Attention: Quality Control Alert- Engine Builders

[Tram]

[D/A/N]

So, we’re coming up on 5 years since this was posted and I’m the dumbass who got the shit motor from team Tram. Has anyone ever run into a set of the dreaded .040 bearings Tram warned us about? I can’t find anyone else on the site who has in all these years.

Also, FWIW, the set of bearings Tram posted about did have a steel backed center main bearing. Though when we talked about it in person, Tram maintained that at one point all of the bearings were steel backed

Anyway, just wondering if anyone can confirm that there are bad batches of .040 bearings out there.
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'69 Fuel Injected Squareback. "B" D-jet. 1600 with balanced rotating assembly and lightened flywheel. Full flow and external filter.

'70 Riviera. 1904cc w/ 40mm Dellortos, 019 distributor, Steve Tims “super stock” 37x32 heads, Web Cam 218, Vintage Speed SS143 Super Speed exhaust, 1 1/2” heater boxes

[calvinater]

What bearings do you have now?
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"Albatross"!

[gregson1]

Steel backed bearings weren't installed until sometime during late '62 - early '63. There's a Workshop Bulletin that discusses the change, but I can't locate it right now. I took apart an original '63 Type 3 engine (built in late '62) that actually had non-steel backed bearings installed. The installation of steel backed bearings was done for all VW Types, not just the Type 3, so VW learned the lesson very early on.

That Kolbenschmidt would attempt to provide non-steel backed bearings in this day and age is borderline criminal, in my opinion. I'm having good luck with Silverline bearings, for what it's worth.

[Erik G]

[Bobnotch]

[Mr.Duncan]

[[email protected]]

[blues90]

From what I have seen almost every part I bought in the last few years is a far cry from what replacement parts used to be. Mainly mechanical parts, some of the engine seals like runner boots are better yet injector seals I got from 3 places were all a mix match and certain gaskets better hang on to the old ones.

Even new cars in the last 20 years are parts either a poor design and designed with a very short life span. It's all plastic and a joke considering the cost of a new car of truck.

I can't say if it's just old VW parts like bearings that are junk , I can't imagine newer auto engines have bearings that fail even if replacements. Yet quite a lot like intake manifolds and oil pans and valve covers are molded plastic.

I've seen videos where if one wants to fix up an old ford of GM car or truck they still make replacement distributors and all the parts to bring one back from the dead.

Many vintage VW parts are at least reproduced and sold by many on-line sites so one can at least try to get them to fit well and work.

For engines bearings seem to be the main issue.

I recall tram trying to get bearings to find they fail and at that time ones made in Mexico seemed to be a better choice.

Bosch ignition parts as far as points and plugs are far from what they used to be.

It's the same with hand tools as well as timing lights and DVOM's and dwell /tachs unless one can find an old working unit or pay a fortune for a high end product, many don't exist since new cars don't use timing lights or dwell meters. Many don't even use a key for the ignition or to unlock the door.

It's a 10 year time frame for newer cars and parts become obsolete.

They don't want you to repair it just buy new.

I hope my engine holds up, it has old German bearings , seems like so called progress just wants all the old cars off the road. Some people get creative.

[Bobnotch]

[[email protected]]

[heimlich]

I've seen a lot of the manufacturers go to non steel backed bearings. That's the main question I get from customers. I tell them that all of mine have the split steel backed one. If the split crank bearing doesn't have some weight to it then it isn't steel backed.

If you can get a good grind then you shouldn't shy away from ground cranks. NOS ones are getting harder to find. Factory grinds in VW boxes are available too.
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[Erik G]

that's why I said "ask roy" above, as I figure you have built more engines than anyone else regularly on thesamba. Also why I would only use someone that does this every day if I'm spending the big bucks for a motor
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