mcshane Posted July 21, 2008 Report Posted July 21, 2008 Hi, I've just bought a 53 Ghia TDI, and going through the usual array of problems. The cigarette lighter fuse was gone, and I wasted two new fuses before spotting the small metal disc in the bottom of the socket causes the shorts... Next problem was checking the tyre pressures came up with 28psi all round - no idea how long it had been driven like this, but swiftly sorted out. Anyway, next problem is that I've got a screw stuck in one tyre, so I spent last night changing over to the spare to take it to a garage today. Unwinding the spare was okay, but then unwinding the cable more just made a ticking sound, and the wheel got no lower. After a little while at winding/unwinding, the cable let out enough to get the wheel off. So I put the bad wheel back on the winch, and drive to the tyre place. First thing they do is try to remove the wheel, and now the cable won't let out more than 3 full turns on the winch, so not enough (I think) to push the end of the cable through the wheel to get it off. So I've found a couple of things in the faq about changing the winch mechanism or just taking it apart and changing the cable. I can have a go at both, but any hints on how to get the wheel off as it's suspended from the cable which won't let out anymore? Quote
veedyf Posted July 21, 2008 Report Posted July 21, 2008 on a mk1 there are teo 13mm bolts on the chassis to hold the winch... might be a squeeze but a spanner should fit in there then its off Quote
mcshane Posted July 21, 2008 Author Report Posted July 21, 2008 I guess I need to get underneath and see if I can undo those, they look like allen key type bolts, so not sure if there's enough room above the wheel. When you unwind the winch and get the clicking noise - what's actually happening? Is it turning the spool of wire at all? Is there any chance that more slack wire can be pulled through, or is it likely just to be jammed solid? Quote
veedyf Posted July 21, 2008 Report Posted July 21, 2008 cogs are plastic i think...so easy to snap i suppose Quote
mcshane Posted July 21, 2008 Author Report Posted July 21, 2008 (edited) cogs are plastic i think...so easy to snap i suppose Okay, so possibly they've been snapped by tightening the winch too hard. Thanks for the help. Edited July 21, 2008 by mcshane Quote
suzuki91 Posted July 23, 2008 Report Posted July 23, 2008 photos and how to repair in the FAQ. although i did not have to remove the winch with the tyre in place. if its not possible then a few holes drilled round the centre of the nylon wheel holder may release the wire. but then its a new one? Quote
suzuki91 Posted July 23, 2008 Report Posted July 23, 2008 forgot to mention its a good idea to keep tension on the cabel unwinding and winding up to prevent this. rubbish design.... Quote
mcshane Posted July 23, 2008 Author Report Posted July 23, 2008 The photos on the faq have been really useful. I got the winch off, just enough room above the hanging wheel to get an allen key in. A lot more room on the nearside, so I did the offside first then the nearside so I could support the winch - I already had a bucket under the wheel supporting that weight. I drilled the rivets out, and extracted the wire - it was too twisted to go through the plastic hole where it comes out the winch unit, so I cut it out and bought some new wire for 71p. A friend at work has brazing kit and some small metal pipe which he helpfully drilled through to match the wire diameter. We've (well, lets be accurate, he) brazed those on this morning, and I've filed the winch end so it fits into the plastic wheel. So tonight I've just got to buy some grease, put it all back together, and see if the brazing holds... Quote
gregers Posted July 23, 2008 Report Posted July 23, 2008 theres 1 for sale on ebay at the moment. Quote
mcshane Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Posted July 24, 2008 So last night I reassembled the winch, screwed it back into place, and the spare wheel is now attached as intended. All good so far, but we'll see if I get to cornwall on saturday with the wheel still in place... One tip for anyone else doing this is if you take the vertical plastic corkscrew section apart, at the bottom are a set of curved metal washers. I think these are there for adjusting the fit of this section inside the winch box. If you put them all the same way around (as I did first time I put it all back together) then the vertical section is not quite as big as the metal casing, so it is designed to slip as you turn it. On mine, I needed to stack the washers in three sections, so the top and bottom sections were one way up, with the middle section the other way up. This makes the stack of washers taller, so the height of the corkscrew section was the same height as the inside of the winch case. This means it doesn't slip as you turn the handle. Had I taken more care when I took it apart I probably would have spotted this, but it slipped and these washers flew everywhere... Quote
bj2004 Posted July 24, 2008 Report Posted July 24, 2008 where in cornwall you going i am offthere same time ? Quote
mcshane Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Posted July 24, 2008 Although I don't like the look of the weather :lol: Quote
gregers Posted July 24, 2008 Report Posted July 24, 2008 ive been there a few times,m8s grand parents moved down there,if you get the chance take a boat trip on the fowey ferry,just up the road didnt cost much iirc but the scenery was excellent.have fun. Quote
bj2004 Posted July 24, 2008 Report Posted July 24, 2008 have a few beers in the ship and a drive through the luxcilian vally and if you fancy another beer i am just outside padstow 1/2 hour drive away also carlyon bay is worth a look Quote
mcshane Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Posted July 25, 2008 Thanks for the pointers, looking forward to the holiday. Quote
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