Oil Change Spudge 1500SP

[marknmelcom]

Hey all.

I just bought a '67 that has been locked up in a dry garage for 12 years. It was a California car, that was imported to Canada (BC) about 15 years ago. It's in amazing shape. Not a show car, but a solid driver!

It was stuck in a small single car garage, and you couldn't really push it to get it out. I turned the motor over with a wrench - 360deg and the engine was free. Figured it would be pretty easy to start and move.

I thought I would just start it using a small auxiliary gas tank to gravity feed the carb.

I went to start it and nothing. Wouldn't spin. It was hydro-locked. The aux tank dumped about half a liter of fuel into the engine. PFFT!

Long story short, got it home - and got it into my driveway. (I ran it for about a minute.)

About 4 days later, I'm sorting out some of the issues with the car.

-trashed fuel tank due to rust (and the stink!!!)
-fuel lines
-oil change

None of this to this point is really that interesting. It's at this point where I pulled the sump plate and the strainer.

What do you make of it? Seen anything like it? First look, it looks like paper towel, but it's not that. Second thought is it could look like a fabric, due to the fibers, but again, it's not that. It's soft & gummy.

My thoughts:

PO used ethanol fuel. Fuel in carb dried up, needle and seat stuck open and flowed the ethanol fuel into the block. That ethanol evaporated as well. When the new fuel got into the block it separated the ethanol gunk from the block and internal components.

Needless to say, I'm pretty concerned about it, but I'm hoping to do a few short oil changes to see if I can salvage what appears to be a decent running 1500SP.

Does anyone else have any ideas about this? Seen anything like it before?

Thanks for your thoughts!

/Mark
_________________
'67 Beetle - 'Winnie'
'75 Std. Beetle - 'George'
'13 Golf coupe - 'Bitter Bunny'
'15 Tiguan 4mo - 'Tig'

[evanfrucht]

Looks like an old rag or paper filter element of some sort
_________________
1967 Bug ( the daily rod )
1964 Fury Wagon ( the pavement shredder )

[marknmelcom]

[&Dan]

Certainly looks like old-fuel snot. Interesting. Been in there a long time.
Given there is a mystery inside the motor, do your plans include removal and disassembly? Hope so.
'Salvage' may be less than successful by trying to spin up an engine that may wind up with blockages in galleries.
Think you'll be happier in the long run by going to the trouble.

[raygreenwood]

[Dan the workingstiff]

Not calling anyone out at all by any means. But why would this have any form of structure or shape? My first inclination was a paper element of some sort.
_________________
'69 Beetle
'66 FG buggy
My other air-cooled's
'76 IH 1200
'75 IH 1200

[Dale M.]

I vote for the "some sort of paper element".....

Dale
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
============================================================
All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[KTPhil]

Sludge/varnish can form a thick coating, then dry and crack like desert clay soil, flakes off, then look like paper when rehydrated.

[Pruneman99]

I vote for kelp. Definitely kelp.

Maybe SpongeBob owned it before you.

[mikedjames]

Its bacteria living on the interface between oil and a small amount of water in the sump.
I had this in an engine that had half an inch of water in it, then a film of bacteria then oil.

Its the same kind of thing that actually does the natural cleanup on like the seabed oil seeps near the California Channel Islands.

Similar gets into marine diesel fuel tanks and underground storage tanks where there is more moisture around
_________________
Ancient vehicles and vessels

1974 VW T2 : Devon Eurovette camper with 1641 DP T1 engine, Progressive carb, full flow oil cooler, EDIS crank timed ignition.
Engine 1: 40k miles (rocker shaft clip fell off), Engine 2: 30k miles (rebuild, dropped valve). Engine 3: a JK Preservation Parts "new" engine, aluminium case: 26k miles: new top end.
Gearbox rebuild 2021 by Bears.

1979 Westerly GK24 24 foot racer/cruiser yacht Forethought of Gosport.
1973 wooden Pacer sailing dinghy

[oprn]

Does it have a full flow oil filter? If not, I would not run it again until it is tore down and cleaned.
_________________
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)

[raygreenwood]

[oprn]

Yes I bought a 70 year old tractor that had not run for 20 years. On start up it bent 1 push rod and had 3 stuck valves.
_________________
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)

[sjbartnik]

After pulling the oil strainer and seeing that, if you start this thing up without splitting the case and cleaning it out, you deserve whatever kick in the nuts you receive frankly.
_________________
1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650

[Chickensoup]

[Chickensoup]

haha the 1600 im getting put back together had the same thing. just my engine hadent formed into paper like shapes.

mine was more like strands of snot.
_________________
-'85 c10 5.3 LS, 222 cam, long tubes, x pipe, 3 inch spin tech's
-'05 B5.5 TDI Wagon 17in sport rims ;EGR + BSM + ASV Delete, Stage-2 Tune, straight pipe
'65 Tourist Delivery Build
'66 RIP
'69 RIP
Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"

[marknmelcom]

Thanks folks.

Spongebob and I have decided to tear this engine apart. It's not that much time, expense or effort. The goal of this car is to make a fun, reliable driver while my other bug is undergoing restoration. My wife may drive this one quite a bit, and I'd like to make it as reliable as I can for a 54 year old car. I don't want to get "that phone call".

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts, especially Ray. I really look up to your experience. I just wanted to say thanks!

Here is a pic of the outside. I'll share what I find on the inside (of the engine) too!

/Mark
_________________
'67 Beetle - 'Winnie'
'75 Std. Beetle - 'George'
'13 Golf coupe - 'Bitter Bunny'
'15 Tiguan 4mo - 'Tig'

[Chickensoup]

Damn that car is sitting nice! I wouldn't change a thing looks wise but that's just me.
_________________
-'85 c10 5.3 LS, 222 cam, long tubes, x pipe, 3 inch spin tech's
-'05 B5.5 TDI Wagon 17in sport rims ;EGR + BSM + ASV Delete, Stage-2 Tune, straight pipe
'65 Tourist Delivery Build
'66 RIP
'69 RIP
Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"

[marknmelcom]

So, I can say that I took the helpful advise from everyone that replied and even sjbartnik too. A kick in the nuts is kinda painful, so I did my best to avoid that.

The car isn't roadworthy yet, and I wanted to cross all my "i's" and dot my "t's" and that included pulling the engine apart.

The good news is
- it's a new case - no miles on it (this is news to me)
- main bearings appear new
- crank and rods are acceptable wear
- pistons are KS - I'm going to reuse them
- it's a 1600, not a 1500 as I expected.
- someone spent some quality time building it as at least the rods look balanced, but the factory crank seems like it has some drill marks for balance as well....

The less good:
- the cam and lifters seem to be somewhat galled up
- SP heads need a valve job - badly...

After a cursory analysis and a basic clean - I'm looking at what my next steps are.

As promised - a few pics:

#3 Journal/bearing about to have a bad time.

#4 Bearing - plugged up

Case Sludge

First shot at cleaning up, before I pull out the gallery plugs

/Mark
_________________
'67 Beetle - 'Winnie'
'75 Std. Beetle - 'George'
'13 Golf coupe - 'Bitter Bunny'
'15 Tiguan 4mo - 'Tig'

[raygreenwood]

Great decision to tear it down instead of trying to see if it magically starts and runs.....like so many others!

This should be a case study thread for those in your same position!

Ray