Round metal thingy and brakes.

[Dubstar]

Can nybody tell me what the strange round metal hole in my dashboard is?It looks like a small cigarette lighter, but with some sort of eletrical connection inside it, and Ive seen it on a few others in pictures. And also, how do you take off the rear drums? Do you have to take off the big castle nut and split pin, or should it just come off when you undo the 2 11mm bolts on the drum?Mine is a 1981 2ltr Aircooled auto. Sorry for asking but I've only just got the van and haven't got a Haynes manual yet and the hand brake is goosed. And I'm really curious about the dashboard thing. Thanks in anticipation.

[Simon Baxter]

Probably an electrical auxilliary socket, Germans love 'em.
Usually found on Westies but anything imported could potentially have one anywhere, lots nicer to look at than a fag lighter, more positive connection, just more betterer!
Plug you fan, work light, fluro chargers etc into them

[HarryMann]

The brake drum should come off in the normal fashion once the two set screws have been removed.... but of course it won't.

The drum's faceplate is probably rusted to the drive flange behind. And when that's sorted (flex the faceplate by striking the drum with flat-face of a club hammer, several times till you can see the join line loosen), then its likely the drum also has a lip on the inside that could make pulling it over the shoes difficult. See the Wiki might save me a lot of words here, there's something on doing the rear brakes in there. If that doesn't help, get back here with the current situation...

Cheers

[cumbriankeith]

See below - I had a few typos on the first version!

[cumbriankeith]

Drums should come off once you undo the 2 x 11mm bolts that you mentioned.

But if they haven't been removed for a while they have a tendency to be rusted on tho - drum to hub - if so then hit it firmly and repeatedly inwards all round the diameter of the drum with a lump hammer - to break the rust bond.

Then you will probably find that the drum is loose but still reluctant to come off the brakes shoes due to a build up of a wear/rust ridge - try to slacken off the shoe adjustment and once you get them off remove the ridge with a file or angle grinder - I remounted the drum back to front to spin it while grinding the ridge off.
A smear of copper grease on the hub should reduce the chance of rusting back on in the future.

[OLD ONE]

And remember to release the hand break befor you start

[Dubstar]

Thanks for all the replys. I did try the hitting thing but I wasn't sure if the castle nut held it on so I gave up, but now I know you just need to hit, then I'm getting a bigger hammer!
As for the round thing, it looks like it was put there by VW as from what I can see it's part of the wiring loom, but I'll have a closer look in the daylight. My German manual shows some sort of round heater knob on the dash-may be it's for that? Oh well, I'll get my tester on it.
Thanks again.

[Grun]

Dubstar,
Have a look
HERE
Is this your round metal thingy?
Mike

[Dubstar]

No, thats no it. Mine is just next to the heater controls on the dash. When I look at other Westys for sale on the internet, I can sometimes see them on the dash board shots. I'll try and get a picture of it and post it later.

[Mocki]

it will be a "hella" socket ( although bosch make them too), sometimes called a "Euroline socket and is as Simon said a aux power outlet, most westys have them, and they are 100 times better than the cig lighter, which is designed as erm, well a cig lighter, not a ower out let....


"Hella " sockets are normally 20 amp power handling, and dont get hot through poor connections like cig sockets.

You can buy the plugs that fit them from Altia or maplin

[Dubstar]

Cheers mate, it looks just like that. I'll double check it and then go and buy some plugs. And something to put them on too! Like a TV maybe. Cool.