57 356 A mild resto

[merbesfield]

Is this a Porsche part? Laying in engine area and not sure.

[merbesfield]

Where/who should I buy heater wires from? Seems like a simple item but I got some for 911 once and was not impressed. Want the tensil or gauge to be same as Franz installed originally. Thanks.

Edit: I just looked on Stoddard and Sierra Madre and both of the cables they show for A's are not correct for me. Mine is plain wire and the ones they show have a threaded rod at the end. Is this an early A T1 vs T2 or something issue? My heater wire has crip at end near adjustment knob and a screw with barrel at the heater valve end. Unless I am looking at the wrong cables.

[bbspdstr]

"Which leaves the tachy, which is plastic/foam etc. If it is in the upper left corner of the tunnel, I don't think my spot welding will be a problem."

I'm sorry I created some confusion here with the use of the left upper conduit. I think John showed that the fuel line/tube/pipe goes through that, not the tach cable. I do NOT think there is room for the tack cable, especially with the threaded retainer at both ends and the foam would be a hassle. Good that you reviewed the components and the thread.

As for melting anything in the tunnel, I'll hope any of the omni-present grease isn't near where you are going to weld. If there is still some grease in there and it's close enough to get hot, it melts and makes a mess. A mess makes for bad welds from there on, so I'd recommend to be sure it's clean (enough, near the welding areas).

Air to cool things as you go is good, but not directly on the hot weld, nor should water be placed directly on those welds, it makes them brittle. "Lacing" the welds starting in the middle, one side and then the other, taking your time and blowing air through the tunnel should keep whatever is in there from heat damage. Working from the middle to each end, side-to-side, also keeps the tunnel (and maybe the floor) from warping. Same with the welding of the outer floor perimeter.

The part you show certainly looks like a (clutch package) return spring for the trans' transverse arm which holds the clutch release bearing. That's the arm that has the clutch cable attached via a clevis pin.

As for the heater control pull wires, also see the Stoddard catalogue for the various part numbers for the various applications or maybe their online catalogue at www.stoddard.com would offer that.

The plain (not stranded) wire for pulling or releasing the "flapper boxes" has a crimped piece of ~1/8" rod that is grabbed (when adjusted optimally) by the barrel nuts that are captured in the pivot arms of the heater boxes and valves. The A shop manual has this covered well.

I like the A version with two wires, that makes the adjustments so much easier.

(I'll bet both Stoddard and Sierra Madre source their heater wires and many other parts from the same vendors...or each other.)

You can shop by price and availability.

Best of luck,
Bruce

[John Pierce]

Bruce,

I just wanted to thank you for taking the time from your business to help us newbies! Your advice and stories are very much appreciated.

JP

[merbesfield]

[quote="John Pierce" post=36734]Bruce,

I just wanted to thank you for taking the time from your business to help us newbies! Your advice and stories are very much appreciated.

JP[/quote

I second that. This is what makes this forum so great. Knowing there are others out there who will take the time to help us newbies. As John said, very much appreciated.

[bbspdstr]

Thank you for the putting up with me...I'll have fun here as long as I'm able and allowed. Alas, there is another mis-speak in a prior post: "That's the arm that has the clutch cable attached via a clevis pin."
I'm mixing up Mark's A and John's T-6 in my head and the clevis pin is on the later arms and the VW-esque acorn nut is on an A clutch arm.
Confusion? Forgetfulness? Not me!
After literally hundreds and hundreds of cars worked on in 46 years, they all blend. I am (almost) happy when a car comes to me with an (admitted) name given by the owner.....it keeps it amusing when we can do a labor and parts summary at the end of each day on "Mitzy" or "Blue."

[Phil Planck]

I removed my tach cable last summer, as will be using Premat full flow oil filter with electric tach. I took detail shots of the cable routing from tunnel exit to tach, if anyone here needs when reinstalling cable.
Phil

[bbspdstr]

Geez Phil....next you will be installing a sensor for an electric speedometer....

Actually, while being asked more and more to reverse 'improvements' in 356s to "originality" (think Webers back to Solexes, 356 race cars back to original street car form), I am all for betterments that do not require any modification to the basic 356 (think full-flow filters, third brake lights, LED bulbs, whole 12v systems, alternators and the like).
Keeping records with pictures and notes and the parts of what was original is an absolute must....as we all know that nothing is forever. We also know, especially here on Justin's forum, that 356s were designed and built to be driven!
(Still need a bit of wiring harness?)
Regards,
-Bruce

[merbesfield]

Gentlemen, John in his thread shows that he injected grease into his tubes prior to installing his pan. Bruce mentioned above to be sure all old grease is cleaned out as it could melt causing the obvious problems. I see that my original E brake cables have a grease nipple. Never having installed these before, only removing. I don't see why the grease couldn't be pumped into the conduit after welding, but my concern is the limited access via topside of tunnel. The E brake pull block and spring looks like it will be tough to connect from above through that small hole. The wires for the heater pull cables looks equally tough to do all this inside the tunnel. Could these things be installed and then grease pumped in after welding? Or would that take forever? This is one of those items where you old timers know all the tricks and us newbies can learn if we ask the right questions. Thx for the help. Mark

[Phil Planck]

Can't speak for the A , but on my T6B it was easy to install the heater wires with the pan installed. Also easy to fill ebrake cable tubes with grease from rear openings prior to installing cables. Was easy to disconnect cables below shifter with pan in. Have not reconnected yet, as still work to do on "spreader bar adjustment" at shoes, but don't forsee a problem. I did push out grease from the tubes when installing ebrake cables.
Phil

[bbspdstr]

"be sure all old grease is cleaned out as it could melt causing the obvious problems"

Grease in the tubes for heater, e-brakes and clutch will only ooze out of the ends if it gets too warm (hot) in there and your welding has an insulating air gap if heat is only from a bottom flange on the tunnel and the new floor and doing a 'lacing' of plug welds when jumping around in a sequence.

Still, the most illustrative way the cars were built is on "Made by Hand." The tunnel/floor and rear bulkhead were "the first body parts down the line" and then the whole shell was built and painted prior to ANY mechanical assembly. Sure, those people who assembled the 356 did the same things on each car, day after day, became "specialists" and things like the spring for the e-brake retraction were no big deal....BUT, it's doable with patience and ingenuity, even for guys like you and me doing that once or a hundred times.

Look at each challenge as I do.....another reason to invent or reuse a bunch of dark oaths.

I came up with some new combinations of bad words yesterday when I got under the dash of an A. I had previously noted that the handle for the fuel valve had too much slop due to a cotter pin that was too thin. I said I would take care of it because it was a touchy compromise. I got distracted and when I came back, the same tech had jumped ahead and put in a cotter pin that was too big, so the geometry of the two parts and the angle and lack of freedom to turn as if a universal joint put pressure on the rotating part of the fuelcock and made a leak in the fresh rebuild of the original valve and a mess to clean up.

I got to do it all over again for free. Drain the tank, remove the valve, add a new cork disc and shim the spring. That is a 'word to the wise'...some things that look easy, aren't. Other procedures that look difficult really aren't...but in every case, one learns by doing and/or reading the experiences of those who have gone before, like here.

-Bruce

[merbesfield]

Mark,
Are you sure that's a 741 transmission? By the view of the underside of the tunnel it doesn't look like a 741 shift linkage.

It is stamped 741. That is part of my question. I don't know what part is correct but someone who knows more than me said it was mixed and matched linkage. For clarification, car is early 57 T1, engine is 69 912 and transmission is 741.

Most likely, it is a 741 with a 644 'nose' and selector that then works with the earlier shift linkage. T-1 torsion bar tubes have a solid center that precludes the formed dent in the center bottom for shifter clearance of the B/C cars. T-2 A cars have a hollow center that allows the top 'dent' to be replicated from underneath once a window is made for access. Heat-n-beat with a rounded air-hammer head and use all 741 shifter compontents to get rid of the 'monkey-motion' early shifting. Some just exit the trans and support the shift tube above the tunnel, but that's 'racer stuff.'

-Bruce

I wanted to follow up on this post. Here are pics of my transmission. I do see 741/2 stamped on it. My engine is a 69 912. The car is a T1 A.

[merbesfield]

I am in the shop today trying to knock down cob webs and get back at the car. Silly how long I let this sit for how close the pans are to being in. But life has its challenges. I am trying to remember something I read about making sure the pedal cluster is positioned properly before welding the pan in place. Is it just that simple, mock it up first or are there other points to be checked before welding the pan in? Thanks for the help. Mark

[merbesfield]

[JTR70]

So glad you were able to help yourself out here Mark.

Here's a shot of my factory undisturbed bracket though don't expect that round embossment to be in the right spot on the new floor.