Firewall- Engine tin gap

I have approximately a one inch gap between the firewall and the engine tin behind the doghouse fan shroud.
I did a search but didn't find anything as to repairing the gap.
Does anyone have a solution to repairing the gap? The tin is tight and doesn't move. The tin is relatively tight at the sides, but in the middle right behind the fan shroud where the carb linkage comes through the firewall there is about a one inch gap.
Can this be filled in with foam or do I need to make something out of tin? How do I access the area? Do I need to remove the fan shroud?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Eddie

From my experience definitely removing the fan shroud will give you a lot more maneuvering space there. In that area you're better off using some type of rigid seal as opposed to sealing it with an applied sealant such as foam, silicone, etc. I've used a foam backer rod along with silicone sealant inside the engine compartment between the body at the rear of the car and the floor of the engine compartment. I found it at my local Home Depot; you should be able to get it in different sizes and it sounds like it could work for your application.

Eddie, it's way easier to just crawl under the car and access the firewall/tin area that way. Pulling the shroud is a ton of work.

Tell me about it!; the thing is that trying to access that area from the bottom is very difficult with the transaxle, starter. etc. in the way. It'll be easier to remove the decklid and the fan housing and that way you'll have a whole lot better access.

Having never done it, are you sure that you can remove he fan shroud from the car with the engine installed? I know that it can be lifted but to get the access that you would need, wouldn't you want the fan shroud on the garage floor?

I'd pull the engine, but then I have done that a couple of times with my old '67 bug.

Thanks guys. I'm still thinking of ways to fix it. What's the worst that could happen if I don't do anything? A litle extra air in the engine compartment?
I was thinking of the aluminum sided insulation that you would use for insulating your door pannels or under the carped etc. It's a sound deadening product and its flexable. I used it in my custom 55 pickup under the carpet firewall door panels. It's got a fiberglass reinforcing mesh inside it.It could be glued to the tin with 3m weather striping glue and bend up onto the firewall and glued. You won't be able to see it, so it won't look Mikey Mouse or anything. What do you think?
Eddie

Dale; I did it when I switched the fan housing in my engine to the OEM VW doghouse unit. I removed the decklid for access (it's impossible if you don't do that).

Actually Eddie, the CMC build manual recommends the use of rubber stair tread material for that area. Check page 43 of the 1984 build manual in the Library Section.

In my last engine I purchased a seal for an bus (I think I got one for a 68 bus) for that area. Is is a foam seal that is resistant to gas etc... and is about an inch to inch and a half thick. Worked like a champ, looked neat and OEM. I would clean from the top and install from the bottom.

I had the engine out of mine when I put it in and I used screws to secure it.

I see Ben....that's the same seal that Vintage uses in their cars but around the engine. I wish you'd never sold that car....that Porsche powerplant just killed me.....

Problem was it killed my wallet! $235 for a fuel pump. The distributer was $450 wholesale. I was was afraid to find out what a rebuild would cost. It was smooth though.

You've got a worthwhile point there, VW's can be made to perform the same or even better than those Porsche engines but it's still a romantic notion to have that thing in there, isn't it?

Eddie;
Ben is right, the BUS engine compartment seal might be the solution. I used it on mine and work great, but not on the part behind the fan shroud. In my case I have left that part open since it might help cooling (theres been a lot of debate about this). The VW bus engine compartment seal is made of a foam resistant to heat. Good luck - jJ

Ricardo,
There is that. Just that much closer to the real thing.

have been under there quite a bit with my heater install and have cut through the back panel. Try accessing the area from the drivers wheel well and below with the drivers rear wheel off. I think you'll be surprised how much access you have.

Thank's guys.I'm going to the Pomona Ca. Porsche, V.W. Hot Rod swap meet and car show this weekend so I'll look for the bus seal.
JJ I was thinking the same thing about the cooling. It gets to the upper nineties to low one hundred degree temps. here in the summer, so engine cooling is important.
Eddie

Eddie; common sense would tell me that having that opening area would certainly encourage more fresh air flow. Still, on Gene Berg's technical articles he indicated that the air that would get in from that area would be pre-heated by going over a hot transaxle. Remember he was talking about sedans and other factory original VW's. How much of that would apply to our cars is debatable.