Top End Rebuild here I come

Island Bwoy 420 · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 5:10 pm Post subject:

It runs enough to drive it to the shop the first time and then back home again. (2 months ago) It sat for a little while and I took the FI off and put dual 34's on it. From that point on I couldnt get it to run for anymore than a minute or so. It would just crap out, even if I increased the throttle, then I had that popping noise problem. But anyways it was towed up to the shop and the cdl was done and thats when he found out about all the leakage issues and compression problems with the engine. And here we are now. The original problem was when it had FI it was running alright till I got to about 3rd gear and then it would put out barely any power. Then at a stop going to accelerate it would take forever and barely get going. This happened twice. But it sits now with low compression and a mess of other issues all around the bus. So I need to fix this and get driving. Ill find out about the leakdown test.
_________________
4-2-0 Theres no time to be taking your time so spark it up!

pawesty · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 5:41 pm Post subject:

If your looking for a new home for the F.I. stuff i'm sure i can find space in my garage Very Happy

dave
_________________
"Go smell the wind, go far. Hear the marvelous strange chime of midnight" Kerouac

79 westy
78 westy

purveyor of refurbed westies and parts!!! inquire within!

.

Bottomend · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 1:33 am Post subject:

It's time to step up to the plate my friend...

If your 'friendly" mechcanic says he'll rebuild your top end for XX amount and then turns around and says that the engine has about 200,000 miles on it...... I WOULD BE VERY SKEPTICAL OF HIS MOTIVES. An honest/knowledgable engine builder wouldn't even recommend a top end rebuild on an engine that they think has that kind of mileage. Think about it for a minute...

NeverHadaBeetle · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 9:24 am Post subject:

Your original question asked if we thought you could do this yourself. It would be tough to do the whole thing without direct assistance and the right equipment, but you could certainly do part of it. I suggest you pull the engine and disassemble it down to the short block which basically means taking off all the tin, cylinder heads, cylinders, and even the pistons if you want. After the cylinders are removed you need to keep the pistons wrapped with soft rags to keep them from getting scratched up. As long as you are careful then you can't really screw this up.

After you get everything taken apart then take the parts to a good machine shop or mechanic and have them inspect the heads and do a complete valve job if necessary. Have them inspect the rod bearings and shine a light in the case to look at the cam. These are some of the technical things that you need a qualified person to do. Take their advice with regards to your next move regarding top end, bottom end, new rings, new everything, valve job, or whatever. When the long block if finished you can put everything back together and reinstall the engine in the bus. This will save you some bucks by doing the grunt work and get your feet wet with experience. Good luck.

Bottomend · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 9:29 pm Post subject:

I got your PM about the Hoover stuff. I'll see what I can do.

As far as the rebuild stuff is concerned... educate yourself. Contrary to whats been posted here, there are lots of things you can screw up pretty quickly with out the proper experience/information

Bottomend · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 9:48 pm Post subject:

This goes with the post above. (got kicked off) I would highly recommend getting the Bug-Me video that pretains to your engine.

If the area where you live is anything like where I live, half the people building' VW's are baseing there knowledge on years of the " It's a VW... It's supposed to leak!" mentality. From what you already said about the guy who has seen your engine, he might good company for these folks.

Unless you decided that there is no way on Earth that your gonna do this yourself. I would plan on spending some bucks to have it built by someone with a known reputation. It'll be worth it.

In the year I've been around these boards ( the Samba and STF) I've seen enough weird things to know that it's not unusual for a person to be re- building thier re-build shortly after it's just been re-built.

Island Bwoy 420 · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 10:30 pm Post subject:

Hehe, I know what you mean. I think I have solved my problem though. I am going to altogether get a different bus for about 200 dollars less than it would cost to do a top end on mine. Plus Id rather have the manual tranny. I am going to have the bus checked out first and if everything goes over good then I get it and drive it home. It has everything I need in a good bus and when owned by a guy who has over 75 v dubs. This was his nice daily driver and I am hopefully going to steal it. Wish me luck guys. Anyone wanna buy a 78' that needs a top end rebuild, with an auto tranny? Laughing

Kyle
_________________
4-2-0 Theres no time to be taking your time so spark it up!

Rich · Samba Member Joined: August 07, 2003 Posts: 158

I'm gonna be breaking my motor down again after only 2K. It is hard to screw up, but obviously doable.

I've gone over the rebuild a couple of times in my head and have given myself this advice which I will share with you: calibrate your torque wrench (assuming this can be done) and have your heads rebuilt by someone who is familiar with the type 4 engine. Real familiar. I'd recommend that you pay the extra and ship the heads to a known, reputable type 4 head rebuilder. Same principle applies to any machine work.
Rich
'72 Westy

Bottomend · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 12:53 am Post subject:

Hey rich, what happend to your engine after only 2000 miles?

Rich · Samba Member Joined: August 07, 2003 Posts: 158

Not sure yet. My symptoms are alot like Island Bwoys in that it lost power and would take along time to get up to 50 mph. If I tried to go over 50 it would just pop , sputter and hesitiate. I figure I lost compression somewhere, lots of soot in the fan and on the #3 spark plug insulator. The motor still turns over nice, so that's good. I'll keep you posted, but I probably won't know for sure what happenend until the spring.

Rich
'72 Westy

ratwell · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 10:58 am Post subject:

keifernet · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 12:48 pm Post subject:

Amskeptic · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 6:25 pm Post subject:

I've been using the same "pointer-style" junky Sears torque wrench for at least 24 years now. The pointer has a kink in it, so I have to handicap the readings 3 or so foot/pounds. This wrench has served me through VW, Porsche, Toyota, BMW, and even a Buick yech, overhauls and I have sort of reached an intuitive sense of what is tight enough. Consistency and clean threads seem to be the most important part of assembly. I read about some horrible test where it was determined that you lose like 10% of your actual clamping force every time you reuse a fastener. I've been hoping there is a generous margin in the required torque specifications.
Colin

ratwell · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 7:15 pm Post subject:

whip618 · Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2004 1:13 am Post subject:

I also have an old craftsman beam type torque wrench or pointer- style
as some refer to it as, I think I bought it in the late sixties and it's still an
accurate torque wrench, I check it on a torque annalizer several times a
year but I only like to use it when I'm torqueing above 70 ft.lbs. Other
wise I us my MAC inlbs., or ftlbs. clicker-type wrenches. The clicker-type
wrenches have a more positive feel
Phil

Bottomend · Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2004 3:06 pm Post subject:

Hey Skept! Glad you're back! Where 'ya been?

I agree with the Rat.... You're wierd.

Amskeptic · Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2004 3:20 pm Post subject:

Bottomend · Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2004 6:49 pm Post subject:

<<blackwing ostrich>>

Sounds like you've been liveing on road-kill for a while. I guess the front of a bus makes a good weapon when your're hungry and a cheeeeep skate. Remember to floss. It makes a difference... really.


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