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Thu Oct 06, 2011 7:37 pm

The crank as well as the pistons are frozen in place. This will take time and TLC.

Picture of the donor engine on the roll around stand waiting to donate parts to this build.

Thu Oct 06, 2011 7:47 pm

Upon close examination I have found some pitting on the case just above the cylinders and off to the side. This is the only region I have discovered this kind of pitting. Has anyone seen this kind of pitting before? I have no idea yet if this is going to compromise the integrity of the case.

In this picture you can see the oil cooler is toast. This is how it was found.

Looking down into the remaining tin to the cylinders below. Looks like a rats nest I know.

Thu Oct 06, 2011 7:50 pm

As I have been working on the engine it is shedding potting soil along the way.

Thu Oct 06, 2011 7:50 pm

The pitting is corrosion of the magnesium, if the case is clean and dry, the moisture in the air,(or rat urine) will start to eat away at it, always leave an oily film on the case when in long term storage

Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:07 pm

A close examination of the flywheel. The starter teeth look great. Very dirty though. I would really like to reuse this flywheel if at all possible.

Inside the flywheel is an impression of the clutch. Is this normal? Or is this a result of the clutch resting inside of the flywheel for all these years?

Is this flywheel something that can be machined clean? Is it something that anyone would recommend

Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:13 pm

The pressure plate is history.

As with the clutch...

Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:16 pm

Wish I had one of these... :lol:

Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:09 pm

I would turn that flywheel in a heartbeat and use it! I hate buying new crap... As for the case, you're going to really dig at that corroded spot with a screwdriver/ pick, and make sure it isn't even flakier underneath. It looks pretty wet in the pic still... Might be a spot that can be Tig welded and saved though. Looks like you have a good donor engine ready to go for parts. Are you going to try and find another 54' head...or just use the ones off that donor? You might be suprised at what the inside of your 54' head looks like after all those years sitting outside...

Scott

Fri Oct 07, 2011 5:00 am

I am going to try to salvage as much as possible. I agree with you, I am not a fan of replacement parts. What looks to be wet on the case in the pictures is actually oil as I am soaking all the bolts and nuts. They have been the most difficult I have ever encountered and I am trying not to break them off.

Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:13 pm

How do the cooling fins on the bottom of the case look? I've walked away from alot of cases that are horrible in that area. I finally got a 55' long block for my oval, after 2 1/2 years of looking!! It's really nice and oily too...man they are hard to clean that way....but it sure beats the magnesium dry rot. Are you going period correct/ stock with this engine?

Scott

Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:04 pm

Hello everyone. Had a pretty productive day with the engine although I did not get as far as I had hoped for. Todays goal was to remove the one head and see what we had to work with. Problem after problem was present with an engine in this shape. The main problem of frozen bolts which require the use of a chisel and lots of liquid wrench. The pistons are totally frozen to the cylinder walls. If anyone has a solution for freeing these pistons please share it with me. Again another day playing in the dirt.

Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:14 pm

After dumping the dirt for the thousandth time....

Heres what we have. A real mess. But I am going to give this engine my all. Blew out the head with an airgun and oiled all up the bolts well. The bolts inside the valve cover came free fairly easy but the two on the outside of the head had to be chiseled off.

Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:16 pm

Pushrod tubes have long given up the fight....

Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:20 pm

Ok well as hard as I tried the head IS NOT COMING off today. I beat on it with a rubber mallet soaked it in oil and repeated. Since I had to leave the house today and head for Texas I soaked it down good with liquid wrench and will attack it again in another week or so. :cry:

Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:23 pm

motofly196 wrote: How do the cooling fins on the bottom of the case look? I've walked away from alot of cases that are horrible in that area. I finally got a 55' long block for my oval, after 2 1/2 years of looking!! It's really nice and oily too...man they are hard to clean that way....but it sure beats the magnesium dry rot. Are you going period correct/ stock with this engine?

Scott

Hear is a picture of the bottom. Yes sir, period correct and stock.

Sat Oct 08, 2011 3:24 am

I'm sorry to say, but that motor seems to be beyond repair. Are you sure it can be brought back to running without an unreasonable amount of work and money? I mean, if it was the original block for the VW 38, it would be worth almost anything to fix it, but it's a rather common engine.

Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:02 am

And no way it's a 54 or 55 case if that's what you're after. I know the number on it 10866955 seems to put it at the September 54 mark, but it looks more like a 60 or later. I bet it's a dealer replacement case. The font used for the serial number is the later one too.

A 54/55 would have the oil drain plug in the case not the sump plate and the oil filler would not be the type with the screw on lid that is screwed into the generator stand. Bummer.

Here is a picture of what the bottom should look like:

Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:10 am

allsidius wrote: I'm sorry to say, but that motor seems to be beyond repair. Are you sure it can be brought back to running without an unreasonable amount of work and money? I mean, if it was the original block for the VW 38, it would be worth almost anything to fix it, but it's a rather common engine.

I very respectfully agree with this ststement. Im pretty sure you can get a period correct turnkey for much less than what it will cost you to R&R that one.

Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:10 am

nlorntson wrote: And no way it's a 54 or 55 case if that's what you're after. I know the number on it 10866955 seems to put it at the September 54 mark, but it looks more like a 60 or later. I bet it's a dealer replacement case. The font used for the serial number is the later one too.

A 54/55 would have the oil drain plug in the case not the sump plate and the oil filler would not be the type with the screw on lid that is screwed into the generator stand. Bummer.

Here is a picture of what the bottom should look like:

Well you guys have taken the wind out of my sails. :( Question...so VW stamped out numbers on newer cases that match older years? Where is the sence in that?

Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:22 pm

Cases of all hp were cast well beyond when the next increment of hp engines were produced. For example 25hp cases were still being cast into the late 50's after the 36hp engine was being produced, 36hp cases were cast well into the 60's after the 40hp was produced, etc.

They were cast with no number (you see them for sale at times) but they did have a casting number on each half to identify the month day and year the case was cast. You can find that for the right half of the case on the left side of the generator stand in the webbed area and on the left half of the case on the rear but down around the fuel pump opening.

In the 25hp years of Swedish rebuilt engines they used a newly cast case with a blank number area. The newly assembled engine with the blank number area was then stamped with KDS ##### to identify it as a factory rebuilt engine. I think other places probably did something similar as you often see an engine number beginning with an A##### and often a square stamp below the number that says rebuilt or similar.

Page M-38 of Progressive refinements says

6 Aug. 59
Chassis # 2 528 668
Engine # 3 072 724

Oil drain plug
Now: in bottom plate of oil strainer
Formerly: oil drain plug in crankcase

It's conceivable that the original engine failed sometime after the change, one was rebuilt for the 1954 car using a newly cast case, and the original serial number was stamped into the blank case. Of course this is all speculation on my part. ;)

Post up the casting number.