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Who keeps a backup engine?
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VWporscheGT3
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 7:17 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

I can jump in my fastback and head across the country... wouldn't even give it a second thought. Do I carry spares with me? of course. will I likely need to use the spare in the future? its possible. And why? cause it gives me piece of mind that i can keep driving my car should something catastrophic happen to the main engine. thats all.. my car is my release, not my daily thank god, but i know i could drive it daily and have no issues.

building a engine properly no matter how good you are does NOT mean you wont have a failure. it lessens it greatly ... but sometimes sh*t happens
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nextgen
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:31 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

I feel more comfortable with a stock engine, one carb, points etc.

The more we do to our cars the the greater chance of a problems.

More to go wrong.
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:46 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

nextgen wrote:
I feel more comfortable with a stock engine, one carb, points etc.

Doesn't your engine have dual carbs?
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nextgen
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 9:20 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

It sure does and a Jacobs Ignition System behind the rear seat and Mallory Unilite Distributor. Much more of what I thought was better for power.

When I had my first new 1968 bug in 1969 I took it from NY to Florida and

a few years later my Sqback to Disney World Florida.

Photo was at Daytona Beach FL

Ha with CB Antenna. 24 hours straight driving on return trip. With wife and two kids.


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jeff68
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:53 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

nextgen - that's a great picture and a great memory I'm sure! Sorry if this is off topic.....I have great memories as a kid (in the 70's) in a family of 5 driving everywhere with all 5 of us in the car everywhere! Funny thing is, back then no one thought twice about driving these cars everywhere with NO spare parts in the car! We never had any break downs either...EVER. It was great.

I've collected parts to build 2 more engines to have spares and because I love these cars....
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oprn
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 6:35 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

I still don't carry any spare parts. Ok I carried a spare distributor the first 10 hour trip I made after changing to crank trigger ignition. Never needed it. I don't even carry a spare tire! All I carry is a few tools. Haven't needed them either.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:07 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

oprn wrote:
I still don't carry any spare parts. Ok I carried a spare distributor the first 10 hour trip I made after changing to crank trigger ignition. Never needed it. I don't even carry a spare tire! All I carry is a few tools. Haven't needed them either.


I know if Tried that , that b*stard Murphy would show up with his law book and prove a point Laughing Laughing Laughing
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:15 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

On cross-country trips in my bay I used to carry a box of parts. I had a spare distributor, carb, fuel pump, valve cover gaskets, belt, points, plug wires, etc. The only thing I didn't have was a spare generator, which failed on me in Bakersfield. Luckily I was able to get one in a junkyard that same day. These days who knows?

I also have a spare engine in my barn.
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Dusty1
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 8:01 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

Any "rebuilt" VW engine will contain 50 year old parts. It would be great if we could get inexpensive OEM quality cases and heads. That's just a pipe dream these days.

I believe the best VW engines were built in '73 or '74. Those engines are 50 years old. Those engines only last around 50k. They were only designed to last around 50k. You still needed to keep a close eye on your points, cap and rotor. That won't blow a motor but it will cause you to coast to a stop.

To get to 50k it's a good idea to dump the oil every 3000 miles and while you're at it check the valve lash. I have a quicky valve lash check that can be performed in the hotel parking lot. Pop the valve covers off. Crank each cylinder in turn to TDC. Grab the rocker arms. You should hear "rattle, rattle", a little bit of lash. Tight valves are an engine killer. If you have an exhaust valve tightening up you're living on borrowed time.


I keep at least one fresh single port for a spare. My spare has a modified 40 horse stale air shroud, no extra hoses to mess with. I generally use J tubes and an old Kadron exhaust on my spare(s). It goes in quick 'n' easy, couple bolts, couple wires, one cable.


I have changed engines on the side of the road.


Why not keep a spare long block under the back seat if you're driving a Bus?


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oprn
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 11:06 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

I don't buy into the "it's 50 years old so it will fail" mentality. There are thousands of aircraft with engines built in the '40s through to the '70s that are still in service today. If anyone needs to worry about failures it's those guys! I worry far more about the new Chinese parts failing than the original German parts.

Dad bought a new Bay window Bus in '69 and raised us kids in it. I bought it from him in the early '80s, with the same engine in it that he and I rebuilt with stock German parts and raised our two oldest in it.

I sold it 2 years ago, told the guy it had been sitting now for 15 years and needed a valve job badly, don't run it much until you do that! He put new tires, new rubber brake lines and a new fuel pump on it and drove it home... through the mountain passes... in the winter!! The only issue he had on that 15 hour drive was a few oil leaks but he had them all sealed up by the second day.

He phoned me up the other day, finally tore it down for the head rebuild... after driving it for 2 more years all over Western Canada! Ya! The valves and guides were BAD! Sent pictures. Engine had over 80K on that rebuild when I sold it to him!

...and you guys think you need to have and/or carry a spare engine?

Ha! Take the purse off your shoulder and DRIVE that car! Very Happy No offence intended...
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 3:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

oprn wrote:
I don't buy into the "it's 50 years old so it will fail" mentality. There are thousands of aircraft with engines built in the '40s through to the '70s that are still in service today. If anyone needs to worry about failures it's those guys! I worry far more about the new Chinese parts failing than the original German parts.


You're comparing apples to armadillos.

Aircraft engines are built stout with built in redundancy and strictly enforced RPM limits. It's not that they won't rev higher. There's no point when your propellor tips go supersonic.

Actually, there is a point where your propellor tips go supersonic. The aircraft engine and propellor guys know exactly where that is for each combination.


You're exactly right. An engine failure won't cause your VW to fall out of the sky.


I know a thing or two about flying VWs. I had more air time in my '67 than my brother had in his Cessna. I used to prowl the back roads looking for railway crossings and humpback bridges I could launch off of. Very Happy

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 5:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

I kept a spare 1600 SP in the corner of my garage. Just in case!
Well, just in case came when my car was stolen. The Fn idiots seized my 2180 while trying to make it to Gaston Or.
It didn't help that the night before the car was stolen. I drained the oil. Crying or Very sad
I was gonna swap in the 1600 SP the following day. Obviously I never got around to it.
Until after the car was recovered. Now it's my daily driver engine.

Currently I have no backup engine. But there's a 1679 in waiting for an align bore and new bearings sitting in my garage.
Once the 2180, soon to be 2276 is completed. I'll do the above work on the 1679.
Then I'll have two spares! Very Happy
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 4:37 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

I see no need for a backup engine. I use the same one for going forward.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 5:10 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

Bonesberg55 wrote:
I see no need for a backup engine. I use the same one for going forward.

Sometime you can't.
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Spare engine
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oprn
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 5:13 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

Dusty1 wrote:
Aircraft engines are built stout with built in redundancy

The only redundancy built into a Lycoming or a Continental is that they have two ignition systems. There is NO extra metal anywhere, these engines have to fly and cannot be heavy like our car engines. For your information the Corvair engine is touted to outlast conventional aircraft engines 3 to 5 times in aircraft use depending on who you talk to.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 6:23 am    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

oprn wrote:
I still don't carry any spare parts. Ok I carried a spare distributor the first 10 hour trip I made after changing to crank trigger ignition. Never needed it. I don't even carry a spare tire! All I carry is a few tools. Haven't needed them either.


I carry a tool bag, some oil, minimal parts and a AAA card in my bus.

In my beetle I carry a small tool bag, some oil, a fan belt and a AAA card.

I had the parts to build a spare engine in my garage. I had them built into a 2109 that is now in my beetle.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 1:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

oprn wrote:
Dusty1 wrote:
Aircraft engines are built stout with built in redundancy

The only redundancy built into a Lycoming or a Continental is that they have two ignition systems. There is NO extra metal anywhere, these engines have to fly and cannot be heavy like our car engines. For your information the Corvair engine is touted to outlast conventional aircraft engines 3 to 5 times in aircraft use depending on who you talk to.


Looked inside a few Continentals and Lycomings, even a Franklin or two.

Anyone up for a "Shaky Jake"? Very Happy

Aircraft flat fours are bult stout with sturdy crankshafts, sturdy connecting rods and oversized valve stems. Plenty of extra metal there.

Corvair engines may last longer than the specified TBO on a Lycoming but again, we're comparing apples to armadillos.

You will only see Corvair engines in "experimental" aircraft. If there's an STC to run one in my Cherokee I'd like to see it.

The TBO is set up so aircraft engines time out before they wear out. We're talking about engines run under relatively conservative conditions. One of the many conservative conditions is we rebuild them before they wear out or break.

A properly maintained Lycoming might run far beyond its TBO before catastrophic failure especially if it is diligently maintained. If you want to be the guy to generate some hard data on this... literally, good luck!

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Paul Jr
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 4:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

I was told make sure to have,

Fresh points, condenser, dist cap, spark plugs, belt and oil along with some tools. Do my routine maintenance and I would not need a spare engine if I built it right and don’t constantly beat on it.

I can’t seem to drive like grandma so I built a spare but have been doing good since I started a few years ago.
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oprn
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 4:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

Dusty1, a 65 HP Lycoming, Continental or Franklin weighs 170 pounds. A 1600 cc VW engine stripped for aircraft use weighs 160 pounds. The aircraft engines have an extra magneto and individual cylinder heads so... where is all your extra metal that makes them more immune to aging than our VWs?
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 6:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Who keeps a backup engine? Reply with quote

Jeff60
Ready, for what I carry in my bug now, 009 distributor, to replace my Mallory Unilite, cables for both carbs and clutch. Pulley belt and pulley, extra alternator shims. Roll of 16 gage wire. JB weld. More just forgot

Jeff60 here is the other Daytona Beach Photo, I did not show. Seeing the Trip was 1,400 miles I carried 4 qtr. of oil, when I got to Florida I changed the oil.

By the way I asked my daughter with the Cheerios box and if she still ate them for breakfast she laughed and said yes.

She is now 51 and here sister is 50, 3 grand kits the oldest is 21 ha !!!

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