This picture shows the "oil thrower" ring. Serves similar purpose to that found on the crankshaft. This one deflects leaking oil to the drain passage. Oil goes down passage and out thro` the hole in the backplate thus ensuring the brake shoes themselves are not contaminated......

I have come across different bearing cap structure across the same and differing beetle and type 2 etc air cooled vw`s and same models but differing years. The milling of the cap inner surfaces shows differing seal locating ledges so some seals seat further down into the cap, (when viewed from back plate side), and this results in a thrower ring either a loose fit or sometimes less "floppy" but the ring should never ne pushed up tight so that the ring has zero axial movement. I know of individuals who have tossed these rings away...   

All back together again
Photo to show the handbrake cable lever. It`s fixing stud, wave washer and horse shoe clip. (Reproduction clip. Don`t lose an original VW clip if you have one and re-use it).
Over the years I have been asked often "how on earth does the handbrake cable re-fit to the backplate along with the cable". (I remember well my first attempt thinking. "crikey worse than a chinese puzzle". It`s quite simple if you use this procedure...... Keep the cable out of the way. Fit the structure to the backplate and look at how the projections thro` the back plate form a U shaped area. Slacken the bolt a bit. Push the cable thro the gap. Hook the cable end onto the handbrake lever. (You may need to remove the nut from the handbrake end to allow the cable to pull thro far enough initially especially if your cables are specific to a swb buggy). With the cable hooked over lever end pull the spring section thro` fully along with the end "washer" which is plasticky not metal and seat the washer against the inner surface of the u shaped bit of metal.
It`s critical that you bleed the brake line and cylinder when you re-fit the brake line just to be absolutely sure no air has been trapped within.




That`s it then .... job done.   
 

Slow going at the moment and there was me thinking that after 12 years of school runs I would have more time. Silly me    

Just once again to sing the praises of a device I should have bought years ago. The hydraulic "bike lift"...  This makes removal and replacement of an engine an absolute doddle. Once I had the buggy front raised a little to make the chassis as near as parallel to the ground as possible I timed the process of pushing the engine into place, raising it and pushing home onto bellhousing. 55 seconds in total. I was lucky in that the I had, by chance, placed the trolley exactly centred to the two bottom bolt holes. (remember to have the handbrake on and the gearbox in neutral so that the clutch centre plate splines can run straight onto the gearbox output shaft splines).

It actually took way longer to refit the coil and fit the wiring. (Engine won`t lift into my Manx without the coil fouling on the tub as engine is raised. So satisfying to start the engine and watch it settle into a smooth steady idle. Makes the effort worth the while.   

The engine has the two ICT carbs fitted. The carb manifolds get very hot quickly unlike the Kadrons. When I have this engine run in and thro` it`s 1st mot which is due next month as it will then be 3 years since the buggy passed iva and was registered with dvla I will try out the two solex carbs that have auto chokes as per the original 34pict 3.

"Going in" and "back in" again.

First MoT those 3 years have flown by

Keith........  I think back over often and am staggered that it will be 10 years next May when I drove from home to Flatlands Engineering to collect my body and other parts. It is an odd thing that he "older you get the faster time seems to go by". The other thing that baffles me is the countless hours I still spend on my buggy. Surely I should be able to tell myself "its finished - stop pulling it apart repeatedly". I  cannot stop myself though       Do you think that there is a name for this type of obsession ?

Paul I think in your case the cause is being on the perfectionist spectrum.

However, I feel such a trait or habit is perfectly (see what I did there) understandable as you have spent so long building to a acheive a very high standard of roadworthiness that you naturally want to maintain all aspects of look and functioning.

I am not a fair comparison but if something on my buggy isn't seemingly right but the buggy still drives I often as not am more than happy to continue until one day I can luckily get help/attention to check out the noise or whatever from someone like Snoopy. You I know would not drive for long with the indicators not working or a misfiring sound or new 'rattle', say.

Think you might be right there Hugh. If something isn`t working properly, or doesn`t work properly in the first place I cannot settle until it is sorted. 

TOP TIP :-

Since late summer I have been asked to take a look at rocker cover leaks on two Beetles and one camper. (All with type 1 engines). One guy had replaced the gaskets 3 times along with mountains of high temp` silicone sealant. Firstly....   You really don`t need any sealant unless the cylinder head surface has been gouged deeply by heavy handed prying with a screwdriver Silicone sealant, in my opinion, is to be avoided. It is easy to use far too much. Get a piece in an oilway and you are screwed. A wax based version, hylomar etc is a far better choice ( A bit of grease on a new gasket will hold it in place whilst you replace the cover.)

Way back in time a Mill Garages mechanic showed me what should be the first "port of call" if there was leakage from the rocker cover. Rare back then as the securing clamps where of high quality German steel. Not so nowadays with the reproduction clamps. Remove the clamp from the head. Take to a vice. Clamp as per the photo below and apply gentle pressure with the palm of your hand. Bend the upright bit at the point shown... but just a little . Reverse the clamp in the vice so that you can do the same to the other end. A little bending will result in the two curved sections sections that but up to the rocker cover securing the rocker cover with sufficient force once again. Run the engine up to temperature and 9 times out of 10 the leakage has disappeared   
Last job..... throw the tube of silicone sealant in the bin.