Just picked up this beauty. Drove with no issues for a while. Now making this noise, any ideas?
video:
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doesnt download for me and Im not going to add an app or any such stuff.
From whom did you acquire it?
Can't play your video, and I don't want to download it.
Is it a knocking sound, a vibration?
Is it coming from the engine, the exhaust, the carbs, where?
OK, so I played your video and it sounds like one valve adjuster has opened up and is clicking up a storm. Find someone to check the valve adjustment on all four cylinders and set them COLD to: Intake = .004" and Exhaust = .006" or at the very least, find which one is out of whack and set it the same as the others.
cant download sound but it could be a lifter thats not pumping up.
Without engine specs: type1 or type4, hydraulic or solid lifters, aluminum or chromoly pushrods, EVERY one of us is just whistling Dixie here.
......and what say youz?
The previous posters are not being nasty. We really can't help much with the information provided. More info on the engine specs would go a long way.
Hi guys, here is the car: https://bringatrailer.com/list...ntage-speedsters-12/
appreciate the help!
Noisy valve train for sure. If it is a non- hydraulic lifter engine the valve lash needs to be adjusted. If this quiet's the engine noise and then the noise comes back in a very short time ( less than 40 miles) it may mean that you could have a bad cam and or the cam wasn't broken in properly or you aren't running oil in the engine with high zinc and ZDDP additives to protect the cam lobes. Regular off the shelf engine oil if run in our type 1 engines will ruin the cam in short order. I bought a Speedster with a freshly built 2332 engine that had three cam lobes worn down for this same reason. The fix is a complete tear down and splitting of the case which is an expensive proposition. Let's hope the engine quiets down after the valve lash is adjusted and that fixes your noise. Good luck.
Ok, so it's got a 2008 probably 1915cc build by Roland Rascon. Dual single throat Solex/Kadron carbs. 95% chance it is solid lifters, nobody really does type1 hydraulic these days.
The BaT ad lied, there are no sway bars on either end of this car. There are also NO Vintage 190 wheels, those are black steelies. Owner also didn't know about the tension levers on the top frame.
The first thing I'd do is pop the valve covers and make sure all the rockers are tight and connected and REALLY check the adjusting screws on the rockers.
Make one rocker loose enough to remove the pushrod(you may need to undo the two nuts holding the rocker shaft in place, you may need to completely pull the rockers to get a pushrod out). The rocker shafts get torqued to 18 ft.lbs. when you're done.
Check if the pushrod is chromoly steel or aluminum. ALL the pushrod ends are steel.
If steel, valve clearance should be "loose zero" (do a search for that here, up top by your profile name).
If aluminum, set the to 0.006" at the top dead center of each cylinder(search for how to adjust the valves).
If the valvetrain is tight and adjusted and you still have that noise, it's probably a rod bearing.
Thanks for the great replies! Any shop you recommend I could take it to in the Boca Raton, FL area?
And is it safe to drive it to the shop?
Use a mechanics stethoscope while the engine is running to isolate where the noise is coming from. I suspect it may be as discussed, but I would also look at the rocker movement on the rocker shaft, a loose or galled rocker makes exactly that sound while it clicks around loosely on the shaft. It gets louder as the metal expands while hot. Also a loose or stripped adjuster screw causing sloppy gap. The stethoscope is a big help locating the sound. You will hear if it’s a damaged lifter or lobe, or a rod bearing by touching the case, valve covers, pushrod tubes, and generally poking around with the end of the stethoscope. My bet is on a worn out or galled rocker arm or worn out rocker assembly, unless you isolate the tapping coming from a lifter, bearing or cam lobe inside the case.
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Lot's of great VW clubs in FL. A member often will diagnose and fix or recommend a trusted place. Got to link and enter FL - Several in Ft Lauderdale and Miami listed
A quick google search got me to the Southern Florida Aircooled VW club and one of their supporting members is over in Pompano beach, right next door.
West McNab Foreign Auto Service
Closed ⋅ Opens 8 AM Tue New Year's Eve might affect these hours
Phone: (954) 972-4630
My browser doesn't like their website and won't display it, but here it is:
You could also search on Facebook for "Miami V-Dubs" or look for them on "The Samba". Their members will surely be a great source of aircooled info.
Good luck!
@Gordon Nichols posted:A quick google search got me to the Southern Florida Aircooled VW club and one of their supporting members is over in Pompano beach, right next door.
West McNab Foreign Auto Service
Closed ⋅ Opens 8 AM Tue New Year's Eve might affect these hoursPhone: (954) 972-4630My browser doesn't like their website and won't display it, but here it is:You could also search on Facebook for "Miami V-Dubs" or look for them on "The Samba". Their members will surely be a great source of aircooled info.Good luck!
@TargaBoy -- I live in Boca Raton, and I've done plenty of searching for good, local aircooled VW mechanics for my Thunder Ranch Spyder. Most lists that come up on the googlenator, unfortunately, tend to be out of date.
Thanks @Gordon Nichols for providing the contact information for McNab Foreign Car -- their shop is less than a mile from my office. The owner is Bruce, and I have his card here on my desk -- have for the past 8 months. He is very knowledgeable, but good luck in getting your car in there, or even carrying on a normal conversation with him.
I've owned old foreign cars since my teens, have maintained old boats for years, and I even have several vintage watches. So, I'm used to being patient with repairmen that can be slow, and perhaps, very eccentric. They have the precious talent, so you have to work on their schedule -- the way it's always been. But this guy...I've ripped my shirt on him. Thankfully, I've brought his name up with other VW guys that I've met around here, and discovered he's not treating me personally -- he's an equal opportunity nut. Too bad, as I know he has the magic touch.
I'll send you a private message on here, as I have another place for you to call for this.
In any case, we need to meet up, as I'd love to see your car! And, there's a monthly cars & coffee gathering in Fort Lauderdale called FuelFed that I attend frequently, along with another 356 replica guy. The meet is only for European cars, so you see some neat stuff.
"Bruce" at West McNab must be the East Coast version of John Steele! 🤣
I'm glad @Wulfrik (John) posted that as you can never beat local advice.
Good luck getting your new car sorted, @TargaBoy and now you've got a new, local Speedstahguy friend and events to go to!