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engine lid fitting - help needed

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MattY-64 Seriously Crusin Dubber

189 posts · joined Oct 2004 ·

#792206
Hi,

I have been trying to fit my engine lid for a while now, but I am either doing something wrong or my rear bumper is out of alignment or something.

Last night i got it fitted up but i had to adjust the rear bumper and have it pushed all the way down before tightening up and only then the engine lid clears it by a bee's d*&k. To me it looks as though there is more gap on the drivers side than the passengers the way the rear bumper is sitting.

Does anyone know if the rear bumper supports are side specific?

Also when installing the hoodjax, does it matter where i drill the holes for the support? I can't remember getting install instructions, or I have misplaced them somewhere...

Anyways any help would be greatful.

Matt.

MattY-64 Seriously Crusin Dubber

189 posts · joined Oct 2004 ·

#794751
Ok I must be pretty bad at this......

I have spent many hours trying to get the engine lid fitted so that it doesn't hit the rear bumper, and i am still no further ahead.....

i have either got to be doing something wrong or i have bought a second hand bumper that is not going to work out....

I had previously fitted the bumper and the engine lid and got it to open, but there was only a very small gap inbetween the bumper and the lid, so close at times it shaves a bit of paint of the bottom of the lid.

I have now added the hoodjax system, which works great, but i either have to cut off half the bottom of the engine lid, or do a way with the rear bumper.

Is it possible to run the standard bumper with a hoodjax system?

I have flipped the bumper supports so that the bumper sits on an angle, but then the top support sits off the bumper by about 25mm and no chance of getting it connected.

i am doing all this from memory and common sense, but may both have gone out the window??

Here are some snaps of the bumper sitting losely, etc.

Any help would be great......

Matt.

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Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#794757
Is it an aftermarket bumper??
Are the brackets aftermarket??

How about "spacing" the bumper on the brackets??
Not ideal - but if it works??
Futue te ipsum!!!

hellbugged 48's and straight cuts

5,080 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#794758
yeah, it will be close........

adjust your bootlid with the brakets that attach it to the car, both the two bolts on the hinges AND the 3 on the U shaped brakets. get the lid sitting perfect on the gaps and then go at the bumper

just try fiddling with bumper height, slot the holes in the black brakets and pull it out a few mm's. maybe some washers between the barkets and the chrome bar will work enough

so much can change over the years from shunts to the body, bumpers tow balled etc etc etc

good luck, looks like a clean ride for sure so i can understand why you want it sorted.

well done

MattY-64 Seriously Crusin Dubber

189 posts · joined Oct 2004 ·

#794884
The bumper and brackets are all original items.

I have got the engine lid to open with ease without the hoodjax installed and with a little bit of holding up the lid, while opening, with the hood jax on.

I used a rubber space back of the 3 bolt bracket, to lift the lid upwards. Then play around with the hoodjax bracket to get ok fitment. It just clears the top of the engine compartment and you have to pull it down a bit to get the lock to work.

Then i used some of my left over body to pan rubber gromet to sit behind the bumper brackets to push it out a bit. I have to make up some rubber spacers to sit between the bumper and the top supports yet.

But i think it should work out ok. The original bumper was bent in from slight accident, from memory. so i expect it is a result of this. I would highly recommend to anybody doing this after a restoration, to do it while the engine it out, as it is a big pain in the butt, while the engine is in.

Matt.

HappyDaze Superannuated

2,887 posts · joined Jun 2009 ·

#794894
Bet it's had a bump in the back, and 'straightened' the rear bar a bit. If you can, try a known 'correct' bar over yours to see if the curve is right. If it is too 'flat', you must put it back to the right shape, or the lid will hit, no matter how much you adjust the lid.

Cheers, Greg
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!

MattY-64 Seriously Crusin Dubber

189 posts · joined Oct 2004 ·

#794907
I got myself a second hand rear bumper, the original was not only bent but to far rusted.

So the bumper should be ok....

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#794922
MattY-64 wrote:The bumper and brackets are all original items.

I have got the engine lid to open with ease without the hoodjax installed and with a little bit of holding up the lid, while opening, with the hood jax on.

I used a rubber space back of the 3 bolt bracket, to lift the lid upwards. Then play around with the hoodjax bracket to get ok fitment. It just clears the top of the engine compartment and you have to pull it down a bit to get the lock to work.

Then i used some of my left over body to pan rubber gromet to sit behind the bumper brackets to push it out a bit. I have to make up some rubber spacers to sit between the bumper and the top supports yet.

But i think it should work out ok. The original bumper was bent in from slight accident, from memory. so i expect it is a result of this. I would highly recommend to anybody doing this after a restoration, to do it while the engine it out, as it is a big pain in the butt, while the engine is in.

Matt.
You can use large flat washers as shims to move the bumper out further..
or even two sets of the bumper brackets...
one over the other... to move it away from the car..

and then use longer cuphead bolts... chromed of course...

cheers

LEE

PS: making the brackets that go thru the guards longer would be better.. lol
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---