| Author |
Message |
Cerot
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Canada!
|
 Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 2:19 am Post subject: Big engine problem? |
 |
|
| Today in traffic my engine (1200cc/40hp 6 volt) started making a strange sound, kind of metal on metal smacking sound. Lost a lot of power as well. Seems Cylinder #4 is no longer firing. Checked distributor, plug, and wires, all in order. Managed to limp back home, after starting it again later to take a closer listen, it barely idles as well as it did on 3 earlier. Generator light is flashing to the tune of the missing cylinder. No difference in sound removing #4 plug wire. Does this sound like somethings going to get expensive here? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
dlxcoupe
Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2006
Posts: 941
|
| Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 4:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
| The head of one of your exhaust valves broke off. Teardown time if that happened. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32989
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerot
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Canada!
|
| Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 10:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
So yes this is indeed going to be expensive :/
I wonder if its worth it to fix this engine, or do all the work to get my 1600cc Autostick engine out of my other Beetle and drop it in here? At least then I get the 12v upgrade. Kind of apprehensive as this is the cars original motor... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
66 12volt
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2007
Posts: 195
|
| Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 2:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| You will need to do the 12 volt conversion. Index the transmission housing, get a 12 volt starter and then replace all the 6 volt components with 12 volt stuff. Lots of posts regarding the conversion here on the Samba. If your car is still all original it might be a good idea to get your motor rebuilt. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerot
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Canada!
|
| Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 6:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
So I called a local mechanic about the problem who specializes in VW's, he asked me to start the engine so he could hear it. Started it, heard a cracking sound, and then the engine made a sound like newspapers being crumpled up, stopped it right away but it sounds like something snapped off inside 
$$$$ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32989
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerot
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Canada!
|
| Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 12:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Haha, work actually
Hes rebuilt many a VW engine and has helped me out many many times, so Ill probably get a reasonable price. He has about 6 40hp engines sitting in his shop so no shortage on parts here. Ill be sure to furnish you guys with pics of whatever carnage we find in there, people do like pics of carnage dont they  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sigurd
Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2006
Posts: 2639
Location: Rockford, IL
|
| Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 2:28 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Pics of carnage!!  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
drscope
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 15273
Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA
|
| Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 2:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
Anytime the car does something strange, especially BAD engine noises, SHUT IT OFF IMMEDIATELY!
Trying to limp it home will usually cost far more in the end then calling a tow truck, Plus you put yourself at risk if it suddenly locks up while you are in traffic.
All those bad noises are parts colliding with each other that shouldn’t be. Each time, it makes that noise, parts are being damaged. You end up tearing up things that could be saved and reused.
In this case, you have the original engine. You may have damaged enough pieces that even the crank case with the original engine number can not be reused.
_________________
Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerot
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Canada!
|
| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 1:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
Not as much carnage as we were expecting, many parts are salvageable. Here is the culprit, say hello to Piston #2 or what remains of him, I'm going to piece this back together with JB weld and and keep it in the car as a reminder to take every "funny" noise very seriously:
Last edited by Cerot on Fri May 15, 2009 2:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Lingwendil
Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2009
Posts: 3999
Location: Antioch, California, a block from the hood
|
| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 1:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| SWEET JESUS! I think I just died inside a little! That sucks man, my condolences! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32989
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerot
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Canada!
|
| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 12:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
No idea what caused it but we are pulling down the whole motor to find out and changing out many worn things. The top of what remains of the piston has many dings in addition to the grand finale:
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerot
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Canada!
|
| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 6:20 am Post subject: |
|
|
Motor is almost reassembled now, whatever happened in there took every other piston with it (one exploded, 2 cracked down the side, one had a giant chip out of its skirt). Mechanic (Old time VW Guy, knows his stuff) says hes never seen anything like it, also said that whoever rebuilt the engine before torqued everything to the maximum possible limit
Good news is, cylinders and heads are all fine, only thing I had to replace were pistons, which luckily he had in his shop. Replacing all the other little now-easy-to-get-at things as well. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bayareabug650
Samba Member
Joined: July 13, 2008
Posts: 193
Location: SSF
|
| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I am just amazed that it still limped home........... Look at that mess....... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
drscope
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 15273
Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA
|
| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:36 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you are wasting your time and money!
If the pictures you posted are from your engine, it needs much more then just pistons.
How can you break the rings and not score the cylinders? And how much metal went through the oiling system? And how the heck did it not damage the case? And why would you think about reusing a case that has been over torqued? And how did this not damage the heads?
Just because your VW guy has built a lot of engines, dosn't mean he knows what he is doing. This sort of reminds me of the automatic transmission commercial where the guy says the transmission shop is good because they fixed his transmission 19 times.
You have a lot of broken pieces, and a lot of metal went through that engine. You need to think about that before you slap another set of mismatched pistons on this thing and try to get on down the road.
_________________
Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerot
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Canada!
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
It may well be totally buggered inside, but for now I'm going to trust his judgment. He did a very thorough cleaning in there so I doubt he would have missed something obvious. The way I am currently looking at this is:
I CANNOT afford to buy a new engine, for a long long long time. So I need to work with what I've got. Worst case scenario is he was wrong, and the engine really is hooped. In which case he owes me a new engine, which he has in large supply. With his experience though (he worked for VW for 15 years from the 60's through the 70's), and the fact that he is the ONLY person willing to touch a VW engine in my area, and he services just about every air cooled in this town, I figure if he messes up he will make it right.
I appreciate the opinions and fully realize that the odds of such catastrophic piston failure not affecting anything in their immediate vicinity are slim, but I don't have a whole lot to lose. From what people are telling me, the best I can possibly hope for is the exact same problem in 2 months, so I'll just have to cross my fingers. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerot
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Canada!
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Well despite the grim prognosis, I got the engine back today, and for a very reasonable price. Its beautiful and runs very nicely with good compression, just have to remember to bring it back to him for the 200 mile checkup, ill post a vid of it running in case im missing some gruesome sound.... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John
Samba Member
Joined: May 23, 2003
Posts: 281
Location: Las Vegas, NV
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Good job... glad to hear it went well. I have been where you are and sometimes you got to do what you got to do! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
