Closing gaps in engine tin

I have what I understand is a pretty common problem: A gap between the two rear engine tin pieces. The gap is directly under the pulley. I have loosened and adjusted the tin as much as possible without modifying it and still have a gap. Any suggestions out there for solving this. I'm just to busy to reinvent the wheel

Thanks

Troy

Modify it appropriately til it fits right....

I have some similar problems with the tin and I'm sure it's directly related to the fact that it's Chinese aftermarket crap.

Ricardo,
Right just piss poor parts. I must assume that I am not alone in this. I can fabricate a sheet metal piece to seal it but using only hand tools this is not a job I really want. Looking for advice from someone who has already found a solution.
Troy

Ben Gulley did an awesome job sealing his Porsche powerplant's compartment; maybe he can step in and tell us how he did it. I'm pretty sure we could use his advice.

Troy:

When I was putting my engine together, I had one of those moments of Vanity and bought a pair of Chrome head tins. They looked pretty sharp, but they fit like crap. I ended up making spacers for the gap between the top and bottom tins, just to get it all to fit (sort-of). Eventually swapped them out for real German stuff which falls together like it was meant to.

You can do a LOT with "just hand tools". All you need for the piece down near the pulley is some HVAC duct tin (Home Depot or Lowes), a pair of tin shears, a few pieces of wood in different shapes to hammer the tin into the shape you want, a hammer with gentle taps and patience.....and maybe a "Pop" riveter or some sheet metal screws to hold it all together. You'll do fine.....

gn

Sorry Troy, I meant to reply to your other post the other day but ran out of time and forgot.

On my Porsche power plant the factory tin went all the way to the frame and with a little modification went under it.

I do have a couple of suggestions for the VW engine though. First, there is a piece of factory tin that goes behind and underneath the pulley. It does not fit well with the aftermarket tin so a lot of guys throw it out and forget it or opt for the Chinese version when they go with the chrome rear tin. You most likely are missing that piece or you have a combination of factory and cheap tin.

Can you get a picture of the area?

I myself opt for the factory tin. I have it sandblasted ($5~$20), then I weld up the holes that I plan not to use. If you do not weld then take it to a local body shop and they will likely do it cheap. I then take it all and have it powder coated or paint it. All in all you will have in the arena of $150 ~ $200 in it. That sounds like a lot but by the time you buy the chrome stuff you have $125 in it and it fits poorly, does not cool right, and somehow, it just doesn't look good because of the gaps. (and the blood from the cuts looks pretty bad as well)

I almost forgot to add, There should also be a piece that goes from the rear of the car to the VW tin. If you do not have it and do not want to work with metal, then go to Wal-Mart and pick up a few sheets of poster board and some package tape.

Then get a GOOD pair of scissors and a new razor knife (or blade) and make paper templates. Take those to the local body shop and ask if they can make the cutouts for you. Sometimes machine shops will do it as well. Ask for Aluminum. Then its just a matter of fastening it in.

The CMC I had came with a fiberglass piece for this. Maybe one of the guys here have one lying around they can a template from.

I have templates for the CMC engine shields. There are two that I use; a large, horse-shoe shaped one entering from the rear and going up beside each head, and a second one that mounts above the rear frame member across the rear of the car (inside of the engine compartment) and mates to the VW tin with weather strip against the inside of the body.

Email me if you would like to have a pair of these templates - they work VERY well when installed with the instructions shown on them. They can be installed (once fabricated) in about ten minutes and seal very well. All I ask is for you to cover the cost of the mailing envelope and postage ($5).

The pieces are made of HVAC sheet metal and are very easy to fabricate, either at home or by any reputable HVAC sheetmetal shop (I got the metal for free, just by showing up with my car!!)

Gordon

Gordon, what type of rubber seal do you use betwen the engine tin and the sheetmetal you fabricated?

Thanks

Dave

David, sorry for stepping in for Gord but if I remember correctly it's a foam H-shaped VW Type II engine seal.

I used a body to pan seal for around the frame and a 68 to 75 bus seal between the firewall and engine.

Thanks Ben,

If you have any pictures, would likt to see them.

Here are pictures of the gap I am talking about.
Troy

Troy, have you tried hammering it out and the other one in. It looks like it might work with a little bit of massaging....

Shoot!

Is THAT all there is for a gap?!?!?!?!?

As they say here in Rhode Island; Fergedaboudit!!

I thought you had a GAP back there!!! Like an inch or something!

Those two pieces, even with perfectly fitting German tins will have a slight gap (OK, so not quite as wide as yours, but an overlapped gap just the same) and there is a small dimple, almost a spout, at the bottom of the inner tin to allow the oil that normally seeps past the crankshaft slinger to drip down onto the ground (they all leak there, unless you've installed an aftermarket sand-seal behind the pulley).

If your worried about air infiltration, then tuck a piece of closed-cell foam weatherstrip in there (duct tape won't stick with the oil found there), but you probably won't get enough hot air in through there to amount to anything.

And BTW, don't listen to Ricardo. The weatherstrip I use is NOT H-shaped, nor do I use anything from a VW Type 2. I seal my custom tins to the VW stuff using two different widths and thicknesses of "Frost King" household door weather stripping. Either 3/8" wide by 3/16" thick, or 3/4" wide by 3/8" thick, depending on location of use. Available at Home Depot (but not at Lowes, I've found). Part numbers available on request.

gn
"tcocfri"

Sorry for jumping the gun and falling on my face Gord!...Ok my VS has the H weatherstrip.....

Hey Gordon, Would it be OK if I get a copy of the pattern for the behind the engine cover? I still need to close that area on my cmc... please let me know - tnx - Jj

Sure, JJ:

There are two pieces, both are made from HVAC sheetmetal so the material is easy to find;

One goes on top of the rear frame rail and seals up against the inside of the rear clip (and it has "wings" that stick up on each end to seal against the side walls, too). Overall, it's about 8" - 10" deep (front-to-back) although curved to fit the inside of the body. It has no weather strip along the front (doesn't need it) and a piece of weather strip (3/4" wide X 1/2" thick) along the back up against the body (Ricardo's "H" weatherstrip would work well there).

The other piece attaches UNDER the rear frame rail and under the side frame rails (no weather strip there) and then tucks onto the tops of the head tins (1/2" wide X 3/8" thick weather strip along the tins). I also have a 3/8" thick rubber "skirt" covering the entire firewall and hanging down slightly below the engine tin level, and the bottom piece side legs attach to that at the front (2" X 2" aluminum angle bracket).

Together, they are pretty effective sealers.

Send me an email and I'll send down my home address, then, send along a $5 bill to cover postage and the envelope and I'll send them right out to you.

gn