New ride, need a little help

[labman]

Hi everyone,

I'm completely new to bugs in about every way, but love turning wrenches and have always had a soft spot for the 60's era glass buggy. So, when I found one for sale on Alaska Craigs List, I went to look and drove it home. Now the fun begins.

The body is solid and someone went through the drivetrain some years ago, but it needs practically everything now. My first goal is to make it road-worthy, so I'm rebuilding brakes, front to back as a start.

Because I have the entire car ahead of me, I've elected to simply replace the master and wheel cylinders, brake lines, shoes and turn the drums for now. Discs will come later if I really catch this bug.

I have not purchased a manual yet, partly because there is so much good info on the net, but I'll order a Bentley today. Does anyone know if there is one in particular that will cover the chassis (pan?) for a 1958 Beetle, but also a 1972, 1600 CC, type 3 engine?

One more question on the brakes. I need to have the drums turned, but the local guy doesn't have specs back to 58. Can someone either tell me the machining specs / tolerances for front and rear drums on a 58 bug, or point me in the right direction?

Incidentally, GregR has been great at helping me get started on the ride. With his help, I learned that my buggy is a BCBee, manufactured by B-C Fiberglass, Battle Creek, Mi.

Thanks a bunch for any help you might have.

Brad Hanson
Palmer, Ak

[GregR]

Here's Labman's BCBee

[BrianB]

Wow that's a nice looking ride. I thought the dims are cast into the drum on the inside. Should be in Metric? Just a guess as I have no experience with VW brakes either.

[jspbtown]

I don't know the exact tolerances but I do know that those old drums are thick as can be. Not like todays junk.

My guess is that you have plenty of meat on those drums to freshen them up. In all my builds I have never had my machinist tell me any of the drums I brought him were too thin.

[labman]

In the searching I've done, I found a site that also suggested the minimum tolerances are cast in the drum, and while mine do have numbers, the machinist or operator told me that none of the numbers were specs, but rather, casting numbers that he didn't completely understand.

Yes, lots of meat left. There's just a hint of ridges at the inside and outside edge of the shoe path and the steel that's left is still thicker than any I've seen in a long time. In addition, there isn't any gouging or heavy wear that I need to remove...I just want a fresh surface. They'll be fine to turn, but the store has a liability policy that states they must know the tolerances before releasing any machined product to a customer. This is at the auto parts store, so I may need to see a real machinist.

I do have another brake question while I've got you guys here. On one of my rear drums, there's an innovative little oil catcher that circles the splined axle and diverts oil through a small metal tube to outside the drum. I'm sure you guys know what I'm describing and there must be a name for it. The other drum is missing this device. Should I replace this drum to prevent shoe soaking and brake failure.

Seeing this oil diverter caused me to wonder....is there oil in the axle tube and also a seal at the splined end that prevents oil from leaking at the wheel ?

GregR, thanks for the pic post. I read the FAQ for images, but didn't figure it out.

Thanks a bunch