1958 T2 Restoration

[blue58356]

Thanks guys. That's a great help. I will try to do this later tonight and report back.

thanks,
Chris

[356JAGER]

Chris,
I've always used an expandable plumbers pliers to remove the cap. Tap it back on
with a dead blow hammer or a hammer and a block of wood. Loosen the allen bolt
and remove the nut, again the plumbers pliers work well here. Pull the hub, you don't need to remove the wheel and tire if you're just packing bearings and replacing the seals, but would if you were resurfacing the drums. When re tightening the nut, tighten until just snug, then back off and tighten until you can with effort, get the washer behind the nut to rotate. This assures that you haven't overloaded the bearings.
Cheers,
Joel

[MMW]

Just in case you are wondering that little squarish hole in the metal cap is where the speedometer cable should be sticking out on the drivers side only. Passenger cap doesn't have the hole.

[blue58356]

Thanks Joel. Great info to know.

Thanks Mic. I was wondering what that pin and cotter pin went to. I will have to trace that back now to find the path.

I was able to get the cap off and then the axle nuts off. There was a bent flange of metal that sat between the two axle nuts, and I had to bend the one side back to be able to loosen the nuts. Once I took those nuts off, the drum slid right off. I saw the bearings in the hub of the drum, and the interior of the drum looks to be in good shape. Rusty as expected, but in working order.

Thanks again everyone for your feedback and information.

Chris

[356JAGER]

Chris,
That bent flange is the lock for the nuts. Make sure you install it and bend it back the way it was after tightening as previously described.
Cheers,
Joel

[Jbrooks]

That little square thing, in the center of the spindle is the Speedometer Cable. Be sure not to prang it with the drum. slowly twisting and pulling will remove it. Its has a lot of old grease on it, check for broken strands, the friction from the strand is what makes the needle jump or vibrate.


I would pull it wipe it off and put it in a zip lock bag, with a squirt of penetrating oil and let it set wet to soften any old grease. Plug the spindle hole until you are ready to reassemble the car, to keep media and junk out of the cable housing.

When you remove the instruments the other end of the housing at the speedometer, Squirt that with a penetrating oil also (use the little plastic stick inside the housing )and soften the old grease inside the housing. After a few weeks of soaking. remove the spindle plug and blow the housing out with shop air ( put a rag over the spindle to catch the grease or you will spray grease the side of the shop.

When putting it back together, blow it again. Now you re grease the cable. Inspect the entire length for rusty spots,burs or damage. Grease it with good thin grease, by pushing it through a dab of grease between you fingers, every few inches to coat the cable. It does not take much. After I grease the cable I usually use a drill on slow ~50RPM and spun the cable and pull it in and out 3-5 inches to distribute the grease evenly. push it all the way in, wipe any excess grease on the spedo end cup end, Q tip works well. After the instrument end is clean, pull it out about an inch from the spindle when finished. Then connect to the Housing to the speedometer, push the cable in slowly and twist and you will feel the cable go into the square socket on the instrument. ( you can now use the drill again to verify the speedo works but be careful don't go too fast)

When you replace the dust cover, on final assembly, be careful to get the square end in to the cap, after lined up, then you knock on the dust cover. The square hole in the speedo drive end is about 25mm deep so there is a little in and out slack for alignment. Be sure to put the cotter pin back in the cable square protruding from the dust cover.

I have seen several spastic speedometers that was nothing more than the cable pulled out of the cap. If the grease gets hard the cable acts like a screw and pulls out of the cap with no key. Not too had you can do this

John.

[blue58356]

Fantastic. Thanks John.

Chris

[Jbrooks]

When I was a Kid I did probably flipped 15-20 "356A's" with this only. Then I got the factory service manuals. But I keep a copy of this in every car. I have several versions, red green orange yellow covers, it does not matter.

Porsche Technical Manual for 356 by Henry Elfrink[/b]. any edition.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-Technical-Manual-Henry-Elfrink-356-/272031788535?hash=item3f565badf7:g:~gQAAOSw9mFWM5O 9&vxp=mtr

[JR]

Yep!
Got that one also John.
Dick

[bbspdstr]

The front spindles for the early cars, pre-B, are basically VW and comparatively weak. They should be checked very carefully by someone who knows and hopefully armed with tool P69.

All of this discussed info is in the A Shop Manual, section S. The double-nut A front end spindle locking nuts require a 27mm thin open-end wrench, but nice VW nuts that clamps as do the later thinner pitch threaded spindles are available. I find them easier to use. Empi #9616.

They also sell the double-nut locking plates, VW# 111-405-681.

The Clymer book I began with got greasy and torn, Al Zim gave me a new one a couple of years ago, my third. The front suspension section begins on page 149. Both important books, Clymer and the Factory manual, have not just words, so the pictures and drawings supplement a 3-D session with someone doing their own service who has "been around the block"....all of which I learned from for the last 50 years...and it's still a 'continuing education.'

Funny, there is a 'special tool' for removing the center cap to access the nuts on a front hub...and there is a picture in the A book showing a man with a big tapered wedge of wood, thin end on the cap and a hammer in his other hand. 'Whatever works'....but first, one needs to know what one is after.

Good luck...will come with reading and asking and knowing what is good advice and what is suspect.....and not losing patience while the focus is strong with the urge to get something done immediately. A pace, not like a Hare or Tortoise, but your own.

[blue58356]

Fellas- I have another set of questions that I hope someone can help with.

I was able to get another couple of hours in the garage this weekend, and am bouncing around the car a bit. I cleaned off the front suspension "knuckles" (I think that is the right term) as they were covered in a thick build up grease and muck.



I cleaned them up a bit. so they look better, but not great.



While working on getting the door sill trim off, I had a question on the rubber seal and its removal. I started to pull the wide rubber seal that looks to be installed between the longitudinal weld seams and the door sill itself.



When I started to pull this out (pulled straight out from the center of the car to outside, similar to opening a door) it started to pull out this very rusty piece of metal.



My question is... is this a piece of bent metal (looks like a 3 sided box) that is pushed in to hold this seal in, or am I removing this seal incorrectly, and pulling out a rusty frame component that I will not be able to recreate if I continue? I don't see any references to how this section goes together. I looked in the Stoddard parts catalog in hopes of seeing a part exploded view.

[356JAGER]

It's a U channel that holds the threshold seal. Look for the the threshold seal section in your Stoddard catalog. PN 644 551 917 00
Cheers,
Joel

[Jbrooks]

Looking at the photos, the brake lines are corroded and frozen. Get a small stainless wire tooth brush. Clean them well on the hard line side, about an inch back from the flare. They will clean up and look shinny but dark with the brush, then put a little penetrating oil on the tube and nut. You will need to each junction , master cylinder, each wheel and above the transmission. There is rust on the tube, inside the flare and on the threads both. But they will free up and come off.

A few days later you will need a flare nut wrench for both sides. One on the hard line flare and the other on the hose. Brake them loose, watch the tubing and make sure it does not turn with the smaller fitting flare. If it does, just re brush clean and more oil on the tube interface, when loose re lube them wait and hour, the tighten and loosen 1/8 turn back and forth until you feel the free up The flare will now come out with your fingers. This may help you save the hard lines. Mark them by wheel. Take photos

There in a company in Argentina that bought the old ATE tooling / drawings and makes the original lines, or you can use the new SS Teflon flex lines. The old tubing should be OK unless the line is kinked or twist with flare fitting. The hard lines are made from very soft steel , but they will clean up. Look for pits inside with a strong light. The inside the tubing will be dark, the pits are black. You can push a bailing wire through the tubes and look for goo or rust flakes then Sit them aside in the brake box for reassembly in a year or so.

.

.


Now you have good samples when you fabricate the new hard lines with.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PORSCHE-356B-1600-SUPER-75-SUPER-90-BRAKE-HOSE-FREE-1959-1960-1961-1962-1963-/181903208339?hash=item2a5a46af93:g:UI4AAOxyCGNTK1m 3&vxp=mtr

John

[blue58356]

Thanks Joel. I found it. It was not where I expected it to be. Appreciate the quick response.

Chris

[blue58356]

Thanks John. That is great information. I will pull that out to keep handy. Thank you for sharing. These are the tidbits that the books don't really help with.


Thanks,
Chris