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Post by TexasIceMan on Aug 14, 2012 16:29:21 GMT -5
I recently purchased my first Bradley GT. I remember as a teenager wanting to build one of these things. Some thirty five years later, I now have the opportunity to finish building one. The previous owner started working on it with a very good plan. He had the engine completely overhauled by a reputable mechanic. It is my understanding that the engine was never run or not very much since then. I am being told that was all done over thirty years ago. It appears to be in good shape, but I’m sure there are a number of parts that will need to be replaced, such as belts & hoses. My question for the forum is: What would be the best approach for bringing a rebuilt engine that has been setting up for decades back to life?1. Add Marvel Mystery Oil to each cylinder (let soak 24 hours).2. Clean / flush gas tank. 3. Replace fuel filter. 4. Hand turn the engine. 5. Rebuild carburetor. 5a. Adjust Accelerator Pump volume 5b. Pre-Adjust Automatic Choke 5c. Pre-Adjust Air Bypass Adjustment to 4 turns out 5d. Pre-Adjust Mixture Adjustment to 2 ½ to 3 turns out 5e. Adjust Idle Control Screw6. Clean / rebuild starter motor. 7. Crank engine without ignition system (plugs & coil).8. Mount Voltage Regulator in engine compartment. 9. Connect all loose wires: 9a. Ignition coil 9b. Distributor 9c. Bypass air cut-off valve 9d. Automatic Choke 9e. Voltage Regulator 9f. Generator 9g. Backup Light Switch 10. Add fuel to system. 11. Install battery. 12. Replace Oil & Filter. 13. Start engine / adjust carburetor: 13a. Automatic Choke 13b. Air Bypass Adjustment 13c. Mixture Adjustment 13d. Idle Control Screw 14. Adjust Idle Speed to 900 rpm. 15. Adjust High Idle Speed in until speed drop 20 – 30 rpms. 16. Re-Adjust Idle Speed to 900 rpm. Attachments:
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mpm
Junior Member
Member since 2008
Posts: 51
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Post by mpm on Aug 15, 2012 4:23:11 GMT -5
Congradulations, 35 years later is not so long, where did it go....
Rebuild the carburator, replace fuel filter (inspect gas tank for corrosion). Remove the plugs, add a little marvall mystery oil (or similar), let set for 24 hours hand turn the motor. Than.... place rags over the plug hole (not in them) remove the coil wire and turn the motor over with the key. Clean up the mess put in the plugs reattach the coil wire....fire it up. Usual places it may leak oil from sitting will be the crank shaft seal and the push rod seals. Let us know your progress. Good luck.
Regards,
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Post by cocacoladodge on Aug 15, 2012 9:32:17 GMT -5
I would say also empty out the fuel tank if it still has anything in it, do that when you replace the fuel filter... If the tank was drained when it was parked like it should have been, pour a little new gas in after that to flush out any crud. Assuming you are running VW power, check out what engine/trans you have. Dual port engines (thats type of intake, one tube to each cylinder by spark plug hold for dual port, or one tube to each head for single port) are easy to find parts for, single ports are somewhat limited. Here is a singleport and dual port - notice the holes near the center...  here are the 2 types trans  WHOO HOO I FINNALY GOT PICTURES TO POST!!! |
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Post by mrbigh on Aug 15, 2012 17:40:55 GMT -5
Karma for U.  Nice and easy to understand pictorials. |
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Post by TexasIceMan on Aug 16, 2012 12:44:33 GMT -5
Thank you for the information. I don't remember whether it is single or dual port heads. I will take some pictures soon and post those. The best that I can tell, the kit appears to be about 70% complete. It still needs some work on the interior, including the seats. My plan is to get it running and then make it pretty. (I read that earlier.)
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Post by cocacoladodge on Aug 16, 2012 13:26:50 GMT -5
My plan is to get it running and then make it pretty. (I read that earlier.) That has to be the BEST advice anyone can give on here. -also someone once told me "Remember to notice the small details so they don't become a big monster." And thank you mrbigh |
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Post by gitrdun on Aug 18, 2012 12:19:09 GMT -5
Ditto. Get it running well and then start in on the body details. Dont really know what needs fixing til its driveable anyways. Congrats on the new ride. I love having a nice car that everybody scratches their head at and says what the heck is that thing.
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Post by Dan MacMillan on Aug 19, 2012 5:59:36 GMT -5
I prefer to do the opposite. Fix everything safety related, make it look pretty then get it running. That way it is all good to go before it can be driven.
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Post by TexasIceMan on Sept 4, 2012 16:38:50 GMT -5
I was wondering how hard it would be to remove the gas tank? Does that require the Bradley body to removed or at least lifted up?
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Post by centralvalleygter on Sept 4, 2012 16:40:51 GMT -5
In the original Bradley, I do not think you can remove the tank without removing the engine first. It comes out pretty easy once the engine it out of the way.
Warmest....
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Post by cocacoladodge on Sept 6, 2012 7:44:40 GMT -5
Mean Green GT 1 is right, the easiest way in a GT 1 is to pull the engine. I did it the hard way and pulled the body, but I needed to do that anyway for other work I'm doing when I have time.
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JohnDriver
Junior Member
life is what happens while you make other plans
Posts: 63
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Post by JohnDriver on Sept 9, 2012 17:21:40 GMT -5
where in tx? I'm in ft worth...
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Post by TexasIceMan on Sept 10, 2012 10:40:56 GMT -5
I'm in the SW part of Houston, called Sugar Land.
I managed to pick up the car and assorted parts from the previous owner this weekend. I took some pictures and I will post them later.
The tow bar I used was for a VW Bug and was too short to extend out in front of the Bradley. I had to take out all the bolts that attached the body to the frame, disconnect the steering column and headlight linkage to lift the body up enough to clear the tow bar. To hold it up enough, I wedged some mattress foam between the frame & body and then tied the headlight bracket (shaft) to the front axle. The two hour drive from northwest side of Houston down the the Southwest was successful.
I did find out that this is on a 1972 VW (1600cc) and has the dual port heads. I also figured out that it is the 111 model and I found the grease fittings on the front axle.
Now that I have it at my house, I am eager to get started on the motor. Parts store, here I come!
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Post by TexasIceMan on Sept 11, 2012 8:08:50 GMT -5
I got to work on the engine last night. I pulled the plugs and squirted some Marvel's Mystery Oil in each cylinder. After a while, I rotated the engine by hand making sure that I was turning it in the correct direction. I had to look up the firing order (1-4-3-2) and pulled the distributor cap to make sure it was going the correct direction.
My brother was helping me, so we took turns. While he was working the ratchet wrench, I washed the body and applied a coat of wax. She looks a LOT better!
I noticed a number of wires that are not connected so I will have to figure out where they are supposed to be hooked up. I will also need to buy a battery for the car. Yep, more parts!
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Post by TexasIceMan on Sept 20, 2012 16:44:54 GMT -5
I set a new battery in the Bradley last night and started to trouble shoot the electrical wiring. I'm not getting voltage to the key and instrument gauges. I tried bypassing the switch (start position) and applied 12V directly to the starter solenoid and didn't get a response. Tonight, I'm going to pull the starter and check it out. (I found out that it is a lot easer to get to the starter by jacking up the car and removing the wheel.)
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Post by TexasIceMan on Sept 21, 2012 11:59:01 GMT -5
The starter appears to have been new (30+ years ago) and is in really good shape. The main problem that I found was the battery cable had been painted along with the frame and motor. I cleaned the paint off all the connections, including the grounding surfaces, while I had the starter out.
I bench-tested the starter motor and found that it was "dragging" a little bit, so I took it apart and lubricated all the working parts and cleaned up the brushes.
The end result: the starter is working great! I turned over the engine for a short period using the starter. That should have blown out most of the oil that I had put in the cylinders.
Next, I'm planning to figure out & trouble shoot the ignition wiring.
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Post by cocacoladodge on Sept 24, 2012 11:04:36 GMT -5
You may want to get a new ground strap, the mesh type works great... Did you say there was paint on the cables? if so there may be paint between the ground and the body and the rest of the system just can't complete the circuit resulting in nothing working.
Good luck, keep us posted
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Post by TexasIceMan on Sept 24, 2012 15:36:38 GMT -5
The frame has the braided mesh type ground cable. It, too, is heavily painted. The Bradley also has a common ground at the front of the car associated with the steering gearbox. I need to check that connection, too.
I traced out the wiring for the ignition and managed to start the engine with the ignition key switch. I was excited! Now, to get it to run well. I had to hold a rag over the inlet to keep it running. When I opened the throttle, it died immediately. The timing seems to be ok. I never owned or worked on one of these things, so I am on a very steep learning curve!
The only gauge that seems to be working is the oil pressure. The voltage regulator isn't installed or hooked up, yet. I was disappointed to see that the fuel gauge was not working.
The back lights work, but the brake lights don't. I didn't try the turning signals.
I'll see what I can do tonight after I get off work. Every little bit helps.
Thanks for the feedback, cocacoladodge!
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Post by jspbtown on Sept 24, 2012 16:32:54 GMT -5
Your engine likely has a vacuum leak.
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Post by TexasIceMan on Oct 2, 2012 11:49:17 GMT -5
I finally took some time to log onto a computer.
As you may remember, I have been trying to get the motor running again (after setting in a garage for 30+ years). I got it started, but when I tried to give it some throttle, it dies. I looked at all the vacuum connections and they appear to be ok. Once I get it running better, I will try the Starter Fluid trick.
While working on the carburetor, a loose wire (12V) hit the generator pulley and I was doing a little "welding" back there. It was the wire that was intended to be connected to the Voltage Regulator. I decided to stop working on the carburetor and finish the installation of the Voltage Regulator. I wasn't sure where it was supposed to be installed and I didn't like where the wire was positioned in the wiring harness (directly above the license plate light). I mounted the regulator to the right (passenger side) inside the engine compartment just in front of the tail lights. At least I can see it and reach it. I routed the ground, DF and D+ wires forward and around to the generator. I left enough slack for the suspension movement.
I worked on the carburetor a little more last night and I think it may be the Accelerator Pump. With rapid throttle movement, I don't hear any gas spray.
Next, I am going to follow an earlier suggestion and put a kit in the carburetor.
Back to the parts store....
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Post by TexasIceMan on Oct 3, 2012 16:28:42 GMT -5
I stopped by Auto Zone last night on the why home from work and they actually had a carburetor kit in stock. Too cool! I raced home to dive into the rebuild only to discover that my girl friend had other plans for me. Bummer! I wonder if she will mind having me rebuild it on the breakfast table? The smell of gas and carburetor cleaner in the kitchen shouldn't hurt anything. Right?
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Post by mj on Oct 3, 2012 19:46:00 GMT -5
The previous owner started working on it with a very good plan. He had the engine completely overhauled by a reputable mechanic. That is the very most common lie among all ACVW claims. |
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Post by TexasIceMan on Oct 4, 2012 23:21:41 GMT -5
I got it running!!! After I got off work today, I raced home to work on the Bradley. My first task was to pull the carburetor and check it out with the thing being the accelerator pump. Sure enough, after removing the four screws, a thick "varnish" substance ran out. Here comes the Chemtool Cleaner! After hours of cleaning and adjusting, I put the carburetor back together. Next, "Gentleman, Start your engines". It started!!!!
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Post by big bob on Oct 5, 2012 7:54:46 GMT -5
congrats!!
each small victory helps to motivate you for the next task. way to go...
big bob
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Post by TexasIceMan on Oct 5, 2012 22:03:14 GMT -5
I think that I attached a picture of the accelerator pump after I took it apart. It is a serious case of "varnish". Attachments:
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Post by TexasIceMan on Oct 7, 2012 13:55:01 GMT -5
I need your help: the 1973 VW has a couple of wires originating from the transmission. I am thinking that one of them is for the reverse (backup) switch. How can I tell which one is for the reverse switch and what is the other wire for? HELP!
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Post by jspbtown on Oct 7, 2012 21:09:44 GMT -5
Back up switch usually takes power from the + on the coil, through a fuse and to the switch. The from the switch to your grounded back up lights.
Its a simple power in/power out switch.
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Post by TexasIceMan on Oct 8, 2012 10:44:03 GMT -5
Oh, I get it now. I was thinking that the reverse switch provided the ground in the circuit. I keep forgetting the Volkswagon provides the ground at the device; in this case at the backup lights. Thanks for the help.
I'm just about finished with the wiring in the engine compartment. Before I tape the wires into a harness, I want to run a pair of wires from the reverse switch to the rear of the car. Then I can secure the harness in it permanent location.
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Post by mj on Oct 8, 2012 10:44:18 GMT -5
Back up switch usually takes power from the + on the coil, through a fuse and to the switch. The from the switch to your grounded back up lights. Its a simple power in/power out switch. Just be sure you get the correct pole on the coil. If you don't, then the engine will stop dead when you shift into reverse. The transmission switch becomes a kill switch. |
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Post by TexasIceMan on Oct 8, 2012 11:06:54 GMT -5
Good point about getting the 12V from the coil. I can see how someone might hook it to the "distributor side" of the coil. I found a picture that I took of the engine shortly after I brought the car to my house. It is a little out of date because I have all the loose wires seen in the photo connected up now. I thought that some of you guys might want to see one more engine. Attachments:
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