Loss Total Compression

Dang! Sorry to hear of your troubles. I can't offer a possible cause of the compression loss but if you're pulling the engine consider building to to 2110. Great horsepower and great reliability.

"just a blown valve" is really bad as usually #3 exhaust valve breaks from getting less cooling air.  The valve head bounces destroying the piston and the head - spreading metal bits through out the engine -- requiring a complete tear down and rebuild.  Usually this seizes up the engine since there isn't room for valve and 8:1 compression.

Hopefully its something less.  Pull the valve covers and see if anything unusual there - loose rocker(s), push rod not connected, maybe pulled head stud.  Do a simple compression check - it will pin point a bad cylinder/head.  You want 120-130 psi NOT 0 -60 psi.  

I don't see puddle of oil on road so at least a rod didn't exit case! Does it turn over?  Does it start now once cooled down?

Any strange noises before - louder? huffing noise?  high rpms (above 5500 rpms)/ High heat?  No oil or over filled oil (2.5 qt isn't much)

VW trans are pretty strong.  Unless you like to dump clutch and do burn outs, it is strong enough.  Many mod to a 3.88 R&P to cut rpm at higher speeds (Freeway flyer is common name). 

Sorry to hear about this.  

While at first blush it sounds like an overheat issue, until you do a real compression test, you/we won’t really know what is going on.  Usually with an overheating problem the engine will simply seize up but sometimes it just starts running slower as if laboring a great deal and then stops entirely and won’t turn over until it cools (if at all).

It could also be an ignition problem, as the probability of all four cylinders losing compression at the same time, while possible if it overheats and cooks the rings, is unlikely. 

Greg's pretty well covered the troubleshooting- start by pulling valve covers and if that doesn't reveal anything then do a compression check. For a great, go any where, more powerful engine- anything 2 liters or bigger (the more the better- there ain't no replacement for displacement!- think big evil laugh here) with (depending on how big and your intended powerband) either ported 35x32 or 40x35 heads and a cam/rocker combo to rev to 5500 or 6,000 rpm with power, along with the appropriate sized carburetion and exhaust. Depending on size and rpm range it will produce any where from 120- 160hp and be pretty darn dependable.

You can get away with a stock transaxle with this much power as long as you always roll on it (again, as Greg said, no burnouts or clutch dumping) but all it takes is 1 indiscretion and you've scrambled a perfectly good trans and now you're looking for a core because destroying a ring & pinion or spider gears quite often ruins the trans case itself. If you're having trans gone through anyways, the extra cost to do the beefing modifications is cheap insurance.

Depending on which r&p the trans has now (4.375 or 4.125) you may want to go to a 3.88, but stay with the stock 1st through 4th gearing. Going from a .89 to .82 4th makes the 3-4 gap too big and the car becomes harder to drive. And don't throw around the term "freeway flier"- it means different things to different people and you won't know what you're getting until it's too late. There are trans builders out there that will put a 4.125 ring & pinion with the .82 4th gear in your trans and tell you "yup, I put the 3.88 in it, that'll be $300 extra please!".

Bottom line- if your happy with the car's present gearing, don't change any thing. Al 

The Madness. You can put big $$ in large engine. FL is flat with no hills to speak of (at 345' tallest is Britton Hill).  Cool running my be more important than horse power with hot summers and idling in traffic.  A 1500 cc block can probably be dependably built to 1776 cc - for a good 80 hp.

U r right no hills except for the man made over passes. Ha ha. Thanks

here's a loss of compression due to dropped valve seat.....and a intake!

Yeah, that's ugly, Anthony!

Ugly!!! And thanks

Ugh...bet that sounded good...crap happens.   Do steer clear of the 1500cc   H'  case's they're made of a of soft magnesium - aluminum combo. Even using case savers I would elect for a better AK AH etc. case.

I had #3 exhaust valve go on a dune buggy.  The valve messed up piston putting a hole in it.  The valve was pressed into area of head where spark plug was. Machine shop said the crank was bent too.  

Buy the 2276 (I think it was) listed here on the sight. It's a good deal and you'll be up and running with a yuge smile once you feel the power!