Progress on the Nomad...

Discuss with fans and owners of the most luxurious aircooled sedan/wagon that VW ever made, the VW 411/412. Official forum of Tom's Type 4 Corner.
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MGVWfan
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Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:23 pm

Post by MGVWfan »

Well, I discovered a friend at work has a 4 hp heavy-duty Campbell-Hausefield compressor (240 v, 15 amps!), and he let me borrow it 8) . Man oh man, that made all the difference in the world! The sandblaster is now dissolving the old paint and rust almost instantly, and I don't have to stop and wait for my 1.5 hp compressor to catch up. I'm going through that pile of engine tin really fast now. Won't be long before I'll have all the tinwork prepped for painting, then it's waiting for the humidity to drop below 50% long enough to get it all shot :D. I've got both heads off and ready to lap the valves, and after the sandblasting, the jugs come off for a light glaze-breaking hone. Progress!
Lane
73 VW 412 (the Nomad, dropped valve seat land now, argh!)
67 MGB (Abingdon's Finest)
76 Plymouth Duster /6 (runs like a top)
99 New Beetle 2.0 (never gives any trouble)
04 Golf TDI (45 MPG)
09 JSW (love it, love it, love it!)
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MGVWfan
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Post by MGVWfan »

The jugs and heads are off! The crosshatch is still visible in the jugs, and the pistons still have the machining marks on the skirts from the factory. Yep, they're Mahle. The inside of the crankcase is squeaky clean, too. No signs of any trouble, no sealing problems, no scuffing, no scratches, just the usual amount of carbon. Good news! :D :D :D
Lane
73 VW 412 (the Nomad, dropped valve seat land now, argh!)
67 MGB (Abingdon's Finest)
76 Plymouth Duster /6 (runs like a top)
99 New Beetle 2.0 (never gives any trouble)
04 Golf TDI (45 MPG)
09 JSW (love it, love it, love it!)
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MGVWfan
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Post by MGVWfan »

I got all the engine tin sandblasted this weekend, along with the rear hanger bar, A/C compressor brackets, etc. Still need to blast the heater boxes. Here's a pic of the engine tin, and the hanger bar after sandblasting:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_ ... lodeutsch4

DB might recognize the lads in the poster behind the hanger bar 8)
Lane
73 VW 412 (the Nomad, dropped valve seat land now, argh!)
67 MGB (Abingdon's Finest)
76 Plymouth Duster /6 (runs like a top)
99 New Beetle 2.0 (never gives any trouble)
04 Golf TDI (45 MPG)
09 JSW (love it, love it, love it!)
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DeathBus
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Post by DeathBus »

MGVWfan wrote:
DB might recognize the lads in the poster behind the hanger bar 8)
Damn man, how long you had that poster? That thing is almost as old as I am :wink:

THEN
Image


NOW, STILL DOING IT THEIR WAY!
Image
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MGVWfan
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Post by MGVWfan »

I bought that LP in 1982 I think...when I was at Keesler AFB. I've had it on the wall of my garage or up in my workshop since then.
Lane
73 VW 412 (the Nomad, dropped valve seat land now, argh!)
67 MGB (Abingdon's Finest)
76 Plymouth Duster /6 (runs like a top)
99 New Beetle 2.0 (never gives any trouble)
04 Golf TDI (45 MPG)
09 JSW (love it, love it, love it!)
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MGVWfan
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Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:23 pm

Post by MGVWfan »

When the boot (trunk) is full of parts and painted tin, it's time to put it all back together, no :D :D :D ?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_ ... lodeutsch4
Lane
73 VW 412 (the Nomad, dropped valve seat land now, argh!)
67 MGB (Abingdon's Finest)
76 Plymouth Duster /6 (runs like a top)
99 New Beetle 2.0 (never gives any trouble)
04 Golf TDI (45 MPG)
09 JSW (love it, love it, love it!)
vwbill
Posts: 970
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 12:01 am

Cruizen on the restore!

Post by vwbill »

Man you are cruizen along on your car! Making me Jones to get back to it! The parts are looking sweet too! I need a crew like the OverHaulin show! Thanks for the post again, bill
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MGVWfan
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Post by MGVWfan »

Latest :D ...both heater boxes had rustouts around one of the exhaust manifold tubes, so while I'm sandblasting, I figured I'd clean the manifold tubes and shrouds up. I uncrimped the seams on the shrouds, and have one side completely blasted. The other is partially done. I'm glad I pulled them apart, I found baked-on oil residue (coke) in the bottom of one shroud, and more rat presents in the other :x . I ran out of sand, so after I get some more, I can finish. I'm planning on brazing patch plates into the appropriate places, then painting with 1500 deg F ultra-high-temp paint (black for the manifold tubes, aluminum color for the shrouds because I can't find UHT gray), and reassembling. Maybe I grind the old crimps down and use small stainless hardware to hold the shrouds together? We'll see after I braze in the patches.

I've also disassembled the A/C compressor clutch (VW port-installed 6 cu inch York compressor with a Japanese clutch). The bearings were rough, so I've got them out. The bearings (two) are 6906Z (standard bearing industry numbering scheme), single shielded ball bearings if you're working on one of these. I'll see if I can get them from my favorite bearing supply store when they open back up next week...they're in Texas City about 1/2 mile from the BP Amoco plant that had an incident this week, hopefully they're OK.
Lane
73 VW 412 (the Nomad, dropped valve seat land now, argh!)
67 MGB (Abingdon's Finest)
76 Plymouth Duster /6 (runs like a top)
99 New Beetle 2.0 (never gives any trouble)
04 Golf TDI (45 MPG)
09 JSW (love it, love it, love it!)
vwbill
Posts: 970
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 12:01 am

More great work!

Post by vwbill »

You are working it!! I actually went over to Sears and picked up one of the sandblaster setups! Now I need to get some sand and play too! I like how you are really going through the parts and not cutting corners! I did have a question about the exhaust tube and the paint? It always seems those areas near the head flange just burnt off for me! I must have done a crappy job... Thanks again for the post! Bill
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MGVWfan
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Post by MGVWfan »

Yeah, I'm expecting the paint to disappear from the flange area up next to the head, due to the extreme heat (EGTs in the 1500 deg F range I understand Ray?). I'm mainly painting the manifold to keep the tubing running through the heat exchanger area clean and rust-free, since the air passing over the tubing will end up in the cabin, and I don't want to breathe funky air. After the paint outgasses (I'm going to bake the manifolds as usual, except at a higher temp, say 500 deg F), it should be odor-free when at temperature.

Watch the ceramic nozzle on the sandblaster, when using it at 120 psi, you'll erode the nozzle out after 1-2 hours of continuous use, and probably not notice until the aluminium nozzle holder nut starts to erode away...I'd remove the nozzle and inspect it every 30 minutes of use, and rotate it 90 degrees, too. The wear seems to be concentrated on the top, away from the media inlet in the gun. Also, I'd recommend you order a couple spare nozzles now, my Sears hardware store didn't have the nozzle in stock.

If you get in a bind, 3/8" steel or stainless tubing cut to length will work as a nozzle. Re-use the rubber seal and steel speed nut that presses it down. You'll get about 1/4 the life out of a steel nozzle.

OK, I remembered the list from my first post, here's how it stands after 2 months...

Here's the list of remaining things to complete, underlined stuff has been COMPLETED

>Jack up the front and R&R the entire front suspension using Ray's ideas as much as possible...
>Remove remaining misc. stuff and prep the engine bay and area above the transaxle for repainting with high-temp rattle can paint, then repaint.
>Reinstall the Eber, do a full-up heater test (minus the engine heat exchangers)
>Overhaul the auto transaxle
>clean and relube the CV joints, strip and paint the driveshafts, new boots, reassemble.
>Hang the transaxle back under the car, connect up linkages and driveshafts.
>Strip the engine.
>Pull the heads and jugs, mike out the pistons and cylinders, check the heads.
>Install crankcase vent tubes in the heads for the PCV system.
>Clean, derust, repaint all engine tin, intake tubes, intake plenum, fan housing, etc. Only a few small pieces left to paint when the humidity outside goes down.
>Since the A/C compressor's a pain to get to with the engine in there, I may overhaul the old compressor just so I can install it with belt on the engine.
>Reassemble the engine with new seals and and gaskets, and anything else needed.
>Install engine, test run
>Have a couple cold ones Maybe a Bitburger Pils or three...
>Replace the windshield seal, maybe the rest too.
>Down the road a bit...repaint
Lane
73 VW 412 (the Nomad, dropped valve seat land now, argh!)
67 MGB (Abingdon's Finest)
76 Plymouth Duster /6 (runs like a top)
99 New Beetle 2.0 (never gives any trouble)
04 Golf TDI (45 MPG)
09 JSW (love it, love it, love it!)
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MGVWfan
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Post by MGVWfan »

Today was a junkyard run again. I had to get a window lift motor for my oldest's '89 Lebaron Turbo, so I snagged an Eber pump off that 411, and a KE-Jet fuel pump off a Volvo. I also got an "Igniter Module" from an old Toyota, I figure I'll see if it can be used on the Eber in place of a ballast resistor I need with that low impedance coil. Oh yeah, the old 411 had one of those bulby-plastic-tee-thingys that goes in the fuel return line to feed the Eber fuel pump, it's in good shape, so I snagged it, too.

I pressure-tested the Volvo fuel pump, it works great, 29 psi into the D-Jet regulator, nice constant flow, should work well as a backup in case I lose the OE pump (except I'll have to figure a way to adapt its 13mm inlet to the 8mm inlet on the 412).

I saw an unusual thing, a York compressor in a Benz with a hole in the side of the crankcase...it threw a rod! Never seen that before.
Last edited by MGVWfan on Sun Apr 10, 2005 11:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Lane
73 VW 412 (the Nomad, dropped valve seat land now, argh!)
67 MGB (Abingdon's Finest)
76 Plymouth Duster /6 (runs like a top)
99 New Beetle 2.0 (never gives any trouble)
04 Golf TDI (45 MPG)
09 JSW (love it, love it, love it!)
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ubercrap
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Post by ubercrap »

The compressor threw a rod? They probably just kept driving after the thing started to make terrible noises. Most people either get it fixed or remove the belt.
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MGVWfan
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Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:23 pm

Post by MGVWfan »

Yep, they just kept using it after the clearances got too big. It must have been clattering like a herd of knock-kneed cattle in a hailstorm. The funny thing is, with a York compressor, you've got to drain the crankcase to get the oil out. Just leaking some out with the refrigerant isn't enough to destroy the compressor.
Lane
73 VW 412 (the Nomad, dropped valve seat land now, argh!)
67 MGB (Abingdon's Finest)
76 Plymouth Duster /6 (runs like a top)
99 New Beetle 2.0 (never gives any trouble)
04 Golf TDI (45 MPG)
09 JSW (love it, love it, love it!)
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MGVWfan
Posts: 825
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:23 pm

Post by MGVWfan »

Tonight I got the left heater box patched up and painted. Tomorrow, it's the right one. The headers are painted with 1500 degree F low gloss black, the sheet metal boxes with 1500 deg F aluminum color paint (bright shiny silver). I'll post pics after I down a brewski :D
Lane
73 VW 412 (the Nomad, dropped valve seat land now, argh!)
67 MGB (Abingdon's Finest)
76 Plymouth Duster /6 (runs like a top)
99 New Beetle 2.0 (never gives any trouble)
04 Golf TDI (45 MPG)
09 JSW (love it, love it, love it!)
vwbill
Posts: 970
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 12:01 am

More pics please,lol!

Post by vwbill »

Sounds like you are doing some more great work! I hope you are making a book outta the pics! Did you see the sweet green wagen pic on the other forum,lol, I think that's the one the window seal Guys(ReVolks) restored or at least it looks like the pics from there site! Bill
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