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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 10:42 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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Things have been seemingly moving at a snails pace, but at least moving, so I can't complain...
Got a few toys in the mail...
Heater boxes primed and painted
This is the new exhaust I'll be using (I've kept the original, and may still use it once it's been cleaned up and the cat's been removed). The EMPI exhaust has been stripped and re-painted.
Fan shroud cleaned and painted. Not really happy with the paint though. It's got a bit of a flat finish, and shows dirt really easily. Might paint over it with an enamel that's a bit easier to keep clean.
Original Bosch 205S distributor cleaned up really nicely! Had it rebuilt by Bill (wcfvw69). Freshly lubed up, and tons of life left! Pretty stoked! Thanks again Bill!
EMW has and is currently working on the case. Should be getting a call from them any day now.
Also, I found some of the lower tin (which conceal the push rod tubes) NOS on a UK website for less than most people are trying to sell rusty pieces for. Yea, I gotta pay for international shipping, but it STILL ended up being cheaper. I also realized that I was missing the two rear right and left cylinder tins (bummer), and missing the rubber oil cooler tin seal. All of those are now on the way.
Bonus: I decided to spring a bit extra for my fuel pressure regulator, and go for one of the nicer Malpassi Filter King units, with the built in guage Like this:
_________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold- |
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whatdoesthisbuttondo? Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2012 Posts: 259 Location: Victoria
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Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 3:31 pm Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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Rad build, I did a similar first-time one on my 1700. Used the same resources and got some really helpful advice on here. 2L+ is up next
Its a dangerous thing going digging for rust. Take some time to enjoy the bus once that engines back in! Great that you can keep it dry inside, that'll slow the rust right down.
Good luck and I look forward to following the rest of the build! _________________ Orange 1973 Campervan. Rebuilt 1700cc with dual Solex carbs. Pertronix electronic points on stock distributor. Engine rebuild in progress (fall 2023). |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:10 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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Weekend update: All parts have arrived, so now the build progress is on me. No more placing the blame on "well, I'm waiting for..."
Cam bearings in place:
Oil galley plugs (I did the 5 3/8 size plugs, and used brass fittings):
Crankshaft rod journals plastigauged and within spec:
Case through bolts in, rods installed on the crank, main bearings lubed and crank set into the case:
Camshaft and gear in place and aligned with the crankshaft gear. I also took this moment to test the cam gear lash. My original gear was a -6, but I ended up needing to get a new gear (supplied by European Motorworks) and the new gear is -3. Once the crank and camshaft was in place, I rotated the crank counterclockwise to see if the camshaft would lift out of it's seat, and thankfully it did not:
Distributor drive shaft set at 12 degrees:
_________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold- |
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Gnasha Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2016 Posts: 106 Location: Leicester England
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 1:24 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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So how is it running now? are you pleased with the outcome? _________________ 1974 Red 1600 Ghia coupe dual port |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 5:31 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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Gnasha wrote: |
So how is it running now? are you pleased with the outcome? |
Ah if only...
But I appreciate the vote of confidence!
Actually I seem to have worked in reverse a bit. Once the two case halves were bolted together, the crankshaft seemed too tight. I tried to convince myself that it was fine, but I couldn't, and took everything apart. The small amount of spare time I've had over the past week or so have been spent cleaning off form-a-gasket, and thread sealant. Also, in the process of test fitting, removing, and re-fitting the case halves, I ended up damaging some of the through bolt isolators/dampers (#28 in this diagram, part no. 021101107), so now I'm waiting for the new ones to arrive.
_________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold- |
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lil-jinx Samba Member
Joined: August 14, 2013 Posts: 1109 Location: New Brunswick,Canada
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:47 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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lil-jinx wrote: |
Did you find the cause of the crankshaft being tight? |
Not for certain yet. I did make sure that all measurements were good (my case was align bored for .020), and everything checks out. The dowel pins aren't touching the bearings, so I'm good there too. I did notice that my #3 main bearing was slightly offset in its saddle (right to left), and also slightly off at the ends (one end being higher than the other). I've corrected that, but haven't mocked it up again since to test it. _________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold- |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:27 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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[Samba update: I've not been active much here over the past few months. Once I got knee deep into my engine build I found that posting build questions over @ STF (The Type 4rum) got a bit more attention. This update is just to bring this thread current. If you would like to read through all of the sage advice I've received, just head over to http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=1254237#p1254237 and that will take you to where this samba update starts]
Well, after a few test mockups, I believe I may have determined the reason for the tight rotation of the crank I was experiencing after partial assembly (cases bolted together): tight fitting cam bearings. After fitting, and turning the crank/cam over multiple times by hand, shiny polished spots can be seen on the cam bearings. When placing the cam into the thrust side of the case (case open) the cam spins freely. When joining both case halves and only lightly tightening the 6 through bolts by hand, the cam is noticeably tighter and does not spin freely.
Here are shots of the problem bearings (the ones with the larger polished areas):
Aaaand...a second set of new bearings did the trick. Got them in the mail, mocked em up, and it was a huge difference.
By the way: the original cam bearing set I got were Kolbenschmidt, the 2nd set were Mahle. There was a noticeable difference in weight and finish between the two brands, with the Mahle being heavier and having a more polished (shiny) look. Both were made in Brazil. Maybe this was just the luck of the draw, but the Mahle's did seem to have an overall higher quality to them even before fitting them up. Just my .02. _________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold-
Last edited by riverside66 on Thu Apr 26, 2018 8:03 am; edited 3 times in total |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:29 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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Moving on to crankshaft end play...
I've repeated this a number of times, and...if I'm reading this correctly...I've got end play of .0025 (I zeroed the dial with the flywheel pushed close to the case, then pulled away from the case). Each time, it measured riiight between the .002 and .003. _________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold-
Last edited by riverside66 on Thu Apr 26, 2018 8:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:31 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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Moving forward a bit: I've measured my piston height against cylinder height, and (using feeler gauges) I'm at .026":
(I did have this cyl. bolted down using sockets, but I had just removed them prior to this pic)
I've only done one right now, starting with #3. My heads are from Len, and have .8mm raised step in the cylinder registers.
So if I understand this correctly...
.026 in = .66 mm
.8 mm + .66 mm = 1.46 mm, which is .057 in, which is within the .04 - .08 spec mark mentioned in Tom Wilson's book. Assuming all pistons/cylinders are the same (FYI, I will be measuring each individually), then this is a good number and I can move forward on figuring out my CR, right? [Hint: They were not all the same...] _________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold-
Last edited by riverside66 on Thu Apr 26, 2018 8:04 am; edited 1 time in total |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:39 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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[FFWD a bit...]
The Mahle set (of cylinders) that I got looked great upon visual inspection. Forward 5 months-ish later, and one was bent ever so slightly at the lower circumference of the cylinder, enough that you could just baaarely see it, but also enough that the piston wouldn't fit into the cylinder at all. A second was just off enough to be a snug fit when sliding the piston in. The remaining 2 had no issue at all. And you know what? You can't buy the Mahle's without the pistons. Since I didn't need a full complete set, I opted to go with a set of AA's, just the cylinders, since they sell them that way. The only other cylinders sold by themselves like that are no-name brands that I didn't want to gamble with. Sucks, but, I'm at the end of my budget and that's just how it is.
[I also ran into an issue where my original (reconditioned) rods were ever so slightly not all the same length, which was throwing off the CR in different cylinders]
OK...so I switched the #2 and #4 rods since it seemed that they were the opposite. One being high, and the other a bit low. Got everything tightened up again, and here are my latest measurements:
#3
Piston/Cylinder DH = .010 (.25mm)
Total DH = 1.05mm
CR: 7.8
#4
Piston/Cylinder DH = .014 (.35mm)
Total DH = 1.15
CR: 7.8
#1
Piston/Cylinder DH = .011 (.28mm)
Total DH = 1.08mm
CR: 7.8
#2
Piston/Cylinder DH = .010 (.25mm)
Total DH = 1.05
CR: 7.8
HAM Heads step + .8mm to DH
Bore = 94
Stroke = 71
CC's 64.5 (15cc piston dish + 49.5cc head)
So....can I get excited yet?!
The only thing is, is that I'm aiming for between 7.5 - 7.75 CR, so I'm a tad high for the Web 142...
[I ended up using .020 shims for my cylinders, which put my CR right at 7.3/7.4] _________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold- |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:46 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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Slowly making progress!
Moving on to the rockers...
I'm using 10mm swivel foot adjusters. Found some SAE grade 8, 3/8 washers at Lowes, turned the adjusters in a bit more, extended the length of my push rod tool by about the same 2mm as the washers/spacers, re-measured for half lift, and tested this setup on both intake and exhaust valves...
Here are the results:
Exhaust
Zero lift:
Half lift:
Full lift:
Intake
Zero lift:
Half lift:
Full lift:
My end-to-end push rod tool measurement came to 275 mm, and now I'm just waiting for the push rods to be cut. _________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold-
Last edited by riverside66 on Thu Apr 26, 2018 8:01 am; edited 1 time in total |
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MorkC68 Samba Member
Joined: December 23, 2015 Posts: 610 Location: Nottingham, England
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:56 pm Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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excellent thread riverside66, enjoyed reading it through!
When we built our type 4, we measured all of the con rod lengths, piston heights from the wrist pin hole and mixed/matched them until they where all close in overall height. Measured again when assembled we could then plan where to put them in respect of 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 to get them as close to one another. Its laid out in Wilson as you will know
Good luck, I'll be tuning in regularly! _________________ Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
My blog: https://twolatebays.wordpress.com/ |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:26 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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MorkC68 wrote: |
excellent thread riverside66, enjoyed reading it through!
When we built our type 4, we measured all of the con rod lengths, piston heights from the wrist pin hole and mixed/matched them until they where all close in overall height. Measured again when assembled we could then plan where to put them in respect of 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 to get them as close to one another. Its laid out in Wilson as you will know
Good luck, I'll be tuning in regularly! |
Thanks for the comment Mork!
Yea, I wish I'd have done that from the very start. It would have saved me a good bit of time. I think my biggest lesson in building this engine is: assume nothing. Check/measure everything.
I was hoping to have this bus ready to roll before the end of the year, buuuut I don't think that's going to happen. Either way, I should have more updates soon. _________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold- |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:07 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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[2 months later...]
Rockers are done.
Long block is ready!
This engine is 100x cleaner than I've ever seen it. It's almost hard to believe this is the same engine. Well...mostly the same?
Took a small break from the engine, and decided to go for a different look with the wheels.
Before:
After:
At one point in this bus' life an AC compressor was added. In doing so, the installer hacked a bit of sheet metal away from the bus. When I removed the compressor, a gap was left which wasn't sealed and it was time to get that fixed. I don't have a welder, so I took it to a shop nearby called East Coast VW Restorations, and they took care of it. Here's a couple of shots they sent me while working on it:
Back to the engine. Installed the new oil cooler. FYI, these things do NOT fit correctly out of the box. I didn't think to take a before picture, but I had to cut a bit of metal off before the original bracket would even come close to fitting. You can see just by comparing photos of a true old oil cooler with any photos of the new units you find online, and you'll see the difference. It pisses me off that the well known online shop I bought this from made no mention of this. Anyway, it fits nice now...
My engine now has a thermostat! Woohoo! http://www.awesomepowdercoat.com/thermostat_new_used_rebuilt.html
Engine mounts on...
Fan and Fan shroud on...
Test fitting the carbs. Velocity stacks are so pretty...
During my test fitting, I didn't like how the linkage felt, and how it didn't return the carbs to the starting throttle position, so I added some helper springs and the difference is massive. Now the linkage feels smoother, has plenty of spring-back feel to it, and returns the carb throttles all the way back to the starting point. Also, FWIW, I'm using CB performance's weblink kit, which adds a spring to the other side of one of your carbs, so that there are throttle springs on the same side of your carbs.
Pretty stoked that I found these NOS tins....in the UK...for cheaper than the rusty ones sell for in the classifieds (even after shipping to the US)! Good original parts are still out there, and for good prices...ya just gotta spend the time searching.
Mmmmmm...
More of the tins on, and engine prepped for install.
While the engine was still out, I decided now was the time to do the CV joints, since it gave me a bit more room to work. Again I dropped the ball, and didn't take any 'before', or even 'during' shots. Just a shot of the parts (Lobro stuff, and the original axles after scraping, sanding, priming, and painting)...
...and the completed job:
FYI, I did not end up using the Nord-lock washers. They're pretty thick, and when combined with the lock plates that connect 3 pairs of bolts, that added up to what looked like about 1/4 inch less bolt to hold the CV joint to the flange, and I just wasn't comfortable with that. I re-used my original washers, and will keep a close eye on the bolts to make sure they aren't working themselves loose. I also torqued them down using Vanagon specs.
Moving on...
Rented a shop crane to move the engine off the stand. Best $42.xx I've ever spent!
My step-father lending a hand:
Engine on the jack...
Having a helper to keep the engine steady as you maneuver into position is a big help...
And now, just a few months shy of a year, the engine is back at home!! This part right here...was an amazing feeling.
Now I'll be working on connecting things as I have time. My wife and I had out first child (Jonah) on 10/28/2017 and they (very happily) take priority. I gotta say...becoming a father has been one of the greatest joys I've ever experienced in life.
Anyways, that's all for now! _________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold-
Last edited by riverside66 on Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:48 am; edited 4 times in total |
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Gnasha Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2016 Posts: 106 Location: Leicester England
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:25 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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Things are coming a long fast, loving the detail. The photos are inspiring to a novice like me, please keep them coming. _________________ 1974 Red 1600 Ghia coupe dual port |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:45 am Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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Gnasha wrote: |
Things are coming a long fast, loving the detail. The photos are inspiring to a novice like me, please keep them coming. |
Hey Gnasha! I sir, am most certainly a novice as well so we're in the same club. Glad you find inspiration from these posts! _________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold- |
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 1:48 pm Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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8-ish months later, and the rebuild is complete!!
All that's left now is just to fill it with a little gas, read-up on and perform the first time start up procedure, then tune the carbs...
Then:
Now:
..but that's for another time. Right now, we're heading out for a steak dinner!
Cheers everyone!! _________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold- |
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lil-jinx Samba Member
Joined: August 14, 2013 Posts: 1109 Location: New Brunswick,Canada
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riverside66 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Sparta, NC
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 5:44 pm Post subject: Re: 1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" |
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Got some time today to work on getting everything tuned up. Points set at .016, and running right around 47-48 dwell. Timed at 28° BTDC full advance, 4° at idle, and idling right at about 800 RPM after dialing in the carbs.
Putting in a new throttle cable tomorrow, along with a cylinder temp gauge before going on the first drive since the rebuild.
Fingers crossed...
Link
_________________ 1977 Standard Beetle -Sold-
1979 Transporter - "Wheatbread" -Sold- |
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