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Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:07 am

Turning to the historians here to better understand my bus. I made some discoveries while working on it and have myself a little confused.

I have a 1979 Riviera that come from Portland OR to the east coast 10 years ago. In working on the engine I found to stickers from VW implying the engine was rebuilt by VW of Canada. As best I can tell this is where official rebuilds were done.

I have to assume this is a different core than originally come with the vehicle? The M Code says I have a GE engine, but I suspect it is perhaps a GD now (per of my confusion).

Does anyone have better Information on the official VW Remanufacturing process?
Sticker Engine code

Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:21 am

There isn't much difference between the blocks so just drive it and don't worry about it. You probably would have a 2.0L but maybe not. As for whether you have hydraulic or solid lifters just look at your pushrods to see if they are steel (indicating hydraulics) or aluminium (indicating solids). Probably better than 75% of aircooled VW, do not have their original engine case at this point, so if you are into the serial numbers must match genre you are dealing with the wrong line of cars.

Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:50 am

You are correct. VW replaced it with the same specs as original. 2.0 FI with hydraulic lifters. As far as I can tell everything about the vehicle is stock original with only the exception of the remanufactured motor. Which of course matches the original production specs. Though I am not really concerned about stock authenticity or matching numbers I am glad to have an unmolested specimen to work with. (No P.O surprises)

Honestly I am just interested in learning more about the process VW used and notice not much was documented about remanufactures in the forum.

Anyone know what the sticker # means? Did they simply ID rebuilt engines in sequential order?

What are the differences between GD and GE? ( however minor)

Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:44 am

The answer is pretty simple. Bus not running right, it goes to their dealer at the time whose mechanic says it needs a new engine. Maybe a warranty claim, or maybe just it's time. Customer says what is the best way to go? Service underwriter says we can put in an engine just like the original. It is factory rebuilt. The customer says Ok and the mechanic puts the engine in. Replacement engine has a sticker on it that says remanufactured by VW. The core goes back to them for the next rebuild. When VW started their remanufactured parts process they sometimes sent new engines and transmissions to the warehouse so it could have something to sell before the cores came back for rebuild. Some people who bought a remanufactured engine or trans got a new one for the same price, and it had a sticker on it too.

SK

Tue Sep 22, 2020 10:01 am

OldBlindDog wrote:
What are the differences between GD and GE? ( however minor)

Its a big blur, between some GD and early GE engines there were virtually no changes at all, but between the earliest and latest GE engines there were some substantial changes, like the switch to hydraulic lifers and a difference in the exhaust port design.

Tue Sep 22, 2020 10:08 am

Wildthings wrote: OldBlindDog wrote:
What are the differences between GD and GE? ( however minor)

Its a big blur, between some GD and early GE engines there were virtually no changes at all, but between the earliest and latest GE engines there were some substantial changes, like the switch to hydraulic lifers and a difference in the exhaust port design.

I've seen both factory GD engines that are solid lifter and hydraulic lifter. Somewhere out there is a bulletin that specifies the VIN & engine number where the change occurred.

Tue Sep 22, 2020 10:22 am

VW North America had a remanufacturing plant in Scarborough, Ontario which is a suburb of Toronto. Until maybe the mid-90's you could go to the VW dealer and buy a remanufactured engine, so these would get installed either by a dealer, independent shop or individual. They are all serialized. I think these engines were shipped all over North America, I've only ever seen the VWOA stickers that say the engines were manufactured in Canada.

The VWOA remanufactured engines have a spotty reputation. You'd think perhaps that if they were supplied by VW they would be top quality but this is not always the case. They churned them out and I don't think this facility did the greatest work. Not terrible either.

Tue Sep 22, 2020 10:46 am

OldBlindDog wrote: What are the differences between GD and GE? ( however minor)
Some differences listed here:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=470486&start=0

Tue Sep 22, 2020 10:52 am

ratwell wrote: OldBlindDog wrote: What are the differences between GD and GE? ( however minor)
Some differences listed here:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=470486&start=0

Looking at that thread, there is a mention that GD were all dual port. All the GD I have seen are single port. Some solid lifter and some hydraulic lifter. There is a change VIN and engine number but I don't recall where I saw the bulletin.

Tue Sep 22, 2020 11:08 am

Well. I am glad I asked about this. I definitely have a bunch of research and investigation to do. I had assumed many of the attributes based on the Mcode and model specs, but perhaps that was far to presumptuous.

I have always simply trusted that things were correct for the model year (even after realizing its a rebuild), but clearly that may not be the case. I’ll have to determine if I have hydraulic lifters and what kind of ports?

I have been lucky enough to enjoy the bus without too much work until a recent fire (I know you guys probably hate to hear that, but there no time like the present to start deep repairs). Replacing a FI harness is quickly turning into a total refresh. 😀. Life in pandemic times has some benefits after all!

Thanks for all the insights. You folks never disappoint!

Tue Sep 22, 2020 11:13 am

SGKent wrote: Looking at that thread, there is a mention that GD were all dual port. All the GD I have seen are single port. Some solid lifter and some hydraulic lifter.
Dual relief?

Tue Sep 22, 2020 11:29 am

SGKent wrote: There is a change VIN and engine number but I don't recall where I saw the bulletin.
I just added this info to my Hydraulic Lifter article:

https://www.ratwell.com/technical/HydraulicLifters.html#codes

Tue Sep 22, 2020 12:30 pm

That’s exactly where I was headed! Thanks Richard. Your work is a priceless resource!

Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:58 pm

I also have a 79 CA Riviera with a Canada remanufactured engine. I will take a look tomorrow to see what the engine number is.

Tue Sep 22, 2020 10:27 pm

ratwell wrote: SGKent wrote: Looking at that thread, there is a mention that GD were all dual port. All the GD I have seen are single port. Some solid lifter and some hydraulic lifter.
Dual relief?
yes - dual relief. Both GD cases I have owned were single relief but some people have said theirs were dual relief. Here are some supplements that go into some of the changes. One GD case was a mid-April 1977 bus that was the original GD serial number per VW birth cert but it badly spun a rod bearing on the PO so I could not keep the case with all the heat that went into it (warps main webs & saddles), another was a 1978 GD engine taken from a 1978 Westphalia. Considering that Westphalia chassis can be a prior year model, both could be 1977. A 1978 that a friend had with the original engine was a late 1978 and it was a GE. All were single relief. The new case I bought from Reichert is a universal late case, and it is a single relief also.

Wed Sep 23, 2020 7:40 pm

Although this really has nothing to do with Air-cooled rebuilt engines from
Canada I do know that the water cooled Volkswagen engines were very poor
Quality in 1975-1977.
How would you like to put a short block in a VW (water cooled ) and watch the
Coolant run out the “ Freeze Plugs” .
They engines were all painted with black paint so you really didn’t see a problem
Until the Green coolant came out thru the unreplaced freeze plugs.
:oops:

Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:37 pm

old DKP driver wrote: Although this really has nothing to do with Air-cooled rebuilt engines from
Canada I do know that the water cooled Volkswagen engines were very poor
Quality in 1975-1977.
How would you like to put a short block in a VW (water cooled ) and watch the
Coolant run out the “ Freeze Plugs” .
They engines were all painted with black paint so you really didn’t see a problem
Until the Green coolant came out thru the unreplaced freeze plugs.
:oops: . Been there, done that, on another car line... :roll:
We were ordering new short blocks for the old Rover V-8s as they neared the end of their production run in the early 2000s , right off the transport truck...You’d get a PDI ticket/RO, and shortly after putting the Discovery 2 on your lift, be at parts ordering a short block.... ](*,) ](*,) #-o #-o #-o
Porous Block Castings, you’d have Dexcool oozing right through the block.... :shock: :shock:
In some ways it’s comforting to hear VW had their issues too... :P :P

Misery loves company???,,,, :wink: :wink:

Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:49 am

Any chance the Sticker or number might indicate when this works was done? I am not sure what to make of the number?

Sat Sep 26, 2020 9:46 am

For sure the serial number would tell you but only if you had VW's sale info. They are simple consecutive numbers, nothing to decode.

The most recent one of those VWOA engines could have been remanufactured would be mid-90s. The factory closed at that time.