My midlife crisis, (rebuilding engine, sort of) Options

[AE354803]

If you're looking for another good cold weather project I would suggest pulling the carbs off, taking them in the house and cleaning them up, they don't look so good and it will help you get the car running and learn how the carbs work.

You'll want the Tomlinson book for them. This'll help you clean them up and learn how to set them up and tune them. You'll need a snail meter for synching them, but that's down the road when you're trying to start it.

[mobymutt]

If you're looking for another good cold weather project I would suggest pulling the carbs off, taking them in the house and cleaning them up, they don't look so good and it will help you get the car running and learn how the carbs work.

You'll want the Tomlinson book for them. This'll help you clean them up and learn how to set them up and tune them. You'll need a snail meter for synching them, but that's down the road when you're trying to start it.

This one?

http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Weber-Tech-Ma...tech-manual.htm

My birthday is coming up, I'll put it on the list.

[AE354803]

If you're looking for another good cold weather project I would suggest pulling the carbs off, taking them in the house and cleaning them up, they don't look so good and it will help you get the car running and learn how the carbs work.

You'll want the Tomlinson book for them. This'll help you clean them up and learn how to set them up and tune them. You'll need a snail meter for synching them, but that's down the road when you're trying to start it.

This one?

http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Weber-Tech-Ma...tech-manual.htm

My birthday is coming up, I'll put it on the list.

That's the one, really good book.

You'll need a rebuild kit too.

Here's the snail meter fyi (http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Snail-Type-Syncrometer-Carb-Sync-Tool-GERMAN-SK-p/ste-sk.htm)

[mobymutt]

The accelerator is very sticky. Any particular place that typically causes this? The carb linkage is fine.

[Bob L.]

The accelerator is very sticky. Any particular place that typically causes this? The carb linkage is fine.

Might just be old and sticky in the sheath. See how it moves when disconnected at both ends. That will isolate the cable. Also check that it's not wrapped up with the clutch cable. It happens. Ask me how I know.

[mobymutt]

Got a good look at the pedal cluster in my attempt to diagnose the sticky throttle. Not sure I'm a huge fan of the 'bowl' design that captures all the random fluids, but maybe that's better than letting it all sit on the floor pan.

[mobymutt]

Can anybody describe, or have any pictures, showing where the throttle cable is supposed to be routed up beside the engine? Mine was just slipped up through the gap where the main engine rubber seal is supposed to be (my car is missing the seal).

[mobymutt]

I disconnected and pulled out the throttle cable. The accelerator pedal and carb linkage moved smoothly by themselves. I then reconnected the throttle cable, ensuring it wasn't wrapped around the clutch cable. Now everything is very 'sticky' again, and there's a loud squeaky noise coming from the center of the tunnel when I press the accelerator pedal.

I thus have to assume the throttle cable is binding, and needs to be replaced. Where can I buy a new one?

[bulitt]

Pelican Parts.
GPRparts
PMB performance

[mobymutt]

Big milestone today. Thanks to the new throttle cable, I was able to drive the car down the lane under its own power!

Things I learned:
-Speedometer does not work. Any trouble-shooting tips?
-At least first and second gear work. The gear shift is a really far reach, I will have to find out if I've got the proper shift lever.
-Brakes don't really work. Likely not something I can ignore.

[Steve]

Shifting is usually the shift rod bushings. Follow the shift rod from the shifter back to the transmission and move side to side, up and down and look for slop/trashed bushings.
Brakes = Check pads, check rear brake pad clearance and most important, bleed brakes and replace the brake fluid.

Regarding the speedometer, its either the speedometer angle drive on transmission, cable or speedometer in that order. Unscrew the cable off of the angle drive from the transmission. Try to turn the speedometer drive on the angle drive by hand. If it turns its broken and needs to be replaced. If it doesn't turn, put the cable back on, remove the speedometer and see if the cable end is spinning when you go for a drive. You can also do this to test the angle drive. If the cable is spinning while you drive, you will know you have a good angle drive and cable. If that looks good, you have a bad speedometer. get it rebuilt or find another one.

[mobymutt]

Thanks Steve!


Here's my gearshift lever. Is this anything like stock?

[gifted914]

Got a good look at the pedal cluster in my attempt to diagnose the sticky throttle. Not sure I'm a huge fan of the 'bowl' design that captures all the random fluids, but maybe that's better than letting it all sit on the floor pan.

Hi,
Re Photo of peddle cluster, Check clutch return spring it appears to be fitted backwards.
It should pull peddle back onto rubber stopper. Needs to be removed from shaft and rotated and refitted to act in the correct direction.

[Dave_Darling]

Nope, the clutch pedal spring is installed to pull the pedal to the floorboard. The pic is correct.

The shift knob looks original, but the lever? Uhm, not so much.

Rust around the pedal cluster can indicate a leaky master cylinder. Brake fluid will make the original plastic bushings in the pedal cluster swell and creak.

The throttle pedals have a hinge inside the rubber. This can get rust (see: brake fluid leak) and will get sticky and crunchy and eventually wobbly. The 911 pedals are not identical but can be used as a replacement.

--DD

[mobymutt]

I discovered my defroster blowers, reverse lights, wipers and windshield washer (not stock) don't work. Not really looking forward to trouble shooting the electrics. Any words of wisdom, or at least of encouragement? My car seems to have about 90% of the wiring disconnected -- is this normal?

[Dave_Darling]

Not normal. Sounds like someone else has been trying to "fix" it already.

The heater blower is most often a problem with the electrical contact under the handle on the center tunnel. There's a wire that goes to there which gets grounded when the handle gets pulled up high enough. That triggers the blower relay on the relay board, sending power to the blower.

The relay can also be a problem, as can the connections from the wiring harnesses to the relay board.

Back-up lights are triggered by the sender in the side of the transmission. When reverse is selected, a pin sticks out into the sender, which causes the two wires plugged into it to be shorted together. That sends power to the back-up lights.

The wipers get power from the fuse block up under the dash. There's at least one relay involved in the works as well.


I don't see a single point of failure for all of those, so it is likely multiple separate issues.

--DD

[mobymutt]

Well, things are perhaps looking up today. I discovered I do have high beams, no idea what I was trying to doing with them the other day.

The washer pump wires are clearly cut. I am hoping it's just a matter of reconnecting them, although I imagine they were cut for a reason in the first place.

My wipers do work, but only if I slightly nudge the stalk upward. If I push it all the way up, they stop moving. Is there a switch or something in the steering column that needs replacing?

[mobymutt]

Can anybody solve my wiper problem, while I sit on my couch and watch the Raptors beat the Nets?

[mobymutt]

I've searched the forum, but I couldn't find any help with the wipers. Do all 914's have the two speed wipers? My stalk only has one 'on' position, not two. Perhaps the first detent is broken?

[mobymutt]

I now have my washer wired into a pushbutton switch, and the wipers wired into a temporary toggle switch until I can source a new wiper switch. A bit of progress. I have no idea how the rest of you guys can accomplish insane amounts of work in a single day.

Next up is the defrost blowers. I am still confused about the whole heat/defrost system. I understand there is supposed to be a fan in the engine compartment that will push air through the heat exchangers. I also see what looks like two fans below the windshield -- are these the defroster fans? Do they run off a separate circuit and switch?