You must be logged in to rate content!
8 minute(s) of a 391 minute read
5-23-2009
Well main power is finally online!
If it wern't for the fact I didn't want to spend a small fortune on wire and then the time to wire in VW's wonderously fun relays.... It would have been faster to just start all over from the beggining.
HOPING to have all critical systems fully operational today so I can start on getting an engine and tranny into her then wire the engine up.
No picture updates yet but I do have a couple things I can shoot later.
May 26, 2009
Lots and lots more progress! Other than random bits here and there and the engine wiring, the whole electrical system is online. There was a small misshap trying to diagnose weird issues caused by a damn blown radio fuse....
A lot of the un-needed wiring from the '83 is still run through the harness.I want everything online before I start pulling wiring out that I might be able to use for other things anyways.
I brainstormed with my fabricator today and we solved the final engine issues. Engine is being cleaned and assembled tomorrow.
Rewiring the whole electrical system proved to be loads of fun.
Not sure if I said this anywhere... But I am using a full front to back wiring harness out of my old '83. The wiring in that car was virtually unmolested and the westy fusebox sadly is a massive upgrade from the old one. And honestly the old wiring in this beastie was a heap of junk. The '83 harness had every relay contact in it happily smeared with grease and all the relays checked out good too.
I have lost count of how many later rabbits and cabriolets I have MegaSquirted... So I am very familiar with the westy setup and I know it can easily be converted to run a MS system with VERY MINIMAL mods.
1.8T16vhead heres the information you texted me for yestereday. Sorry I didn't see your text earlier.
And for anyone else who might be able to use it, this is the pinout information for the "77 and '83 instrument clusters. It is biased towards the '77 information since thats what I needed.
'77 pin/color '83 pin/color purpose
1 Empty
2 Blue/Red 9 Green/Black Turn signal indicator
3 Blue/White 10 White High beam
4 Red 5 Red/Black Tachometer
5 Brown 7 Brown Duh, ground
6 Grey/Blue 6 Grey/Blue Dimmer controlled lights
7 Black 13 Black Switched power
8 Purple/Black 4 Purple/Black Fuel gauge
NOTE: I have seen Purple/Black as both fuel AND coolant temp gauge on some instrument clusters. On this setup they both had different colors though.
9 Blue/Yellow 18 Blue/Yellow Coolant temp gauge
10 Blue 11 Blue Voltage regulator, charging indicator
11 Blue/Black 16 Blue/Black Oil pressure
12 Black/Yellow 17 Black/Yellow Catalytic system
NOTE: Officialy this isn't wired according to the Bently, but my '83 harness had it in there still. Can't guarantee its supposed to be or where it actually goes as I just hooked it up for possible later usage...
There were some left overs in the '83 stuff not used on the '77 plug. Some are used elsewhere some not. I am mainly including these for Antonio.
3 Red Clock power
8 Grey Upshift circuit (see current track 86)
12 Grey/Green Park light indicator
14 White/Pink Seat belt relay
15 Yellow Upshift circuit (see current track 38)
I am not sure why 12 and 14 are needed in the '83 cluster, but don't have an '83 cluster around to bother caring to look into it further. Just can't think off the top of either of those actually being IN the instrument cluster. Or maybe, is there a green light that goes on when the lights are turned on? Its been so long since I have owned my '83 and '84 rabbits....
So the trick is to tackle one section at a time. I went through and got each system online one at a time in the car. Only place it bit me was the burned out radio fuse when I powered up the instrument cluster. I pulled out all the funky splices, repaired a couple broken wires, and pulled out some of the excess crap. I have also lived with these cars long enough to know the weaknesses of the rabbit electrical system and made changes where needed. Also it gives me the opportunity to change every detail of the system that I don't like. Made a LOT of subtle changes, and a few not so subtle ones.
I am leaving the harness open and uncovered for now until I have engine installed and the whole car finalized. Theres some extra stuff I will be running to the rear of the car for my water injection system, and a couple other things. Opinions wanted here... I can easily get a super clean rear hatch with rear wiper assembly, and the wiring is already there for this setup too. To run a rear wiper or not to run? I will be running a rear wiper reservoir anyways for the water injection. Not sure how I would nicely and cleanly activate the rear wiper without running the rabbit stalks. And I discovered the rabbit stalks being able to pull forward and push back screws with the programmable wiper relay. Like more times than not kicks it out when you program it. I really like the rear wiper setup, but not sure the extra weight is worth the small added convenience, or trouble wiring something up to bump it on.
May 28, 2009
Today was a good day! Changed out the rear brakes, suspension, and axle.
Got the short block painted and ready to slide in. I am probally going to be putting the motor and tranny in tomorrow minus the head. The head still needs to be reassembled and I don't have a cherry picker handy to do it all at once.
Did a bunch of other little things. Fought with the steering column again getting the steering wheel on so I could move the car aound a little. Shes moved back now ready to lift up and forward over the engine/tranny combo tomorrow morning.
I know before anyone says it "Lower it more!" I want everything in the car first before I do. And these coilovers haven't been adjusted in AGES so lowering them is going to be fun. NOT.
And I decided to stare at my wheels I had tucked into my closet. I have had these hidden away for a while now. In fact I bought them before I even had a car to put them on!
They are 15". It may be a while yet before I actually get them on the car as I still am not sure what size tires to run for the look I want. Speaking of, heres a P-Shop with them and the final concept idea.
I have several people who have promised me a GTI airdamn, but so far none in my hands yet. All the other bits I have collected and have ready to put on. Probably won't be bothering before the GTG this weekend. I mainly just want her online and running/driving.
Still have to collect a few odds and ends parts. I think the only critical thing is a downpipe. Theres a few diesel bunnies in the junkyard down the way from me. Supposedly the diesel toilet bowl flows better than the gas one.
Everything is really coming together quickly! I am pretty stoked! Tomorrow I go get the registration and finish putting the engine and tranny in. Engine harness is already 90% built and ready to go. I will need to add a few things as I lay it in, but the primary section is complete.
Oh a question for you guys. Does anyone know of a source for the headlights with fogs/turns? The autoloc snake eyes just look cheap to me, and are WAY overpriced. I would pay that monie for all glass ones, but the yellow section on the autolocs just looks wrong to me. They used to make them for the old beetles, but I can't find anyone with them in stock or avalible....
Well we are getting closer to D-Day! The bunny is now legal and registered.
Have a small issue to deal with today before I can tackle putting the engine in. Stole some parts off the cabby yesterday and discovered when I went to move it back, a drum on that axle is frozen up. Couldn't even budge the car.
But I can drop the axle in 5 minutes now, except for messing with the evil brake lines from the axle to the body. Those suck. Fortunately I just need it to roll off the parking pad.