From: LAH20CAR [mailto:]
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2008 5:56 AM
To: edprice@cox.net
Subject: RE: [General Amphicar Discussion-t-20060] Re: Newbie!
boots were 4" rubber tubing
That sounds like a homemade replacement----they should be kinda like two
funnels touching at the big end---a bellows type thing
Cigar man has a set for sale, but I think they are for European cars,
different than most of them but you may luck out----keep what you have
and be looking for another set of original ones----I think what you have
may be too close to the U-joint as it goes up and down---- bumps, in and
out of the water, ect.
I understand that there are two styles and two sizes for the rear axle
tunnel boots. The original factory design had a smooth circular rubber globe
with a cylindrical extension at each side (one extension clamped to the
transmission casting and the other to the hull tunnel). I have seen some
Amphis fitted with a corrugated bellows style boot (IIRC, a Volvo outdrive
boot assembly). Since this style of boot has no larger diameter at the
center than at either end, that makes for a very close clearance for the
inner U-joint.
Then, the factory went to a larger diameter for the tunnel tubes and
transmission case lip, although I haven't seen any of these larger examples.
The archives have a lot of talk about the Volvo boot as a replacement (and
even a Frenco pipe fitting from Home Depot). Perhaps our experts can comment
about the two sizes of boots.
Ed Price
El Cajon, CA USA
61 Rust Guppy
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