Help me pick apart my '54 engine please

laneven28 · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 5:55 pm Post subject:

Love your car and enthusiasm, and have enjoyed watching your progress. I'm currently restoring a March 54 beetle and have been gathering the correct engine parts for a few years now. Most have been difficult to find in good condition, and are pricey. Wish I could find early parts at the bottom of swap meet boxes for cheap - that has not been my experience unfortunately. Here's a few pictures that may help.

Correct BR3T distributor for a February car

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

3-hole engine tin - breastplate, cylinder tin & heater boxes. Note the cylinder tin also has side caps that are welded on - they were stamped in on later versions (not sure when exactly)

54 heater boxes are similar to split window (also 3 hole), but are missing the flap for the X plate. You can see the difference here - split on the left, 54 on the right

Correct coil should be a Bosch TE6A3 - note the small date stamp just above the coil # - 4L (April '55)

Correct Bosch generator & regulator, note date code on each 3K (March 54)

Correct weld nuts - found on the fan shroud (inside at bottom of both ends), throttle ring (pictured), backside of wire tube clamps, pulley tin, and bottom side of cylinder tin

_________________
1950 Pearl Grey Hoffman Standard Split Window
1954 Iceland Green Euro 3-Fold Oval
1955 Strato Silver Transitional 3-Fold Oval
1956 Iris Blue Convertible
1958 Pearl White Lowlight KG Convertible
1961 Turkis Ragtop

motofly196 · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 6:07 pm Post subject:

These are some really nice clear shots! Nice parts stash you have there!!!! That distributor is a thing of beauty!

laneven28 · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 6:40 pm Post subject:

EverettB · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 7:25 pm Post subject:

EverettB · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 7:30 pm Post subject:

TheLadyBug · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 8:59 pm Post subject:

Thank you SO much for the photos, and everyone's input. That is exactly what I needed. Very Happy

And thanks for recognizing how completely into this car I am... I can't quite explain how bad I've wanted one and extremely enthusiastic about learning all I can about it. I also think my dad, while complaining about it (haha), has really enjoyed coming over and helping me as it reminds him of his high school days when life was much simpler.

I am comfortable building the engine using my current parts where I can, and am happy to begin the hunt for correct parts... that's part of the fun, right? I am not thrilled to pay big dollar for a lot of the parts but I will buy it slowly to lessen the blow, lol. Laughing

Although I do not want to pay to have the incorrect stuff rebuilt, so I would like to find a generator (2K) and the correct regulator. I have a correct fuel pump lined up. I will have to begin looking for the correct distributor as well. Was my coil incorrect? I'll have to go out and look at it again.

It's much nicer to compare my stuff to that of someone else with it off the car. Those photos clearly indicate to me that my side tins are incorrect, even my numerics are different and smaller.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to discern the difference between my engine heater boxes and the ones pictured?

I am not banking on having much luck finding parts at swap meets for cheap - a lot of the guys around here seem to know what stuff is worth.
_________________
Charmaine
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1954 Beetle - because I can
2016 Golf highline - hubby’s daily
2016 Golf R - my daily

kielbasa · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 9:06 pm Post subject:

Just build a small stroker Wink

less problems hunting down every last original part. Fast is fun too!
_________________
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Wolfsburg Motorsports
Dubbers Toy Box
Jeff's VW Speed and Fab
4inbore.com
Kielbasa Industries

laneven28 · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:29 am Post subject:

A few more pics for you. The 28PCI carburetor correct for your February car should be missing the "28PCI" script below "Solex" on the left side of the bowl. Here are some comparative pics.

If you want to get really picky with carbs, you can look at serial numbers on the backside of the bowl to determine when the carb was produced. Serial numbers were in sequential order, so the smaller the number, the earlier it was produced. There's a reference list somewhere on the samba, but couldn't find it. I know the 1364556 serial number pictured here is a '55 carb.

Going deep inside your engine, January through August cars that use the BR3T distributor also had unique pistons & cylinders. The cylinder skirt (the portion that seats inside the case) is longer than later versions, and the piston face is slightly dished or concave. Carbs were jetted slightly differently during this period due to the concave piston face. These pictures show both the skirt and piston face but don't have a comparison.

_________________
1950 Pearl Grey Hoffman Standard Split Window
1954 Iceland Green Euro 3-Fold Oval
1955 Strato Silver Transitional 3-Fold Oval
1956 Iris Blue Convertible
1958 Pearl White Lowlight KG Convertible
1961 Turkis Ragtop

laneven28 · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:03 am Post subject:

Something worth noting about early 28PCI carbs. The earliest version in 53 did not utilize a vacuum advance, but the carb body was cast with a boss that would later be used for the vacuum advance fitting, but no hole was drilled or tapped in that early version. Not having luck with the samba search function today so I can't find a picture to show it. This picture shows the set up you will want for your engine with the vacuum advance line fitting present.

_________________
1950 Pearl Grey Hoffman Standard Split Window
1954 Iceland Green Euro 3-Fold Oval
1955 Strato Silver Transitional 3-Fold Oval
1956 Iris Blue Convertible
1958 Pearl White Lowlight KG Convertible
1961 Turkis Ragtop

TheLadyBug · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 8:23 pm Post subject:

Thank you so much for the information and informative photos! Feeling a little deflated as it's going to take a lot of work to find these parts Embarassed

_________________
Charmaine
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1954 Beetle - because I can
2016 Golf highline - hubby’s daily
2016 Golf R - my daily

EverettB · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 8:36 pm Post subject:

tasb · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 6:10 pm Post subject:

That badge is not typical. Time has fogged the reasoning for that badge. Two theories are that it was rebuilt and the badge replaced and second that it is an early version and the badge is a prototype. This is what the badge usually looks like:

This one is a BR 8 from 1954 but the badge is very close to the typical.
It would be interesting if you would share the date stamp on your BR 3 please.

Here's a BR 3 but the clarity isn't as good.

_________________
Roads Scholar &
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018

1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc

1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse

Abscate · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 2:33 pm Post subject:

Is that an uber cool crank pulley nut for a manual crank handle? Doesn't that make your motor a Bus motor???
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.ssS!

TheLadyBug · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 5:57 pm Post subject:

tasb · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 6:24 pm Post subject:

After some more research and thought the badge has every indication of being a reproduction. If it matters to you, you might ask Vintagewerks about it.
_________________
Roads Scholar &
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018

1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc

1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse

janerick3 · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 6:08 pm Post subject:

laneven28 · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 9:51 pm Post subject:

tasb · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 10:09 pm Post subject:

I've restored about ten cast iron distributors with badges like yours. I own four of them. They all have model numbers stamped on the badge one digit at a time. The numbering and spacing of the letters is always uneven. In the case of your badge the spacing is perfect. Not a scratch on it after 60 years. All of the badges I have worked with were early in the distributor production run while yours is May of 54 that is four months into the production run. I have a February 1954 BR 3 that has the normal production badge. The other BR3's I have worked with had the silver badge that is not painted black.
_________________
Roads Scholar &
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018

1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc

1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse

laneven28 · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 10:58 pm Post subject:

tasb · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 10:10 pm Post subject:

Yep, not questioning whether its a genuine BR 3. If the marker date on the shaft is accurate it is a BR 3. It has the early vacuum canister which is used through 1954. My earlier posts here have pics of a typical BR 3 badge.
_________________
Roads Scholar &
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018

1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc

1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse


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Help me pick apart my '54 engine please
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