[T3] oo oo that smell

[Jim Adney]

On 6 Aug 2013 at 10:28, Chris Sheridan wrote:

> Those 2 screws were rubbing against the rear face of the fan, so
> you'll need to inspect the fan to see if it's okay. If the metal is
> worn thru more than half way, you'll want to find a better fan.
> 
> There were a couple of vanes that were slightly bent and I straightened them

Those tabs are bent/crimped to hold the vanes in place. Make sure 
they are still secure in the fan's backplate, as that's what holds 
everything together.

> >Run the HeliCoil tap in by hand. You'll want to set the insert below
> the surface of the case, so that it gets into good sound material.
> Unless you really know what you're doing, don't drill the hole
> deeper. If you drill too far the one on the left will break thru to
> the outside (no harm) but the one on the right will break into the
> inside of the case (oil leak.) I measured a case here and found the
> holes to be ~17.5 mm deep. That's plenty deep enough for a standard
> Helicoil.
> 
> I bought the helicoil kit that was available at my local FLAPS. it came with
> threads that were 7 threads long. I tapped the right crank side bolt and the
> left side breather pedestal. the other two would not accept a tap, and
> appearred to have helicoils already inside them

It's certainly possible that these were repaired from a previous 
"incident," assuming this case was used when you got it. If it was 
new, you may just need to use the drill bit that came with the kit to 
enlarge the hole enough to allow the tap to start. I don't think 
those holes have ever come with OE Helicoils. FYI, VW DID Helicoil 
the 3 holes for the rear mount cross bar.  

> BTW, Helicoil inserts are made in lengths which are multiples of the
> bolt diameter. 1.5x is the default. You can also get locking inserts
> which have a deformed thread in the middle. The 17 mm depth would be
> enough to install 2x inserts. The longer inserts have 2 sets of
> deformed threads. I need to get some of those.
> 
> My Kit only had the one size with 7 threads per insert. they had a
> bent one on the inside that I pounded out with a punch after they were
> inserted. I used loctite on both the threads and the bolts

I checked my kit and the 1.5x inserts in it are also 7 turns long in 
the free state. Once installed, they will be 9 turns long. Locktite 
is good here.

> > Other question; do I absolutely need the flaps or can I remove them
> > with no major effect on anything? I'm in california and I have
> > aftermarket muffler with j-pipes and all my heat has been ripped out
> > anyway.

> >I've never had much luck getting rusted steel studs out of aluminum.
> >Everything tends to corrode together in a way that just doesn't seem
> >to respond to any of the standard techniques for getting rusted steel
> >parts apart. I think you're likely to break the stud before it will
> >come out.
> 
> The PB Blaster Penetrant worked like a charm and I was able to double
> nut both bolts and back them out and replace them with longer ones.

That's great, but I don't think its typical. I've never tried PB 
Blaster, but I have Kroil and several other possibilities. I'll try 
to keep PB Blaster in mind for the next time something like this 
comes up.

> Personally, I think the alternator conversion, although tempting,
> really isn't worth it. It may seem cool to be able to say you've done
> it, but the generator system does everything the car needs. In your
> case, I'd say you have enough problems without inviting others.

> I'm interested in the conversion because I've had nothing but
> headaches with the generator - too heavy, too expensive, no real way
> to tighten the pulley nut effectively, now this latest issue with it
> reversing polarity. I've gone through 3 or 4 generators in the last 6
> years. Really a PITA.

Well, your experience has certainly been awful. I can't blame you for 
looking for a better solution. OTOH, in 43 years of owning multiple 
Type 3s, I don't think I ever had to replace a generator. I think all 
of my Squares still have their originals, although I have certainly 
replaced bearings, brushes, and voltage regulators. I'm guessing the 
problem here is quality control with the generator rebuilders. That 
seems to be a problem these days, as cars with generators disappear 
farther and farther into the past, and it gets harder and harder to 
find people who still understand them and can work on them.

Shipping a generator is expensive because of the weight, but I have 
good ones here that I can fix up and mail if you're interested, or I 
should be able to rebuild yours.

-- 
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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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