Already ordered some tubing from McMaster-Carr.......................

Lets make a couple of clutch tube brackets. Take some measurements.
Cut out some burly 16 gauge steel. Drill the hole and form the bracket.

Instead of 3 mounting point's I will have 4 (front, middle and rear, plus the firewall. It will never break loose.

Jeff, I have been reading your thread as you go along and I only have one question. Can I have your car when you are done???

A little work on the tunnel also.

Made a template from paper and transferred to metal for the driver side rear.

No!

Subscribed -I love metalwork threads

Absolutley incredible Jeff... you have the talent I only wish I could have.

Very nice INDEED !

Jeff, you are the man!!!!!

I am just beginning my project. Thanks for taking the time to post all this great work. You don't even know how helpful this has been and how much time & aggravation you are saving me.

Keep the great work & education coming.

Thanks

Jeff,

Have you ever used Picklex-20 before?
If you have what's your opinion of it?

The reason I'm asking is, when repairing several small areas on one or more panels rather than mixing up a small amount of epoxy primer and spraying the bare metal a spot at a time you could use this to protect the metal until you have a large enough area to mix up one batch of epoxy primer to cover all the small areas.

Never used the product. I do not think the tradename actually refers to Pickling though.

Pickling is a process used to remove mill scale during the manufacturing.
Mechanical removal and then a solution called Pickel liquor which is usually hydrochloric acid or nitric acid. Different types of steel (carbon, stainless etc) use different process's and chemicals.

I do not like mixing small quanities of epoxy primer either. The primer and activator are expensive. It takes me longer to clean the spray gun than it does to apply. If I have to mix up some EP I try to find other things that need priming too like the dog, the neighbors kid (kidding). I will use EP on anything I take down to bare steel. It has better adhesion qualities than surfacers do. Super sticky and holds up better than standard catalyzed primers. Everyone has an opinion as to what is best. EP works for me.

Actually if I have a small spot I will use some etching primer if it's temporary. I will sometimes let bare metal sit knowing I will be back in a day or a few to finish the area. If it is going to be a long period I will try to throw some cheap primer on even if it means sanding it down at a later time.

I was watching an episode of Trucks (Spike TV) this weekend and they mentioned it as a way to seal the bare metal to prevent flash rust. First time I had heard of it.
I have done a few searches on a couple forums and really haven't read anything negative. The people who have used it commented that it works.

I might give it a try when I start doing body work on my teener.

Still waiting on tube for the tunnel. I hate waiting on parts!

Did some finish work in the trunk. Welded up some pin holes from the floor replacement. 100 pounds of StarBlast just sitting, might as well strip some paint!
Media blasted the rear trunk, removed some scale at the taillight pockets and wheelhouses. A little feather edging. Now it's about 6 o'clock and the sun is down.

A little fog is coming in tonight. Moisture and cold air is not what I need right now. The media blasting removed the zinc coating on the new rear floor. I need to get a coating on this now.

Epoxy primed the rear compartment in the dark with a couple of floodlights so I can see. Finished the primer and the temperature dropped to about 58 degree's. Epoxy Primer won’t kick if it's to cold.

With two heat lamps I created the "Worlds Largest Easy Bake Oven". It's a toasty 85 degree's inside the trunk. Enough to cure the Epoxy primer.

A little more on corrosion protection and applicators.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=78326

In case anyone wonders I am not a salesman for Wurth Products. I use them because they are superior to most of what I have found available on the market today. Start with the best and the finished product will speak for itself.

I second that...

Sprayed the Wurth Seam Sealer in the trunk. Finally looks like a trunk again.
This will all get get covered in color later.

Did some more access work for the right rear long replacement. This piece is a bitch to install the entire part. Would be easier to section it behind the suspension console. The high road taken.

I had to cut a window at the trunk bulkhead. No way to get the whole piece in without the cut because it installs from below. I also media blasted the wheelhouse
and bulkhead joint. This area is really tight to weld in so better it as "clean" as I can get it.

As you can see the rear long junction at the bulkhead is really confined behind the first wall. It was gas welded at the factory behind the first bulkhead wall. No access for factory resistance welding. This is a significant connection so I want full access to weld all 3 sides. I used a worn cut off disc to get access ( 2 inches of disc) for the vertical cut.

The last pic is before the prep work (ugly)

Applied some Metal Ready for conversion coating. This way once I install the rear long it will have some corrosion resistance inside the panel. These will get cavity waxed at completion after epoxy primer.

I am going to section the lower wheelhouse. You can tell from the battery tray area down the rust has perforated the panel just behind the firewall. This was planned so when I install the inner rear long I will not weld it to the wheelhouse.
Not even the media blasting would remove the rust. Pitted badly.

I do not want to cut both the wheelhouse and inner long at the same time because the entire right 1/4 of the car is supported right now. I will join the rear inner long to the mid long and weld at the trunk bulhead. This way I have still retain full support during structural repairs.

Once I cut the wheelhouse section I can coat the entire inner long from the wheelwell side with epoxy primer (except the flanges) and it will have superior protection.

Jeff,
Rumor has it that you did all of the above work while cooking a turkey, watching a football game, solving a Rubics cube, winning 3 games of online poker and solved the Aids crisis in Rhodesia.

How the hell do you do that....???????? LOL....

Jeff, This is simply great stuff that you are doing. Like many others. I am in awe of what you do.

By the way... Joe Sharp is having a couple of get togethers in Huntington Beach on the first and the seventh of December. Ya wanna come down and meet the 914 peeps...?????

You would be a most welcome guest. And I am bringing enough coffee for both of us..... And a backup pack of smokes....

By the way.... Ya know anyone that has a spare set of 15 X6 Fuchs for cheap??? (not deep ones)
I need them to swap for a set of 7s and 8s.

Cheers and keep it going bro.. This is so much fun to see this work in progress.

If ya need me up there to help ya... Just PM me. I'm down to help if needed.

Clayton

Well the turkey has metal shaving's in it. Good source of iron though!
The Rubiks Cube wasn't a challenge and I used it as a decoration in my fish tank years ago. Football? Nope....I like sports that use a stick. My best friends son was just voted National Rookie of the Year in baseball. Proud pappa! No gambling except for an occassional lottery ticket. Porsche's cost money you know? Hunger is cured with coffee, lots of strong black coffee.

I have only been working on the car on the weekends. 10 hours or so a week. I want summer back.

Won't be able to make the 1st or the 7th. Thanks for the invite.

Wheels? I need a set of Rota's in 7 and 9 for my car. Something tells me I am going wih glass 1/4 panels so rear 10's might be in the lineup. If I can make my buddy part with an original set of RSR 9's and 11's I might shoehorn them in.

How about me? Can I have it?

Eric will have the pleasure of rebuilding my calipers soon. At least you get a piece of the car!

Yeah but... I have to give them back!

Keep up the good work bud.

Do you like to ski (and weld)?

I used to ski and race giant slalom 20 years ago as a young man. I became bored with skiing. Snowboarders slowed everyone down. Last time I raced was at Ajax/ Aspen a long time ago.

Welding is fun. I get to burn things on purpose.

Spent about 3 hours today fitting the new rear rail. I had a bit of re-work to get the dimensions right. It's not bad, just takes some time to fit.

Anyway the part whether new of aftermarket has to be fit and trimmed.
Any sheetmetal part that is not bolt on and is supplied as cut to fit is going to take some work.

The trick on the rear rail (AA Part) is to fit it to the front inner long first. From there you will get the correct pitch (angle) leading to the trunk bulkhead. This took some fiddling and trimming. I cut off about 1/4 inch at the rear and obtained the correct angle for a flush fit. I then had to fishmouth the front inner long to get some "play" in the adjustment. ( I hate bending a newly installed inner long)

The pitch of the rear rail is 34 degree's as measured from the driver side. I am at 31 now. I need to drop the front ever so slightly (1/4 inch). This is imperitive for suspension geometry.

Then I trimmed another 1/2 inch at the front long connection to get a verticle flush/ butt connection. (I still have to do some fine tuning with a grinder)
This will need to be sleeved (double walled) as it is a highly stressed joint)
I was hoping as I timmed back the new rear rail I could lap weld the joint but the convolutions did not allow that. No worry. I will modify the aftermarket part to incorporate the factory type reinforcement.

If you look at the second picture you will see the top of the panel connection is really close. The bottom is way off. This is a manufacturing issue. I will adjust and weld the top first, then splay the rail (box) open some more to fit the bottom.

As the fit process came to conclusion I held the new panel in with a C-clamp and cleco's. This is only a rough fit and not tack welded until I complete the adjustments by lowering rear rail by 1/4 of an inch at the front long connection.

For this installation a protractor or (inclination gauge) is worth it's weight in gold ($18). I can take fast comparitive measurements from side to side.
I have not been able to find specifications in print for this area from Celette, Mitchell or even the factory so it pays to have a tool for comparison. By making some fixtures for the control points prior this will alleviate any problems later.

I also have an aftermarket suspension console to use for fit purposes. This will
provide fit and additional comparison measurements for correct suspension geometry.

Clecos are easier to work with than self-tapping screw's. They plug in and out. Cleco's have enough "slop" in them to allow slight adjustment if only a few are used. The more are used the more rigid the mock up. Once I get the position
of the part where it needs to be I will tack it with the MIG.

The original outer wheelhouse has a reinforcement (double wall) welded to the inside. It has a ledge that locates the inner rail's top flange (highlighted). This was my reference point to measure the pitch of the original rail design along with the opposite left rail.

Nothing better than a factory template! Once I tack the rail at the trunk bulhead and top of the rail the lower flange will be a cinch to tweak as I go.

I wish I had more daylight. I want my summer hours back!

Interesting Vitaloni's found in the box of extra's. I have not seen these since 1983. They are in perfect shape. No scratches on the glass or housings. Rubber in good perfect condition. Not California's, not Baby Turbos, not Classics.........That blue tinted glass is so 80's. They are actually pn# a right and left (not universal) pair.

They are marked Vitaloni Bravo III's which were standard on the the Lancia Zegato and Alfa Romeo's.

What the hell were these doing on a German car?

wow jeff.

wow. I just read your whole thread, after clayton told me about his visit to su casa.

Quite the craftsman!!! Keep up the good work buddy!

Aaron

Busy week and weekend. No time to play. Work, birthdays, meetings etc.

Finished fitting the rear frame rail and punched the flange holes. Some minor adjustments to the rail with a grinder to improve the fit and butt joints.

Used some stock to square up the joints and clamped everything in place.
Not 100% happy with the fit. The AA part dimensionally has some issues.
The arc of the rail itself is not right and will have to be adjusted once I make some tacks. Then I can twist it into place. These things come up even with new oem parts so it just part of the process. That's why they call it work.

More stock to square the inner long to the rear rail and clamp in place. You will notice the rectangle inside the long. Just some scrap that I can clamp in place to keep the panels straight and tight. Once you start tack welding metal tends to draw together. This just helps keep things in place so things don't go sideways.

Another tip is to keep the welder close enough that the controls are in arms reach.
One thing about welding on the 914 is you have the longs and rails which are about 17 gauge oem and 18 gauge non oem steel. The wheelhouse and trunk bulkhead are the same. The joint at the shock tower is close to 15 gauge. A few small heat adjustments are necessary on the fly.

Old 914 sheetmetal even when really clean can still have some issues. I have learned on many a Porsche that the best steel (Krupp and Thyssen) was not utilized and can be "dirty". During the manufacturing process the alloy can vary and this sometimes means more or less sulpher. Some parts such as the longs and rails are an early form of HSLA steel. (High strength low alloy) which mean's it is harder and stiffer. If you have ever tried welding a new steel panel to old steel on a 914 you know what I mean. A great weld, then a little popping and sputter here, blow a hole there. Its all part of the game. Prep metal and get it as clean as possible for welding.

Enough talk. Time to burn some metal.

Tacked the rear at the bulhead then tacked the front at the bottom of the long.
Re-check fit and then lay on the heat. I like to seam weld thin sheetmetal in 1/2 to 1 inch burst's. This way I do not oveheat and warp the area but still get enough heat for proper penetration.

You will notice the top of the mid inner long is not tacked to the rear rail. This is where I have a little twist in the rail that needs some fitment. With the rear and lower tacked in I can get some leverage on the top and fit the butt joints better.
The outer wheelhouse is getting a section so no plug welds were made except for where the Cleco's were pinned.

Crud!!!!!went to make another post and the site went dead for a minute. Lets try again.

The area's highlighted in yellow have no welds, plugs or tacks.
Area's in red have been tacked, seam welded and plugged.

I now have structural integrity again (sort of). The top of the rail at the top of the long is free. I need some adjustment room when I install the wheelhouse section

The entire right qtr panel, wheelhouse at the long / firewall junction have been held together with one single tack weld at the inside of the door jamb/ dogleg.
I could not perform these operations on jackstands. The door bars kept the door gaps open and everything rigid on the upper body. The rack below kept everything level.

One single weld holding the qtr panel/ dogleg this whole time. (highlighted)
Now that structural integrity is back I will move to the wheelhouse. Another piece that will require fitting. It is easier to go back to something that was partially completed then going backwards and doing something over if it doesn't come out right. Take your time and be patient.

Couple of things. Most of the prior welding on the longs was done at about 70-80 degree's. The rail was done at 48 degree's. Metal cools much faster and draws together quicker. This is noticable and it will affect gaps. That single weld will save me hours of future fitting and headaches.

The other one is the mid long and rail joint is butt welded. This will get a double wall sleeve just like the factory design. Do not butt weld a rocker without a sleeve. This is for any car with a structural roof or not. It is one of those things you do not ask why, just do it.

Jeff, explain that further. As I think I know what you mean. But I want to be exactly clear on what you are saying.. (pics would be good for this nut head)

Ohh.. I found a Cellete bench with both the 911 and the 914 jigs in Buena Park.. In a Porsche mechanics garage.... No shit....

Now how do I tell the guy I need it for my bros...????
And where the hell do I put it on the assumption he will sell it to me...?????

Ya got any ideas...?????


Oh... Before I forget... I LOVE THIS SHIT.......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carry on sir.

Clayton

It's pretty much a re-hash of Page 4 on this thread.
Mid long =longitudinal under the door.
Rear long =rear frame rail

This is nuts.
They should call the bolt on rocker the rocker molding.

Then the outer rocker would be the piece the sills and triangles weld to.

The inner long should really be called the inner rocker panel.

Every other manufacturer uses this terminolgy.
Why can't we? Organized chaos theory interpretation by Porsche?

In the collision repair industry if you refer to an inner rocker as a longitudinal
you are going to get that "what the f up" look.

Celette? How much? 20K minimum for a 20 year old bench with full set of obsolete fixtures is my guess and that is low if the guy is not using it. Maybe he moved in and the old tenant left it there (ha, ha). Even used they are spendy.

The cheapest bench they sell are like the one below that the 356 is on. The other one that the 911 sits on is quite a few duckets more. A bare Celette bench with nothing, no fixtures, no rocker clamps/ perch's- nothing is about 16k today for a new roller. For restoration work you do not need towers (for pulling). A good Port-A Power set is cheap for jacking stuff around.

Then if you do buy a dedicated bench how are you going to get home? Your red toy isnt going to do it.

[quote name='Jeff Hail' date='Dec 2 2007, 11:37 PM' post='973233']
[quote name='Twystd1' post='973215' date='Dec 2 2007, 10:20 PM']
[quote]The other one is the mid long and rail joint is butt welded. This will get a double wall sleeve just like the factory design. Do not butt weld a rocker without a sleeve. This is for any car with a structural roof or not. It is one of those things you do not ask why, just do it.[/quote]

Jeff, explain that further. As I think I know what you mean. But I want to be exactly clear on what you are saying.. (pics would be good for this nut head)

Clayton,
Did I loose you along the way?
The rear long will be butt welded and sleeved just like the inner long section that is already done. Same procedure except about 16 inches farther back.
I included a photo of the old piece to show the double wall. Only difference is instead of a single wall I will double the layer at the butt weld on 3 sides of the box.

Clayton? Clayton?

I don't know why I find your work so fascinating. Maybe I'm someone who likes to see things done the way they should be (and not so often are). As a long time 914 owner (since 1973) I really appreciate what you are able to do to conserve these cars.

I am not a mechanic and I haven't done any welding since High School autoshop in the 60's but after watching you work, I feel like buying a Miller and joining metal.

Sheet happens!

Ever wonder how much force is on a door bar when welding? Ever wonder how much energy is moving when metal draws together? Ever wonder how much a 914 shrinks when welding in the long area?

My passenger side door opening brace snapped. I am underneath and hear this BANG! Scared the crap of me and hit my head. The turnbuckle gave way. It was only 3/8 but it was forged. I have used them on another 914 and also a 911. They lived a good life.

Built another set of door braces. This time I used 5/8 inch cold rolled solid rod and 1/2 inch rod ends. Of course they have to look good too (waiting on paint to dry).

Hi Jeff,

Kinda been 2 busy to respond lately.

The follow up pics and explanation was PURRRFECT.

That exactly what I needed to show someone. I am most grateful for the answers you provided.

Now where the hell are we gunna put the Cellete bench??????

I came up with a number he liked. (Stupid Cheap)
Now I just need a Christmas ferry to show up and make it real.
Jeff... The bench is in this guys HOME Garage.
WITH all the 914 and 911 jigs. It isn't the small bench. It's the medium size one for 9elebens on down. He wants it gone by February...
HHHmmmm... Can we put a room addition on your house by then...????

Cheers and maximum thanks bro.

Clayton

Clayton,
I will pass on the Celette. No room! My avatar signature says it all.
Thanks buddy.

HOW TO BUILD A CLUTCH TUBE

Choose your steel wisely. Once it's in the last thing you need is a problem.

The original OEM tube is metric and some weird stuff. I thought at first it may be stainless. Stainless does rust by the way. Nope not stainless. Then maybe something else. Finally ended up taking a sample to friend who is a machinist. Pretty sure it's chromemoly. Who knows what alloy though?

Have you ever priced SAE tube versus Metric? Same alloy's although Metric is about 3-5 times more. Organized crime!

The OEM clutch tube is:
.470 OD
.040 Wall

McMaster-Carr
4130 Chromemoly Aircraft Grade Structural tubing. Inside has to be seamless DOM or honed. You do not want a weld burr fraying your cable. Even with the a cable liner a burr will chew it up.
.438 OD
.065 Wall

Thicker wall and a hair smaller OD diameter (0.032). I will be using a heavy duty clutch cable and fit is loose inside the tube. Good to go.

First to make the flare. It's really not a flare. It's more of a fishmouth- flare.
Chromemoly is fairly tough. I do not have a flaring tool this large. I also do not want to flare it cold because I think it will split the opening. 0.065 wall tube is thick.

Crank up the fire stick and get the end cherry red all the way around........

In the background you will see a blue punch laying on the bench. It has a perfect taper mid way up the shank that match's the original tube's contour. After heating the tube until it glows I slide the punch into the tube and let the taper do the work with the assistance of a 5lb hammer. I did not have to beat it to death. Just work the punch in gently. Keep it under heat (not enough to melt) and drive the punch in little deeper. Took about 5 minutes.

HOW TO BUILD A CLUTCH TUBE -Cont'd

Once I was happy with the contour I smoothed the entrance of the flare to remove any burrs. I first used a small round stone (for porting) on a shank to round the mouth beyond what the punch would do. Then I took a smaller stone and rounded the opening a little more. A dab of valve grinding compound provides a final finish.

The old tube (right) and the new one (left)

HOW TO BUILD A CLUTCH TUBE -Cont'd

Too cold to do any welding outside today (yes this is SoCal) It's 40 degrees.
Inside a garage with torch's is a great idea!


I have to bend the tube. It also needs to match the original arc so I have correct cable length on both ends.

I little trick I learned in the aircraft industry (cheating). If you put a tube in a vise you don't want to crush the tube use a collar or sleeve around the tube. The tube you are working with can remain free or if you tighten it up enough it can secure the tube without crushing it. It also will not leave tool marks or sharp edges.

With the new tube in the collar I heated the tube again until it has a soft red glow. (not cherry) I keep the heat moving in the span of the arc I want to create. Once the tube is warmed up I apply presure as I walk the tube thru the collar at about 3/4 inch intervals to create the arc. With each step thru the collar a light tug makes a nice round bend. The actual radius of the bend is large so a tubing bender didnt make sense.

This has to be done slowly and gently otherwise the tube will kink or collapse and end up oval shape pinching the cable.

HOW TO BUILD A CLUTCH TUBE -Cont'd

Last picture is the cable (engine side) in the opposite end of the tube. Cable and liner travel freely. Once installed in the car I will size the rear end of the tube to 32-34mm protrusion at the lower firewall.

Whole process took about twenty minutes.

Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, end of the year, and business are not conducive to project progress. They each have a place though. Throw in a little 10 day vacation for myself and back to work.

Split the tunnel open at the shifter to get the old conduits out. Good bye to that rusty rat's nest of tubes out. The original throttle cable conduit was rusted and broken midway at the support. This was like dental work as the confines were tight and I really didn’t want to butterfly the entire tunnel open.

Time and patience make the end result worthwhile.

First photo shows the cut. The shifter opening is reinforced. It is doubled layered and has the three nutplates wekled on the underside. First peel the tunnel back and then cut the right front of the reinforcement out.

Second photo all the old conduits are out.

Third photo........by the way the site just burped and I had to re-post again.
Third photo I have welded the shifter reinforcement back in. After grinding I couldnt even find the seam.

Inside the tunnel running on the left side is a shield that the throttle cable conduit runs through along side the shifter. To remove the old conduit I had to drill the spot welds only at the bottom to get the tube out. It is brazed at the rear and a twist of the tube with pliers breaks the braze with ease.

First and second photo shows the red punches and vise grips holding the shield in alignment for welding. I stuck a piece of tubing in the cavity to make sure I have enough clearance to fit the throttle cable conduit later.

Third photo shows the fabbed conduits sticking out the back of the tunnel. These will get cut to fit once the lower firewall is in place.

Last photo shows the throttle and clutch cable conduits at the front of the tunnel properly spaced. Always take measurements before you swap something as critical as these. The tunnel and conduits do not give second chances once everything is sealed up.

Now that everything is fit I will fab a couple more brackets to locate and secure the conduits permanently inside the tunnel.

Since I havent been getting a lot done on the tub lately I might as well post something of interest. Consider it like "Intermission at the Drive In Movie" without the popcorn.

Porsche Factory Tools, Gauges, Chassis Fixtures.
Since most of these tools are NLA and long gone unless used for other models like the 911 most people have never seen. Some of the manuals have poor pictures of them but most of what you see here will be the first time.

Enjoy!

Starting off with the simple ones:
1) Rear hinge tool

2) Wheel bearing installation tool (love the mallet)

3) Shifter bushing driver (metal dowel)

3-4) Strut alignment gauge

5-6) Rear caliper vent clearance gauge (Erics going to make one of these)