Depressing discovery... GEX engine I didn't know about...

[CookingRock]

Hey gang:

While replacing a throttle housing gasket, I made a depressing discovery:

GEX Sticker in the engine compartment.

This might explain why I'm getting such inconsistent readings, performances from my motor.

So, now I seek opinions:

Should I trash the GEX engine I have and save up for a replacement?

Should I try to work with the GEX engine I have and make it work? Is that possible. (Also, how are these nimrods still in business?)

Should I attempt a rebuild? I've not really pulled the engine yet, so I don't know what's what in there.

Any help would be appreciated. Please don't be hater, either, as the sticker was obscured by a thick layer of soot when I inspected the vehicle when I purchased it. As mentioned above, the discover occurred while doing a gasket replacement with the throttle body.

Thanks in advance for the advice.
_________________
'76 Type 2 - 7 Passenger Transporter
2.0L Fuel Injected '78 Engine

[busdaddy]

Wow, sorry to hear that.

[dcketh]

If the sticker is just in the engine compartment and not on the engine itself, maybe the GEX engine grenaded long ago and was replaced by something less bad.

In all honesty, you are no worse off than anyone else who bought one of these vehicles with no knowledge of its history. While a GEX sticker doesn't instill confidence, the mere absence of one shouldn't imply all that much more. Until you dig into it, you can't really assume anything.
_________________
~ Dan ~
'71 Westy
'74 Thing

[cool karmann collected]

Spend some time understanding what you can about the engine like compression, timing, valve clearances etc..If you can make it run OK and have no other reason to replace it, then just go with it. No need to induce 'collapse anxiety' worrying about what might (or not) go wrong at some indeterminate point in the future.

A few years ago I bought a 1600 engine for my ghia off that well known auction site. I was desperate and bought it even though the seller said he suspected a burnt valve on #3 (he was right). When I picked it up it looked like a seething glob of dusty grease that had evidently been driven by one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The non-existent oil and the missing tin were bad omens, but the Pièce de résistance was the stamp of the rebuilding company (from 1994!) that has (had?) the same rep in the UK as your very own GEX.

Anyway, long story short, It's still in the ghia today 10,000 miles (and lots of oil admittedly) later.

So, just enjoy driving the bus, but maybe tuck a few dimes away for a rainy day in case it turns out to be a turkey. If you really want something to keep you awake at night, search for type 4 main bearing availability .

Ant

[Wildthings]

I certainly don't like the hack way GEX is known for throwing engines together, but I would guess that most of their engines run a fair number of miles. Get it tuned up right and get the cooling system in A-1 condition and you may be fine for a long while.

[raygreenwood]

[ned]

I had a GEX rebuild back in the 80`s. I drove the crap out of that rusty POS for 4 years and it still ran good when I sold the Bus. I am not saying that I want another GEX long block to install but at the time there were not a ton of bargain choices. I just didn`t have the coin back in those days. I was lucky that it wasn`t a rebuild with all-thread as a head stud. Take care of it and get as much as you can out of it while you save for your next engine.

[towd]

gex gets a bad rap, I have seen one engine where they used two different case halfs,

on the flip I have a personal friend that bought one . T1 and that must have been early 80's. he then turn around and bought an other GEX long block as a spare. This guy got over 100,000 on each engine, but the he can make a lawn mower go a 100,000.

You ever wonder why, GEX is so bad, yet have been in biss almost long than any one else ?? I wouldn't want one, by now you would think they would have lost it or been sued blind.

[nathansnathan]

The engine in my bus has a gex stamp on it. I had the case main and cam bores, and rocker bores and crank inspected by a machinist. It needed an align bore, but it is fine now, better in the relief valve area and better oil pressure than my other case that doesn't say gex.

I'm pretty excited about my other engine that's never been split before. That seems rare in a bus, as bus owners are so ...adventurous.

it's probably been 'rebuilt' 3 times since gex had it, the one you've got.

[78Kombi]

if it aint broke, dont fix it.
proper maintenance and preventative measures can be taken to keep anything alive. look at Dick Cheney
_________________
78 hightop 2.0 FI

[manikmike]

My bus was bought with a "fresh rebuild" GEX installed (and the negotiated price reflected it)... has about 18K on it now. Poor gas mileage, high temps, and crap compression on number 3, yet oddly powerful. I keep it local, check the valves every other weekend, and stay chill while driving, while I save for another powerplant...

If you have the time/$, tear it down, go over it and rebuild it to the best of your ability. You'll have peace of mind, and a cool experience. Otherwise, keep a sharp eye on it, maybe nix long trips, tune it as best you can, and enjoy the vehicle while saving for a better engine!
_________________
Mike
Boston, MA

[Bart Dunn]

[Wildthings]

[78Kombi]

[CookingRock]

Recent development:

Found the Engine ID on the fan shroud as: GD 012542

Went in deeper and found the Engine ID on the block as: GE 110216

Is it possible that this Engine ID is actually false and the block was mis-matched in a rebuild by our frenemies at GEX?

If this is so, I'm floating in space!

Curiouser and curiouser!

According the Samba (http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/engine_letters.php) this should be a 1978/79 engine.

Here's where it gets nutty for me:
This engine (if it is, in fact, a '78 ) should come equipped with hydraulic lifters, which means I shouldn't monkey with a valve adjustment. However, thinking I had a '76 engine, I adjusted the valves a couple weeks ago and it looked as though they were '76 valves. I adjusted them to .006 as prescribed pretty much everywhere I've looked. Question here: Did I completely SCREW my valves up?

[EDIT]:

Aug 1976 217 2000 001 GE 0 000 001
Dec 1976 217 2081 316 GE 0 002 336

June 1977 217 2300 000 GE 0 007 082
Aug 1977 218 2000 001 GE O 007 083 hydraulic lifters
Aug 1978 2192000001 GE 0 040 001
July 79 2192153964 GE 0 055 786
Aug 79 24A 00 13 069 Cv 00 1595 Vanagon
Jan 80 24A 0090 384 CV 011 278
Mar 80 24A 0 103 711 CV 0 13 149

(So, no hydraulic lifters here...)
Finally, according to page 37 of the AFC manual (pdf downloaded from the Samba) the ignition timing should be at 7.5* BTDC at idle for an engine that boasts Engine ID letters of GD. In the pages that follow, there is no reference to engines with ID letters of GE.

On page 38 of the same document, I read that it should be 7.5* BTDC for CV engines except California/Canada. I bought the bus in California and brought it up to Oregon. It's missing its EGR (pretty common, I read) and the EGR port is blocked off. I presume this is a "neither here nor there" fact, but it might be a good piece of information to have.

On page 39 of this document, the specs are listed as California Only but nothing (dizzy p/n, Idle Stabilizer plugs that don't reach the microswitch therefor are disconnected) matches what I see on my engine. So, I imagine that I ignore this and go with page 38.

I should also add that the dizzy now sports a fancy-schmancy Pertronix electronic ignition, so there is no dinking around with the dwell.

So, to what specs should this engine be tuned?

Thoughts on this post would be much appreciated. Only astronauts should be floating in space...
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'76 Type 2 - 7 Passenger Transporter
2.0L Fuel Injected '78 Engine

[busdaddy]

Calm down, lets say it together..... OOoooohhhhhmmmm............., There, that's better isn't it?

It's pretty rare for a fan shroud to match a case number, longblocks don't come with cooling and accessories attached, that's recycled from the old engine. Where you need to look is at the very top of the bellhousing flange, there'll be a 2-3 didgit number stamped in small letters on each side of the split, both those should match.
As it's pretty rare to have everything exactly as it was when it left the dealers lot so you never use an engine number or model year for tune up specs, ever. Look at the spacers between the rocker arms, solid or springs?, Remove a rocker assembly and a pushrod and look down the hole, is there a circlip visible aroud the inner periphery of where the pushrod seats? Hydros can survive being set to .006 but if you leave them like that the circlips get pounded out and they tick.
Timing is always 30 degrees BTDC at 3000+ RPM (whatever speed it stops advancing) with the hoses off, you cannot trust a 35 year old distributor to perform exactly as the book says it will every time.
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.

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Слава Україні!

[chimneyfish]

[chabanais]

It has been a while since there has been a GEX thread. Having a GEX case seems to be a lot like having herpes only the GEX case isn't forever.
_________________
"I spud therefore I yam."

[TomWesty]

[clearsurf2001]