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Clutch Tube Install
MWH78 - September 11th, 2011 at 09:11 PM

We have a 70 beetle on 68 semi auto pan and after much umming and ahhing have finally decided to cut the pan and install a clutch tube. I have done lots of searches and have a pretty good idea how to do it but have a couple of questions. A few places suggested that a heavy walled steel tube be used so as not to blow through with the welder. Any ideas where to get this tube from (we live in Ipswich), would any steel suppliers stock it or should we be looking elsewhere?
Most of the how to's I have read mention nothing about a bend in the tube but a couple of photos I have seen appear to have a bend towards the rear is this the case or can the tube be simply left straight?
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give us.

matberry - September 11th, 2011 at 10:35 PM

If you use thick wall you may need to machine it down for the bowden tube to fit. I've used std steel tube available at a steel supplier, no probs with a mig and being carefull. Tube stays straight with a general flex/gradual bend.

vwo60 - September 12th, 2011 at 10:03 AM

Any hydraulic supply shop will have tubing in metric or imperial with varing wall thickness that you can adapt

MWH78 - September 12th, 2011 at 05:11 PM

Cool thanks for that info. In most of the sites I have seen about doing this cut the front of the tunnel on the right hand side but these are for left hand drive cars, would this be the same for a right hand drive car or should the cut be made on the passenger side?

1303Steve - September 12th, 2011 at 05:18 PM

Hi

A thought while you have the pan open, I ran tube big enough to feed a bowden cable through for the accelerator, works beautifully, much better than running the accelerator cable through the stock steel tube.

Steve

MWH78 - September 12th, 2011 at 07:39 PM

Sorry if this is a silly question but would that mean running 2 clutch bowden tubes side by side? Would you use a second bowden tube bracket (not sure of its propper name) if so where did you mount it? Do you have a pic of your setup, I would be interested to see how you did it?

matberry - September 12th, 2011 at 07:40 PM

Clutch tube is the same left or right hand drive.

MWH78 - September 12th, 2011 at 08:06 PM

I thought that might be the case, just wanted to check and make sure.

1303Steve - September 12th, 2011 at 08:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by MWH78
Sorry if this is a silly question but would that mean running 2 clutch bowden tubes side by side? Would you use a second bowden tube bracket (not sure of its propper name) if so where did you mount it? Do you have a pic of your setup, I would be interested to see how you did it?


Hi

Yes it would mean running another tube, not a bige once you are in there, I just made the hole bigger where the stock tube comes out of the chassis each end, no photos sorry. I just had to be careful when I was welding it in place that I didn't encroach on the inside of the tube.

Steve

clinker42 - September 13th, 2011 at 07:46 PM

I think Matts correct, as you go thicker in the wall, the outside dia stays the same but the inner reduces.

Dont worry about thick wall, you can weld thin if you turn the wire speed and amps down. If you only have a stick then just get some 2mm rods.

Birdshit still holds lol