HELP!! My Speedster is jinxed and needs a new engine

Hey, Doc, Todd's note sounds promising for you. Someone in the vicinity that might be able to sort some issues out for you.

Hi Todd: Very kind of you to advise me

Sam, I am not sure who actually built your first engine, but I would guess that if you buy one from CB Perf. you can request that Pat Downs do the build. Mine is still running like a top with over 35k miles on it. The only problems I've had with the engine are an oil leak due to a porous casting (probably Chinese-made), the typical Weber clogged jets, and a sticky throttle linkage. None of these are major, and an occasional issue like this is to be expected with these cars. If you go Type-1, give Pat a call.

Some Typ 4 clarifications:

A Typ4 is a very different story and that all has to be sorted out

With all due respect, perhaps it's time to cut your losses and try something a bit more "mainstream". These cars are not for everybody.

Yeah.....Miatas look nice.

I have a nice Boxster... Willing to trade for a Speedster with a blown engine...

I stand somewhat corrected regarding "firewall" alterations. The fiberglass cutting was really not needed (initially I didn't realize how far it was cut back from the tranny already), but the alteration to the driver side tranny vertical brace needs to be altered to allow room for cylinder offset. In my case a curved tube was substituted for the original one. When I dressed my engine bay with aluminum it was two fold. One, to hide all the fiberglass and, two, to better seal it up for engine cooling purposes. I think these pictures explain what I did to mine. I guess if you didn't mind a big gap back there and didn't do the aluminum firewall as I did there really isn't that much to be done.
These pictures don't show it, but a D-shaped (slit at the top) weather stripping was added that neatly rests and is glued onto the top of the flat surface of the engine tins and is 'married" to the fiberglass lip. This eliminated having to use the rubber membrane sheet that Special Editions normally uses for their engine sealing.

Here's a couple more photos to explain my weather stripping/engine bay sealing. The orange D-shaped strips which have been slit at the top can be seen that eventually fits snugly up to the flat aluminum "floor" pieces of aluminum.

Hello Jake: I appreciate your years of experience, expertise and great breadth of knowledge. I had already heard of your operation at the Helen GA gathering last September (I am a foggie too). I am basing my ideas on several pieces of advice from our brother SOCers. Primarily I am looking at Rich Drewek

With all due respect to Stan and all my other SOC brothers, while I appreciate your suggestion to go mainstream and stop banging my head against the proverbial wall, I must say that I am not prone to giving up. I have wanted a speedster since my high school days in the mid 50s. At least four of my contemporaries had them and I have coveted one since then. It took 50 years to finally get one and for all its warts I love it and will find a way to make it happen one way or the other. If you want to see what I mean please feel free to log on to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTwymzmpJI8

Sam, no, I purchased the Jake Raby built engine to be installed into my Beck from the original owner of the engine who had contracted Mr. Raby to build it for him more than ten years ago. I did not purchase it directly from Mr. Raby. I have a 1911cc Type 4 engine (originally a 1.7 out of a 914) that was not built by Mr. Raby. The oil cooler for this engine resides on the back of the fan shroud. I believe you have pictures of that already. No external oil cooler would be needed on my engine. My engine cools just fine.

Just continue with Mr. Raby

OK, so given that: stop taking it to the same shops and expecting a different outcome. You sound like an ideal candidate for a modern Subaru powerplant. No air-cooled platform is going to provide you what you are looking for.

Doc, Doc, Doc.

What Stan said X2!

Is the reason I love my Speedster because it's got an aircooled engine? No.

Would I love it as much with a Suby? Yes.

I am after the fantastic art deco shape of the Speedster. It turns heads, it makes old men tear up, it makes pretty girls look, it makes people follow me into a gas station to ask about my car and it wins lots and lots of trophies at car shows.

None of those things are because of the engine. Frankly I don't get what's the big deal about having an air cooled engine. Yes, that's what I have and it's fantastic because of it's builder but for me it's all about the car---not what's powering it as long as it's powerful and dependable. If I were a purist I wouldn't be driving a plastic copy of a Speedster but I do it that way so I can get to where I'm going and I never see a metal 356 on my interstate travels because usually they aren't up to the task.

Doc, with the distances you travel, you might be well-served with a Subaru engine with it's reliability, cabin heat and air conditioning qualities.

Tou are definitely doing your homework though and I salute you for that. You will make a great decision and get what will serve you well.

hi samuel,i am in 33139,miami beach,lets get together.

Stan, I concur with your direct statement. Until three years ago I had NEVER OWNED a vehicle with a radiator in my life. Over time we learn that those who just want to drive the cars are less and less fitting for an aircooled engine. With fewer and fewer shops that give a damn about properly tuning an aircooled engine its simply not the way that it used to be.

Jack, You'll see my "metal" 356 Outlaw on the road equipped with a 220HP Type 4 engine.

Both engine platforms have strengths and weaknesses, and thats why I build both :-)