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Mon Feb 23, 2015 12:35 pm

I recently bought a 73 square that had the engine rebuilt shortly before I got it. The people messed something up, and cracked the engine block, and it is leaking oil like... well, like a shittty VW engine. My local shop has a suitable engine block he said I could have for free, but it is bored for a sand seal. Would that be a suitable donor for a street car? Any special seals, etc I would need? The other shop quoted me about $350 for a clean block, so it would potentially save me quite a bit of money... I was hoping the Off-Road folks might have more insight into this than the Square folks. Thanks!

Mon Feb 23, 2015 1:01 pm

According to what you've described the only thing you would need is a sand seal and corresponding crank pulley. Not a big deal.

Mon Feb 23, 2015 2:34 pm

The sand seal is a band-aide for a leaking case. But in your case, yea just get a sand seal pulley that comes with the seal.

Mon Feb 23, 2015 3:09 pm

Brian wrote: The sand seal is a band-aide for a leaking case. But in your case, yea just get a sand seal pulley that comes with the seal.

I thought it was to keep sand out?

Mon Feb 23, 2015 4:47 pm

goes both ways. I had a machine in sand seal and it worked very well to keep crap out. But most people who buy them use them because their sling is bad and they don't want to fix it.

Mon Feb 23, 2015 5:08 pm

Ahhhh. Alas I learned something new today!

Mon Feb 23, 2015 5:39 pm

Lets keep the lernin goin.......:) there are no known type 3 sand seal pulleys available......Type 3s are a bread of their own with a fan and pulley off the front.

Mon Feb 23, 2015 5:42 pm

Brian wrote: goes both ways. I had a machine in sand seal and it worked very well to keep crap out. But most people who buy them use them because their sling is bad and they don't want to fix it.

or like me,needing a new pulley and buying a sealed setup.
bolts on easy helps in sand and water

Mon Feb 23, 2015 6:19 pm

I wonder why VW didn't update the T1/3 engines from the factory to use a seal on the pulley end? Every other engine from them that I know of had a standard radial oil seal.

Mon Feb 23, 2015 6:30 pm

Didn't really need it probably. I know the t1 one pulley has grooves to throw the oil back into the case.

Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:04 pm

Quote: most people who buy them use them because their sling is bad and they don't want to fix it.

Brian, that sounds VERY much like a street Bug guy talking, not an offroader. But I install them in street engines as well.

Without a seal, any fine dust, dirty water or other dirt will get "screwed" into the crankcase. It's a definite help to have sand seals in an offroad engine. For installation in a T3, the pulley needs to be machined.

Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:38 pm

well yea because that's what happens, people don't vent their case properly and use a sand seal to plug it up.

I remember the first time I went in the sand. I was very happy to have that sand seal.

Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:10 pm

what Rich is saying is that, installing a sand seal wont keep your case from leaking