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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Why do I do this to myself??

Posted by: MW 914 Jun 25 2005, 05:33 PM

So I have some free time today and nothing is going on here locally. I decide that I'll finally put on the master cylinder brace that I picked up a few weeks ago from Travis Neff. Seems easy enough.

Out to the garage I go with printed instructions from Travis in hand. Splash plate comes off no sweat. Brace goes on easy enough. So I think. I start to put the splash plate back on and quickly realize that Travis showed the clamps positioned a certain way for a reason! The plate won't go back on if they aren't mounted just so. Ahhh...lets try it again. This time FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! So I turn everything and I still can't get the friggin plate back on.

I somehow take the easiest modification and make it an all afternoon project! I would guess several of these braces have been sold and I'll bet all of them have been installed in about 30 minutes. This is just the wrong hobby for me. It is no wonder why I had to take my car to the local shop to be reassembled after I "restored" it. I'd better stick to wood working!

Back out I go to try and get the plate back on. I'll get a bigger hammer this time.

Posted by: 914GT Jun 25 2005, 05:44 PM

Don't worry about it. Some things I've done half a dozen times, then all of a sudden nothing goes right. Blame it on the heat. I'm taking a break from cars. Today drinking beer and floating in the pool.

Posted by: Robert21 Jun 25 2005, 05:50 PM

:rolleyes
i know what you mean i try doing easy stuff, get things messed up .
but i keep trying . may take me a long time but i get job done .
if not i go to culb members to help me out . thanks scott

just keep trying

robert21

Posted by: Travis Neff Jun 25 2005, 05:52 PM

clearance problems on the splash pan? I can fix that in a jiffy, we can grind down the corner and reweld. Others that have installed have not said anything about a clearance problem, makes me worry!

Let me know.

Posted by: Travis Neff Jun 25 2005, 06:02 PM

The brace will probably touch the pan, but the pan should go on. Re-check the orientation of the big hose clamps so they are high up as possible. When you put the pan back on, do the drivers side front bolt first, then 1/2 thread in the driver side rear, then move to the next side and sock it down. If this still is a problem let me know - I will make it right.

Posted by: MW 914 Jun 25 2005, 06:13 PM

Travis,

I don't think it has anything to do with your brace. I think my pan is bent just enough to make clearance a problem. Anyways, I went back out with a cooler head and reassessed the situation. No matter how hard I pushed with my hands, I could not get that front driver's side to line up. So I put the other three bolts partially in and then put the floor jack under the front drivers side of the pan and I was able to push it right up to where it needs to be. It is all installed and back together now.

I took the car out right before I put this brace in and then again right after. There is a very noticable improvement! The pedal gets stiff in a hurry now. I think if it had not been for my pan being bent, even I could have installed this no problem.

Great product and it'll be hard to beat the bang-for-the-buck factor.

Posted by: Travis Neff Jun 25 2005, 06:17 PM

Whew! sigh of relief there. I have a pan on the white clunker car that has that same tweaked up problem. Glad you liked the end result!

Posted by: qa1142 Jun 25 2005, 06:25 PM

OK, let me tell you how you become a decent mechanic... I am 47 now and can do just about anything

When I was 15 my dad bought me a 1962 bug (not running). I took me only a couple of days to get it running, but NO power (or compression). So I pulled my first motor, and tore it down using idiot's guide to VW.

When I split the case with wooden wedges, I missed a bolt and cracked my first block... that is how most of us learn, hate to sayit.

I have thawed radiators in the bathtub, driven my VW bus home so I could change the clutch cable (just matching rpm and shifting). and broke as much as I have fixed.

You'll get it and get better, just read directions, watch your knuckles, and keep at it.

We are here to help when you need us.

Posted by: MW 914 Jun 25 2005, 06:29 PM

Funny thing is, I used to think I was pretty good at this stuff. I think I'm regressing as I get older! Oh well.

Posted by: jasons Jun 25 2005, 06:41 PM

You know sometimes maybe most times, its not matter of ability. It just Murphys law.

If you ever need help or want to have a look at my 914 factory service manuals, just let me know. You're what like 3 miles down Cactus from me?

Oh yeah let me tell you my dumbass story...

I had a 62 ragtop bug too. It had a well built 1915cc motor. Me and a buddy built it, he has years of experience at this. We got it installed and the F'er was fast as hell. I decided to install a deep sump on the bottom of the motor to hold more oil. I got it installed no prob. It had some dirt and grime in the sump after the install so I wiped it out real good with a blue paper shop rag. Well, like a bad surgeon some how I left a shop rag in the sump. It ran like a MF'er for weeks maybe months. I mean I drove it like it was stolen 5500-6000 rpms shifts all the time. Burnouts, second and (rare but it happened) third gear chirps. One cold (well AZ cold) morning, I was warming the car up and it just died. Tried to start it again, nothing... seized.
So took it apart and what did I find in the sump? An old blue shop rag clogged the oil pickup. So I rebuilt the motor with bigger heads and a bigger cam!

Posted by: drew365 Jun 25 2005, 07:26 PM

QUOTE (MW 914 @ Jun 25 2005, 05:29 PM)
Funny thing is, I used to think I was pretty good at this stuff. I think I'm regressing as I get older! Oh well.

Lately I've been breaking or stripping out bolts on everything I touch. I don't think I'm getting stronger, so I must be losing my sense of feel. It's getting to where I'm afraid to bolt anything back together.

Posted by: bd1308 Jun 25 2005, 09:46 PM

same thing here man.....

Posted by: fuch toy Jun 25 2005, 10:10 PM

Have a beer or two, put down the tools, have two or three more. Call your bud with the push bumper powerwagon and go to the glass factory and blow off a few caps with the magnums, sober up come back and it will become clear to ya.

If it dosen't, at least the cat will have lived thru the night.