Franken-TD for an '84 Coupe: Like i need another hole in my build thread

[TimpanogosSlim]

Keys replaced. Despite what the watercooledkeys guy says, it seems that a number stamped in the hook at the small end of a mk1 handle is not a lock code. He requires a photo of a key, so, i think he may be fibbing. Anyway, i paid bob's lock safe and key of west valley city to cut new generic keys from the door barrels, and they work in the ignition switch. They can cut my vintage steel blank so I'll be back to have that cut at some point.

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes

[TimpanogosSlim]

Decided that i had done a terrible job of plumbing in the oil cooler and removed it.

I hope the oil filter is sealing properly against the media-blasted surface of the flange. I have doubts. But it's better than losing all of my oil.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Put another dozen miles on it with the utah association of euros crowd. Starts and runs better every time. Hills are still an experience. Need to crank down the mbc, turn up fuel, etc.

The suspension really is comical. Front left shock works poorly, front right is really stiff, both rears may as well be missing. Got some lightly used B&G progressive springs already and lightly used bilsteins on the way. Need to order bushings from GAP tonight

Getting woozy from the exhaust fumes. Really need to get it over to the exhaust shop for complete straightpipe.

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes

[TimpanogosSlim]

Forgot to mention - last weekend a friend accompanied me to the tear-a-part and helped me pull front sway bar & brackets, and spindles and axles, off of a '91 cabriolet.

Yesterday i cleaned up and painted the inner sway bar brackets. Today i installed them w/ my eurosport lower front 4-point brace. I'm waiting for new bushings to come from GAP before i can install the front sway.

Got the exhaust tunnel heat shield i pulled off that '83 jetta several weeks ago installed too. Took minor hacking because catalyzed jettas have different exhaust hanger spots.

I wanted to have both of these in place before i take it to have a 2.25" straight pipe built into it. So the fabricator knows what he has to work around.

I'm debating whether to just swing by the raceland warehouse and gamble on their front strut bar. it is only $50 and 35 minutes away.

lightly used bilsteins are on the way for all 4 corners. Complete set of new bushings and bearings and whatnot for all four corners of suspension are on their way in from GAP and autohausaz. Probably should have ordered new bushings for the rear beam too.

Right now, the front left shock is sort of ok, front right is very very stiff. both rear shocks are really loose.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Ordered an m10 to 1/8 npt adapter, npt equivalent of the pressure switch in the head, and a plug for the port i am going to vacate in the tee in the filter flange from summit. Already have a spare tee. Moving the pressure sender to the head.

Between that and the suspension it's gonna be a busy weekend

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

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Further update: Found the PS reservoir below minimum, filled to max with dexron.
......................

You may want to check if dexron is the right fluid for PS. On my 92 Jetta it is a special fluid. Can't recall the exact spec.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Yeah, there are several threads on the subject on the vortex. But the reservoir in my 84 clearly states ATF-1

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

And you're sure that's the correct reservoir? What does the Bentley say? I wish mine would take Dexron.

[TimpanogosSlim]

The reservoir is slotted into a bracket on the frame rail in a way that looks awful stock to me. The bentley has a picture of a different style of reservoir that is mounted on the core support and says not to use atf, but then gives a list of NLA products, and the few i have been able to find information about online are automatic transmission fluids.

My diesel mk1 bentley often doesn't jive with my 84 jetta. For example there are several fuse/relay diagrams and none of them look like mine, which mostly resembles what you find online as a CE1 panel.

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes

[libbydiesel]

Vanagons use Dexron for the power steering. 

[RabbitJockey]

Keys replaced. Despite what the watercooledkeys guy says, it seems that a number stamped in the hook at the small end of a mk1 handle is not a lock code. He requires a photo of a key, so, i think he may be fibbing. Anyway, i paid bob's lock safe and key of west valley city to cut new generic keys from the door barrels, and they work in the ignition switch. They can cut my vintage steel blank so I'll be back to have that cut at some point.

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes

that is a code for the key, i lost the only key to my rabbit and took the door handle to the lock smith and they were able to make me new ones with that number, but if the tumblers have been changed then it means nothing, and if i was making them i'd want a picture as well, or the actual key to copy

[TimpanogosSlim]

Rain all weekend, so instead of doing suspension i took the whole dash apart again.

Installed a nearly-OE looking 12v socket where the cig lighter used to be, because a modern socket actually holds in things other than the cig lighter element. The unit i used is so close to the exact same device that it's even using the original lamp holder.

Cracks in the frame around the socket and front ash tray have been discretely superglued.

Epoxied metal washers to the busted mounting holes in the lower corners of the dash bezel.

Cleaned the setting pushers for the digital clock in the cluster. I am actually pretty unsure why one of them got stuck so it'll probably happen again.

Replaced the red high beam indicator LED in the cluster with a diffuse blue one. Because diffuse blue T1-3/4 LEDs are something i have.

Found a light bulb that works to stick behind said clock. Yeah I should do LEDs. some day.

rigged a spare type 37 bulb to wire leads to stick in the heater control panel, wedged in with foam rubber. Works. May need to tape it up so it doesn't fall out while driving.

Opened up the defogger switch to determine why it doesn't illuminate, unsurprised to discover both light bulbs dead. A green T1-3/4 and a plain T1-1/2 or so. The smaller plain one i have spares for, soldered in. Yeah, LEDs. I know. When i get around to it i'll figure that stuff out. It now lights up the dot on the side, still no icon illumination.

Investigated why the blower switch works but not as labeled. Opened up and cleaned the contacts and re-greased with copious amounts of silicone, now getting good connectivity across all 4 contacts. Position 0 is damaged, evidence of arcing. Probably because it was doing high speed duty. Since this is supposed to be the off position, I'm ok with that. I popped the individual spade sockets out of the harness and installed them in the right order.

Considering ordering some type 2162 wire leaded bulbs from mouser, along with green 'lenses' for them. These are like a type 74 but with wire leads instead of a wedge base. So i can repair original switch illumination.

Come to think of it i need to figure out why my chinese copy fog light switch doesn't have icon illumination. I probably wired it wrong.

Wired up a very small 1A rated hermetically sealed DPDT relay to control an hour meter. The idea is that both the coil and the normally closed contacts on the relay are powered by the relay that provides power to the fuel shutoff solenoid in the injection pump but the relay coil will be grounded through the oil pressure switch on the head. This switch opens with very little oil pressure - often while still cranking the starter - and closes again maybe a minute after the engine is shut off. So realistically power will only be applied to the hour meter when the key is in the "on" position _and_ there is oil pressure in the head, which is pretty much just whenever the engine is actually turning.

To Do:

Suspension, obviously. I can assemble the front struts independent of removing the old ones from the car, so i might do that. Next good-weather day might be a ways out tho.

I suspect some hinkiness on the electrical side of the ignition switch. I may just buy a replacement switch and assure that it works properly with the existing barrel. The barrel does need some lube tho.

Need to work out a very sneaky immobilizer. I have ideas. I aint tellin.

I bought what i foolishly thought was a waterproof float charger and it turns out that it's not remotely waterproof. I may find a spot to wedge it under the console or dash and hard wire it to unswitched power, but i kinda don't want to run AC through the firewall. I should just bite the bullet and buy another waterproof Schumacher unit like the one in my truck, so i can just mount it under the hood. For now the float charger is sitting in the passenger footwell plugged into the newly installed 12v socket.

[theman53]

Sometimes, I just can't make it all the way through the post.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Yeah. Sorry for the Tolstoy

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes

[TimpanogosSlim]

Huh, been a while since an update i guess.

I've been busy with a new job. Plus what tiny smattering of "Winter" We had here. And i broke a big hole in the end tank of the original intercooler on my mk5 GTI, so repairing that took up much of my available DIY time. And then i got sick. stupid cold bugs going around that just linger.

I've got a set of Bilstein Sport shocks (slightly used) and B&G progressive springs (even more slightly used) and the front sway bar from a late cabriolet to install.

Checked my timing some weeks ago and found it retarded as i had expected. about .95 when it should be past 1.0. And then i got snowed on while trying to set the timing. And then ran out of daylight.

Did some minor stuff here and there, like i pulled a cluster from a late cabby just to steal the perfect digital clock from it. Altered said digital clock for 24 hour time.

I now have some Motometer gauges available. I can convert the tach to diesel if you want, but it says "Unleaded Fuel Only" on it.

I can also send you a diffuse blue LED and an 2k resistor to give you a mk2-style blue light in the hi-beam position.

I acquired some awesome vintage jc whitney fog lights. with driving lights. never installed. 100w each bulb, glass lenses, chromed steel reflectors, ABS housing. And bought some lamin-x to protect them. Have i mentioned that the front bumper on my jetta has been drilled for both fogs that mount with a single large stud in the middle and fogs that have a mounting bracket on each end? True story.

So this afternoon i finally removed the fake vdo pressure sender from the filter flange, plugged that port (easier than replacing the tee with an elbow), removed the metric thread pressure switch from the head, installed a 10mm to 1/8 FPT adapter, a male to two female tee, and a real VDO pressure sender and a standard motor products pressure switch of the same spec as the metric switch. funny thing, it has a blue top too.

And then i set about adding a circuit for the new driving lights. Which was more or less nominal until i tried replacing the misc. chinese relays in my headlight relay block with the BMW relays i brought home from the yards, and discovered that those bavarians switched terminal 30 and terminal 86 on their 30A relays. Cheeky bastards. At least they still used the DIN terminal numbers, though. The terminals on the jaguar relays i have are labeled 1 through 4, and match the normal bosch relay in function.

ran out of light re-pinning the relay harness. Noted that one of my high beams isn't working. oh bother.

I also pulled the door pockets w/ 5.25" speaker pods off the '92 cabby at the yards. I have some alpine speakers to install, set of 4 even, with some sleek looking square grilles for the rear deck. Yeah, I never did cut in for 6x9 speakers. I am weak.

Maybe tomorrow I'll have my priorities straight and verify the timing i set after turning the engine over a couple times, then maybe take it for another drive.

Oh, and i bought an optima red top to replace the sketchy battery, still need to modify the hold-down clamp.