1987 3.2 Carrera Backdate project - Sladeys hotrod

[sladey]

OK so probably time for a bit of an update.....

Since last posts the car has been driving brilliantly - the difference the lightweight clutch housing makes is fantastic - it’s got much more pull from 3K revs upwards

Since reinstalling the engine I was a bit disappointed to note that in spite of installing the new clutch slave cylinder the clutch pedal wasn’t ant easier - in fact it was stiffer than I remember it. I put it down to the new clutch housing having stronger springs. Driving around recently I had the alarming experience of approaching a queue of traffic and not being able to depress the clutch.

After a bit of panic and swearing, and a hard stamp on the pedal, it finally gave way and worked OK. It felt like something mechanical so I knew this was something I’d have to check out - I couldn't have that happening again.

I removed the pedal board on the drivers and passengers side and soon saw the problem. On the G50 there is a helper spring joint by some pivoting bars. The bars had become disconnected



Looking at it all a bit closer I realised the two pieces were out of line with each other. I also realised that there was nothing holding the two pieces in line with each other other than the clips holding the mechanism together - the shaft that the clutch pivots on was free to slide from side to side - not good.

To get the two bits in line I cut out one of the washers



Much better! I then looked at how I could stop the shift from just sliding along and breaking the linkage again. I’ve no idea if there was something there before but there isn’t anything there now - seems like a stupid design to me (unlike Porsche - so I’m inclined to think something has gone missing over the years).

Eventually I noticed there is a hole in the shaft itself. If I could bolt something through that then it could stop the shaft sliding along. I bent a penny washer so it would curve around the shaft, and then welded a blob onto the end so it was a snug fit and topped any lateral movement of the shaft



I chemical blacked it after that photo.

Once it was all back together the clutch felt light and also smoother - nice!




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[sladey]

Another thing that’s been bothering me for, oh about the last 10 years, is my door switches. I’d had intermittent alarm problems for longer than I can remember. When the alarm sets it thinks the door is open when it isn’t - sometimes. It can then trigger itself randomly, which is always a laugh in the car park.

During the last resto work, Neil explained that the switch just screws into a threaded hole in the door jamb, and that over time the hole corrodes and the hole becomes looser.

He had a sneak fix which basically involves slipping a bit of solder onto the thread as you screw it in. That puts a bit of pressure on and restores the electrical contact. He did that and it worked for a while - but eventually the solder breaks and you’re back to a shakey connection.

When I got the lathe I’d planned in my mind that engineering a ‘proper’ solution would be one of my projects, and I even made this piece.


It’s threaded with M9x1.25 thread so it takes the switch and the initial thinking was that I’d weld the piece onto the door jamb.

That thought didn’t fill me with joy though - at best I’d have to repaint the door jamb, and if the weld got out of hand it would be a tricky area to put right. So I didn’t take it any further.

More recently though I’ve returned to the problem. I was now thinking along the lines of threading the outer part of the adapter and increasing the hole in the door jamb to take it.


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[sladey]

Initially I turned a piece of steel and started trying to thread it by hand using a die.


This was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth and then I remembered I’d already got some M12 threaded bar - so why not use that.

I chucked it up and also drilled down the middle


Then I got a penny washer and enlarged the hole so I could tap an M12 thread in it


I threaded that onto the end of the bar



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[sladey]

... And welded it in place (I put the nut behind it to hold it perpendicular while I welded it


Forgot to take a pic post-weld but then I ground the welds back using the lathe, and turned the outer part of the washer down to a more sensible size



Then I started tapping the centre hole - part way down, disaster struck!


It’s actually not as bad as it seems - I’d got enough made to be usable and it doesn’t have to be super-strong. I was tapping an M9 thread down the middle of an M12 bar - there’s not a lot of metal left.

Anyhow, I chopped it off and tidied it up leaving this


And here it is screwed into an M12 nut to make sure it fits



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[sladey]

All I did then was drill out the original hole to just over 10.5mm and tap it to take M12.

The adapter screws into it nicely - you wouldn’t know it was there.


I’m going to chemical black it to give a bit of rust protection and also drill a couple of small holes in the washer so I can unscrew it (the switch unscrews leaving the adapter in the door). I’ll then make one of the other side.

Very happy with this - took a while to make but it’s an elegant solution IMHO.

In order to do it I needed to drop the wire inside the cavity but having bought an endoscope now I’m sure I’ll be able to sort that out as well


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[sladey]

One other thing to mention is the subject of steering wheels. I’ve already got a few, but whilst I don’t have the fetish-level of some on this forum (naming no names), my eye is often drawn to nice wheels.

Early last year Ian bought a nice 380mm 4-spoke out of a 914 (I think) and re-stitched it himself. I was impressed by the look of this and starting wondering what a 380mm jobbies would look like in my car - double wrapped a la RSR and with a Hockey Puck.

Just before Christmas I pulled the trigger on this little baby


Which is a 380mm rubber-rimmed 914 wheel. It came from the states and for a reasonable price compared to what else what out there.

One thing concerned me - one of the suppliers was offering one of these wheels ‘converted to fit later cars’. - by that I deduced that it might not be a straightforward bolt-on job but I was confident this would be nothing to a man of my calibre.

The wheel arrived the morning of the office party so considering my state at the party I did quite well to remember to bring it home. That night, at around 4:00am when the Caffeine in the 6 Jagerbombs was starting to wear off, I ordered one of Karmann Konnection’s Hockey Pucks for the princely sum of 300 of your Eenglish pounds.



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[sladey]

Over Christmas I thought I’d have a look and see how big a job it would be to fit the wheel

Immediately I realised it wasn’t going to fit as it was - the whole fitting was different. However, looking at the Momo hub, I realised that if the wheel was carefully drilled it would bolt onto the Momo hub nicely. Apart from the holes in the wheel it could then be re-used as normal.

I first removed the hockey-puck cage (the thing the hockey puck screws into) - this is held in place by 3 rivets - I ground the backs off and tapped them through.

Then I had to drill the 6 perfectly spaced holes. I was help enormously here by the spacer I am using with my current wheel. Two existing holes in the back of the wheel were already in the right position and the spacer helped me get all the rest drilled correctly



I was then left with this - I chamfered all the holes so they would take my existing M5 Allen bolts nicely.



I then tapped the 3 holes where the puck cage had been riveted on


So I would be able to screw and unscrew the puck cage - that would be part of the process of removing the wheel in future

(I’ve now ordered some M5 Cap headed Allen bolts in black to go in place of those silver ones)




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[sladey]

About this time I started toying with the idea of a ‘signature’ touch. I always love a few holes in something so once it was in primer I drew a few holes on


I was umming and ahing for a while but eventually said f***-it and chose the bigger holes.

I worked out that I wanted 3 holes in each arm, of 12,14, and 16mm diameter, and that the gaps between the holes should be identical at 10mm.

Started by using my new automatic pilot-punch (dunno if it’s called that)


Some careful work with a step-drill and I found if I was careful it could also chamfer the holes



Leaving me with this



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[sladey]

A bit of Halfords Satin....


And I’m happy with the result.

I was always intending sending it to Jonathan for recovering, but before I did I needed to know the puck would fit and work.

the puck arrived - very nice - doesn’t look too new


Ian came round with his wheel and between the two of us (well him mostly) we stablished that the horn connection would work, and sussed out what paint I now needed to remove to allow a proper connection.

Once that was sussed out, I sent it along to Jonathan.

I had an ‘oh shite’ moment when in conversation with Jonathan it became clear that he needed the rubber covering as a starting point. I had cut this off previously in a less than careful manner. He said it’s all do-able so I packaged it up and sent it off to him .

Got a few pics off him today


With the rim glued on and the filling process started


really looking forward to this now

Thanks for listening


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[bjmullan]

Great bedtime reading Mark. Thanks.

[Mike]

Seems a lot of trouble to go to for a steering wheel.....

[sladey]

I quite agree - perhaps I need an appointment with Bert

[smallspeed]

love it
I've been astounded by the cost of steering wheels recently, so really like this as a nice alternative

[Gary71]

Nice work as usual Mark. I’m using a full size 911 wheel for my Son’s Beetle, and may steal some inspiration! I’ll make a centre for it though unless I get drunk enough to pay $300 for one!

[defianty]

Nice updates Mark - Wheel is looking great, can't wait to it after Jp has finished with it. Mine looked awesome when I got it back from him.