Crankshaft Crossroads - Now 2027 Build

[Rob Combs]

Thanks for your inight and experience modok!

So this is not entirely unprecedented. Gives me a little more confidence in my measuring abilities, even if not exactly great any more - I have not regularly used a micrometer in more than a decade. And I may never get to a professional level.

I did have to laugh at taking the 5th on hand filing the piston skirts to make them work; that's thinking outside the box! (if it happened - my guess is it probably did)

This really makes me wonder how many people just jam them in there in ignorant bliss and hope for the best.

Now off to find a shop with precision honing equipment that can correct these. The machinist I've been using doesn't have the equipment to truly correct the cylindricity and sizing issues. I called ACE Racing Engines in Torrance. They do some high end work, but they don't work on ACVW cylinders any more (I think they did at one point)

I'd prefer not to have to ship these out for precision fitting, but if push comes to shove I will. That said, I'm in the LA area - there should be dozens if not hundreds of machinists in the LA/Orange County area that can handle this.

Anyone got a good recommendation while I search?

[modok]

Vw cylinders are usually honed on a rod machine with an AN600 same as motorcycles cylinders.
Does anybody rebuild motorcycles in LA?
I'd hopes so
https://aera.org/member-locator/

[SGKent]

[modok]

Ray Valero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpiPS4F0d7Y

[chrisflstf]

In that video from Ray, how much material is removed? A 1/10th?

[Rob Combs]

The video is very telling. Thanks for linking it.

Never knew about AERA. Again, thanks for linking it. Good locator tool!

Between this morning's post and now I have reached out to a place on the east side of town - LA Sleeve. They do lots of cylinder work, including motorcycles and ATVs.

We'll see what they have to say on Monday. In the meantime I will proceed with finding other options, now much easier thanks to modok.

[RickS]

Not a VW cylinder, but a Simplex Servi-Cycle cylinder, which is a little harder to do, as there is no through hole. I made a Lexan plate to hold the cylinder, and use a Lisle hand hone. I've done a bunch of these with really good results. I think it would be easy to do the same for a VW cylinder.

[modok]

[Rob Combs]

This gives me quite a bit to work with.

If I find myself really backed into a corner I could always go the portable rigid hone route. I'd have to really be backed into a corner to do that though.

Thanks for all the advice!

[txoval]

Reach out to bugguy1967

I can’t remember the name but he has a place that does this

[Brian_e]

Stef at Ace was doing most of the cylinder honing for the Los Angeles guys, but he quit doing aircooled stuff, and also just packed everything to move his shop to Florida.

You might try European Machine Works. EMW does mostly T4 stuff but they offer their own cylinders, and I would guess they can do them.

Brian
_________________
So more or less the lazier and stupider you want to be, the nicer quality parts you need to buy.
-Modok


www.type-emotorsports.com

Type E Engine Parts and Supplies
https://type-emotorsports.com/collections/engine-parts

[Rob Combs]

I appreciate the pointers guys.

If memory serves, Ace was doing the cylinders for Tabari. Ace was the first call I made. As Brian noted, Ace is no longer doing air cooled stuff. Sad to hear they’re joining the exodus from CA. Getting harder and harder to sustain a business here.

EMW doesn’t have the equipment; they’re the ones doing my machine work.

That’s ok I’ll pound the pavement this week. There are some options on the east side of town worth checking out.

[Rob Combs]

Dropped the pistons and cylinders off at LA Sleeve this morning.

Reasonable pricing, not too far away.

And way better than I probably would have done with a rigid hone and a drill.

[Rob Combs]

Got my pistons and cylinders back. They definitely look like they have a “softer” cross-hatch; not as deep or rough looking. Now to set ring gaps. Will get them super clean when it’s time for final assembly.

In the meantime, I’m giving more thought to oiling, especially since the Hoover mod thread has bubbled back up to the surface.

I’m going to run TP lifters, so the oil groove will be different than stock. Looks like they will move oil similarly to stock lifters with the grooves joined.

Should I do the case drillings too? Or will the lifters be enough to move more oil to the 1&2 side?

FF oil return to the case is ported out and sealed into place.

Looking into a Scat 1 ½ qt sump too. Will that be enough?

Got a schadek 26mm pinned pump with FF cover from CB ready to go.

Will probably get a remote cooler before this is all said and done.

Thanks!

[RickS]

Did they use a plateau hone as the final step?

[Rob Combs]

I can only assume so. I cannot say for sure though.

They definitely have a different surface profile.