Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I use American Modern for both of my replicas. Agreed value, full coverage. Policy limits coordinate with my umbrella policy. Must be garaged, and there is an annual mileage limit. Pricing lower than Hagerty and Grundy through my local AAA insurance agency office.
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
Interesting info in this thread:
https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=132924
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
Thanks! My secret is a MIG welder. Nothing fancy, just a Lincoln Pro-Mig 135. I use gas, not flux core wire. It’s way easier to make good welds with it than my old Montgomery-Ward buzz box, and there’s no chipping slag because there’s no flux. Just hit it with a wire brush, that’s it.
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
I did the one for the clutch and throttle cable when I shortened the clutch cable to the correct length. I wasn’t thinking about the fuel line, thanks for the idea. Sadly, one of the previous owners pulled out the tubes and cables for the heater. I’ll probably put them back in when I rebuild the seized 1600 I got for a song this summer. I’d like Maggie to have heat. I’ll have to find the parts. If nothing else I’ll steal them from Little Red, my Speedster replica, her heat is pretty much worthless.
I’m finally finding a little time to work on Maggie. I’ve got the missing support brackets for the rear apron modified and fitted. Just have a wee bit more welding to do, then I can undercoat and install them.
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
Mine has some mild pitting and rust under the headlamp mount, as well as a wrinkled fin. Once I get the car through enhanced inspection, titled, and on the road, I’ll take the grill off the car, straighten the fin, then send it out to be re-chromed. While I’m at it, I’ll remove the crooked MG badge and put it back on straight. The previous owner hadn’t a clue how to measure, or even level by eye. The marker lamps, headlamps, and mirrors are all crooked.
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
Here’s a link to a thread on TheSamba with lots of good info. The one thing people forget to mention is the clutch mechanism has slack in it, but the clutch cable arm is pre-loaded with a spring. Take up the slack when measuring by using pliers to turn the clutch cable arm CCW until you encounter stiff resistance.
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
The builder of my MiGi used the column and shaft out of a Super Beetle, it has a U-joint just inside the firewall which makes the angle at the rag joint reasonable.
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
@nauticalinfidel – There are a couple of possible causes for grinding gears. First is the clutch, is the cable properly adjusted? You should have about 1/2″ of light pedal travel before you feel heavier resistance as the throwout bearing engages the fingers. If you’ve got too much play the clutch may not be disengaging fully, this can cause the gears to grind. Suspect this if the grinding occurs in all gears, accompanied with heavy resistance on the shift lever before it grinds into the forward gears. What you’re feeling is the brass synchronizer rings giving way before the shaft speeds are matched. Adjust the clutch cable ASAP, driving it like this will wear the synchronizers excessively.
If the clutch is properly adjusted and grinding occurs in other than all gears, the synchronizer rings are probably worn. Time to rebuild the transmission. That’s a job best left to a pro.
Eric
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
@nauticalinfidel – Assuming you have a stock VW gear shift lever assembly and the bracket inside the tunnel is not welded, the reverse lockout plate installs atop the tunnel first, long side to the right and up. The shift lever bolts on top of the lockout plate. Make sure the transmission is in neutral, then lightly snug the bolts. Align the shift lever so it’s straight up and down on both the X and Y axes, then tighten the bolts to about 7 ft/lb. <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>The reverse lockout plate and gear shift base should not move when the bolts are tight.</span> Depress the clutch and row through all four gears, then try depressing the lever and shifting into reverse. Loosen the bolts and adjust if needed, then re-tighten, The lockout plate can move a bit independently for fine tuning. Once everything feels right, apply final torque of 13 ft/lb, then test drive. Expect another round of adjustments, it’s hard to get perfect on the first try. Tint movements are best. I tend to tap things around with a small mallet and drift, with the bolts fairly snug to limit movement.
Eric
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
@nauticalinfidel what is that gunk? Looks like a mouse nest.
Eric
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
The MiGi assembly manual (in the library) explains how the gear shift was relocated behind the e-brake handle when the car was built. The rod was removed and shortened, a hole was cut in the top of the tunnel, and a new bracket and bushing were installed. If the builder could weld, the new bracket is tacked in the tunnel, making bushing replacement pretty much the same as what’s shown in several of the how-to videos, except the rod is shorter. Here’s a link to my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un4V6OHXNik Depending on body fitment, you may have difficulty getting the rod out of the access hatch between the torsion tubes in the front of Napoleon’s hat. On mine, it looks like I might have to remove the front fenders if I can’t get enough down angle on the shortened rod.
The builder may have used the “no weld” method, which complicates the job in some ways, yet makes it easier in others. This method uses the bolts which secure the gear shift mechanism to hold the bracket in place inside the tunnel. That’s not a big deal, just remove the gear shift, reinstall the bolts, then proceed as normal. The complicated part is what may have happened at the coupler end of the rod. To avoid welding, the manual recommends compressing the end of the rod slightly in the vertical plane so it engages the coupler, then boring a horizontal hole for the coupler attachment bolt. Because the end is out-of-round, the rod won’t fit through your new bushing. You may struggle getting it through the bracket. You’ll have to form it round to get it to fit, then squeeze it flat again before installing the coupler. This is how mine is. If I ever have to replace the bushing, I’ll buy a new rod, then shorten to spec and weld the coupler end back on. The original rod end is much more sturdy and likely to wear far better than holes drilled in the walls of a hollow rod.
The other thing the “no weld” method makes easy is bushing installation. After extracting the rod, unbolt the bracket and extract it out through the hole in the tunnel. install the new bushing, reinsert in the tunnel, then re-secure. Much easier than installing the bushing through the hole in the tunnel, especially if the edges are jagged.
I sincerely hopes this helps,
Eric1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
Greetings Larry, and welcome aboard!
Turning the torsion spring leaves upside-down would have little or no impact because their neutral position is flat.
The FiberFab build manual, located in the library, describes how to modify the front beam, decreasing the spring rate to accommodate the much lighter front end of the MiGi. basically, FiberFab advises cutting the center section containing the torsion bar mount loose from the upper tube, then welding it back in at zero tension with the beam a specific height from the ground. This modification has been done on mine and the front ride height seems correct. Others on this site have expressed displeasure at the recommended modification, and instead advocate removing the narrower torsion spring leaves from both the upper and lower tubes, leaving only the wider leaves in place.
Were I in your shoes, I’d examine what was done to your beam and check for broken leaves, then develop a plan of action. There are plenty of videos on YouTube showing how the VW front beam is assembled. Prepare to get greasy, it’s a really messy job.
With regard to the rear, perhaps yours is built different than mine. I appear to have enough room to re-index the splines by removing just the rear fenders, not the whole body. Although I don’t need to do so, the rear ride height on mine also seems correct.
Regards,
Eric1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
Mike,
Congratulations on your purchase! Since it hasn’t been run in a while, your London Roadster could probably use some attention to routine maintenance. Here’s a link to a sane schedule: http://www.vw-resource.com/maintenance.html#maintenance. I’d recommend doing everything on the list, all the way down to the wheel bearings. Unless you have detailed records, it’s best to start with a clean slate. A couple of things I do differently:
Oil change: religiously every 3000 miles or yearly. Don’t use the drain plug, pull the strainer and clean it. Unless an aftermarket filter was installed, VW engines don’t have an oil filter. That’s why oil changes are so important. Refill with a good quality 20W-50 (for spring/summer/fall) petroleum (non-synthetic) oil and ZDDP additive for the cam lobes and tappets. Don’t skip the ZDDP. If you do, the camshaft will wear prematurely.
Valve lash adjustment: religiously every 3000 miles. Stock spec for aluminum push rods is .006. Lash for aftermarket chrome moly rods is a matter of some debate. I set mine for loose zero, meaning I can spin the rod in its cup with the piston at TDC, but can’t put even a .001 feeler gauge between the valve stem and the adjuster foot. Adjust valve lash when the engine is stone cold, as in after sitting all night. You’ll be surprised how much better an air-cooled VW runs right after valve lash adjustment.
Good luck with your new TD replica, and welcome to the group!
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
I’m up for a meet & greet, we’ll have to pick a place and time. I’ll have to bring the Speedster though. Maggie (she has a name now) is still in pieces all over the garage. For a while there, everything I touched needed work of some sort. I think I’m close to turning the corner though.
Eric
1952 MG TD FiberFab MiGi, incomplete. 1974 Beetle tub, 1969 1500 cc single port.
