Questions about engine parts

[DanaJT]

So I have a few questions. As I'm pulling apart my engine I am wondering about the part marked in yellow. What is that? I obviously need a new one.

Also you can see the fan shroud and below where the engine meets the wall there is a big gap. Is that normal? I can't remember from when the engine was in good shape. With the fire things look way different to me and I'm a newbie trying to replace the outer parts of the engine.

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Justin
DanaArts

[Glenn]

Fire?

It's the oil pressure sender.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[RustPatch]

Rubber seal filled the gap between body and engine tin.
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I've been known to be wrong.

[Glenn]

[cbeck]

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My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779

[MrGoodtunes]

[Rome]

DanaJT, your engine and the engine compartment will need alot of thorough work to get them back into service. To fit that rubber perimeter seal that goes around the engine, the engine will need to be removed so that the seal's lip can fit into the metal "C" channel that's on the body. Removing the engine might be work that is beyond your newbie level.

The hole in the engine case for the oil pressure switch does not have a firm "end". The engine case's hole has tapered threads so that the more you tighten the switch, the better it seals. If you tighten too much, the metal switch will expand into the case threads too much and can likely break the hole area. This will be even more so with the fire heat on the engine case material. You thread the new switch in by hand, then only give it maybe 2 more full turns with a large wrench to create sufficient seal. When you finally get the engine back into the car and running, watch the case hole carefully where the switch is. If there is a drop of oil beneath the switch that collects on the black engine tin, then turn the switch no more than 1/4 to 1/2 turn more and monitor again.

The fan shroud on your engine is from a '71 and later Beetle, a design called "dog house". That style has a wider-diameter cooling fan than the shroud style thru '67.

If you don't have access to a sandblaster to clean the surface rust off the engine tins and the engine compartment, consider painting the surfaces with a good anti-rust paint such as MasterSeries after scrubbing with a wire brush.

The fire looks like it started to MELT the aluminum alloy engine case!

Is the photo from cbeck's post of your Beetle?

[mukluk]

[Rome]

Ah yes, that makes sense; thanks mukluk.

[VWNate]

Good to see you didn't open the deck lid and allow more oxygen in, that often causes the entire car to go up in flames .

This isn't insurmountable although it's labor intensive .
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-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.

[DanaJT]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I am taking it slow and trying to clean it up the best I can. All these tips and more are welcome. Thanks,

I've loosened all bolts on parts. I need to get the melted carb. out because it's stuck there. I have been contemplating taking the motor out, but want to see how far I can get without doing that. Those are all great tips and to do it right I'm sure I need to remove the engine, but will avoid it as long as I can.

Edit: Should I keep the fan shroud or go back to the original 67 version?
Also what happens if I don't add the engine seal?
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Justin
DanaArts

[Glenn]

[mukluk]

[DanaJT]

Thank you. I'll just keep it the way it is then.

How tall of jack stands do I need to get this high enough to remove the engine?
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Justin
DanaArts

[67rustavenger]

[DanaJT]

ok thanks,
So to make sure the rear torsion bar housing is the??? axle ??? or bar near the wheels? I'm learning a lot.
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Justin
DanaArts

[67rustavenger]

[Rome]

Justin, opinions will vary widely on the jackstand height. I've been removing VW engines as hobby for 35 years and just this past week tried a new method in which I don't need to raise the car very much to pull the engine. This was on my '77 Beetle.

There are two distinct jobs with removing the engine: Removing it from the transmission, and then pulling it out from under the body. Those 2 operations can be treated separately.

The 2 jackstands I use are 3-ton ones which look like this, with the locking ratchet teeth and the release handle (Tom Powell gallery)-

What I did was to build a small wooden dolly out of a discarded wood pallet, and install small caster wheels (Harbor Freight) on each corner. Overall size is about 2' x 1 1/2' or 2' x 2'. The lower section that holds the wheels is enclosed on 3 sides. The pallet flat platform surface is screwed onto the lower section for rigidity using 3" drywall screws. I have a low profile 1.5 ton aluminum "racing jack" from HF. In its lowered state, the jack pad slips under the dolly platform on the one open side. The jack pad contacts the underside of the platform.

I raised my Beetle so that the tires are about a hand-width off the ground, similar to this one (walking contradiction gallery)-

This height enabled me to easily slip under the car on a padded gym foam mat and remove the 3 bolts that hold the engine to the transmission (the 4th one, at upper right by the starter, can be reached in the engine compartment while standing next to the right rear fender- a hex nut with 17 mm wrench size). Also disconnect the two heater box cable clamps, and pull off the fuel hose from the frame's outlet pipe. Wear eye goggles and a head strap LED work light.

After getting back up from underneath the car and disconnecting the wires in the engine compartment, I raise the dolly so that it contacts the bottom of the engine using the jack. Then give it another slight handle pump so that the weight of the engine is off the 4 bolts/studs. I can now pull the engine back off the trans and make sure the clutch pressure plate separates and clears the transmission output shaft. Then I carefully lower the jack so that the dolly sits on the ground. At this point, the generator pulley is just above the rear apron.

Now I pull the jack out from under the dolly and roll it forwards to where the frame horns start, in the middle of the frame. I go in from the side of the car, ahead of the 2 jackstands. Place a sturdy 4"x4" piece of wood onto the jack pad, then raise the frame to nearly max jack height so that the rear of the body goes up high enough where the top of the engine's fan shroud can slip under the bottom of the rear apron. I pull the engine out from beneath the car on the rolling dolly. When out, I lower the car with the jack until it sits back on the 2 jack stands.

[Rome]

Instead of sandblasting, I wonder if the rust on the firewall and on the engine shrouds could be treated with Ospho in a spray bottle? When dry, paint the surface with MasterSeries silver as protectant using a brush? On the engine, spray over the MS with semi-gloss black spray paint...

To remove the potmetal carburetor melted remnants, first remove the distributor by loosening the clamp (10 mm wrench/socket size on the M6 locknut) and use a blunt chisel to hopefully cleanly separate the potmetal from the engine case. I doubt that the heat of the fire caused the potmetal to fuse to the engine case; rather, it should just sit on top and easily separate.

[DanaJT]

Thank you all for being so helpful. This gives me courage to do this. I have also watched lots of videos to help give me the courage.

When you say "frame horns start, in the middle of the frame" I would assume that is just somewhere in the middle of the car. I'm a little unsure about the exact spot, but I'll look around underneath to see if that makes more sense or a visible spot to put the jack.

Thanks,
I'll try chiseling the old metal and seeing if that will pop it loose. I hope so.
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Justin
DanaArts