Advice for stocker single port rebuild

[FreeBug]

Is there any reason you can't drill and tap the oil pump stud holes to M8?

[scrivyscriv]

[oprn]

Something I have not gotten my head around is this apparent need to tear an air cooled VW engine down and replace the pistons and cylinders only. In the many years our family has run these engines and having fixed a few for others too I find that very seldom do you find the piston and cylinders to be worn out. Head and bearing/case problems out number piston/cylinder problems big time. I still have a 1/2 dozen or more good useable P/C sets left over from engines where that was the only parts salvageable!

Next up for me is this need to put case savers in every engine. In over 30 years of running and maintaining STOCK VWs I have never used them. I have only ever seen one pulled stud and it was on a core engine that I had no history on.

Maybe this advice is because we are in a performance forum here?

[Cusser]

[Buggeee]

[scrivyscriv]

Good news!
I picked up my rebuilt heads from the machine shop this week. Their work is OUTSTANDING in my opinion.
They ultrasonic tanked them, replaced all the guides with a manganese bronze alloy, stainless valves all around, and had to replace one exhaust seat that didn't clean up. I brought in HD single springs with hardened hardware, based on some discussions I've had with guys in the past, and he let me inspect everything and assemble the heads on their bench. Wish I'd taken a photo of it, their setup was awesome and very easy to use!
Overall I did spend a bit more than I had planned, but I'm pleased with the results and don't regret rebuilding these stock parts over ordering a pair of new China heads. A few guys told me I should have never torn the engine down - "Just replace the fuel lines and run it!" but with the 1/4" of play in the exhaust valves I can't see the engine, as bought, running well or for very long.
The black junk inside the rocker box is oil staining - I didn't want to glass bead the rocker box area at all, so it didn't get as clean as the outside of the heads.
Next step, ordering rebuilt rods from DPR and take everything to the balance shop.

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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help.

[spencerfvee]

[scrivyscriv]

[heimlich]

What's the dimple in the valve?

[scrivyscriv]

I have no idea!
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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help.

[Clatter]

FWIW, I'd consider a spring center disc for a motor like that,
Just to smoothen out the drive..


Nice to also have the case decked for flat.
An 'H' case would be one to maybe start moving around this many years later..

Thanks for sharing.

Always nice to have things fresh and clean.

Just having everything clean makes them run cooler.
And cooler is more power, right?
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Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?

[Clatter]

[vamram]

BUMP - Whatever happened to your build??
_________________
Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[scrivyscriv]

It’s all still in the garage, I haven’t touched it since my last update here, except to move it around every few months. Covid shutdowns diverted my attention from the entire project
I did actually just find and buy a CB 2280 cheater cam for it... after being out of stock everywhere for a while, I found them listed in the CB shop site again last week! It didn’t get very good mpg in my 1971 bus but I’m willing to give it a shot in this build.
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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help.

[oprn]

The best Dad and I ever got out of our 1600 SP '69 Bus was 18 MPG. VW claimed 21 but we never saw it that high. That in fact was part of my decision to finally sell it 2 years ago. I knew that even if I did the little bit of mechanical work and all the rust repair it needed it would never get driven with today's fuel prices. Distances where we live are just too great for a vehicle like that.
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[scrivyscriv]

Good to hear, I think that’s about the best I ever saw in my 71 bus. If I recall it was a fairly consistent 16-17mpg. I always thought I just didn’t have it tuned right.. it had an empi quiet pack and header with stock single carb
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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help.

[Alstrup]

[oprn]

Stock cam, stock CR, stock distributor and carb all at factory spec tune. It was like that off the showroom floor and like that until the day it was sold. Nothing we did made it better. Driven to the floor just like every other Bus ever was except that we limited the highway speed to 60 mph to control the oil temps.

That was also the 1600 SP that the factory rated the top speed at 65 mph and it would do 75 mph. Again right off the show room floor and was still doing it 2 years ago for the guy I sold it to.

Back in those days we didn't have a wide band so the factory may have put a main jet in that was too big. We will never know. The plugs never indicated a problem.
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[scrivyscriv]

I've been sitting on this for a while, it got back burnered with the addition of kids #5 and #6 (both girls!) and the upstairs bedroom addition. Throw in a few transmissions for different family vehicles needing rebuilt, and I've been swamped in projects!! I'm really thankful that we have not had to move or have any significant job or family changes. Those really take the wind out of any sails that might still be up, praise Him!

The current interim-slash-donor-motor for the beetle is a well used 1600 dual port. It's halfway apart for new seals, rings, a cylinder hone, HD single springs, and new exhaust valves. I didn't want to tear it down any further and try to invest much time or money in it due to its case corrosion. I'd like to focus on getting the subject motor built and back in the beetle, stock-ish as possible.

I'm anticipating AA Pistons' website running a BF sale again this year and I've got a set of 85.5 pistons and cylinders along with their solid rocker shaft kit in the cart. Rich Parker's photos of his Scat sump look phenomenal, I think I'm going to try and get one too! 1.5qts seems like a reasonable daily street driving addition. I'm taking the advice of many here and opting NOT to upgrade significantly into this particular engine; although I was really considering bumping up to 88mm machine-in's, I can really see the benefit of saving that time and money for a more suitable, later case, and going bigger - I'm thinking about doing a 1776 or 1904 in the future.
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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help.

[oprn]

Project creep! It gets to us all if we let it!
_________________
We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)