1965 Volkswagen Type-1 (Beetle) D.I.Y. Project (o\_!_/o)

[nmshaikh]

Good work Reezvaan. Greasing your VW should be top priorities if you do not fancy premature failure due to wear. Top on my list is the front suspension. I let the grease flow till the clean grease oozes out from under the seals. With kerosene soaked rag the excess grease can be wiped clean as it attracts dust and in no time you have a caking of grease and dirt covering the parts...not aesthetically appealing at all.
I use the multipurpose grease rather than the special purpose greases available. Ditto for the oil I use in the engine. I'd rather grease and change oil at shorter intervals than be under any sort of an illusion that the more expensive brand is in any way better for the suspension / engine. However if you take your car to a service station to be lubed its best to carry your own grease gun and let the attendant there do the job for you. NEVER get your car lubed with the grease contained in their grease gun as it is the cheapest kind available with plenty of moisture (even water) and its use can be counter productive. I have even heard that the grease they use is made up of rotten potatoes collected at Subzi mandi blended with recycled lube oil!!!! I may not believe it but I wouldn't be surprised either..<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<img src=" /><o:p></o:p>

[reezvaan]

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[nmshaikh]

It’s difficult to comment on the condition of the bushings merely by taking a look. The best way to check is by lifting a side or both and with a hand at 12 and the other at 6 shaking the wheel back and forth to check for play. The same exercise to be repeated with hands at 9 and <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com3 o'clock</st1:time> in the other direction. However the results can only be deciphered by a trained mechanic to tell if the play is excessive or within acceptable limits. Some play can be adjusted to bring it within safe limit so try that before you dismantle the knuckles for a rebuild. If you decide to go down that route I suggest you remove the complete beam for a thorough cleanup. The ride of a properly rebuilt and adjusted link pin suspended car especially if running the cross ply tires is a remarkable experience even on a pothole marked road.

[reezvaan]

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[nmshaikh]

@Reezvaan. Good idea. I wouldn't recommend tackling the dismantling of the beam yourself as the bolts have probably never been loosened and while i have the battle scars of many such encounters on my hands I don't recommend it to others. (especially when its easier to leave it to professionals who have the proper tools and have done it umpteen of times before. Ihsans foreman Rehmat was probably 12 when he started learning the trade)

[reezvaan]

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[reezvaan]

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[ansarghani]

going great!

[ansarghani]

I am sure you are not married. i hope you understand what i mean

[reezvaan]

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[reezvaan]

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[nmshaikh]

Have you tried removing the body trim? It would give you a free hand as you work in the area and while the trim is off you can wash the insides with an old tooth brush to remove accumulated dirt that eventually leads to rust in the moulding clip holes.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com <o:p></o:p>
"Gently' is the key word. The aluminium trim cannot withstand any 'kushti' if a clip refuses to let go, start from the opposite end and usually the trim can just be slid off the stubborn clip.<o:p></o:p>
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[murtaza_murti]

Love the attention to details, keep up the good work! I agree with @nmShaikh, taking the trims off would help you to clean the rust and dirt where the trims were and you can clean and polish each trim individually with attention to detail aswell.

[reezvaan]

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[reezvaan]

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[reezvaan]

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[madhouse12]

the work is going on great. and since we are on topic or removing the dust from the trims, i wanted to seek you guy's advice on something.

while waxing my car, the guy who was waxing left some wax near the trim pieces and now it is hard and is like as if some mud is stuck there. it comes off if i rub it with a toothbrush or nail but i dont want to do that as it will scratch the paint and there is too much to do. i have tried different shampoos but it does not come off. any suggestions?

[reezvaan]

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[reezvaan]

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[nmshaikh]

judging from the alignment of the door in a previous picture I can tell that there is excessive wear in the hinge pin and the door is sagging. At some point it would need to be taken apart and the pin replaced with an over size one. This procedure may require the heating up of the hinge with a flame. I would leave the sprucing up of the hinge until it has the new pins installed. Who knows what kind of torture may need to be inflicted in the area to get the pin out. Hammering it out is less damaging but one off-the-mark blow can leave a permanent mark. I would favour wrapping the surrounding area with a wet rag and using the flame but lets hope the hinge pin pops out with little persuation. Keep us posted.