DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Just getting my head around this Greg. So did you manage to bleed the system and get fluid upto the slave cylinder??

Yep, pumped the pedal and bled the air out 40 or more times. Also added one of those pressure pumps to the top of the fluid reservoir, Deffo no air in the pipe/ cylinders. But never got a pedal resistance afterwards.

Hello,
Hooray, I have a hydraulic clutch! well the temporary solutions worked. After changing the master cylinder still no pedal. So changed the flexible hydraulic line to a hard line which after bleeding worked fine. Now working on installing the pipe properly. At least moving in the right direction. Very satisfying that the hydraulic modification works

That's good to hear Greg. Did the conversion come with a full length flexible pipe then?

Hi Rich, I bought the flexi line from the local hydraulic shop thinking it would be easy to install. Which was considerably easier to fit than the hard line. Maybe if the flexi had been smaller bore and thicker walls it would have worked. I have now done all the correct fitting just need to bleed and complete the final adjustment hopefully.

Ok, clutch now officially works, good pedal, no leaks, allows gear selection - YES crossed off the list
On the theme of steps forward and back, the handbrake is a really not properly thought through from a reliability point of view, so back to the drawing board. Current plan is to run the flexi cable from the 944 hub to the tunnel via the underneath (but protected from road etc). Going to try using a thin walled steel tube bent to give straight as possible line between hub and handbrake lever and then welded at the tunnel entrance and clamped at the handbrake end. Initially modify the 944 cable but if it works replace with custom made cables.
Once this job is done should be looking at a driving car!

Handbrake now operational. Yes another tick off the list. Adjusted the gear shift linkage, tick. The plan is to start the engine and try engaging the gears to see if anything works.
Some pics of the hydraulic slave cylinder clutch;

I wish I could have used one of those on my race car, but used the AP 'general' purpose slave on a custom bracket.
My car uses a flexible line of about 4 meters length but is aeroquip brake line, braided cover, same as used on all the brake lines.

Is the clutch pedal load as light as a normal modern car is?

A milestone once it starts and runs on its own power. Good luck, worth a video l reckon

Morning,
The clutch pedal is much lighter than a cable operated 911 or Beetle, very much on par with a modern car feel. I still need to adjust the movement / throw but overall very pleased.

Rich - You are right, I guess the first time the speedster moves under its own steam will be brilliant, maybe today if all goes well

Getting exciting now. I remember part way through my last resto I had to drive it out of the garage and back in again. Just that movement turned it back from a project into my car again - felt great

Wow what a great day so far. Started off with a free breakfast at the staff canteen where my wife works, then drove 10 miles to my friends garage in the 356A coupe in glorious sunshine. That would have been enough for the day.
Then onto the speedster, charged the battery, turned the engine over to circulate the fresh oil, then yes whilst the back wheels were of the ramp ran it through the gears including reverse. So dropped the car back onto the ramps and decided to go for it, Selected reverse carefully engaged the clutch and backed the car off the ramp into the sunshine!!!!!

No video just some quick snaps;







Nearly 3 years of countless hours of effort and blown the budget to get to this point but what a great day. Of course after all the whoops and cheers soon release there is still a huge amount of work to make it a drivable car but fantastic step forward

Brilliant news - well done!

Congrats Greg. Job well done, you must be chuffed with yourself.

What's next on the to do list?

Whilst working on the list of things to do next thought I would post this;



No Steven Spielberg but you get the idea