The Resurrection of Foam Car - 63 T6B

[Phil Planck]

Jack
Thanks for the tip. I checked the door closing and striker engagement seems to be the same. It also appears to be exactly where it was since built, as striker has never been replaced. I did replace the bottom 6" or so way back when. Bruce knows about that fiasco, as I had all of the structural panels removed down there and when I built it back up I welded the lower lock pillar at the wrong angle enough so that the door would not close. By the time I discovered this it was too late to modify, so I changed that angle of the door bottom slightly to clear the lock pillar patch piece.
Bruce
Should have listened to you years ago the first time you suggested a rotisserie. I keep saying to myself, too late now, but it sure would have been nice to have yesterday. Maybe someone should start a national club that could provide that service.
I did not realize there were different shims for the stiker. I have the original, plus one new from SIC so will try both, as I would like a little more engagement if possible.
Thanks for the encouragement guys. It helps.
Phil

[bbspdstr]

Rotisserie examples:


I have more, but these pics are from about a thousand years ago judging by what I look like speaking with one of my younger guys and the clothes we wore back in the '70s. They just show how easy things get when the car changes rotationally instead of us.

I need to find even older pictures where we actually assembled finished 356s upside-down in some instances, like under the dash, wiring, brakes lines and hoses, etc.

Bruce

[JTR70]

Bruce is absolutely correct a rotisserie is the probably the third most valuable piece of equipment to have; right after a welder and an air compressor for rust repairs IMHO. Whatever time or trouble it takes to procure one will quickly be offset. Your repair results will be better too as you can cut and weld in a comfortable position. Hot sparks landing on you while you're welding or grinding on your back can really drive the desire to cut corners. Nice old photos Bruce!

[bbspdstr]

.....Should have listened to you years ago the first time you suggested a rotisserie. I keep saying to myself, too late now, but it sure would have been nice to have yesterday. Maybe someone should start a national club that could provide that service....
Phil

The pictures below were provided to me in a scrap book of the restoration of the A I now own. I could not have replaced the floor for what this whole, driving, 356 cost back then. The guys who did the resto had not done a 356 before, but did a decent job. They DID have a rotisserie!

As an aside, I am now just doing over the overlaps in the (previously hit) left side bodywork due to becoming, ummm, 'obvious.' Of course, I had a sunroof clip, so that was installed, the shell was totally stripped and I am now way behind you guys...and still deciding if I like Stone gray....

As for a "national club" that maintains special tools for 'community use' on a rental basis, it was broached some time ago within the Registry. The 'who' and 'how' were problems to be overcome by someones and that was never, to my knowledge, ever resolved. (After all, there are events overseas for which to coordinate involvement, no younger people on that board who may have had the interest and energy.. the magazine publisher has a full(er, now) plate handling all the 'club' details and money, etc........but don't get me started....

Actually, a full-time person with the financial backing of the 'club' like the Goodie Store could also be a tool crib operator....just a thought....

Actually, I am very content being as involved as much or little as I am here with true craftsmen, having fun. Learning. Thank you, Justin.

[Phil Planck]

Have been working on the transaxle. Wheel bearing on drivers side pulled off with the cap, so no bearing puller needed there. Can't find a spec for the axle diameter where the inner race presses on. Inner race is 30mm. Right now it is a slip fit and both measure nearly identical diameters. Have ordered new bearings at local bearing supply and hopefully they will be tighter on the axle. Small O ring was missing and VW soft washer was used. Removed one axle tube for cleanup and replacement of boot. This method of removing the flange does not work:



Some scuffing on the radial surface at top and bottom:


Manual says to remove rough surfaces, but not how or how much, as this will affect clearance and gasket size I would think.

Pulled front shift cover off and hockey stick needs welding up and smoothing. Pulled seal and some gouging in housing from former seal removal efforts, probably with housing still on.

[JTR70]

That's quite the process for installing the one-piece boots. I can only imagine the frustration and anger after going through all of this trouble only to have the boots crack or fail shortly after due to poor quality. Is there a specific brand you can recommend? Nice work Phil!
Justin

[Phil Planck]

Justin
From the research I have done so far it seems the boots that Stoddard sells are the best, not the shiny one piece ones. Yesterday was my lucky tool day. Took my wife to pick up a new living room chair in our van. Told her I wanted to stop by a store and look at presses, as the one at our clubs maintenance was too narrow(3.5") to get the flange in. Found a 20 tonner that had a 4.5" spacing(needed 4") but was a little pricey. Got back in the van to leave and she urged me to get it. Something I have always wanted that probably will not get used a lot, but really handy when you need it. Plus, as Tom P. has shown, you can form nice bends in sheet metal with one. Got one axle tube pushed out of the flange today:



Should I post this in the tools section? I know this sub-forum is basically body restoration, but other parts of 356s need restoring also.

Phil Planck

[Jack Staggs]

Phil, please do not use those black cast press plates. They have been known to explode unexpectedly, with dire consequences. A google search will allow you to find many sites describing the aftermath of these failures, some with pictures of mangled arms, hands, and faces. I had some in my shop that were given to me, but never used. I put them in the scrap metal bin. The plates I use were scraps at a nearby metal supply shop. I looked around the back and found some 5/8" thick odd flame cut pieces that have served me very well for a long time. Good steel press plates can be found by many manufacturers, but they can get spendy, but safe. When you press the axle bearing housing back on, don't be tempted to set the axle tube bell on the press bed. It will likely collapse, ruining the tube. I have a mandrel that fits the tube up in the bell, raising it above the bed. Also the pin must align very closely to the original position to avoid indentations on the id of the tube, which can prevent the tube from sliding past the flange on the threaded end of the axle. Use a litte gasket sealer on the bore and pin before installing the pin. Believe it or not, they can leak gear oil from there.
Edit: Don't forget to put the hex flange plate back on before you press the bearing housing on.

[Phil Planck]

Jack
Thanks for the heads up on those cast iron plates. Already pressed out one tube. I have on thick steel plate, so need to find another to match it. I had not heard or read of this issue. Surprised they are allowed to sell them. The mandrel is a great tip. I had read about not pressing on the bell as it could/would cause damage. I am not looking forward to re-installing these as it sure looks hard to get the alignment just right. I have measured the depth, so will know when to stop, but getting the pin slot lined up will take some doing. And, knowing me, I would forget to put the attaching plate back on first. Thanks for that reminder. I will print this out and tape it to the press.
While I have your attention, do you know what causes the scoring of the bell surfaces and how to prevent it. I imagine the cracked open boots would contribute as dirt and sand could get in there and work its way onto those spherical surfaces. Hopefully I can smooth the edges of the gouges.
Phil Planck

[Jack Staggs]

When hard cornering is experienced, a great percentage of the load is transferred to the bell area, squeezing the lubrication out and creating heat, hence the galling. VW remedied this by machining the clearance enough to fit a plastic " daisy" between the bell and the side plate. The problem with this is that alignment deviations can occur due to flex and compression of the plastic. Some side plates, mostly on race cars, have had a few curved radial relief slots machined in the side plates to hold lubrication there. I don't know how successful it is, as that upper area of the plate is above the level of the gear oil. Some side plates have had holes bored in that area, but I think that it was an attempt to provide additional lubrication to the somewhat archaic ZF locking differential with the problematic beans. All of that being said, I very rarely do much detail work to that area, other than minor polishing to the bell. The grooves in the side plate just hold a bit more oil. The trick is to get the correct amount of gaskets/shims between the bell and cover to alleviate binding, plus that is a favorite place for the trans to leak. The original gaskets came in three sizes, thick, with two small holes on either side of one of the stud holes, medium size, with one small hole, and thin with no hole. IIRC, thick was dark, medium was tan, small was white. It seems that most had one thick, one or two medium, and some with one thick, one medium and one thin. It is possible to measure the gasket stack by separating them carefully, but doing so is difficult, equating years of squish, dirt and gasket goo. The problem now is that the replacement gaskets measure all over the place, despite small hole indicators. The best method that I have found, if the trans is out of the car and on a stand, is to dry fit a thick and a medium, with no goo, and orient the axle tube to approximate the outer end to where it will be positioned to the spring plate when installed. Minor clocking changes can make significant differences. Hold the tube perpendicular to the trans housing, and feel for in and out movement. You will probably feel some clearance. Don't worry. Now lift the tube to approximate the upper limit of travel, bearing in mind that the axle can not swing to the upper limit allowed out of the car. In and out clearance will likely be reduced. Remember, spring plate travel is limited, and bump stops will be in place, and the axle travels on an arc, due to the spring plate pivot point. Do so as well to the lower in situ limit. Adjust gaskets as needed. The axle should fall on it's own weight THROUGH THE TRAVEL EXPECTED WHEN INSTALLED AND RUNNING! If minor binding is felt by lifting and lowering by hand, add a thin gasket and don't worry about additional free play in the nominal position. With all of this being said, Jacques offers the excellent "Caddrobie (sp) " conversion that uses the daisy,AFAIK. Everything in life is a trade off, particularly in cars that a Grandfather is building in a basement. I hope you can get it out the door when you are done. Don't forget to use sealer on the gasket stack when you are done.

Jacques, please jump in here.

[Phil Planck]

Jack
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. Much more than I have been able to find in the factory manual, Up-fixin, Google search,etc. The gasket I removed was very close in thickness to the .3mm gasket Stoddard sells. I did not notice multiple layers, but will check for that.
BTW, Foamcar is not in my basement(crawl space), so getting it out of the shop will not be a problem. The problem is getting it done. At least I am enjoying it's engine in my PreA.
Phil Planck

[Jack Staggs]

You are welcome Phil. The gaskets are the same as swing axle VW, so you might be able to source them from a local shop.

[bbspdstr]

Speaking of shop equipment and cast iron plates, the man who gave me my first shop had there the two machines pictured below. He called me a few days ago to ask if I wanted a big (heavy) cast iron surface plate, about as big as a small kitchen table, "Over 200 pounds." (I'd guess 300). If I didn't want the (perfectly flat) plate...."it was going to the scrap yard." A shame. I already have a smaller marble plate so I had to thank him and turn him down.

The other pieces are cheap. Jack is 'downsizing' his home shop now that he is retired. (And no, he doesn't have any 4 cam parts anymore but boy, did I find some cool stuff when I took over the shop!)

He told me a story about how he bought the lathe at an equipment auction about 4 blocks from the shop. He wrangled a couple of strong young friends and put the lathe on 2 skids and used lengths of pipe to roll the lathe to his shop (later mine)...right down "that lane in the middle marked by 2 yellow lines"...in busy traffic. He said "it was too expensive to get a rigger to move it a few blocks..."

I'd take the lathe immediately if I used it enough to justify the floor space in an already over-crowded small shop. One of my big presses, a nice tube bender and the hydraulic power-pack for both now live in an outbuilding now that I rarely do race car work anymore.

I need not worry about the special press plates for transmission work that I used to have...they were borrowed and then were sold in desperation by the borrower when he was broke...just before he 'disappeared.' I still have a few pressplates as Jack (Staggs) describes, not cast but cut from really heavy steel plate.

[bbspdstr]

Speaking of gaskets for a trans...

As Jack says, the galling is typical- ya find some better, some worse. Just smooth the high spots on the steel bell and aluminum side plates, measure the old gaskets as a total, each, and replicate with new, guessing at a crush factor of a couple thousand....or call a Registry trustee who knows a little about transaxles.

Seriously, if nothing is changed otherwise, do as Jack recommends. Good stuff, Jack.

BTW, those paper gaskets seem to easily wick silicone fluid much faster than dino lubes. IF you use a gasket sealant like Hylomar, go easy and evenly.

-Bruce

[Phil Planck]

Bruce
Thanks for the equipment stories and gasket info. As Crocodile Dundee would have said: "Now there's a shop press".
Phil