first AS bug and have questions!

jaywiz · 22 April 2010, 15:48

Hi all,
I have done a ton of reading on here and on the samba and love all the helpfull stuff i have learned.
Here is the story and the questions(bit of a newbie to the whole thing so bear with me).The wife let it slip that she has always wanted a bug so for her last b-day i bought her a CHEAP 68as that needed much lovewhich she named Murphy(i enjoy putting things back together,it relaxes me).Well the poor 68 was too much repair for her.So for Xmas i found her a 70(Fritz) that the price was right that runs and drives mostly(needed brakes,tires,tune up and exhaust).Well i did the disk conversion on the front and rebuilt the rear(rears only needed hoses come to find out),got the tires and exhaust,did the tune up,and the car shifting feels sloppy to me,and the trans/clutch? slips when ya get on it or gooose it at speed.The question is could someone clue me in to how these things are supposed to shift(do ya pushdown to shift or just let off the gas and grab and go?) and where the adjustments are to correct the slipping issue.I am a gm tech and have the bently/vw manual and its not real clear about either.Oh and just to let ya know since doing the little bit of work to her 70 i fully plan on putting the 68 together for myself with some upgrades to burn the local kids racing around town in their stock imports!HAHA should be a blast.

tmea · 22 April 2010, 16:51

Jaywiz:

Welcome to the autostick world! To answer your questions: 1. When working properly, "let off the gas and grab and pull" is exactly how you shift it. 2. Use the search function on the web site, there are some very good references with pictures that will help you with the adjustments. Mostly you will be adjusting the screw on top of the vacum servo (mounted on the R/S of the engine firewall with large hoses coming out of it). I would recommend however, that before you adjust anything you go through the vacum system and find any leaks etc...

Just follow the vacum line (big one) from the intake manifold over to the vacum servo on the L/S side of the engine compartment. Ensure the three hoses coming from that servo to the: intake manifold, vacum tank, clutch servo on top of the tranny are good. After going through the hoses and connections check the clutch servo diaphragm (on top of the tranny). This can be done without dismounting anything. Just take the hose off from the engine compartment side at the vacum servo and apply vacum. It should hold it with no leaks. If the diaphragm is leaking they are inexpensive and easy to replace. They are available on www.thesamba.com and other air cooled vw parts sources.

Those are the big initial checks I'd do before turning any adjusters. Finally, check this web site on how to clean/adjsut the shift contacts on the stick shift. Occasioinal maintenance of the above items is uaually all that is required to keep them on the road forever...

Drop a line if you have any problmes. Being a tech yourself I am sure you will find it a simple system after you dive into it.

Tom

Bookwus · 22 April 2010, 18:48

Hiya Jay,

Tom has pretty much covered ther bases.

But I would like to add one thing..............there are two adjustments that can be made which will affect shifting. The adjust screw atop the control valve tweaks the rate of shifting speed. This guy............

The other adjust point is the actual clutch adjust. This will be found on the clutch adjust arm which points to the rear from the clutch servo. Here's a pic................

jaywiz · 23 April 2010, 15:05

The more i work on this thing the more i love the simplicity of EVERYTHING!Thanks for the info,I figured it was something small and simple like that,I will check all the vacume hoses.Mine doesn't look anywhere near as good or clean as the pics you posted,he's alittle rusty.Now on to a new discovery that i made yesterday,and a new question.Is there any way to get the right(passenger side)rear(closest to the rear of the car)head tin off without removing a ton of stuff,It seems that while the car was in storage a mouse decided that would be a great place to build a nest.She stuffed the entire tin from head cooling fins to sheet metal with interior insulation and i'm alittle concerned that when heat starts building it will catch fire!I dug as much as i could out through the spark plug holes but i'm sure there is more in there.I went through all the electrical yesterday and replaced all the green 40 year old connections everything seems to work just fine now,but for the life of me i can't seem to figure out how the carpet is supposed to sit in the trunk.I'm sure i'm over thinking it,but if anyone would be so kind as to post a pic of how it goes in and what holds it in place,that would be great!
Thanks
J

Bookwus · 23 April 2010, 18:50

Hiya Jay,

The right side rear tin? And you've been pulling out old insulation through the number two spark plug hole, right? Then I'm guessing that you want to remove this piece.............

This may be possible but you'll have to remove the rear tin and (probably) the preheat elbow (seen also in the picture above). You would also want to loosen the cylinder tin. It won't move much because its held in place by the fanshroud but loosening it could give you a little play so that you can remove the rear piece.

And if Miss Mousie has been at work then you are correct............it would be a good idea to get that stuff outta there.

Carpet in the trunk? No such thing on a Bug. Bugs came with a trunk liner which is a heavy duty fibreboard kinda deal. Any carpeting would be something added on by a PO.

jaywiz · 23 April 2010, 19:40

Thats the tin in question,Thanks so much.On the carpet in the trunk,this is molded really well to fit the trunk area it just doesn't seem to have any way to hold it up the sides.So this molded fiberboard is what covered up all the wiring and gas tank?BTW love the nice clear pics in both your posts they are worth a thousand words.I will get some of the 70 and post them up this weekend.

Bookwus · 23 April 2010, 20:54

Quote from: jaywiz on 23 April 2010, 19:40 .....On the carpet in the trunk,this is molded really well to fit the trunk area it just doesn't seem to have any way to hold it up the sides......

Probably an aftermarket product purchased and installed by the PO.

Quote....So this molded fiberboard is what covered up all the wiring and gas tank?....

Exactly the case. Take a look at a really good repop of that original trunk liner..................

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=113863509AA

jaywiz · 27 April 2010, 21:16

Ok moved on to replacing vacum hoses,and discovered that i have a bad diaphram in the clutch actuator.Is there a rebuild kit available,and if so where do i get one.Or where can can i obtain a whole clutch actuator?

Bookwus · 27 April 2010, 23:24

Hiya Jay,

The diaphragm in the clutch servo is the weak spot in the vacuum system. It is not uncommon for them give up the ghost if they have not been properly maintained over the years. Kits (consist of the diaphragm and a containment ring for the clutch servo canister halves) are available from a number of places. Take a look at...............

http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VWC%2D113%2D142%2D055%2DRK

By the way, as you search for AS related parts you will find the VWAR list of suppliers to be very handy. Take a look at "Sources For AutoStick Parts" in the Parts Forum here at VWAR. Dave (Hercdriver) has compiled a great list of sources for various AutoStick parts.

jaywiz · 28 April 2010, 15:02

Thanks mike,
I did search and found the thread on "rebuilding the clutch servo" but thought i was sunk by the fact that mine had the crimp on ring,i then found that the ring comes with the rebuild kit.I brought the camera in today so i will try and post some pics of this beast of burden.BTW every time i work on this bug it leaves me bleading,are all bugs biters or does the wifes know i normally work on domestics?I have never had so many busted knuckel awards in my life till this thing came along.

Bookwus · 28 April 2010, 18:24

Hiya Jay,

FWIW, I have tiny little scars all over my knuckles.

jaywiz · 03 May 2010, 16:30

hi mike,
posting up a quick pic of the engine compartment,will post up closer pics of the tins i believe i'm missing and looking to know if i can get by as it is.

see anything super bad in this crappy pic that needs to be fixed asap(the fuel nipple in the solex is threaded,so i don't think it will be pulling out.

Bookwus · 03 May 2010, 18:09

Hiya jay,

A couple of comments..............

1. The wood plugs on your heater outlets........... without the heat exchangers you do want these plugged up. However, you will get better overall cooling (because of the design of the fanshroud and the cooling system) if these are hooked up to functioning heat exchangers.

2. The heater tube opening in your rear tin (just to the side of the ATF line junction)........... without the heater tube in place this hole really needs to be covered/closed off. Same with the hole on the left side of the rear tin also.

3. The 12mm vacuum hose from the intake manifold to the control valve............. the hose you have LOOKS like regular old heater hose. If so, that's not a good thing because heater hose will collapse under a vacuum. Give your hose a squeeze. If you can collapse it with pressure from finger and thumb, replace it with wire reinforced hosing. This is true for any 12mm hose hooked to your control valve. We can tell you where to get the "good stuff". Also, it would probably be a good idea to route that hose under the distributor and along the intake manifold rather than having it put pressure on the spark plug wires.

4. The fuel line and filter......... most will tell you to get the fuel filter out of the engine compartment. Glad to hear that your fuel inlet is secured to the carburetor. That fuel hose looks ENORMOUS. I'd replace that with either original OEM braided hose or FI hose.

jaywiz · 03 May 2010, 19:14

I figured that the holes in the breast plate needed to be covered,the vacuum line from the manifold to the control valve is GM brake booster vacuum line(no benz dealers around,and the stuff from CIP is junk).the fuel line is EFI line and has a HUGE outer dia but fits nicely and doesn't leak.
I thought the same thing when i saw the wood plugs,but they must have been hammered in there and don't move(even under force,i tried).Thanks for the insight,i will be atempting to rebuild the clucth servo at lunch(parts are here).So wish me luck.

The clutch servo is back together,no more leaks there,and after closely looking(and some reading in the manual) the only tin i'm missing is the upper pulley cover.I can't see where it has anything to do with the cooling system(it only mounts to the breast plate).I even found the intake preheater covers in the car(good thing i didn't throw them out on inital cleanout wit the rest of the POs junk).As soon as i get a set of rubber wrapped around the tires it will be test drive time.

jaywiz · 15 July 2010, 15:25

OK it took me a ton of time but i finally got back to the bug.got the wheels and tires on as well as a front disc conversion,new ball joints,brake lines(rubber to stainless braided),clutch servo diaphram,tune up,Replaced the oil screen(it was missing),and some other odds and ends(thanks MIKE).The clutch/trans still seems to slip under power though.It seems stout in low gear(will even spin a tire in gravel)then when you get close to cruising speed(high gear)it seems to slip,if you let off the throttle it will engauge again and alittle further down the road slip again.I just want this thing good to go b4 i turn the wife loose in it