1st time taking out/installing engine - Tips...

[skoochskooch]

I am new to the VW ranks, and I bought my VW Thing last summer. I drove it around last year (short distances/local area), stored it away for the winter, and this spring I went to get it tuned up at the local shop (that builds their own custom VW trikes locally). The compression check came out to be 55,50,60 and 10. I had some cash saved for rebuilding the car, and went out a purchased a new 1776 engine with new/rebuilt parts, and with some assistance from some friends, intend to take out old engine and install this new engine, with dual Kadrons, 009 distrib, new 110 cam, and new Kymco Header/Exhaust system. Now I have been reading up on this work through magazines, books (Muir's, Rebuild VW Engines), but I am concerned that the fit will be wrong, clutch problems and so on. Is there any tips, or added things (new clutch kit/engine seal?) that I should be ready for when the engine gets installed? Any assistance or advice is appreciated. Also, if a new clutch kit is needed, what type is needed?

[bljones]

Although intimidating at first, R&Ring the engine is pretty straightforward.
Some tips-
-If the engine tin seal looks ragged, replace it. A good seal is vital to proper cooling, and especially critical when you start increasing displacement.
-Install your carbs after you have installed the engine. the engine won't fit with the kads and manifolds on.
-Invest in a $100 motorcycle/ATV jack. this jack is great for installing engines- no hassles with trying to both balance an engine on the saddle of a floor jack while you try to ease it in and up.
- with the engine bay empty, take the time to clean it up.
- replace your fuel lines. i don't care how they look, replace 'em anyway.
-take your old clutch, pressure plate and TO bearing to your local VW shop, when you buy the new stuff to make sure it all matches, especially pressure plate/TO bearing compatibility. if your clutch disc fails the 7 mm open ended wrench test, it is time to replace it, and it is cheap insurance to do it while the engine is out in any case.
-label all wires and where they go- nothing worse than taking an hour to get the engine in, and then scratching your head for the rest of the day trying to get it to run, because you wired it up wrong.
- don't be in a hurry.
-apply a SMALL amount of grease to the input shaft of the transaxle to help ease installation.
- make sure your friends don't drink your beer before the job is done.

Go for it. if you need any more help, you know where to find us.
_________________
OG JHC
Author of Original Rant #1
"It stingd itself to dead... now that is control on you"

2%

[TimGud]

There is a book published by HP Books "How to Rebuild Your Volkswagen Air Cooled Engine" by Tom Wilson that has step by step removal and installation of the engine as well as rebuilding the engine, parts identification by part numbers, and it has alot of pictures showing those steps. It's well worth the $15 bucks or so for the novice. Good luck.

[jerrything]

bljones

I'm a newbe and am really going over every phase of my new thing and I just want to say that was really knowledgeable and thanks


jerrything

[Buckly]

Hey jerrything, I just pulled my engine last week. They fit really tight. I had to remove my distributor, rear engine tin and fan belt. I've been told that once you start backing it away from the trans that twisting it a little towards the oil/air filter side helps so you can clear the monting bolts and lower it. Get your rearend atleast two feet in the air to slide the engine out once it's down. It's like trying to stuff a cat in the toilet.
_________________
Cool runnins,
_______________________
Bucky

[skoochskooch]

I just finished my swap of my engine and some things that I learned on swapping engines on the VW thing.....
1 - I hate skid plates....there was a skid plate under the mounting of the engine and transmission that someone welded on, that we could not maneuver around. We were going to use an angle grinder to cut it off, but once we took the bolts off, it only took 3 whacks of the mallet to break the weld, and once that was off, we had the new engine bolted in within 30-40 minutes.
2 - and another question for others.....when I took off the engine, I found that there was no bolt securing the trans to the engine on the upper drivers side.... and after I installed my new engine, I found out why there wasn't one in that spot, there's no way to install it with the rear engine sheet metal on the engine. Any advice on how to get around this is appreciated.

[Buckly]

It has to be installed from under the car or take the rear drivers side wheel off and do it from there. It's installed from the front towards the back. Push the bolt through the top drivers side hole of the trans, just to the inside of the clutch arm that sticks out. there should be a little round button pressed into the case that's threaded. so once the bolts in you twist and tighten.
_________________
Cool runnins,
_______________________
Bucky

[skoochskooch]

Buckly,

We did that, and there is no threads inside the case. It was a nut to bolt attachment, and we can get the bolt from underneath, the problem was how to get the nut in there to tighten it from the engine compartment. And with the rear engine tin, there's no way we saw (from underneath, nor the engine compartment, to get the nut in place to tighten the bolt. That nut to engine bolt setup was on both the old and new engines.

[79SuperVert]

[Buckly]

If the engine was still out you can get one pressed in. It must not be an AE or AM case?
_________________
Cool runnins,
_______________________
Bucky