Diederick's '67

[Jim Ratto]

jeepee found these photos of my 67 when we crashed a tupperware party...

looks good Dieds. The color photo especially. Gotta love a java green '67....

[Diederick/DVK]

i've got lots of things in da werks for this winter, but i won't list them all
but i do have some issues that i hope that can be addressed in this topic.

my steering doesn't feel too safe and i'm thinking of replacing the steering box but i don't know how far i should go with replacing parts like a pitman arm (??) and various bushings.

what i feel is lots of play in the wheel, i can imitate an old car movie when standing still 
the adjusting screw on the box is stuck, no way i can get it loose. and when going over uneven areas on the motorway at say 60-70mph i often get a "click" sound that i can feel when i hold on to my steering wheel.

i took the fuel tank out a few days ago, so now i can have a clear view at all the parts. i hope you have any ideas?

[Neil Davies]

Sounds like there is a collapsed bearing in the steering box if you're getting a click. Unfortunately the bearings are VW-supply only - my Dad and some friends all looked around lots of bearing suppliers with no luck.

On the car I just finished ('72 pan), my Dad rebuilt two steering boxes into one good one. You may be able to do the same? Either that or just buy a new one from VW Heritage or somewhere similar and put the 1967 pitman arm on?  I know there are different sizes of track rod ends and I'm sure early cars have the smaller ones. I remember Ivan from Volksworld saying something about '67's having one year only pitman arms and track rod ends many years ago! Maybe something to do with the output shaft being larger (like later cars) with smaller track rod ends?

[Diederick/DVK]

thanks neil! so would replacing the steering box alone be enough?
and what is a pitman arm? the steering shaft?

[Jesse/DVK]

You don't need to steer on a dragstrip Died, but you will need 1915cc power!!!   

Maybe update us with some gauges?

[Neil Davies]

thanks neil! so would replacing the steering box alone be enough?
and what is a pitman arm? the steering shaft?

No worries Died, it's the arm that comes off the bottom of the box that the track rod ends attach to. Unless it's worn on the splines, it should be fine to just change the box. They're a bit of a pain to get off too!

[nicolas]

like Neil says, it's the arm that is coming lose probally. it drives a bit cartoon and then all off a sudden it does 'clunk' and the wheel sits a bit in a different direction. so tighten the bolt that holds the arm snug and see what happens. but it is not a good thing you can't adjust the screw on top off the box... so maybe safer with a new one.

i had the steeringbox replaced and the arm wasn't tightened completely and it had the same thing as you discribe. now everything is tightened and checked and it is a lot better and it drives a bit more like a go-cart then a boot.

[Lee.C]

Just a thought but it could be worn ball joints on the swingarms on the beam - I had the same thing a few years back, it would also effect your steering but i would change the steering box anyway, You won't believe the difference a new one makes 

[Diederick/DVK]

i got some well needed help from my clubmate Jesse last Sunday! and we got around doing some stuff.

here is the 8mm 3/8" fuel line that took us 2-3 hours of fiddling and force to get in.
front:


back, we make the hole a bit larger and i've got about 2" left:


does anyone have any advise on how to connect fuel hoses to the alu tube? with or without fittings?
in the front i will (have to) run the tube through the lid or cap at the end of the tunnel at the frame head, that leaves me with an 1". YES, the tube was a tight fit 

after that we got the pitman arm of my steering box to use on the new box and gave a few coats of primer and paint and fixed a tool.

lastly, we got one of the new wheels out, masked it off and gave it 3 layers of satin black   
Jesse did the job:




what do you say? it was a cool day 

[Wünderwolff]

What you could do for the fuel line is find a bar of solid iron the just fits in the pipe. Put a piece in the back-end and shove it back in the tunnel, you'll see how it will be easy to guide it back later on. Now you have a bit more play at the front, shove another end of solid bar in the pipe and use it to bend the pipe nicely so you can present it through a hole you drill in the stock location.

[Jesse/DVK]

Connect a hose with 2 fittings on the alu pipe 2 inches. So it's also in the tunnel. If you get what I mean or else SMS me .

Was a great day!

[Diederick/DVK]

that would be ideal tim! but the pipe is not that easy to bend and the other problem is fishing it through the stock entry location. i can't get in the tunnel with my hand with the body and beam on...

the easiest thing to do is drill a 10mm hole in that cap/lid so the fuel tube reaches through and the run the fuel hose from the pump in between the tubes on the front beam to the tube and clamp it on. this way it can all come apart again.

[Diederick/DVK]

got some more work done today.

i now have my front wheels ready for tyres:



and my brother fixed another dash grill.



i am still looking for a vdo gauge like the small fuel gauge, let me know if you have one. mind you, it needs to have yellowish "numbers" 

[TheNick80]

Shiny Java Green.   

You mean it supposed to look like that?

[Diederick/DVK]

guess so 

got some nice michelin rubber wrapped around my fuchs today 

[speedwell]

guess so 

got some nice michelin rubber wrapped around my fuchs today 

nice died 

[Diederick/DVK]

thanks fabs, i haven't got any discs yet. so, i can't mount them yet.
gotta get in touch with gunter for that i guess 

[Jeroen]

make an offer i can't resist

[Diederick/DVK]

dude, i can't get how you can supply me with 5x130 discs
but i'm open to suggestions. but i might as well buy them new, i don't intend to make you profit from my purchases 

[Diederick/DVK]

i did buy some nice 5x130 discs with screw-in studs. i'm hoping to get rid of the studs though...
they also came with bearings, but '67 being a difficult year with stock disc brakes i received the wrong bearings, they were bought at BBT so that means another trip to belgium to exchange them for the right ones - are you reading this Peter?

and i finally found the essential piece to my steering box (gold part with rubber) but now the following problem has occured:



i installed the steering box correctly, though there is basically just one way the mounting bracket is in the correct position (no.13 pointing forward). i can get the tie rods in the pitman arm, BUT the steering shaft doesn't line up with the steering box. i am running one set of caster shims, but that couldn't be the problem... what is this? it's driving me nuts!!

[FDK/mrpedrini]

Hey Died.... that's not a big problem. It's the result of the poor quality adjustable beams that are on the market right now..  .. the two welded centerpoints to center your steeringbox are usually welded in the wrong position... (and getting more dramaticly when you drive with caster shims). The best you can do is modify your steeringbox bracket (make those holes a bit larger on each side of the bracket). when you've done this you can align your steering colum.. ..

Like we say: "effe de flex erin!!" good luck...Dennis..

[Lee.C]

OR just knock those silliy little tabs off  with a BIG hammer and an old screw driver - I always get rid of them with "new" beams 

[Diederick/DVK]

thanks dennis!! i'll have a go at that.

OR just knock those silliy little tabs off  with a BIG hammer and an old screw driver - I always get rid of them with "new" beams 

lee, i do have a little less room to swing the hammer than you might with the buggy 

[Diederick/DVK]

almost ready to go, now where is the engine...
 

[Lee.C]

almost ready to go, now where is the engine...
 

Cool what linkage is that 

[Diederick/DVK]

tayco. i just left the crossbar home. didn't feel like taking that with me on the bus 
look at dave rhoads's engine to get an idea of the looks. just the connection to the carbs has changed over time.

[Diederick/DVK]

forgot to post the dashboard grilles my brother fabbed for me 

[nicolas]

nice work you have done there. will it be ready for EBI? can't wait to see it soon.

[Diederick/DVK]

it'd better be ready by then, nicolas 
i'm gonna get cracking on it again tomorrow, get to work on the front beam with a BIG hammer like a true monkey man
get the screw-in studs out of the discs, do a little work on the dash with a dremel tool to get the tachometer in there. see if i can get my oldschool radio to fit. it's slightly too high to go in from the dash, but instead i'm thinking of taking the faceplate etcetera off and slide it in from the trunk area and connect the faceplate and knobs.
this weekend i should be able to install the front wheels when i exchange my front bearings for the right ones at BBT, then slide on the discs and bolt on the wheels as soon as my bolts arrive. install the new super duper short shocks and lower the beam slightly. get to work on the rear wheel, strip paint, sand, mask, paint... you know the drill. install the rear disc brakes at some point. do some plumbing on my fuel system as soon as i order the right fittings. and get stuff powdercoated and get things like the grilles matchpainted.

and then there's the engine, i tried to trial fit some parts last weekend but i got stuck when i realised the company that balanced it all installed a 38mm bolt (instead of 36mm!!) at, say, 230Nm. no way i could get it loose by hand. if only it were 36mm, then i could've used my torque dude
BTW, does anyone have a nice 36mm bolt i can buy? preferably within the EU regarding shipping costs and time...

and once the heads arrive it's gonna be a race against to clock to assemble and break it in. any help is appreciated
my last exam is 16th of June and my internship starts on the 1st of July, so if i get most this abovementioned stuff done during the weekends then it's a 10 day race to EBI to get it all to work and DRIVE

this must give you an idea of the mayhem i'm in, right? 

[wolfswest]

it'd better be ready by then, nicolas 
i'm gonna get cracking on it again tomorrow, get to work on the front beam with a BIG hammer like a true monkey man
get the screw-in studs out of the discs, do a little work on the dash with a dremel tool to get the tachometer in there. see if i can get my oldschool radio to fit. it's slightly too high to go in from the dash, but instead i'm thinking of taking the faceplate etcetera off and slide it in from the trunk area and connect the faceplate and knobs.
this weekend i should be able to install the front wheels when i exchange my front bearings for the right ones at BBT, then slide on the discs and bolt on the wheels as soon as my bolts arrive. install the new super duper short shocks and lower the beam slightly. get to work on the rear wheel, strip paint, sand, mask, paint... you know the drill. install the rear disc brakes at some point. do some plumbing on my fuel system as soon as i order the right fittings. and get stuff powdercoated and get things like the grilles matchpainted.

and then there's the engine, i tried to trial fit some parts last weekend but i got stuck when i realised the company that balanced it all installed a 38mm bolt (instead of 36mm!!) at, say, 230Nm. no way i could get it loose by hand. if only it were 36mm, then i could've used my torque dude
BTW, does anyone have a nice 36mm bolt i can buy? preferably within the EU regarding shipping costs and time...

and once the heads arrive it's gonna be a race against to clock to assemble and break it in. any help is appreciated
my last exam is 16th of June and my internship starts on the 1st of July, so if i get most this abovementioned stuff done during the weekends then it's a 10 day race to EBI to get it all to work and DRIVE

this must give you an idea of the mayhem i'm in, right? 

aahh, vet relaxed dus.     How can we put this in english? 

Keep up the good work.  the fuchs gonna look ultra sweet.  What parts are you gonna matchpaint?  I was thinking about doing the horngrilles also on my car, but inspiration for more is welcome.