TULZ - Part Four
Veeduber
Soldering and On-board Spares
SOLDERING
To maintain your Volkswagen you need to know how to solder. Get
yourself an inexpensive soldering iron (30W to 40W), some rosin-core
electrical solder, some wire and have at it. As with all of the manual arts,
soldering involves sensokinetic skills – muscle memory – as in riding a
bicycle or touch-typing. It is a skill which can be learned but which can
not be taught in the usual sense of the word. In effect, you must teach
yourself. With rare exception this applies to all of the manual arts.
You need to know how to solder and desolder in order to repair your
starter solenoid, replace starter brushes and repair certain types of
alternators. But your most common use of soldering will be to replace
aging connectors.
The Volkswagen was an inexpensive car. They used the cheapest type
of brass connectors. Over time, these connectors age-harden and
break. (Better quality connectors are plated with tin, the best ones with
gold.)
In a production environment such connectors are crimped onto the wires
using a tool that generates several tons of force in order to produce a
gas-tight junction. The enormous pressure virtually welds the wire to the
connector, insuring the junction will not corrode. When using the typical
hand-crimper even the strongest man generates no more than a few
hundred pounds of force. The interface between the connector & wire
tends to corrode since the joint is not gas tight and the connector will
come loose in time. There are better tools for this task, aviation stuff that
allows you make a suitable repair in the field, but they cost hundreds of
dollars and you need a different set of jaws for each size of fitting.
For automotive work the solution is to use a crimped AND soldered
connection. Herez how to do it. You solder the lead, trim it to length,
crimp it into the fitting THEN solder the tinned lead to the fitting. This
sequence insures the strongest possible mechanical joint (ie, crimping to
the soldered lead) yet needs only minimum heat to solder the already
tinned lead to the connector.
The result is a connection that is gas tight and has adequate mechanical
strength. Unfortunately, soldered connections tend to fracture when
subjected to vibration. To make them survive in an automotive
environment you must provide some means of strain relief at the
soldered connection.
A suitable strain relief can be formed using two pieces of heat-shrink
tubing, one about three-quarters of an inch long, the other about an inch
and a quarter in length. You slide both pieces of tubing onto the wire
BEFORE you install the connector. Slide the long piece on first, then the
short piece, then crimp & solder the connector. Now slide the short
piece over the soldered junction, shrink it into place, allow it too cool then
slide the long piece OVER the long piece.
Most spade type connectors sold for automotive repair come with a
ridiculous little plastic collar. Remove the plastic before using the
connector. (The easy way to do this is to heat the connector while
holding it with a pair of needle-nose pliers. The plastic sleeve may be
twisted off when hot.) You can buy high quality spade-type connectors
without the plastic collar from electrical distributors (Mouser, etc) and
from the better automotive electrical shops.
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MAKING A TIMING LIGHT
Your static timing light is nothing more than an automotive lamp (ie, the
'bulb') to which you've soldered a pair of leads fitted with alligator clips
(crocodile clips for the Brits). The tricky part of this soldering job is how
do you hold the bulb. Try using modeling clay. (If you do much head
work you'll have a lump of modeling clay around the shop.) If you don't
have clay, try using candle wax.
Once the leads are soldered to the lamp, insulate the thing with vinyl
tape. You might also give the BULB a wrap of tape so as to protect it
from breaking as it knocks about in your tool bag.
The Muir manual suggests using a replacement light socket & bulb as
your timing light and keeping it in a folksy Bull Durham bag. You'll find
such sockets bubble-packed in the electrical section of most franchise-
type auto-parts stores. But John shows the timing light with only one
lead, which greatly limits the utility of the lamp. Replacement sockets
with TWO leads are available. Of course, if you drive an old bus you
already have such a device onboard. It is your license plate lamp &
socket.
Your timing light also makes a handy trouble light. And a voltage
indicator(!).
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TEST LEADS
Your electrical kit should include an assortment of test leads of various
lengths two of which should be long enough to reach from the front of the
vehicle to the rear. Among the shorter leads you should make up some
only an inch or so in length with a spade-connector on one end and an
alligator clip on the other. Make a pair of such leads, using both male &
female spade-connectors. These are actually adapters but the object
here is to give you some soldering practice so I've lumped them together
with your test leads.
Other adapters you'll find useful are 'gender benders,' in which you have
the same 'sex' connector on each end, and 'Y' adapters, in which two
leads are soldered to the same connector on one end (ie, the base of the
'Y') but the 'arms' of the 'Y' are fitted with M-M, M-F or F-F connectors.
These are very useful when you need to borrow a bit of power from a
circuit or which to monitor the state of a circuit while debugging a
problem. If you'll examine the in-line connectors used by Volkswagen
you'll see why a lead fitted with an alligator clip can not be used on
certain circuits.
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SPLICING WIRES
Your second-most common need for soldering skills is in splicing wires, a
woefully frequent chore with any older vehicle but one carried to
extremes with Volkswagens, many of which have enjoyed the inexpert
attentions of as many as twenty (!) different owners over the years.
(Does your State's department of motor vehicles offer registration
history? Most do. For a fee, they will provide you with the name &
address of a vehicle's past owners.)
To make a splice you strip back the insulation for about an inch and a
half on each wire. Slide two pieces of heat-shrink tubing onto one of the
wires. One piece should be about an inch long, the other about two
inches long. You want the SHORT piece closest to the splice. (You put
the heat-shrink onto the wire because the piece you are splicing in
usually has the connector already installed.)
Inspect the stripped wire carefully for corrosion or contamination. If the
wire is corroded, cut it back another inch and try again. On some
Volkswagens, aging of the plastic insulation produces an acid that
causes the wires to corrode. In those cases you need to replace the
entire wire. As the years roll by this problem has become increasingly
common. Eventually, you'll be forced to rewire the entire vehicle. This is
why replacement wiring harnesses are so widely available.
To make a soldered connection you want clean, bright copper. If that's
what you've got, go ahead and twist each wire into a tight pigtail. About
half an inch from the insulation, bend each wire at a right angle. Hook
the angles together so the leads are pointing in opposite directions.
Holding the hooked area, twist one of the leads about the OTHER wire,
making three turns. Now do the same with the other lead. You want the
wraps to be tight and close together.
When the wires are twisted together, use your dykes or toenail clippers
to trim any excess then twist the ends hard down against the wire to
make a smoothly tapered wrap in the space between the last of the three
turns and the start of the insulation. You don't want any 'sharpies'
sticking up to puncture the heat-shrink tubing.
Solder the splice. Keep the iron on one side of the bundle and the solder
on the other, allowing the wire to heat fully. Shake off any excess solder,
allow the joint to cool then inspect it BY TOUCH. If you can feel any
'sharpies,' deal with them. You can file them off or crush them flat with
smooth-jawed pliers but you have to get rid of them.
Slide the SHORT piece of heat-shrink tubing over the COOLED joint,
center it over the splice and shrink it in place. Let it cool for a minute
then feel it to make sure a 'sharpie' hasn't penetrated the tubing. (If it
has, cut off the heat-shrink, deal with the 'sharpie', insulate the splice
with ELECTRICAL TAPE and continue.)
Slide the long piece of heat-shrink over the first (or over the tape) and
shrink it into place.
You're all done. Tin the tip of your iron, allow it to cool and repack your
electrical kit.
Here's a couple of common-sense rules: When making a splice always
use the same size of wire. (Don't go by the outer diameter, strip it back
and gauge the size of the copper conductor.) Always use the same
COLOR of wire as the original. You are just a bead on a string. Others
will come after you. Your legacy is to demonstrate to future mechanics
and electricians that you were a competent craftsman. (Maybe this is a
guy-thing. Or a pride-thing. But most of all it's a common-sense-thing.
Wiring is always coded by color. A competent mechanic always
maintains that particular vehicle's color-coding when making electrical
repairs.)
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ON-BOARD SPARES
On-board spares are, logically enough, those spare parts carried
onboard the vehicle. They are easily replaced parts, the failure of which,
immobilizes the vehicle or renders it unsafe to drive.
Spare fan belt. The value of carrying one (or more) should need no
explanation.
Fuses. Volkswagen used an inexpensive Siemans-type fuse having the
fuse-metal exposed to the atmosphere, a handy way to start a fire (and
which are illegal in some locales). Buss (brand name) manufactures
conical-tip fuses in which the fusible element is contained within a glass
envelope. They are not only safer in use, they also hold up better
knocking around in the door-pocket. Better auto-parts stores carry them.
Spare lamps. If you have two of something – headlights, taillights, etc –
you can generally get by without carrying a spare but a lot of older
Volkswagens are owned by youngsters, a lot of youngsters attend
college and a lot of college-town cops prey upon students, seeing even
the most minor infraction as a source of municipal income. You decide.
Personally, I carry a full set of lamps, from headlight to license plate.
Throttle wire & clutch cable. Most folks don't bother to carry these.
That's a mistake. The availability of aircooled Volkswagen parts is
becoming more difficult, with mail-order being the only option for many
VW owners. This situation isn't going to get any better. Indeed, those of
us who depend on our antique Volkswagens for transportation are forced
to maintain a considerable stock of spare spares on hand, either carried
onboard the vehicle or kept at home in ready-for-issue condition.
A common mistake is to carrying spare parts but fail to adequately
preserve them. The throttle wire should be painted (!) and the cutch
cable greased, then wrapped in several layers of heavy plastic sealed
with tape.
The reason for painting the throttle wire is because you can't paint it
AFTER it's installed and grease alone isn't enough to protect it. So you
paint it ahead of time. Just soak a pad with some paint and pull the wire
through the pad, then let the paint cure. To lube it, wipe it down with
silicon lube rather than grease.
Replacing the clutch cable on the side of the road can be one hell of a
chore. So teach yourself how to drive WITHOUT using the clutch. Find
yourself an empty parking lot, push-start your bug or bus, jump in and…
Awful, huh? :-) But you CAN do it. It's just a matter of coordination…
and rolling through the stop signs. Being able to drive without using the
clutch will allow you to reach a safe refuge where the repair can be done.
To do an emergency replacement of either the throttle wire or clutch
cable, roll that side of the vehicle up onto a curb or dig a trench and back
over it. You have to work under the vehicle and you NEVER do so using
only the jack.
-----------------------------------------
ON-BOARD TOOLS
The need to carry certain on-board spares means you must also carry
certain tools, the one dictates the other.
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that you need a jack
and a lug wrench if you want to change a tire, or a 21mm wrench and a
screwdriver if you want to change the fan belt. And a source of light so
you can do those things at night. And some form of protection so you do
those things in the rain or snow or mud or desert heat… just common
sense. I'll leave you to figure out which tools you need. (I drove a '65
bus. The type & amount of stuff I carry wouldn't make much sense to
someone with a Ghia or bug.)
Your on-board tool kit is liable to be different than mine but there are a
couple of things everyone should carry, such as duct tape. Ditto for
bailing wire. (Yeah, I know, nobody uses wire to bale hay any more.) Go
down to the hardware store, back where they've got cement and rebar
and ask the guy for a roll of 'tie-wire'. He'll sell you a five-pound roll of
the stuff for less than the cost of that cute little half-pound roll of 'Repair
Wire' they sell to the yuppies.
Your onboard tools are a part of the vehicle, NOT a part of your regular
tool kit. They go where the vehicle goes, all the time, every time. If you
don't understand the logic here, reread this Part until you do.
One of the more useful onboard tools is a piece of canvas about three
feet wide by six feet long. I keep it folded & wrapped around the tools,
secured with about thirty feet of light rope. I use it to lie on if I have to
work under the vehicle but mostly it's to keep the tools clean and things
organized. If I lived where it rained I'd also carry a big sheet of heavy
plastic. And I mean HEAVY. Five mil stuff. Instead, I carry a roll of
plastic garbage bags. (And a throw-away rain suit.)
Wherever I go, there I am. I try to schedule my maintenance so I can do
it in a place of my choosing but weather or circumstance may force me to
use the next wide spot on the road. And of course, when you
breakdown, you don't have a lot of choices; wherever you are becomes
your shop for the duration of the repair. So I do what I can to make my
roadside shop as comfortable and convenient as possible, knowing the
work will go faster for having spent a few minutes to insure my safety,
comfort and convenience. Here again, common sense should be your
guide. You erect some form of roof to protect you from the sun, rain or
snow, and you put down some form of floor to keep you from having to
lie on the ground. And you always protect your tools.
Cardboard and plastic makes a good floor – you can discard it and pick
up new stuff at the next town. A tarp becomes your 'sky', secured with
duct tape and bailing wire, using the corner of a fenced parking lot, a
tree, picnic table or what-have-you as the other 'wall.' (In Baja you carry
a couple of poles… or travel two-by-two and park the second vehicle so
as to support the tarp.) When the work is done and you're ready to move
on, you clean up after yourself. I carry a leaf rake, a broom and some
trash bags; I leave no sign of my passing. It's not that big a planet.
-Bob Hoover
-14 April 2K
Shad Laws
> and a lug wrench if you want to change a tire, or a 21mm wrench and a
> screwdriver if you want to change the fan belt. And a source of light so
> you can do those things at night. And some form of protection so you do
> sense. I'll leave you to figure out which tools you need. (I drove a '65
> bus. The type & amount of stuff I carry wouldn't make much sense to
> someone with a Ghia or bug.)
Well said, Bob. I truly agree this is a must for owners of a car with
decades of age.
Just a thought... how many of us Type 1 owners actually utilize their
compartments under the rear seat? Fill them with spares - lots of them.
People laugh at me and my Ghia because although I have theoretical storage
space, I really don't. Behind the rear seat is the Bitchin' stereo (sorry
Bob!), under the rear seat is 1 gallon of gas (battery is in in the rear -
no fire potential) and tons of parts (packed to the brim), and up front are
jumper cables, tools galore, and a car cover. Sure, driving cross-country
meant all the luggage was in the rear seat - not the neatest in the world...
but I did feel secure knowing how many things could have all gone wrong
without consequence :-)
Shad
John Willis
thing completely correct, "Be Prepared". I have a small, very
portable toolbox I have just for the car I'm driving at the moment, it
will have whatever tools that are essential for that car. If it is a
recent make and model of car, I don't bother too much with lots of
spare parts as these will be available, if not at the parts stores
wherever I am, then at a dealership wherever I happen to be. I've had
this happen before and it was no problem then, nor will it be in the
future. If I'm in a VW or other car that is harder to find parts for,
then I'll have my parts warehouse traveling with me, only makes sense
to have what you need with you.
As for the heavy plastic sheet, the black plastic used as a vapor
barrier when pouring concrete comes in rolls that can cover an
incredible area, and the roll is deceptively small! The stuff is
tough and durable. If that isn't an option, you can get a two mil
painter's disposable plastic dropcloth at Home Depot for just a dollar
or two, one is big enough to cover your car, two and with that roll of
Duct tape you could seal your car from the elements entirely!
To be really complete, carry a couple of wooden 2X4 or 2X6 blocks as
well, a few drywall screws are always handy, and even though good
mechanics shudder at the thought, a crescent wrench, a Big crescent
wrench is always handy. A very small mechanical or hydraulic jack
comes in handy as well. I was at an auction a couple of years ago and
they were selling, among other things (a pile of VW stuff as well,
most of which I bought!) an assortment of jacks and railroad jacks
(and those make wonderful house jacks), I bought a very small, two
ton, mechanical screw jack, takes up next to no room, and kept
properly lubricated, will last nearly forever!
Yes, the complete list of tools will vary from car to car and person
to person. Most folks on the road won't even be able to change a
tire, even if they can find the lug wrench, because the lug nuts have
been so over torqued by the monkeys at the tire shop or dealership as
to be almost one with the wheels as well as the studs! (After
replacing those studs once, I always go in and WATCH them and make
sure the lug nuts or bolts are installed by Hand, never with an impact
wrench!)
Bob is correct, you are the head mechanic for your car(s), and even
when you sub out work, as at the tire shop or oil change shop, etc, it
is up to you to make sure the repairs were done competently and
correctly. Anything less is asking for premature failure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Willis
jdwi...@airmail.net
Jenn
it's rusty. Put anything heavy in there and soon it'll be on the road :)
But I have utilized it several times when I've parked somewhere and don't
want anyone seeing my valuables. It's easy enough for a thief to figure out
how to pop the luggage compartment lid and take whatever I've got in there,
but most wouldn't think to look underneath the seat -- they'd be too busy
taking the spakers behind it ;)
Jenn
'73 Ghia coupe (Isis)
'74 Bus
audac...@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/audacity242/
Shad Laws <s-l...@nwu.edu> wrote in message
news:8d7v2n$4hr$1...@news.acns.nwu.edu...
> > You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that you need a
jack
> > and a lug wrench if you want to change a tire, or a 21mm wrench and a
> > screwdriver if you want to change the fan belt. And a source of light
so
> > you can do those things at night. And some form of protection so you do
> > those things in the rain or snow or mud or desert heat. just common
> > sense. I'll leave you to figure out which tools you need. (I drove a
'65
> > bus. The type & amount of stuff I carry wouldn't make much sense to
> > someone with a Ghia or bug.)
>
VolksFiend
>taking the spakers behind it ;)
...yeah I worry about my spakers too....
Gareth