Repairs
These are not restoration related, but other
repairs of broken items.
Starter, July 2002
After long starting
(I had made an error in distributor wiring...) starter got weak, behaving like a
bad battery, only just and just able to turn the engine, usually not enough to
start it. First I fixed that distributor wiring. Then I took the battery to test
but it seemed to be OK. Then I gathered one month enough energy to myself to
remove starter, which is in quite difficult place.
Service
manual tells that the upper starter fixing nut is accessible from cockpit
through an opening in transmission tunnel. My car turned out to be butchered and
lots of bondo now there where the opening was supposed to be.
With proper (flexible enough) tools, the nut is also
accessible from behind the engine, but I ended cutting a hole to that bondo box
of mine. Even after that it is difficult to remove starter as there is not big
enough space for it to come out (at least in my car, with PAS conversion).
Finally I got it out under carburettors and over distributor!
After opening the starter, I found one of the insulated brush wires to have a
broken insulator. Some tape into it and little cleaning and 'reassembly is
opposite of removal' I got starter back and it works fine now.
Dead radio, July 2002
When looking the reason for radio being silent, I
traced the fault to broken fuse. Optimistically I replaced the fuse but of
course it blew right away. From the wiring diagram I found out that this fuse
only feeds radio, cicar lighter and interior lights (and some part of main
lights). Then I remembered the smoke from B pillar during seat belt fixings were
soldered to upper B pillar 2 months ago. I opened the B pillar (wood covering)
and took the interior light wires out. On the other side, the insulation was
melted due that welding heat and caused a short to ground. New wires, new fuse
and now everything (well, at least radio and interior lights...) work fine.
Generator cooling fan, August 2002
I met another Mk2 owner and he
noticed that my generator cooling fan is loose, rattling on the axle. At home I
started to check how that is possible and found out that bolt on the axle is
missing. I guess I didn't fasten it tight enough when I repaired the generator.
Luckily the wedge was still there and the belt kept the pulley on the axle. So I
just put a new bolt and got somewhat quieter engine also as the rattle ended.
Clock modification, February 2004
Even I got the clock working on table (see end of Year 2002), it did not work when installed car. I got an inspiration from famous Eck-clock, but instead of ordering it I made my own transistor operated circuit with little help from my friend Timo. Now it ticks strongly.
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