Ray Vallero stroker build for my '63 ragtop bug

[dsimas62]

I met Ray in 1983 when he built the motor for my bug, "Hugo". I was 20 years old, I bought the car in 1978, it was my first car. I still have it. And Ray is still working on it. I just bought a '66 21-window bus and we put that old motor (that is still strong and just fine) in the bus.

So, it's time for Hugo to get a new motor. Ray, being the racer he is, is building a very fast streetable engine. Nothing in the motor is left stock, so we wanted to document all that is going into it (except maybe a few secrets that he just cannot release). Ray is currently working with Tony Klink on Zerstorer (race car that is holding the PRA record for ProGas this year) also.

So, here we are, the same owner, same mechanic, same car, after 28 years... back in action. I am writing this for another forum as an educational sort of thread, so keep that in mind when I spell out stuff that is sort of basic.

Here's what we're starting with, a late model case. An AS21 alloy case has some very high quality properties, compared to an AS41 (earlier cases). Note the Auto Union logo indicating it was after VW and Audi merged. However, it is not an indicator of authenticity, aftermarket cases also still use the logo.

Another feature besides better alloy on the later case is the 2nd drain. VW added this drain as a response to warranty claims on the flywheel seal leaking. At rest, the oil level was higher with only one drain and would pool in the case. There was no silicone yet, early seals were made from neoprene, which hardens with heat. So they added a 2nd drain to solve this, better design.

So, a little about line boring vs. align bore. Have you ever wondered what the correct term is? An align bore is the correct term for V8's and such, because you align the front to the back when boring the case. But, VW cases are never in line front to back, so you cannot align bore a VW typically (not without running in to off center cranks, other issues). So, in VW's you are Line Boring, boring the case in a straight line front to back.

Line bore and cam bore done:

Preparation for flycutting the case for the front thrust bearing. This is done to clean up the thrust surface at a minimal amount, only until it cleans all the way across. Others usually cut the case to suit the bearing, then you only get two shots, first and 2nd ovesized bearings. Ray only takes a minimal amount off the case and makes the bearing fit so precise that the case can be reused many times. There will be no wear.

Using the Porta-tool gives Ray the abilty to do it this way. The basic part against the case is stationary, then there's a feeler gauge at .004-.006 to make it a minimal cut, then remove the gauge, and the outside part will cut to the width of the gap. There's probably a more "mechanical" way to describe this to you guys, but I'm a girl. I tell it like I see it.

Done:

We measure the case after it is flycut for the thrust bearing. We are now cutting the main bearing .046. A standard bearing is one size, with the flange is the same size on each end. A first oversize (for rebuilds) is .020 smaller in the center (edge is wider), and a 2nd oversize is .040. I know all you motorheads know this, but I am explaining it for all us girls out there....

When the case requires thrustcutting, routinely the case is cut to fit the oversized bearing, as I explained above. Its harder to get a precise fit by cutting the case, so therefore Ray flycuts the front main thrust bearing. This bearing is double oversized, it wasn't necessarily needed to be 2x, but we didn't have a first oversized on hand and we were custom cutting it anyways.

This chuck was custom ground by Ray because the arc of a standard one this size would bite the inside of a VW bearing and damage it slightly. This chuck fits VW bearings precisely on the inside, in case he needs to put the bearing back on lathe multiple times.

Lathe bit on the fixture cutting the bearing on the custom chuck:

Nice and tight, there will be no wear on this. Just one of the many reasons that Hugo's old engine is still strong after 28 years of daily driving.

[RockCrusher]

Nice thread.....good to see the women in the hobby contributing.

RC
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[email protected] Please use email for all general inquiries.

I will be happy to speak to anyone who has a serious inquiry (meaning real potential business for RC enterprises) or a parts order. Due to machining noise causing missed calls all calls will be returned promptly.

[dsimas62]

Now, off to the Bridgeport!

Here's my barrel on the left, compared to a stock on on the right.

And my pistons, but more on these later...

Ray built the heavy duty base for this, with holes in it to accomodate the studs in the case.


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Centering the hole for a 94mm bore.


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Done in two stages for a step up, one for the piston and one for the cylinder. Many people bore the hole without a step, but Ray likes to leave more material there for strength integrity.


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First pass:

Second pass, now showing the step:

All done. Next is to remove the plugs in this case....

[padex]

Ray is the man when it comes to machine work, he is the only shop that i will go to. so you are still driving the little red car !

[Glenn]

Great pics and details.

More please.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[Matthew]

Thanks for posting those videos. I like the tooling he uses. I'm trying to figure out why he didn't deck the case at the same time that the spigots were bored.
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1965 Beetle sedan
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[dsimas62]

Thanks everyone!

Padex: Yes, my red bug, do I know you???

Matthew: I am snipping this from my next update since I address that question there.

The reason he didn't flycut the deck at the same time as he bored is we are building a narrow motor. And therefore, are not going to be using spacers on the cylinders to make them fit. The deck height needed to be determined first, so we must know where the pistons are in the bore first. We installed the pistons and cylinders and then check the deck height. Only then do we know how much to cut the case. This is important if you are not going to use shims to make up the difference, if you over cut. This build is different than most, we have 82 stroke pistons with a 78 crank, so the deck plays a big role in what is needed to be cut from the deck.

[dsimas62]

Ray drilled out the old press-in plugs and replaced with threaded plugs, which are impossible to blow out.

New threaded one:

There is no reason to use a stock sized oil pump since our motor won't leak internally. A smaller pump uses less energy (HP). A stock engine is designed to have a minimum clearance of .003, we are staying within .0015. Things we've improved on are: The main bearing is tighter, the rod bearings, the oil galleys are plugged and rerouted, and the end play in the pump is minimized by shaving down the cover. All of these things allow internal leakage in a stock engine, creating more of a need for a large pump; in ours everything is on the low side of tolerance.

Difference in pump and gears, and a picture of the cover:

We are going to have an external 96-pass oil cooler and two oil filters off of Ray's old porche-body racecar (the only original part that will "live again" ). Two filters carry less pressure.

The original inlet and outlet for oil into the pump are both blocked with threaded plugs. Many people only block the pump hole, but not the case's (or vice versa), which can cause an oil warning light at idle.

Then a 90-degree brass fitting is installed on the case. It is ground down for a tighter package, more clearance behind the pulley so we don't have modify the sheet metal.

Back to the Bridgeport. This is a better look at the fixture that Ray made 30 years ago, especially for VW's.

He is now going to top these old steel stud inserts so they won't shatter when we flycut the deck.

Before:

After:

In the picture above, you may notice (barely can see them) a notch in the edge of the holes at the inserts because they are so close. Some people would worry that this will leak. It will not. Many people use improper sealer for barrels and these would leak. Ray uses Ultra Grey sealer, which has a high silicone content. Not like normal sealers, it sets up harder. With softer sealers you can pull the barrels right off the case, not so with Ultra Grey. If sealed properly, these notches are too high to cause a leak.

Now he is going to flycut the deck so that the barrel has more surface area to sit on (rather than on the raised spigot edge), and so they will not move over time (longevity). The reason that he did not do this at the same time he bored the holes is that we are building a narrow motor. And therefore, are not going to be using spacers on the cylinders to make them fit. The deck height needed to be determined first, so we must know where the pistons are in the bore first. We installed the pistons and cylinders and then check the deck height. Only then do we know how much to cut the case. This is important if you are not going to use shims to make up the difference, if you over cut. This build is different than most, we have 82 stroke pistons with a 78 crank, so the deck plays a big role in what is needed to be cut from the deck.


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The radius on a barrel is not a 90-degree angle. So he files down the new sharp deck edge.

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Now, putting the cylinders in, they rock a little. They need trimming to sit down solid.


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And they are touching at the bottom a bit.

So Ray ground them down on the bottom edge to sit flat, and on the fins to not touch.

Now they are tight, not touching, and need to check that they are exactly the same height. Checking is important or else the heads will leak. Once all this is done, each cylinder is specifically matched to that hole, as they are all modified a bit to match one another, so he numbers them with a pen.

Next update we will be assembling the motor to see some clearances! Looking forward to seeing the whole package. :cheers:

[modok]

Awesome build.
Bears a striking resemblance to the one I'm building now actually
78.4 dpr crank with AA thick jugs in an old as-21 case
except I'm using mahle 92mm pistons

Setting the clearances, chamfering the edges of the case bores so the jugs sit flat, all little details that make the difference! good job

[Stuggi]

Awesome thread, I really digg the machining videos and all the little nifty details that I never would think of checking. More please!
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1970 Beetle
1969 Panelvan

Orange VW Fest!
Pulled out of a Lake Fest!

[bugnut68]

No offense intended, but why is this a sticky?

[millerje78]

[66brm]

I just wish he wouldn't put his hand so close to the rotating cutters
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[Glenn]

[VIN]

[dsimas62]

Thanks guys! Ray's a great mechanic and teacher. When he built my last motor 28 years ago, that is in Velvet the bus now and running strong, I always wished I had a way to document the amount of work that went into "just a 1600cc" (that pulled over 90hp on the dyno). Now I have the technology! I am reporting as I see it and what I don't know, I ask him to explain, so I can share with you all. If you see me make a mistake feel free to point it out. I'm a chick, but I can handle it.

FYI, for those that don't know of Ray, he held the national record in his class decades ago with his racecar, getting into the 10's in a 1/4 mile with a 1915 naturally aspirated (no turbo) motor. Back in the 1970's and 80's this was hard to do, most of the HP parts you are able to get now had to be thought up and made back then. He and Gene Berg were friends and shared ideas, his kids raced, as did Gene's, so the rival families were crowd favorites at all the west coast point series events.

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He started working for Niello VW in 1963 or 1964 and was trained by VWoA professionally until he started his own machine shop in the 1970's. His first car was called Bug Iron and that was in the late 60's, he was racing against american cars in NHRA classes.

The spooky thing: My Hugo was sold as a new car in 1963 to a lady in Sacramento. I never knew her (I was the 4th owner in 1978), but Niello was the biggest dealer around and was in Sacto, so we can assume it was there. If this is the case, it's a GOOD chance that Ray was the boy that detailed it for sale when it came in, that's what he did as a rookie. Then, in 1983, Hugo and I came limping in to his shop on a blown motor...and they met again. He and I for the first time, but he and this car...well, let's just say he loves this little car as much as I do.

Okay, enough background, I am going to write up what we did the last few days, LOTS to report!
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Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[dsimas62]

Okay, boys and girls, I am behind on this. We are working day and night to try to bring Hugo to the SoCal Bugorama in Fontana on October 8. So, check back or subscribe, because I am hoping to upload stuff daily.

The cylinder is hitting the nut on the deck, so Ray had to grind this to clear.

We put the short block together in order to check clearances. The rod bolt is hitting.

Took it apart, ground them, now it clears (this is a different one obviously).

Now a little about my racing pistons, compared to stock (on left). The one on the right is a slipper skirt piston, it has a narrower cross section at the wrist pin to be lighter. The stock one pulls on wrist pin bosses instead of the skirt. The racing one pulls on the skirt and the bosses.

Wrist pin on my 94mm on left. Normal pin (88mm) on right.

The racing piston has oil return holes instead of a slot, which is stronger.

Stock pistons are designed for less clearance. The racing piston has a flared skirt, the stock one is straight (see the photo below, the one on the left is touching the one on the right at the top of the skirt). The stock one's skirt does not grow with heat due to the fact that there's an oil slot cut clear through the piston, which allows the head to grow without the skirt following.

This shows that it's smaller at the top. This is only when it's cold, once it warms up and swells it will fit tight, within a few seconds.


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On to the crank and rods. I'm using a 78mm stroke CB Performance crank. It counterweighted, nitrited, forged, 4130 chromoly, 8 dowels. It has chevy rod sized journals, which are smaller. This is a stroker, so this gives us more room in the crankcase without machining. The other advantage is that the surface speed on the rod bearing is slowed down because of the diameter change for less wear and heat. And the connecting rod is lighter due to being smaller for a lighter combination.

The rods are made of a high grade alloy, are smaller, and note they don't have any nuts.

The rod bolts are ARP's best bolts, the highest quality on the market. A difference of $300 just for these bolts, thank goodness Ray had these sitting in inventory for a while, so I didn't have to pay that much or I wouldn't have been using them.

Next up cc'ing the heads and assembling the long block...
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Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[ralf]

lovely build thread, with details and vids!!!

Ray Vallero.. a name ive heard and read often


used to have a poster/magazine centerfold of his black racer

used to admire it everytime im at my desk in my room

still love that racer!
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Flow Through a Curved Conduit

porting my SP head for my brother's project
https://youtu.be/OS_mVjQuqgk

[dsimas62]

I will be using Ray's daughter Lynda's heads from her old racebus. They've already been machined and were laying around for 20 years....this will save us some time. Just for giggles, here she is racing her bus from 1983-'84, she got high 14's in the 1/4 mile.

Her motor:

And Lynda with the racecar when she was about 14 years old:

Oh heck, while we are at it, here she is when she just got started into racing with her daddy:

Ahem, okay, back to this build...

Here's Ray describing what had already been done to the heads:


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One fin has been removed:

This head is prepared to be cc'd. It has the spark plug and the valves in it. We will add water to a level and measure it.

This is the plate that will sit in the cylinder head to measure.

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We want 9.68:1 compression on this engine. So we look up that up on the compression ratio sheet (under the bore and stroke) and we need 46.5 head cc's. Lynda's only came to 26cc. So, Ray will grind the head to flow better near the intake valve. This is called unshrouding the valve.

Measuring the seat diameter so that he can set the cutter on the Valve and Seat Machine:

Using the fixture to set the cutter for the correct diameter. Ray radiused the cutter for shaping head bowls.

Quick note: On 94's the stud holes may break free as shown here, but its ok since the cylinder seals at the face of the head, not the sides.

Preparing and leveling the head for machining on the Tobin-ARP machine:


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This shows the radiused carbide cutter insert.

Removing the material from the bowl is a reference to get the correct diameter to hand finish the bowl down to the seat without damaging the spark plug boss. The cutter will damage the boss beyond what is done here, so the rest was done by hand.


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That only removed 6cc's or so, and we need to take down 20cc. So Ray had to hand grind using a ball mill cutter to shape the bowl further. He unshrouded the bowl to slough off more compression. We cc'd the head again and still haven't taken enough, so the compression will be about 10:1.

Next up, manifolds and carbs...
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Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[dsimas62]

These studs are too long for this narrow motor (bottom of picture). The rocker shaft and manifold won't fit. The head studs need to be shortened.

Quickly grind them down.

All better.

I will be running 48IDA Webers on this motor. Ray has a secret as to how he makes these carbs very "streetable". One reason that we are making this a narrow motor is so that they will fit. But we will have to modify the manifolds so that we won't have to pop out the decklid with the air cleaners on.

He has some spread port Berg manifolds that we wanted to use. But it will take way too much machining on both them and the heads, and we don't have that much time right now. So, at a later date, he will be making a set of heads for the car for the spread ports. It's my daily driver, that way I can be driving the car in the meantime and he can do the new ones as time allows. We will tear it down and swap that out at a later date. But, here's a video of a set that he modified for his old racecar, when it had fuel injection.


Link


Lynda's old motor had Scat Trak manifolds that Ray ported 30 years ago. They are the one's on the left, the new ones that came with my Webers are on the right. The nicer thing about the old ones is that the channel at the base has more material to grind away to make them bigger.

Ray was going to cut Lynda's down for the sake of time (not as much machining), but we couldn't bring ourselves to do that to these beautiful old school manifolds, so we are cutting the new ones down.

He sent them out to Bast Bros. welding since his heliarc welder was moved to a new room and will trip the breaker to do aluminum. It's not a pretty job, but Ray will machine these later to clean them up. Here's one with the original length old Scat Trak.

He has started porting the new short ones, but still need a bit more (compared to Lynda's old ones).

The Bridgeport mill knocked out of index in order to do this:

Next up, we are going to put the motor together to see how the top end stuff is going to fit. It's a lot more challenging and time consuming to build a motor completely from scratch!
_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210