Swapping out for a later Beetle engine

[Dustman985]

Okay, so here's the deal. I've got a client with a '63 Ghia with (what I gather from the piston diameter is) a 1600cc Single Port engine and Swing Axle rear suspension. The pushrod seals on the engine leak like a mother, but the transaxle works great. The car has been converted to 12V power.

The same client has a '68 Beetle with a 1600cc Dual Port engine (that I think was sourced from a '67) with an IRS rear suspension. The engine runs like a top and relatively leak-free, but the transaxle recently started giving them problems. When they put it into gear and let out on the clutch, the transaxle grinds and growls like crazy, and the car doesn't move, which is no good.

Since I'm away at trade school, and the only tech who will touch any air-cooled VWs within 100 miles of home, I'll have a few days at the end of the week to go home and work on the cars.

So my question is this: if I swap the engine from the Beetle into the Ghia, aside from swapping the generator, is there any reason why everything wouldn't work fine? I've had the engines out of both cars before, and I don't remember any special tins or anything (though I may be mistaken). Is there anything I should be concerned with? Any reason I couldn't do it?
_________________
1971 Standard Beetle "The Bombshell"
1995 Ford Aspire (Kia Avella)

[cool karmann collected]

I have to ask the obvious question, why not just buy an 'in-situ' pushrod tube repair/replacement kit for the engine that's in the car at the moment?

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2215247

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2211186

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=591291

I've never used any of the above but if the only issue I faced was leaking PRT seals this is what I would do.

[Dustman985]

While that repair is on the list for the future (he wants to put in spring-loaded ones), the car is his grandson'S ride to work, so he wants it going as soon as he can get it, so we landed on doing this now and the pushrod tubes later. The Ghia engine is coming out and going directly on an engine stand.
_________________
1971 Standard Beetle "The Bombshell"
1995 Ford Aspire (Kia Avella)

[Rome]

The swap should be a direct fit. The 1600 SP now in the Ghia would have had the transmission bellhousing already cleared on the inside diameter to fit the larger-diameter 12V flywheel. Good that the car is already 12V.

The Beetle engine should already have the correct pressure plate if the IRS transmission is the early type with the same throwout bearing style as in the Ghia. Just make certain when you have both engines out that the TO bearing and the PP has the enclosed inner ring. If both engines have 12V generators, there is no need to swap them over. The Beetle engine should slide right in. Adjust the clutch pedal freeplay afterwards, and fit the Ghia air cleaner with the extension snorkel back onto the Beetle engine. That should be it.

As to the Ghia's current 1600 SP engine- the pushrod tube seals are best replaced by pulling the cylinder heads. Yes, lots of work, but by doing this you can do several other checks on the heads. Use the white silicone PR seals, not the brick red ones you get in gasket kits- the white ones last much longer. http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Silicone-Push-Rod-Tube-Seal-113-109-345AS-p/113-109-345as.htm

[Dustman985]

That's right, I kept thinking the Ghia generator had the regulator on top of it, but I checked and it doesn't. All I know about the clutch setups for sure is that the Ghia has a three-finger plate, and I can't remember what's in the Beetle, and the clutch in the Beetle may be trashed anyways. The clutches should swap right across, shouldn't they?
_________________
1971 Standard Beetle "The Bombshell"
1995 Ford Aspire (Kia Avella)

[NoDents]

When you say it's converted to 12v, does that also include the starter/flywheel?

I ran a 6v starter/flywheel many years ago in my bug that was converted to 12v.

If you move from a 6v to a 12v starter/flywheel you still may need to clearance the inside of the bell housing. And don't forget the starter bushing changes too.
_________________
No Dents

1963 Bug - Sold in 1980
1966 Karmann Ghia Convertible - Stolen in 1988
1971 Karmann Ghia Convertible, resto/mod COMPLETED 10/2020

[berliner]

The transmission grinding noise may be a stripped axle/brake drum spline.
_________________
I'm part of the problem.

[Dustman985]

Yeah, I'm suspicious of it. I'm gonna look them over before I drop the engine. I'm hoping the issue is somewhere else in the driveline and not the transaxle, so I'll pull the drums off and feel around on the axles, inspect the clutch, etc.
_________________
1971 Standard Beetle "The Bombshell"
1995 Ford Aspire (Kia Avella)

[jeffrey8164]

Put it in gear and spin a wheel. Hear what you hear and feel what you feel.
Sorry, didn't mean to rhyme.
_________________
Volkswagen!
Turning owners into mechanics since 1938.

“Let he that is without oil throw the first rod”
(Compression 8.7:1)

[swavananda]

I'll add , that once I was in a similar time crunch to swap engines. In the rush , I forgot to polarize the generator of the swapped motor. Remember to polarize the generator !!!!!