the speedo warning lights, but I neglected to take pics of these.
I did however take this picture of the semaphores which work a treat, albeit one of the bulbs has expired... I love this shot!
So - other than one semaphore bulb and one tail lamp bulb - all is well - or so it seemed....
Despite all my best efforts, despite massaging it in all the right places, showing it pictures of other Beetles, videos of the open road, even dosing it with a little aphrodisiac - I simply couldn't give it the horn.
Not turned on - simply not horny at all. It had a head ache and wanted an early night.
Typical...
I removed the horn, and tested resistance across the terminals and got nothing at all. I then put the multi meter across the horn wires when the horn was depressed and measured a healthy 6.6 volts which confirms the horn simply finds me unattractive in the extreme.
I've no idea if these can be fixed or not, but I'll take it apart anyway and see if I can find anything obvious that I can repair. If divorce is on the cards due to irreconcilable differences, I'll be on the hunt for a NOS or working original.
I'll see what's inside first and report back.
One is, in short, amused....
Edited by user
13 years ago
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Reason: Not specified
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