Moved it to Pasture

It has been a month since I really did anything on the Golf. I am just plain stingy about paying motor vehicles and hate going there. The spike in gas prices has really rattled my cage though. I did move it to a new spot in the pasture just to get it out of sight.

Car Computer - Dreams for the Future!

I have been imagining my vehicle having a car computer. And this is the display I think I could afford! It is a VGA touchscreen, and I can imagine it hooked up to a crummy laptop I have (a IBM Thinkpad 600E).

It even has 5 inputs: one computer (VGA), two video composite, one S-video and one audio input(RCA) inputs one of which could be used for rear view cameras!

The contrast ratio sounds crummy at 200:1 and I am pretty sure it sucks in other ways but it does sound nifty!

Alternator Install Pictures

The first picture is my Ames lathe, I made the Al bushings on it. Then there is the reinstalled alternator, belts are snug and fairly in line! The last picture is some wire that I have no idea as to why it it there, it seems to be tied from the headlamp to, I dunno.




 
 
 
  

Putting the Alternator Back.

I used Devcon Blue Threadlocker on the bolts I put back in. I hope it helps. I had to bush the alternator mount. You can see the play in the bolt. It was much better after the bushing was installed, I used JB weld to glue the bushings in. I hope that helps also.


 











 







 








  

Alternator In Only A Month?

One month has passed, and the alternator is reinstalled. The belts are tight, thanks to the spiffy welding repair and paint job on the alternator bracket by Pete. The 3 missing bolts have been replaced, and treated with Devcon Blue Threadlocker. I made bushings to fill the gap between the .385" Diameter bolt and the .525" hole in the alternator where it mounts to the engine.

Like New Bracket

Pete did me a great favor, he welded up that cracked bracket. Then he he bead blasted it and then he spray painted it for me! It came out pretty good! Now that it is welded up, I remembered that I have to get metric bolts for the compressor. There are 3 bolts and 1 nut. Maybee more. Oh and I have to do something with the alternator, the hinge bolt holes are oversize...

Maybee I should look into doing the tie rod too.

I think this is the weekend it will run again! No promises though.

Alternator, Bracket, and Compressor: No Disasemble? Yes Disasemble!

The 86 has been here for a week and a day. I don't think I will be able to work on weekdays. The paying job has been pretty trying and the hours it takes (including the commute) have been a little long.
So Saturday is the first chance I get to work under a Sun and despite the snow and cold I work determinedly. I will get the alternator bracket out! I will overcome!

Actually I almost gave up a couple times. The bracket was stuck and things were just not moving. After taking the nut off the alternator bracket, the hinge bolt would not budge, the bracket would not swing. The reason as I found out was that one of the bolts that had come loose from it's job of mounting the compressor pump had fallen down into the "hinge" pinning it tight so it could not swing. I was able to tap it out with hammer and punch, and by monkeying the compressor pump out of the way after being able to move the bracket (and hopefully not compromising it's seal) I was able to get a brass hammer and punch to tap out bolt holding the bracket in.
Whew, that was a bunch.

I also found that the 2 wires into the compressor were mashed and either cut or short circuited. Maybee that is why the air conditioning doesn't work. The two bolts that the compressor hinge on for tensioning were missing, and the compressor wedged itself down into the "V" between the brackets, the wires never had a change and were massed in the mess and miles of vibration.

The first job is to get that bracket welded and back into the 86.

 
 
 
  

  

No It Really IS Free!

I have started this to chronicle the time spent on restoring a Classic VW 1986 , Diesel Golf. By restoring I mean chopping, cutting, welding, breaking, fixing, by whatever least expensive method that will get me by on keeping it running, and if that doesn't work, convert it into parts for use on other projects.

My friend Pete actually GAVE me the Golf, yeah, I know, he must be crazy. I don't think he is though. I suspect all the problems he has had with it, and the fact that he was getting a new vehicle have conspired to make him blind to what a great car it is. I suppose he could have sold it, but I had been working on him to give it to me, plus most buyers would be too unsophisticated to see what a great car it is. It probably also helped that most people would not be able to see past the minor holes and malfunctions even if they could appreciate the car itself.

Overall it is in pretty good condition, all things considered. With only half a dozen holes in the body. Good news is that they are not immediately life threatening, either structurally or by carbon monoxide! I did take a brief peek underneath and nothing was immediately scarry.

Well, enough of that for now. There is alot more to tell I am sure!