Carson - My new 68 project..

[89Rallye]

Last one of the week from me and a quick one so you can breathe a sigh of relief,

Wired the battery up and frigged the ignition (no keys) to see what would happen, no smoke or flames! So it was a start

So the run down..

Good bits,

Ignition light - check
Oil pressure light - check (and working)
Headlights - check
High beam including dash light - check

The Issues,

Hazard lights - intermittent operation and only o/s/f & n/s/r working no dash lights
Indicators (column switch) not working at all
Side lights not working all round (yet dash light working)
Wipers not working
Fuel gauge not working - showing full
Interior lights not working (not the end of the world but if it's there it should work s my motto)

So all in all not bad, I think I'm going to have to drop the dash out which I really didn't want to do but it needs a good scrubbing and it'll make life easier getting into the fusebox.

I had a quick look at the flasher unit, might of found the intermittent fault :lol:

This didn't look good

So out came the soldering iron,

Refitted and hey presto hazards are working (yes I did take about 6 photos. To get this :lol: ), although the n/s/f light unit had a broken clip which needed sorting. And the rears still arnt right but I think this is an earth fault because I painted the lamps.

All dash lights working now too 8)

Cut a load of dead wiring out, including a key switch which had fallen behind the front panel. So it's not looking good for the ignition switch (who ever it was pm'd me about a new ignition switch unit feel free to. Say I told you so!)

Also had the engine running in the van momentarily but it didn't last wrong as I think there's not enough fuel in the tank.

 

[89Rallye]

Well I really didn't want to go this far...

But I've had to pull the screen out, it's not as bad as it looks.

Then pulled the dash, mainly just for cleaning but it should also make sorting the wiring easier and getting into the faulty wipers.

Pulled the wiper motor assembly out, good news is the motors working on the bench so the fault lies with the switch.

Bad news is the one of the spindles is seized and the whole things been turning in the housing.

Going to take this into work tomorrow to see if I can free it all up with some heat.

Nice bit of American wiring on the ignition, this is were somebody has spliced an aftermarket key switch in :shock: Would of been easier to just fit it from the fuse box instead of running it through the dash and ignition cowling.

And you might of noticed this monstrosity on the heaters....

I've always thought it was something that'd been cobbled up and welded to the floor

Turns out though that someone had put a lot of thought into it...

And then cobbled it together :lol:

And since the fan works really well I might actually just tidy it up a little, paint it and keep it.

So if anyone can help I need a wiper switch, ignition switch and would take a wiper assembly too.

 

[Mark6455]

Not looking too bad at all mark compared to my horrors

 

[rallye dale]

Lights :mrgreen:

Must of taken someone a while to get that fan thing together :lol:

 

[gvee]

Nice to see the engine in at last! 8)
Get a proper air filter on it though

Great updates since too! Loved seeing the inside of the flasher unit, good work. Plus the screen doesn't look that bad at all - looks like you've caught it just in time!

And as for that... thing?! Where do we start? What the f**k was it supposed to be for?! :lol:

 

[Resto-raider]

That heater thing is a piece of art! Albeit dark art.

 

[gninnam]

Looks like it's been Assimilated by the Borg.................

 

[89Rallye]

Cheers guys,

I'm just so relieved that it wasn't actually all just welded to the floor :lol: , it does actually work quite well but with no heat exchanger on it'll just be blowing cold air anyway.

Nice to see the engine in at last! 8)
Get a proper air filter on it though

Believe it or not the air filters not even bolted on, it's just one I had lying round which I stuck on for the time being.

What's people's recommendations then for a filter? Although can't go standard as there's not filter mount in the bay.

 

[89Rallye]

Another boring update really,

I've had a lucky break with the wipers, although it didn't come easy.

After two full days soaking in a bath of oil, some very light heat and about half an hour with a small hammer working it one way and the other finally I got the seized spindle out.

And the other spindle didn't look any better, so probably best this is getting stripped.

And all greased and built back up, had to do a small repair to the nipple on the frame that locks the spindle in place. It's all fitted back in and working now, so another job ticked off the sheet.

Now back peddling a little here but I'm sick of these rear lights, working one minute then not the next which is no good for the upcoming mot.

When I looked into it, it wasn't a fault with the power side of things but the earths.

It's difficult to explain but for those that don't know, VW in there wisdom earth the rear lights with some small 'nipples' on the housing that clamp to the body (earth) when the lens is screwed on because the units sit inside the seal.

Now as anyone whose has ever removed a light cluster will know they are usually bent, snapped etc.

Bit like most of mine are,

I've decided after a lot of head scratching that I would give each light unit it's own true earth.

Brake light units were easy enough,

Take one piggy back crimp and break off the tab,

Then solder this onto the bulb holder earth fitting (if you look back I'd already solder this for extra support to the bulb holder)

Now the reverse lights (will now be indicators) proved a little more tricky as it wasn't possible to solder to the body or bulb holder.

So only one thing for it, drill holes in it :lol:

Then add cable,

Nuts a bit tricky but not as bad as I thought it would be.

And all together and for the first time I've actually got all my lights working at once . The connection on the battery will be made permanent eventually.

And the other side just earthed to the body,

Then everything got a coating of battery terminal protector just to keep the weather off them.

Also been prepping and priming the windscreen surround, couple of little pin prick holes but everything looks a ok.

I'll do a search but couple I quick questions..

What do people do regarding the front sidelights?

What's the best way to clean the dust crap off the dashboard? (Had hot soapy water on it but when it dries it's still there)

 

[Mark6455]

Good work today mark your damm good at the electrickery stuff


Mark

 

[89Rallye]

Last job hopefully on the electrics was to tidy up the fuse box,

Including cleaning the grubby terminals and look at repairing the broken clip,

Not perfect but it should do,

And back in the hole,

Waxoyl'ing all done and got the dash all cleaned up,

It was worth pulling the dash out just to be able to scrub it clean properly,

Came up well 8)

Before

After,

Dash before and after,

And just when I thought there was light at the end of the tunnel,

Pulled the steering column to bits, got to sort the ignition out,

And going to clean this up too while I'm at it,

I've ordered some keys praying that one will fit the ignition, problem I have is that the cab doors have been replaced (not 68 door handles) so I pulled the sliding door lock and also the engine/tailgate locks and there all different numbers :lol:

So I've ordered a pair of keys, fingers crossed.

 

[Mark6455]

Wow good job on the dash mark what did you use to clean it up?

Mark

 

[89Rallye]

Wow good job on the dash mark what did you use to clean it up?

Mark

8)

I tried just hot soapy (fairy liquid) water and a sponge yesterday but when it dried off the dirt was still in the grain of the vinyl.

So plan B today was hot soapy water although this time using quite a strong tfr (the steam cleaner stuff) solution and a nail brush, the amount of crap that came off still the second time round was amazing.

Then a liberal coating of mer's vinyl/plastic cleaner,

Very happy with the results, well worth the effort. Just got a few more bits to sort out now so I can button it all up.

Decided to keep the glove box liner for the other van so I might do a custom metal glovebox too if I've got time.

 

[89Rallye]

Well I got a bit sidetracked today, plus I'm waiting on parts anyway.

The van actually came with an original glovebox liner (in good nick too) Ive decided to keep this for my other van, and since the dash is uncut for a radio I used the original as a template to make a glovebox and radio housing.

Eventually I'll add some 12v sockets and a light in there too.

Thought I'd better stick some cooling in for the radio,

Just got to line it with something now, might even have it flocked and best of all it didn't cost me anything as it was just two old shelves destined for the bin 8)

Result.

 

[Mark6455]

Your far too clever mate

 

[89Rallye]

Your far too clever mate

:shock: hardly mate, it's just a few bits of steel tacked together.

You saves lives for a living and I screw around with cars, so I know who the clever one is.

 

[gninnam]

Nice one Mark - looks good does that 8)

 

[89Rallye]

Nice one Mark - looks good does that 8)

Thank you, still a bit more planned with it but it's getting there.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it here (I know I did on another post) but I took a gamble with my ignition lock as I don't have any keys with the van, so I stripped the door, sliding door and engine lid locks off and ended up with a total of three separate key codes.

Now I know the cab doors are wrong (not 68 handles) so they have been changed in the past, it was more than likely that the sliding door was original and the engine lids also been added at a later date but I ordered two keys from these codes.

Anyway the keys turned up very quickly (which for once was actually annoying as I was working nights :shock: ) and the sliding door matches the ignition.

Sorted 8)

Only strange thing was it didn't work in the sliding door (the code I actually ordered the key from) but that problem soon became apparent once I started stripping it.

So today I took a look at the other locks to see about putting them all onto one key, which is a tad frustrating but surprisingly very easy to do.

Yet again like everything else with this van I didn't think it would go this far but looking at the crap in the locks it was (yet again) well worth doing.

Most of the locks are generally in this sort of condition,

Except for that stubborn sliding door lock, which took about an hour to get out of the lock as it was seized solid. To free it I ended up soaking it in boiling water with the hope that all the different metals would free themselves up and it worked a treat.

This is the sliding door lock, in a very sorry state.

Cleaned the external of the barrel and it shows just how stuck the tumblers are in the barrel (with the key removed they should all be sticking out!)

So I pulled all the locks apart and cleaned each tumbler, you can also see a lot of the springs are knack erred but luckily I had a spare lock to steal the springs from.

Stripped

And cleaned,

Reassembled (tumblers are actually free and spring loaded now 8) )

All greased and it's now super smooth back in the handle,

still got the engine lid and tailgate to do (hoping the tailgate is original) but I now have one key that's fits both front cab doors, sliding door and ignition :rocknroll:

Been waiting for a delivery all day from heritage with the new ignition switch but it didn't arrive till late on so hopefully I'll get the steering column built back up tomorrow and back in the van.

Just the big brake hurdle to get over..

 

[89Rallye]

One step forward, two steps back

I'm glad though I caught this before building the dash back up, just had it sat running and it slowed down to a halt and started smoking :shock:

I'm sure you'll be glad to know very few pics, but I managed to get all the steering buttoned up...

New ignition fitted and a coat of paint (which reacted a little but I don't care at this stage)

Steering box back on after filling with my own special brew concoction,

All new wiring for the horn, including bottom earth for the column.

Column back in,

I made a loom for the glovebox which will power 12v sockets, light and radio, gave it a lick of satin black but looking for some felt to line it all with.

Glovebox entertainment fitted, just an old DVD player I had lying around 8)

So all lights are now working as they should off the ignition using a key 8) , Engine cranks although I really need to sort some petrol out.

I put the drivers seat in and was sat making brum brum noises :lol: stupid I know but the best satisfaction I've had for a long time from a vw (one of my own anyway, usually just satisfied when they leave,) being able to turn a key and crank the engine.

Brakes left to do, which I'm dreading. I have the n/s rear to build up a few pipes left to fit including servo pipe and reservoir then bleed them up. Which I'm not looking forward to.

 

[rallye dale]

Busy busy, i was up near yours yesterday but didnt have time to call in :roll:

Getting there now, have you put waxoyl where the screen rubbers going to sit ?