GD motor suddenly smoking

[cellobus1]

Hi, returning from a recent camping trip, about a 3-hour drive, I found my bus unable to make it up hills on the interstate in 4th gear, although it ran fine on the way out. I had a roof rack and a Folbot on top of that, but I have done that before. It also is smoking constantly as opposed to just occasionally before. It's a GD motor w/stock FI. The odometer read 14,000 when I bought it in 1988. (14K in 12 years? I really doubt that). It now has almost 92K. the #2 spark plug is very oily, but the other three looked ok. That particular plug came out really hard last tune-up, and when I put the current plug back in, it wouldn't tighten. (maybe unrelated). Have I broken a ring?

I have a GE motor in the basement that I bought for parts, (it has paid for itself a couple times) but it lacks exhaust manifolds. It's also of unknown internal condition, but it had oil in it when I bought it and it turns. I'm pretty sure it has hydraulic lifters. If I miraculously find the right manifolds, will they bolt up to my current exhaust (which is loud but basically stock)? I would transfer the FI from the GD.

Thanks
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1976 unrestored daily driver Standard bus, "Stella"
formerly, 1959 Standard bus
formerly, 1973 transporter which was 4 years old when it taught me to drive

[chabanais]

What do you mean by:

"It also is smoking constantly as opposed to just occasionally before."

Under what conditions was it smoking before?
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"I spud therefore I yam."

[Randy in Maine]

I would do a proper compression test probably followed up with a leakdown test to see just what shape the current engine is in. Then you can make a decision based on facts.

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/FAQ/FAQContent.html#0101

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/FAQ/FAQContent.html#0105

[williamM]

All that and can you say if it has the thermostat flaps installed? I've seen engines with out them scuff just one or 2 pistons.
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some days I get up and just sit and think. Some days I just sit.

opinion untempered by fact is ignorance.

Don't step in any!

[cellobus1]

I've put 80,00 dirty but happy miles on this car in 28 years, the last ~40,000 have been without the bellows. It was dirty when I bought it 1988 and like I said, who knows how many actual miles it had on it then- every SINGLE push rod tube was leaking when I put it on the road. In spite of all this it was running as strong as it ever has when this started. Now I have pieces of spark plug threads in the combustion chamber, I don't think a compression test is a smart thing to do at this time. I'm not asking how to repair the motor. My question was really about whether the GD exhaust will work with the GE engine, sorry for the misleading subject line. After reading horror stories about hydraulic lifters, and as infrequently as I drive it, I feel like my best path is to stick with solids, rebuild the GD if possible and use the bellows from the GE motor if I can.
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1976 unrestored daily driver Standard bus, "Stella"
formerly, 1959 Standard bus
formerly, 1973 transporter which was 4 years old when it taught me to drive

[WhirledTraveller]

GD and GE codes on the case don't tell you much. Most of these motors have been rebuilt, perhaps several times, and parts mixed and matched. To tell whether you have oval or square exhaust ports, you have to physically look at them. To tell whether you have solid or hydraulic lifters, you have to physically look at them. GE Code motor *should* have hydraulic lifters, but the exhaust ports changed between '78 and '79. '78 should be oval, '79 square.
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1977 Westy, Automatic. Big Valve heads, CS Cam.

[SGKent]

you've most likely badly scuffed or burned thru a piston. It doesn't take much on an air cooled bus motor - just a little too much timing advance, and throttle combined. If the engine gave you 80,000 fun miles it did its job and is time for a rebuild.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[timvw7476]

Dodging the hydro lifters isn't a bad idea.
At just 2,933 miles per year, your engine isn't going to
enjoy the typical hydro lifter "bleed down" clatter at start up.
Solid lifter type IVs seem to fare better than hydraulics,
year after year, season after season.

[cellobus1]

Ok, yes. I indeed have a very burned #2 piston. It didn't have a hole in it. the head above it looks like fools gold. Who knows what else is amiss with it.

Anyway, the GE engine I have is super clean inside (but has a stripped spark plug hole) and does have hydraulic lifters (boo), which I suppose I could live with if it ends up running at all. It also has this funky idler arm attached to the bottom rear of the case with super long case bolts, pictured below. (PTO? AC?)

I'm still wondering whether the GD heater boxes will bolt up to GE exhaust manifolds (which unfortunately didn't come with the GE motor). According to Muir's tally, the engine number identifies it as a 1978. Also wondering if engine tin shapes changed from GD to GE.

One more thing, are the "engine mounts" attached to the engine carrier on a GD/'76 and to the crankcase on a GE/'78? Each of the two engines has a different set-up.

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1976 unrestored daily driver Standard bus, "Stella"
formerly, 1959 Standard bus
formerly, 1973 transporter which was 4 years old when it taught me to drive

[lil-jinx]

What colour was the smoke?How much,if any,oil did you have to add to it?May be just an over fueling injector.Blue smoke=oil,black smoke= fuel.
This is off a engine with GE type heads 79 model year,notice where it bolts to the head is flat,refered to as square port.There is a thread on here,that say you can make it fit.

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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620186
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668799
1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes.

[Wildthings]

How about a picture of the exhaust ports on your GE engine.

[busdaddy]

[Wildthings]

[otiswesty]

[cellobus1]

Wow, I didn't get notified of all these responses somehow! I have sort of resigned myself to going the Bus Depot rebuilt motor route, but maybe it would be worth it to post pics of the damage to see if there's anything that can be done. I haven't removed the 3-4 head to inspect as I'd seen enough on the 1-2 side to want to just reject it and start over.

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1976 unrestored daily driver Standard bus, "Stella"
formerly, 1959 Standard bus
formerly, 1973 transporter which was 4 years old when it taught me to drive

[alman72]

[kevin77westy]

Damn! We gotta see more pics of the carnage.

[richparker]

Personally I would not buy a longblock from BD. But, I do know a guy who bought a Vanagon engine from them and he's had no problems with it. He's got like 15k on it, so that's good.
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’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’63 Deluxe Build

[cellobus1]

I'm deducing from other pics I've seen that the scuffing on the fan housing (and on the front of the fan itself) signifies that the crank end play was too much.

_________________
1976 unrestored daily driver Standard bus, "Stella"
formerly, 1959 Standard bus
formerly, 1973 transporter which was 4 years old when it taught me to drive

[busdaddy]