Summer of Schwimmer woes Part4. (and time to wrap things up)
So I trailer my running, but stuck in first gear, car back to Ottawa from Ohio the whole time driving back on the 401 wargaming the tear down in my head. Put the car back into the garage and the next day start taking it apart engine out (second time this summer), reduction gears and axles out, find I have one cracked spring plate in the process, pull that marvel of German engineering out the transaxle. In the process you have to slop a litre or so of 90W around into the body just because thats par for the course.
^ Transaxle in.
^ Transaxle out, and all ready for a nice car ride down to Michigan and made right again.
David and his son Alan set aside their regular work to accommodate this repair as I hung about. Time spent with these folks is always rewarding as you generally leave being more knowledgeable of the car when its time to roll out, Dave also gave me a replacement spring plate, total, old school classy folks all the way.
^ One very well traveled transaxle, back where it belongs, with what must be the only available "hockey stick" (Schaltenhebel, innen) in North America.
^ Putting the car back together, note the spring plates and drums in Dunkelgrau (RAL 7021) when the Wehrmacht went to Dunkelgelb the stocks of Grey paint where used on secondary parts like these, but MANY variations are to be found and expected of what may or may not be painted whatever colour depending what was available. An interesting point is up till the bombing raid by the 8th USAAF on 29/04/1944 both kübels and schwimmers where submerged in a pool of paint to prime and paint all the captive areas. As can be expected runs are numerous and strangely running "uphill" at a 45°
^ Motor back in the car (again) for the second time this summer where hopefully it will stay for a good long time. And that folks was my one kilometer (of driving the car) summer, all part and parcel of owning a old military vehicle. The upside is I found that cracked plate before it caused any further grief, I was able to go into Panzer Putz frau mode (any tankers who where in Germany will know that one) on the car and I got to spend some time with the Cromptons in MI. Now I just have to set up the linkage and adjust the brake cables and I am G2G..........for 2017.
^ The "VW in a cog" the symbol that has been known to drive people insane in the pursuit of. Actually the British "denazified" the VW symbol by ordering the cog to be dropped so next time you see a VW in a circle car on the road you will know its past.