From: rgolen@UMASSD.EDU
Subject: [A] 56 bug...Goin Mobile!
Reply-To: rgolen@UMASSD.EDU
Organization: UMASS DARTMOUTH, NO. DARTMOUTH, MA.
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 19:54:58 GMT

The fuel tap has yet to show up from California, eventhough it
left on the 31st, but what the hell that's just a minor
inconvenience right now. The car has to be registered next
week, so I can wait. Besides, the plastic fuel can fits in
the spare tire hole, and I have enough fuel line to reach
the fuel line at the front of the car.

The wheel cylinder went in without too much bother. The end of the
brake line had some crud in it, so with a couple of pumps on
the old pedal, out it went. After about 10 minutes of tightening,
checking, bleeding, we had pedal. The right rear brake worked.

My autocrossing partner, George, came over again. He's suffering
from winter motorsports withdrawal (and so am I), and figured
getting some grease under his fingernails would be a temporary
antidote. While I was replacing the heater cable, he was 
putting on the tires. I picked up a new pair of radials for
the front and put on some snows (with less than 2k miles) on
the rear, so it has good rubber all around.

The moment I was waiting for finally arrived. The car was off
the jackstands and sitting on four, air-filled, tires. I
quickly cleaned up, and hopped in and fired it up. It 
fired immediately...chugga...chugga...chugga...

I held my breath, and pushed in the clutch pedal, and poped it
(oops popped) into reverse. No grinding, good sign. Cautiously
I let off on the clutch, and it began to move. Out into
the driveway I went. At the edge of the driveway, I looked
up the street and then down the street. No Cars! Snick...into
first, and away we went. About 100 feet down the street to
the next driveway. Into the driveway, back out, and down
the road again. 

I felt as if I were 15 again and taking brief sprints down
the street when no one was looking   :-). Back to the 
garage to check things out. As it sat idling, I noticed
a rattling noise comming from the clutch pedal. It went away
when I pushed the pedal down, but came back when I released
it. I shut the bug off, and crawled under the back, but there
was nothing on the outside of the transaxle that was causing
the vibration.

So up went the bug, back on the jackstands, and out came
the engine. Years ago a friend of mine was putting a 
clutch in a 55 bus. As he was putting the engine back
in, he aparently knocked the throwout bearing off of 
the fork. He never noticed his error, put the motor
back in, started it up, pressed the clutch, and
snap. I seemed to recall the clutch pedal on the
bus making the same noise as the bug.

I went over to his place to see what I could do, when we
pulled the engine, one of the fingers that holds the 
clutch fork in place was broken off. On a "split case"
transmission it means you have to take the transmission
apart to replace it. On a 55 bus (which at the time
was worth $50) it meant a one-way trip to the 
junk yard.

THE "ARE YOU SURE YOU CHECKED EVERYTHING" DEPARTMENT.
Luckily for me, the throwout bearing was still in place.
A quick look at the pressure plate revealed that the
part of the pressure plate the bearing sits against was
cocked at an angle. Upon a closer look, I noticed two
bolts missing from the pressure plate. This caused
the pressure plate to sit at an angle and vibrate
against the clutch fork...

I guess I should have checked to see if all of the bolts
were on the pressure plate before I put the motor in 
the first time. Then again, the pressure plate was
on the motor for over 10 years, so why look......

The motor went back in, everything buttoned back up, and
back out into the driveway and up and down the street
again. After 5 minutes in 1st gear, dodging traffic,
etc. I pulled back into the driveway infront of the
garage.

George and I went in and cleaned up the garage, while the
bug sat outside idling. I drove the bug back in, shut it
down and figured we'd call it a day. As Rosanne Rosanna
Danna used to say "It's always something". Out in
the driveway where the bug was sitting was a puddle
of oil.

A quick check revealed it was trans. oil. I jacked up the driver's
side and saw a tear in the axle boot. It looks like I'll
have to replace the boots next week. Anyone out there want
the experience of a lifetime? Come on down and change my
axle boots!

Before heading out, I decided to at least put the fuel tank
in its place under the hood. Yesterday I gave it a quick
coat of battleship grey paint. It looks nice sitting under
the hood, contrasted against the black paint of the rest
of the car.

Well, there's not much to do, other than wait for that
damned fuel tap to come in, and then register the bug.

Ric
Newsgroups: rec.autos.vw