Tell me about semi autos

Spook Driving the 64 wheeler

1,168 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 3 Sep 2007, 10:23 am

#609962

I've been offered a 69 semi auto, but I have to admit knowing jack shit about them.

Apparently it was a daily driver til it blew a head & it's been sitting in a shed for 5 years.

I don't follow the semi auto bit though.
Are they a pre select like a bus or centrifugal like a postie bike?
Are they reliable, are parts hard to come by??

Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.

BUGBOY Moderator Chief Toy Dude / Head Cruiser

2,147 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 3 Sep 2007, 10:42 am

#609969

Still like a manual sorta thing as you have to select the gear you want.
Just when you grab the shifter it engauges the clutch for you thats all.
They are excellent to drive, never had to work on one but i would say they would only be a problem when you need work done on the gear box.

yeah like a postie bike or old husky. LOL

[ Edited on 3-9-2007 by BUGBOY ]

Everything 36HP !
Change over king and link spindles
6-12volt semaphores

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ctefeh Wolfsburg Wizard

479 posts · joined Apr 2005 · 3 Sep 2007, 11:06 am

#609972

Spook,
Couple of extra things for you.
3 forward speeds (2/3/4 from a manual box) and reverse.
It's also IRS, no swingaxle there!
No clutch pedal, the clutch is actuated via electrical and vacuum circuits. The gearbox has a clutch and a torque converter.

Parts? Depends. Some are no longer available, a lot can be bought second hand, even from the US.

Their biggest problem seems to be their previous owners or mechanics who've never worked on one.
www.vwar.org is the semi-auto register...

Several of us on AVD have SemiAuto's.

If it was the motor that gave up then that's infinitely better than the 'box giving up! The best thing is to have a look at all the vacuum hoses and their condition, then check & sniff the ATF and engine oils. You won't know much more until you get it going....

HTH
Ctefeh

[ Edited on 3/9/2007 by ctefeh ]

[ Edited on 3/9/2007 by ctefeh ]

Spook Driving the 64 wheeler

1,168 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 3 Sep 2007, 11:18 am

#609973

I got a 1300 sitting in the carport, so it will run the day after it gets here.
But having said that, I imagine the flywheel is totally different.

Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.

ctefeh Wolfsburg Wizard

479 posts · joined Apr 2005 · 3 Sep 2007, 11:29 am

#609974

Spook,
1300TP or SP?
SemiAuto's have a flex plate. Getting them off can be a royal pain. 1300TP will be no good to you.

PS. The oil/ATF pump is semi-auto specific as well as engine specific (1500SP is different from 1600TP).

Ctefeh

[ Edited on 3/9/2007 by ctefeh ]

Spook Driving the 64 wheeler

1,168 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 3 Sep 2007, 12:01 pm

#609980

The 1300 is just to get it going & it's a single port, I'll rebuild the 1500 that's in it.
Apparently it did slip in 1st.

Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.

ctefeh Wolfsburg Wizard

479 posts · joined Apr 2005 · 3 Sep 2007, 12:14 pm

#609982

Spook,
I honestly don't know whether a 1500Sp oil pump is the same as a 1300Sp so I'll leave that for someone else.

Slips in first ("L" for Low)? lot's of things can be read into that!

Well, whatever you do, don't take the torque converter off the gearbox! Strap/hold it into it's position.

If you want, shoot me an email to ctefehinoz@hotmail.com and I can send you a scanned copy of the SemiAuto section from a Bentley manual.

Ctefeh

[ Edited on 3/9/2007 by ctefeh ]

Spook Driving the 64 wheeler

1,168 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 3 Sep 2007, 12:22 pm

#609987

IF I grab it I'll keep that in mind.
Sneaking another real car past the missus is the challenge.

Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.

BUGBOY Moderator Chief Toy Dude / Head Cruiser

2,147 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 3 Sep 2007, 2:17 pm

#610003

Spook wrote:IF I grab it I'll keep that in mind.
Sneaking another real car past the missus is the challenge.

We know you can do it mate! Go for it!
It was a fathers day present was it not? :duh

Everything 36HP !
Change over king and link spindles
6-12volt semaphores

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Spook Driving the 64 wheeler

1,168 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 3 Sep 2007, 4:10 pm

#610017

Tricky enough getting toy cars past her. Not so much that she notices, but the youngest son goes through them regularly. You see the deal is, he gets anything I duplicate, & he"ll go, "when did you get this one dad?".
Then the wife checks.

Pretending 900 kilo of steel isn't there doesn't work.

Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.

Spook Driving the 64 wheeler

1,168 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 4 Sep 2007, 5:47 am

#610116

ctefeh wrote:Spook,
I honestly don't know whether a 1500Sp oil pump is the same as a 1300Sp so I'll leave that for someone else.

Slips in first ("L" for Low)? lot's of things can be read into that!

Well, whatever you do, don't take the torque converter off the gearbox! Strap/hold it into it's position.

If you want, shoot me an email to ctefehinoz@hotmail.com and I can send you a scanned copy of the SemiAuto section from a Bentley manual.

Ctefeh

[ Edited on 3/9/2007 by ctefeh ]

Things you find when you open your eyes!
Turns out one of the manuals in my collection is a Bentley, with an automatic section.

So thank you kindly for the offer, but apparently I won't need to take you up on it

Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.