Rebuild 1968 Squareback in one year? = FAIL

[bkeith85]

Well, once I got my cylinder lengths equal and recorded my deck heights, I was able to match my pistons/rods/rings/cylinders for the best combo.
I had the weights of all those parts so I tried to match heavier rods to lighter pistons, etc. Then, I tried to match pistons to cylinders for even bore clearance numbers. I checked all my ring end gaps, which revealed that the rings that come with the AA pistons had huge end gaps. I replaced those with a set of Grant rings, which needed a little bit of filing to get the proper gap. Due to manufacturing tolerances, the bores had slight variations and the rings had slight variations, so I just tried to match rings to cylinders to get the most even gaps I could.

I know this might not make any difference in how it runs, but it's free and probably can't hurt. If you can't afford to upgrade your current stuff, try to get the most out of what have.

Once I decided where I wanted everything to go, I made a sketch of the short block that showed something like: piston A, cylinder D, with ring set B would all go into the #3 position. That way I could easily double check my parts as I put them together. Even then, I still found myself about to put the wrong parts together at times. It was confusing at times. The smarter thing would have been to just mark all parts in a set as "A" and just make sure they matched. Hindsight....

[bkeith85]

I still haven't found my deck height measurements and I realized that I never did calculate my final compression ratio. I have a rough idea, since I added it all up a few times as I went along. I'm sure that stuff will turn up soon.
Anyway, I'm starting to get bored with my overly detailed engine build review. I have other things I need to ask questions about, so I need to wrap this up.

Here it goes:

After checking everything, I pulled it all back apart and cleaned everything except the crank one more time with hot soapy water. I had already installed the timing gear and #3 bearing, so I just put it in a safe, clean place until I needed it. I did wipe the journals down with solvent and a rag.
When everything was clean I started the final assembly.
It all went together fairly well. I had blueprinted the stock oil pump, which fit nice and snug in the case. I made sure that I got all the bearing dowels lined up correctly.

As I mentioned earlier, I fought with the distributor drive a little bit, since the rotor refused to line up right. I think now, that someone had turned the drive tang 180 degrees. I should have just fixed it then, but I didn't think of that.
I didn't follow conventional wisdom when I sealed the case. I used Yammabond. Yeah, I know. See, I started out with the Permatex Aviation, which I had to order. Then I started reading that it wasn't a good choice, since it dries out over time. So, I went with something that I had a lot of experience with - the Yammabond. It's great stuff, so I ordered a new tube of that. I had read about the Curil stuff, but not having used it, I just figured the YB was just as good and I refused to order yet another tube of goo. I should have just gotten the Curil. I've seen more of it now, and the consistency would have been easier to work with. I'm not having any issues with the YB, and don't expect to, but I'll probably use the Curil on the next engine.

Shortblock:

Pistons and cylinders:

Head and pushrod tubes:

I did this part in stages. When I installed the cylinders, I put on the base shim, then put a very thin bead of sealant in the vee at the base of the cylinder. That way, very little went into the case, if any. It would be pushed up and outward as the cylinder was inserted. Also, I didn't want it disturb that joint trying to line up pushrod tubes and the head. So, I leftthe tubes out, and torqued the head close to the final spec and let it cure overnight. The next day I pulled the head and wrestled with the tubes.
I had seen other folks have lots of trouble with the seals squeezing out and their tubes crooked. I think part of that was the use of sealant on them, so I made sure to install mine dry. I also made sure they were good and straight, then slowly tighten the head. I did have a couple that wanted to get cocked, but I worked them back into place and got the head tight. My tubes were new and didn't have to be stretched at all. I actually used my drill press arbor too squish a few down to the correct length.

Anyway, here's the other side going together:

You can see on my oil cooler that I didn't use the 1.5" wide foam, since it was 3x the price of this 3/4" stuff. I know some folks say to just wrap the front edge, but I worried that it might put uneven pressure on the cooler and either cause it to crack over time or leak at the seals. You can call me paranoid, that's ok.

[bkeith85]

I just noticed that in the above pics, I hadn't put in the little square deflectors that snap in the middle of the heads. I think I forgot the first one and had to work it in around the tubes. On the second one, I made sure I had it in before they went on.

Also, you'll notice that I painted my cylinders. I also have read all the arguments about doing this. I weighed both sides, and determined that I still hate rusty parts more than any possible temperature increase I may create. I didn't lay down a thick coat of paint, just enough to get a little on all the surfaces.

Now, for anyone who is interested, I did a little experiment. I read that the best paint to use was BBQ paint, but I found mixed reviews on brands. The two main ones were Rustoleum and Krylon, so I bought both. I painted the right side with one brand and used the other on the left. I didn't have to label them, they are easy to distinguish. One dried to a very flat finish, while the other (the Rusto, I believe) dried to a semi-gloss finish. Someday, I will have to pull the engine back out and I can check then to see how they are holding up.

I also ran into the problem of fitting my thermostat linkage bellcrank onto the 8mm head studs vs. the stock 10mm studs. There was just too much slop in my opinion, so I made some stepped washers to locate them better:

I painted them black and used them between the head and the linkage bracket. I then used a regular head stud washer then the nut.

Once that was done, I could slap on the heater boxes I patched up, and the shroud:

I'll have to upload some pics of the fully assembled engine when I get home.

[bkeith85]

Here's a couple more pics of it assembled:

No, I didn't use Bosch wires. I've had good luck with Taylor wires, so i went with those. Honestly, I don't know why I didn't use the Bosch ones. I think it's from years of thinking that the stock replacement stuff is inferior. I've found that to not carry over to VWs, though.

Well, I've had the engine in and running now for about a month. As mentioned before, when I first got it in and tried to drive it, the clutch gave me problems. Everything looked good out of the car, but once installed, it chattered pretty bad and the TO bearing was noisy. I couldn't adjust the cable enough and it would grind going into gear. So, I pulled the engine back out and replaced everything clutch related. I put in a new cable, new bowden tube, new gland nut and pilot bearing, and a new clutch kit.

I read a lot of posts about clutch brands and even though the bus guys didn't like these at all, I ended up with a Luk clutch kit. I got a great price on it from Amazon and was able to have it in my hands in just a couple days.
I got everything ready to go back together, but I was still worried that the problem was actually my flywheel. Back before I started assembling the engine, I got a wild hair and chucked up the flywheel and resurfaced it. I made sure it was smooth and had not runout. I even cut the pressure plate surface to keep that distance correct. No matter how careful I am, I still doubt myself sometimes. But this time, I got it right I guess. I got it all back together and it was like night and day.

Instead of having to crank the cable adjustment all the way down, this only took a few turns. Everything about it is smooth. The cable movement and the engagement are like butter. It still grinds a little when I downshift into 2nd, but I think that is a shifter adjustment problem.

Since then, I have been driving it and tuning it. I got it running pretty good, but not perfect. The idle was hanging a little, so I tried a few things carb related before I realized that it might be the advance mechanism sticking. I pulled the distributor out and it is now undergoing a semi-rebuild/re-curve. When it came out, I noticed that it had oil in it - as in, a puddle. Apparently, that is a sign that the phenolic washers inside have disintegrated.

Another thing I noticed was that adjusting the timing didn't seem to make much difference except at idle. I set it how everyone always tells you to do, even though that method bugs the heck out of me. For my max mechanical advance to stay around 30 deg. BTDC, my initial ended up around zero. I have a pretty good ear for detonation. I have often set my timing by advancing till it pings under load, then backing off a few degrees. But I could advance this one all the way to 40+ degrees (mech. only) and still heard no ping. I hope this is related to the next thing:

It's running pretty lean. I finally got my AFR gauge installed, and it's running a little rich at idle, but as soon as you touch the gas it goes lean. All the way up until you get into the enrichment circuit, but that only helps when you really load the engine. So, when I found that out, I parked it and ordered some jets. CB Perf. only carries one size larger on the mains, so I probably went too big. I didn't think about how big a jump it would be going from a 128 to a 155. I'll probably have to get some from Alpha on ebay. But, it will tell me if it is purely the mains or if the idle jets are also too small. I did order larger idles, too. They are at home waiting for me, so I can try them out this weekend.

[bkeith85]

I tried the 155 main jets and they were too rich, so I drilled the 128s out to the equivalent of a 149 and put those back in. I was still rich everywhere, but it drives better. So, I ordered some .40 idle jets and will see what happens with those. In the end, even if the drilled jets are perfect, I will still want to replace them with the correct size. I hated drilling them, but I chalked it up to the diagnostic process.

I gave in and ordered some 1.5" tall air filters from CB Perf., hoping that they could be made to fit. Nope. I can squeeze them into place, but they are pushing against the load floor without the tops of the air cleaners on. Supposedly, these are what they sell with the current Weber kits, so either the Webers are a lot shorter, the intakes are shorter, or no one can run air filters.
I guess I will have to start designing an air filter setup sooner than I planned.

[bkeith85]

I have a totally un-engine-related question.

My seats are horrible. When I sit in the driver's seat, it collapses. It just feels like I am sitting on big soft coil springs that can't hold me up. I mean, I'm not a skinny guy, but I don't weigh a ton either. Is this typical, or do I have some broken springs in there? I really like modern seats, that are mostly foam and firm. If I replace the seat pads and covers, will the stock seats be significantly more firm, or will they still collapse?

I know there is no way anyone can judge the condition of my seats via the interwebs, but if I know they do this by design, maybe I shouldn't waste money refurbishing them. If I want a firm, modern feeling seat, then maybe the best plan is to use a modern seat. I just hate seeing seats that are obviously not original and don't "fit" the look of the car.

Has anyone tried adding extra seat springs, or maybe using foam pieces to shore-up the spring area?

[Bobnotch]

[bkeith85]

I think the Mustang seats would be a great option. I have an '85 GT and those seats were styled after Recaros. They are pretty close to the same size. I measured them yesterday, and the length of the seat bottom was the only area that differed from the stock seats and it was just an inch longer. I could mount them to the stock seat bases pretty easily.
The only problem is finding some in decent shape. Most would need new foam ($300) and new covers ($300). Maybe I can get lucky and find some decent ones. I'd still need to recover them though.
The nice thing is, TMI does covers for both seats, and I bet I can get upholstery to match if they use the same material.

I really need to find a solution though. I have to brace myself anytime I hit the brakes to keep from sliding into the floor. That's WITH my seat belt on. Anytime I turn or brake, I have to slide myself back to the middle of the seat.

I do have an extra drivers seat, so I think I will try to improve the factory design before I spend $600+ on different seats.

I agree about the vinyl. It's been a long time since I had to sit in a vinyl seat on a 100+ degree day. I'm sure it won't be pleasant. The trouble is, I really like some of the older VW patterns, like the Platinum Mesh, but it's all still vinyl. I'll most likely end up with tweed. I know it makes people think of the 90's, but I grew up riding in big GM cars from the 80's and I still have nightmares about burgundy velour seats.

[W1K1]

You need to get a look at the seat base without the upholstery to really access what is wrong, you may have a couple springs loose or broken hard to tell. Most of the spring parts can be found at your local uphostery shop.

The best thing I've found for keeping the springs all working together on the base or the back is to zip tie a piece of thin (cut to size) indoor/outdoor carpet over the springs and frame before putting the foam or horse hair on. it spreads the load over the the whole seat and feels much more solid, much better than burlap or cloth.
_________________
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/jim_martin_engine_build.php

1973 super
1965 squareback 1500E
1971 bay window westy- subi swap

[Bobnotch]

[Clatter]

[bkeith85]

[bkeith85]

[bkeith85]

[Bobnotch]

[bkeith85]

[bkeith85]

This past weekend, I did some experimenting with my stock seat. I got some ideas from this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X81qKEh6Jo

Then I began taking mine apart to see what I could come up with.

I had this bottom cushion from another seat to use for parts:

It was actually in pretty good shape, so I made sure not to tear the cover or the pad.

Since I wanted to make the seat more firm, I decided to swap some springs around. I thought I had a good overall picture of the seat frame, but I don't. There are plenty in the gallery though. The springs I was interested in were the heavier, conical ones in the front corners. You can see them on the right in this pic:

There are our of these heavy springs, a couple pairs of medium springs and the rest is filled in with thin coils. If I remember correctly, across the front, between the two big springs, are a pair of medium springs, a pair of soft ones, and one spring in the middle. What I did was remove the medium and soft pairs and left the middle one. Then I took out a couple pairs of soft springs behind those. This made room to replace them with the front corner heavy springs from the extra seat I had.

Springs removed:

Here is the heavy spring in place of the medium ones:

I was able to re-use some of the metal pieces that clip the springs to the frame, but in a few places it was easier to just make new ones. I had a strip of 18 ga. steel that was the perfect width, so I just clipped off sections about 3/4" to 1" long and wrapped them around the spring and frame like so:

After I got the big ones in place, I just filled in the empty areas with the medium and soft springs I had taken out earlier. I think I ended up with a pair of the soft, second row springs left over. I used the metal clips to tie them all together just like the factory did.

When the frame was done, I put a little paint on it. When it dried, I followed the tip in that video and got some canvas from Hobby Lobby and hog-ringed it to the frame. This will keep the coconut pads from shedding all over the floor and keep the springs from digging into them.

The other tip from the video that I tried was to get some of this "carpet" from AutoZone:

I used spray adhesive to glue it to the original pad:

I fought with the seat cover on Saturday and Sunday evening, but got it back on. I then took a picture of the bottom:

Then, for some reason, decided to stop taking pictures. I guess I was in such a hurry to get the seat back together and in the car, that I forgot the camera. I'll have to take some completed pics when I get a chance. It looks really good. The PO had put some thin brown covers over the stock tan seats, so I got a chance to get rid of those. It did have a small rip in the bottom and a 2-3" hole near my shoulder, but they look better to me.

How does it feel, you ask? FIRM!! It still compresses, but only a little. I haven't gotten to really drive it much, but I think I'm going to like it. Using the black carpet covered up all the unevenness of the coco pad and made the seat look more full. It also got rid of me being able to feel the springs through the pad.

One thing that I didn't mention, is that I also used two more of the heavy conical springs, wound down into the springs that are in the front corners. If you have seen a double valve spring, then you get the idea. Don't do this. I think these made it a little too stiff, and they aren't supported on the bottom, so they put more stress on the existing coils. When I recover the seats, these will come out.
I also meant to run a thin steel strip across the bottom of the frame to support the base of the big springs I added. The other ones are done that way. I just got into a hurry and forgot to do that part.

And yes, that is a wheelbarrow with a piece wood on top. I have two nice workbenches, but I haven't slowed down enough to clean them off. My garage is a mess.

[W1K1]

you could have skipped the canvas and just used the carpet cut to the seat top size and zip tied it. it's neater and less bulky

this is the back, but same thing for the seat

_________________
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/jim_martin_engine_build.php

1973 super
1965 squareback 1500E
1971 bay window westy- subi swap

[bkeith85]

I've done some road testing, and I think my seat project was a success! Here is a shot of the installed seat:

See how the bottom cushion fills out the cover and it doesn't seem loose?
Here is the passenger side, which looks just like what the drivers side looked like.

Part of the looseness of this cover comes from the cover itself, but the coco pads have compressed a good bit too. Before, I could feel the springs a little. Now, on the drivers side, I don't feel them at all and the seat supports me much better.

It doesn't look like much difference, but here is the stock seat vs. the stiffer one. I tried to apply the same force to both. It was totally un-scientific, but at least it shows that the new version isn't rock hard.

I really like it. I put some miles on it on Saturday and it kept me in place much better than before. I didn't have to brace myself when stopping or turning.

Here's one more shot of the interior since I haven't posted many of those.

I took these pictures this morning before I went to work. I had just installed my rebuilt Hurst shifter. I haven't gotten to drive it yet, but I went through the gears several times and made race car sounds. I think I am REALLY going to like that shifter.

[bkeith85]

Well, I was able to tolerate the stock shifter for a few months, but that ended yesterday. I even added a quick shift kit, but it still had that vague feel that most stock shifters have. I'm a big fan of Hurst shifters. I've had a few over the years and they've always exceeded my expectations. I didn't think I would be able to find or afford one for this car, so I started looking at some of the knockoffs. I don't think they are as bad as everyone thinks they are, and I figured I would just be gentle and it would work ok. But, I lucked out and found this one for just a bit more than one of the copies would have cost me.

I found it here in the classifieds for $100 shipped! I can't believe no one jumped on this thing. The chrome is in great shape. I guess everyone wants a copper one. Not my style, but somebody's got to like them.

Anyway, it showed up with a little surface rust and fuzz amongst the goo:

I could have just cleaned it as best as I could, but I had the chance to go through it and improve things a little, so I did. Mainly, I wanted to make a reinforcement plate for the top nylon block and replace the cable, as it would probably break a week after I installed it.
I cleaned off all the old grease, sandblasted the cage and painted it flat black. The spring that keeps it pushed over toward 3-4 was broken, so I had to find a replacement from McMaster-Carr. I couldn't find anything locally that was even close to the correct size and spring rate.

Then I decided that I wanted to use this shift knob:

I wasn't sure if I could make it work, but I ordered one anyway.

Here is the overly complicated solution that I came up with to get the knob in the right place so my fingers wouldn't get pinched:

The knob was already bored to the correct depth, but the brass insert was glued in close to the surface. So I chucked the plastic knob up as best as I could and bored the brass insert until it came out. I then made a new insert with a sleeve that slides down over the trigger and threads at the top:

The knob came with adapters for two different threads, but the outer threads were metric. Ugh. So the knob was metric with a metric to 3/8"-24 SAE inner thread. Brilliant. I tapped it for 5/8-18. So, then I made this adapter (old one included for comparison):

Notice the set screw? Here's how it works- The inner adapter threads onto the shifter and the set screw lines up with the groove that the trigger slides in. The screw secures the adapter like so:

Now, here is where I may lose everyone. I then drilled and tapped the knob for a larger set screw:

Which seats in this little flat spot 180 degrees from the adapter set screw:
(disregard the punch mark - oops)

All of this effort gives me this:

I got the knob I wanted; it won't come loose; and it fits just like the original one.

I also had to make some spacers since mine didn't have the original one:

My two thinner ones add up to the thickness of the original one.

I know the set screw through the knob might be a turn-off, but I doubt anyone will ever notice it. My hand doesn't hit that spot when shifting either. I couldn't see it at all when installed in the car even though it sticks out like a sore thumb in this picture:

Maybe the camera is just pickier than I am.