Replacing Rear Axle Seal - cont'd - some handy hints

I have been asked to write some more about replacing a rear axle seal. Firstly please refer to my original posting about this subject. That will provide the basic information about how to do the repair along with some photos.
Here are some extra handy hints:

1. Use the correct tools. If you don't have such things as the torque multiplier go out and buy one. ( See my earlier posting for photos) The cost of the tools is not great and you will get a return on your investment every time you do a repair job. And your friends will just love to borrow them from you so your popularity will soar every time they have a repair job. One of my favorite tools is my 3/4 inch socket wrench which I purchased second hand. I use a reduction socket on it so I can use my 1/2 inch sockets. So much easier to use, especially if you are like me getting on in years. But be careful this wrench applies a lot of torque/pressure, so take things really easy and don't under estimate the amount of pressure you are applying otherwise you can do some real damage.
2. Keep the old axle oil seal after you have removed it from the housing/cover. You can use it to assist to drive/press the new oil seal into the housing/cover.
3. Before you attempt to press/drive the new oil seal into the housing/cover lubricate it with some spray on silicon lube. The seal will be really easy to insert.
4. Keep the packet that the seal kit comes in. That way you will always have the correct part number when you reorder a replacement. Order a replacement after using the unit you have so you have a spare on hand to do a quick repair job.
5. If you don't want to do the repair yourself,a professional will take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours to replace a rear axle oil seal plus parts if all goes well. Ask lots of questions if you are asked to pay more. Expect to pay as much as double the price of parts compared with what you would pay if you purchased them direct from a parts supplier - so don't be afraid to ask for a discount.
6. After pressing the new oil seal into the housing/cover insert the outer spacer into the seal. This will ensure that when you place the unit onto the axle everything will be lined up and the new seal will not be damaged. If you don't do this you risk damaging the oil seal when you bolt down the cover.
7. Before starting the job put down a drip tray to catch any gear box oil spill. And at the end of the job remember to top up the gear box oil.
8. 
   Email me at roso@clear.net.nz if you would like some additional (on line) support.

Carb tuning, axle seal, dwell meter et all.

Hello fellow dubbers. I have been out of action for a while with a busted shoulder. But I am slowly healing and can get back into things.
I have a few topics that I have been asked to blog about. They are

• How do you tune a BROSOL H30/31 carb?
• Does the dwell meter you put in the car work all that well?
• What tyre pressure do you run in THE 66?

I will do blogs over the coming week, so keep watching. I have also had a lot of hits about replacing the rear oil seal, so I will expand on the topic as well.
Cheers everyone. And apologies for being off line for so long.

Tachometer/Dwell Meter (click here for tune up instructions for your classic VW Beetle)

Over the weekend I decided that I would install an old 1960s tachometer (rev counter) that I had stored away from my teen age years, into the Beetle. I ran cable from the engine through to the dash and wired in the gauge. Surprise surprise, the poor old thing no longer worked. That was  a waste of time I thought but I rummaged about in my old gear and came across my father's old Dwell/tachometer that I had forgotten clean about.  Dad and I had used it to tune our cars way back in the 60s. I decided there and then that I would set up the meter permanently in the car. I wired it into the cable and now I have a tach/dwell meter fitted.
Now I must confess it's not the sort of thing you see in many classic VW bugs but why not monitor the car's distributor points before heading out or during a trip. And the tach I use as anyone uses a tach when driving. Mind you the numerals on the dial are quite small so I wrote larger ones on the plastic face of the meter so that I could see them when driving. And I need to install a cable tube to tidy up the cable. And the instrument doesn't harmonise with the car at all.
But now my Dad rides in the car with me, just like in the old days when he was still alive and that for me is really cool!.

Who visited THE 66 this week

This week KIWI66 was visited by fans from New Zealand, Germany, USA, Russia, Slovenia, Indonesia, South Africa, Montenegro and Kuwait.  Greetings fellow dubbers. I hope all is well with your classic vehicles.