Inherited My Granddad's '57 Beetle

[Eric&Barb]

White specks are start of magnesium corrosion. Just apply some light engine oil on it to stop that for now.

Not a big fan of rust converter. Especially in places that the surfaces must mate up to another part. Fine sand paper and/or a phosphoric acid would be better.
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[KingOfAces]

[Eric&Barb]

[KingOfAces]

If Last Triumph ever visits WV, I owe him a whole case of the finest local beer. Because once again his thread saved my ass.

Anyway, a small update today. My Buick's cheap store branded EGR valve crapped the bed. Valve was blown wide open. So, I took the afternoon to replace it with the proper part from AcDelco. Works like new again.

After that, I snuck away to work on Her. I didn't do much, as I have other things going on. After reading LT's thread, I discovered that one of the pushrod keepers was out of wack. I took it off and it's soaking in mineral spirits. The others are within spec.

Good news though, I thought I had lost my crankshaft endplay shims, but I tracked those down, and they're soaking too. I'll clean them up tomorrow.

After that I used the rust converter on some of the studs on the case and then painted them. It works... okay. Just alright. I had to use a brass brush after the first pass, but it's a lot better than kneeling over and sandpapering them. I plan on trying to deep clean all the parts and the crankshaft on either Saturday evening, or Sunday. It's supposed to be a sunny 60 on Sunday, and I don't want to squander it.

I really need to find a job that doesn't take 3 hours out of my day just to get to and back, and requires me to get up at 4AM.

Anyway, time for some pics.

Before

After

That's all for now. I only wish I could have given a better update, but one day at a time.
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57' Beetle
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612922

[KingOfAces]

Alright. Today was indeed a beautiful day, and I got everything I wanted to get done, done. I'm so confident that I accounted for everything that I even put the cranklshaft pulley back on. No way I'm going back to Advance and begging for their Harmonic Balancer Puller for a third time.

I cleaned off the crankshaft with one of my brass brushes. After that, I soaked it in Lacquer Thinner (Cellulose thinners if you're not in the land of the truly free), cleaned it off with Brake Clean, and then reoiled it. Since I was anticipating this day, I had cleaned everything else leading up to this point. All I had left to do to certain parts is throw engine lube on them.

I did everything up to the point where the pistons go on. The heads are my next project. I'll disassemble them, and the same shop I took them to before will be blasting the heads and replacing the guides. Between really screwing up on this project and on my Buick, I learned that sometimes, it's okay to just go to a professional. I still want to do the nitty gritty stuff like all that's associated with getting the valves right though, and to do that properly, I still need the jugs off the engine, but that comes later.

Anyway, enjoy some pics.

Finally

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57' Beetle
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612922

[Eric&Barb]

Good to see you are getting ahead again.

Yes, some stuff you really need to have a shop do for you. Having an exhaust valve break off is not something you want to happen or it will be game over, and complete rebuild again,,,,
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[KingOfAces]

It was such a nice day out, that I decided to go out and do a little more work on Her.

Sadly, I think I have to get rid of my original oil cooler. Some stinkbugs used it as a nest. Any one have ideas on how I can get them out? I wanted to see how well the rust converter worked on it too.

I installed the oil screen and cover. I'm going to try out the silicone oil gaskets that WW offers and see how they do. I've had them for a while, but it's time.

I even took the time to disassemble and clean out the heads. It was quite easy because I used up the last of my KROIL and let them soak for over a week. The only thing I have left to do, and I wasn't prepared for it today, so I didn't, is remove the studs. I have Tuesday off, and can pick up the sacrificial hardware at work tomorrow.

Something was really wrong about the engine these were ripped off of. They both had a thick, black layer of grime. I learned that Ajax and Brake Clean are great degreasers. So, I filled a bucket with very soapy water, and let them soak for a while. Then I used my brass brushes and half a case of brake clean to get them all clean. I dried them off immediately with compressed air and brake clean. They came out much better than I would have thought, I'm also really glad I got that out of the way. Cleaning is my least favorite thing to do on this project, but ever since I became a janitor I'm a lot better at it at least.

I even got the cooling tin you put under the cylinders cleaned up, and of course, I am leaving them as is.

Anyway, time for pics.

Stinkbug in oil cooler

I think this is the summer.
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57' Beetle
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612922

[Jacks]

[Eric&Barb]

Paper clip or a section of clothes hanger can be used to work the bugs out of the base of the cooler. Need to plug up holes like that from things crawling in.
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[KingOfAces]

This isn't quite the update I wanted to give, but here goes. I don't know if you all have been keeping up with the weather forecasts, but where I am is expecting the worst of this winter storm. Almost a full foot expected. It's supposed to be half decent on Thursday at least, so I taped up all the holes in the engine in preparation for it to wait a couple of days.

That's all for now, unfortunately.

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57' Beetle
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612922

[Jacks]

I strongly recommend having your oil cooler cleaned professionally. The passages and voids can be filled with particulate. Not worth the risk. These guys will send back a pouch with all the crud a paperclip can not extract.
http://www.ultrasoniccleaningcorp.com/contact-us/
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Jack Staggs
Actual name

[KingOfAces]

I was lucky enough to have this day off. I didn't do much though.

The next step in the rebuild was to get the heads blasted, and the guides replaced. I already cleaned them last time, so I removed the exhaust studs today. I got 5 out of the 8 out, and I'll just have the shop remove them. I will drop them off at the machine shop after work tomorrow. I already have a set of valve guides to give him as well.

After this is cleaning the pushrods and the pushrod tubes.

[Last Triumph]

Your thread brings back lots of great memories.

Keep up the good work my friend.

LT.

[KingOfAces]

Sorry for the lack of updates. I decided that since I'll be here for a few years now, thank goodness, to really clean out the house. It's a process. Today is Sunday though, so I spent some time in the garage instead.

Two small updates today. I decided to go with Gibbs Oil, as not only is it a corrosion inhibitor, it also helps preserve paint. I've been trying to find something to replace what Last Triumph used on his Beetle, and haven't come up with much. So, thank you, Jacks, for recommending it.

I slathered the crankcase with it, and also slathered it on the tinware I've cleaned off so far.

On a better note, the shop called on Saturday, the heads will be ready to be picked up on Monday. Then the really fun stuff begins.

[KingOfAces]

Another update. A big one this time. The heads are here, and they came out great.

The shop also said they could clean out the oil cooler, and could regrind the lifters on the pushrods.

I'll get to starting the process of cleaning them tomorrow. If the weather isn't bad, hopefully I'll also have a large update for you all as well.

Here's a couple pics for now.

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57' Beetle
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612922

[KingOfAces]

I have another smallish update, smaller than I wanted it to be.

Anyway, after a long funk, I got absurdly inspired to work on Her today. I lapped the valves, and 'lapped' the cylinders today. I was aiming for a full head rebuild today, but unfortunately I do not have pipe cleaners to clean out the guides. So, the parts are still unwashed, but oiled to prevent corrosion.

The only local retailer that has small pipe brushes or cleaners is the Lowe's I work at, and I just don't want to go back today after work. I have tomorrow off, and I might go for it, but I had planned on doing yard work tomorrow.

I also put the pushrods and the tubes into lacquer thinner to prepare for cleaning them tomorrow.

I wasn't even planning on doing this today, but I'm glad I did.

Anyway, pics;

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57' Beetle
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612922

[KingOfAces]

Yesterday, I got some more work done.

I cleaned and rebuilt the cylinder heads, and then I also cleaned the cylinders themselves. For rebuilding the heads, I bought new springs and keepers. I purchased a new set of keepers, because the exhaust valve on cylinder #1 was actually missing one of the keepers, probably a good time I tore it down instead of trying to start her. I refurbished the original retainers to reuse though. For the valves, I did a little research on what to lube them with. Some people said oil, if you're going to be using the engine right away. I know I won't, I don't work quite that fast. Other people said to use engine lube, which luckily I had on hand left over from my fuel tap rebuild. After that, it was a matter of putting it all together. I also installed the spark plugs, which I have a question about.

For the cylinders, I used oil for the inside, edges, and mating surfaces, and then used some Gibbs on the painted surfaces.

Piston #1 got it's last ring. I also got familiar with extending the accordion ends of the pushrod tubes, but that's a project for maybe tonight, no promises. I put the wrist pins in lacquer thinner, and was going to clean the clips with the secret weapon, Mr. Muscle, but the can I have went bad sadly, so I have to get more oven cleaner. I don't have any on hand because my Grandma's oven is one of those fancy self cleaning ones.

I think that's everything I did yesterday. I did a shift a work, then came home and worked, so after I finished the heads I uploaded the pictures and went straight to bed.

My question about the spark plugs is, on one of my cylinder heads, one of the spark plugs is very hard to tighten. As you can see, the plug on cylinder #2 is not as deep as it's friend. I tightened it to 11ft/lbs. Am I missing something, or is this okay? I consulted the manual, but didn't find info on something like this.

Anyway, time for some pictures.

and finally:

I accidentally submitted the post too early, so if anyone got two emails about an update, that's what happened. Sorry about that.
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57' Beetle
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612922

[62ItalianRagtop]

Nice job
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LOOKING FOR 62 ENGINE WITH NUMBER FROM 6.904.xxx TO 6.915.xxx
http://tettodistraccio.blogspot.com/

[Rhudson]

Man this has been a great read. It's very inspiring to see all the help you got, especially when I'm getting ready to do my own engine rebuild for the first time on my 74 standard.

[KingOfAces]

I apologize for the infrequency of updates. My life hasn't been stable recently. Long story short, I had to quit my job at Lowe's, and only now gotten a new job, among other things. It's overnights, late shift, but that kind of works out since it's way too hot to work on her during the day anyway. I haven't started yet, so new income hasn't come in, but it should soon.

In the meantime, I finished extending the accordion ends of the push rod tubes, and used some of the leftover diesel to soak them in, as I found how clean they were before dissatisfactory. I did the same with the wrist pins, as the lacquer thinner soak didn't do too much.