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1965 Beetle Rebuild
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Bruce Jacobs



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Posts: 129
Location: Athens, GA


PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok cool. Will have another go tomorrow, and try my best not to break it. But at least it's nice to know it's not the end of the world (or that head, at least) when I do.

I would say I'd like to have the heads off and the case split by tomorrow, but there's still the gland nut to contend with . . .


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Bruce Jacobs



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Posts: 129
Location: Athens, GA


PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Had the chance to continue work today. Didn't pull the heads off or split the case yet, since I wanted to get the engine up on the stand first, and I couldn't find the bolts I wanted to use, and it was getting late. Next time for that . . . in the meantime, some things I found curious (again, newbie's perspective -- a well-read nubie, but a nubie all the same):

From yesterday:


Shouldn't there be louvers under there? I know a gasket kit will have a new one, but now I'm wondering: what, in theory, do the louvers do anyhow -- allow the case to breath, while keeping the oil where it needs to be? Preventing items dropped down the oil filling chute -- penlights, glass eyeballs, wedding rings, etc. -- from entering the zone where all the action is?

In today's events, I'm pleased to say that my typically ham-fisted self practiced discretion, patience, and delicacy and didn't break any of the exhaust studs I was so worried about yesterday. The toughest ones were the two upper ones in back (one on either side). I just sharpened a small chisel and had at it. I think I found out why these two were such a pain(?):


Is that some sort of reverse-insert, re-thread, helicoil-related incident?

In other news, the gland nut wasn't all that difficult, but I had a real long breaker bar with an even longer cheater pipe on it, with a flywheel lock and another bar bolted to the flywheel for a brace. The thing that surprised me though was the pulley bolt -- I'm positive it was way, way overtight! I mean, after that, the gland nut didn't seem so hard. I'm thinking the previous builder used the pulley bolt to hold the crank still while he brought the gland nut up to torque?

Anyhow, the thing I was really wondering about is shown in this pic, the back of the pulley:


Prolly a dumb question, but what are those threads for?

Really, the most frustrating part was all those tin screws, every last one of which was rusted beyond believe. That's what took most of my time. Still, by dint of fire, force, and some creative, colorful language that the children next door will appreciate as they move on into the world, I got them all free. But this leads me to the only thing I broke (that I know of):


A little fuzzy, probably because I was a bit shaky by then. It's one of the ones that screws into a hole over the rocker box (two each side). The others I managed to get out clean, but this one, well, there you have it. I about started messing around with drills and EZ outs and all that, but my success rate with such means is somewhere near zero. Right now there's about 2-3mm of metal poking out, just enough maybe to where a pro will appreciate my knowing when to say when.

Really, the most alarming thing to me is what a nasty mess the engine is! It was running okay when I pulled it out four years ago (!), and I probably could have gotten it running again, but seeing all the crud lurking under the tin, I'm glad I'm overhauling it. One less thing to worry about!

Yuck!



Unfortunately, there won't be much time for me to work on this the next week or two, but I'll post more updates when I do.
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Gabass



Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 84



PostPosted: Thu Nov 21, 2013 9:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think the louvered piece originally came on engines, they only come in the new engine gasket kits. Also I like your case, that oil filler hole means it is an early 40 hp. You don't see those everyday.

The threads on the pulley are there so if oil somehow gets to it they'll push the oil back into the engine. They are more like a groove than actual threads.
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Bruce Jacobs



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Posts: 129
Location: Athens, GA


PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't know that about the case -- interesting. Thanks for the info.

And that explains it about the pulley -- I even noticed that the grooves weren't quite like threads, but thought that maybe I stipped something off the back of it. Makes perfect sense, now.

Thanks!
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Bruce Jacobs



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
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Location: Athens, GA


PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 8:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Been tied up with work-related stuff pretty much the entire spring, so did nothing with the car for like two months, until the last week or so. Have most of the parts necessary to put the engine back together. Going with the same 40-horse case, crank, rods, and heads (thanks to Clyde for the precision machine work, for parts, for advice, etc, etc.!); a mild Scat C-25 cam, a new 83 mm P & C set, a stunning-gorgeous original distributor (rebuilt by Wilson), an original Solex 28-PICT carb (rebuilt by me), and a new 6v flywheel (still trying to figure out how to wire my 6v flywheel. That was a joke.). While I'm at it, I've got most of the tin, adaptors, shroud etc. to convert to doghouse cooling. Still need to get one of those 12v to 6v starters (so I don't chew up my new flywheel -- the old one was pretty nasty), and get my tinware powder-coated (after test fitment). Basically going for a stock-looking setup with better cooling and a wee bit more power.

Although I'm very, VERY slow (i.e., I spent hours reading about Loctite, i.e., which (if any) to use for various nuts and bolts during the rebuild), I really feel like I'm in the final stretch here! Again -- and for some reason I always feel compelled to point this out -- I will win no shows with this car, but it will be immensely satisfying to drive it some day soon!
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Mountain Power House



Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 879
Location: Aircooled Heaven USA


PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 11:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The 40 HP engine has the circular port under the generator stand. It does not use a baffled plate to help control oil spray like the later engines.
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Jake Raby
57 Oval
64 Porsche 356C Outlaw
66 Bug -The Plague Returns!
73 VW Thing (Will I ever finish it?)
73 Superbeetle (Suby Power!)
76 Porsche 912E (X3!)
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Bruce Jacobs



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Posts: 129
Location: Athens, GA


PostPosted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 1:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

^ Good to know, Jake, thanks!

By the way, cool ad in HotVW's!
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Mountain Power House



Joined: 26 Jul 2006
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Location: Aircooled Heaven USA


PostPosted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bruce Jacobs wrote:
^ Good to know, Jake, thanks!

By the way, cool ad in HotVW's!


Thats not my ad.. I sold that side of my business :-)
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Jake Raby
57 Oval
64 Porsche 356C Outlaw
66 Bug -The Plague Returns!
73 VW Thing (Will I ever finish it?)
73 Superbeetle (Suby Power!)
76 Porsche 912E (X3!)
79 VW Iltis 4X4
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Bruce Jacobs



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Posts: 129
Location: Athens, GA


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 3:41 pm    Post subject: It's (finally) alive !!! Reply with quote

Ran it this morning for 20 minutes at mid-RPM and man, what a beautiful sound!

Cranked it to build oil pressure first (didn't take long), but when I reconnected the ignition I couldn't get it to fire. Afraid of burning up the starter or draining the battery, I shifted to diagnostic mode. Figured out that the newly rebuilt fuel pump (by me, always suspect) wasn't priming. Took cap of carb and filled bowl manually, plus squirting a little into the throat as well as the line from the pump to the carb (and yes, it's safety-wired). Then . . . engine cranked right up, smooth and nice!

After cool down I rechecked timing and valve gap, aired the tires, and took it for a short spin. Again, nice! Needs fiddling to stay lit at proper idle, and the left turn signal isn't working, but these things are minor.

The only other thing is that the shifting is sloppy, but this could be a function of my having driven nothing but modern cars in the last six years. When I say sloppy, I mean that it grinds a little, sometimes, going into 2nd and 3rd. I'd call it "ker-chunking". But I've only driven the car 8 miles (need insurance and registration -- shhh!) so will diagnose further later. I don't remember this from before, and since I've done nothing to the transmission, my first guess is that the clutch maybe isn't releasing all the way. If that's the case, this too should be minor.

Quitting while I'm ahead and calling it a day!

Bruce
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Bruce Jacobs



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
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Location: Athens, GA


PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 8:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Update:

Tagged and insured, I took it out for a proper thrashing yesterday morning -- what a blast! Fired right up after not running it for a few days. Nice and smooth sounding. While it's certainly no racer, I like the feel of the (slightly) larger displacement combined with the the Bosch vacuum dizzy and C-25 cam. Had it up to 70mph and probably could have eked out a little more but since I seldom even drive my Suburu at that speed (yeah, I'm an old man like that) I refrained. I have no direct measurement of oil temp, but as soon as I shut it down I checked the "hot oil sensor" dipstick and could see that the grounding wire was nowhere close to the point of setting the thing off. In other words, so far it seems the doghouse mod is keeping things cool, especially given that it was a hot morning and I was driving way more agressively than I normally would. Also, I went batsh$% anal about keeping the tinware and seals nice and tight and I'm hoping that effort (and it was an effort) will pay off.

Turns out that shifting issue mentioned in my previous post was about 80% operator error. Just took me a little while to once again get used to the long reach out to 3rd, and the long throw between them. No grinding this time. That said, one of my first weekend projects, when I get the chance, will be to renew the shift rod bushing/coupler. Thinking I can make the shifting at least a little more crisp.

In the meantime, it's now due for its 25-mile oil change and tune up . . .
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Greg



Joined: 12 Aug 2009
Posts: 490
Location: Jefferson, GA

1969 Volkswagen Beetle

PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

that sounds awesome, I'm sure it was satisfying to hear it run/drive for the first time, great feeling.
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Bruce Jacobs



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Posts: 129
Location: Athens, GA


PostPosted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes it was -- made all the frustrating moments and self-doubt well worth it!
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