For reasons not all together clear to me, I pulled the engine from the Speedster. One of the reasons is leaky push rod tubes. Easier to repair out than in as it
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For reasons not all together clear to me, I pulled the engine from the Speedster. One of the reasons is leaky push rod tubes. Easier to repair out than in as it
Bill: First, how much il is it leaking? Is it a stain down the side of the case or a flow onto the floor with a few (or more) drops each time you shut it down? Is leaking more than a quart in 2K miles? If not, then leave it alone and live with it. If it is, then keep reading.
It's honestly not that big a deal to take it down that far. OK, so there's a lot of peripheral stuff to remove first, like the cooling shrouds and alternator/generator and then the head(s), but that all comes apart in a few minutes. Get a good rebuild book like a Haynes or Bentley shop manual or "How to rebuild your Volkswagen Air Cooled Engine" by Tom Wilson and do what they say.
When you get to the part about removing the barrels, DON'T REMOVE THEM ALL THE WAY!! Just turn the crank by hand to run that piston all the way out, and push the barrel out just far enough to clear the case, then check the flange and case for cracks (just in case).
Clean the flange and case opening really well (I use a very light abrasive cloth on the case), then goop the flange up with Permatex blue (use your finger and run a 1/4 inch bead around the flange where it meets the case - there may be a spacer ring there - goop both sides - top and bottom - of the ring) and push it all back together without letting the piston rings get loose (not good if they do). Then go to the next cylinder and do it all over again. Then decide if you want to do the other two cylinders or leave them alone (your call). Should take you a Saturday afternoon if you don't really know what you're doing, but the hard part (getting the engine out of the car) is already done. Just go slow.
Again, if you decide that the leakage is not excessive, then live with it - LOTS of VW engines weep oil a little and they keep on going, and going, and going.......Kinda like old Harley's.
gn
It's honestly not that big a deal to take it down that far. OK, so there's a lot of peripheral stuff to remove first, like the cooling shrouds and alternator/generator and then the head(s), but that all comes apart in a few minutes. Get a good rebuild book like a Haynes or Bentley shop manual or "How to rebuild your Volkswagen Air Cooled Engine" by Tom Wilson and do what they say.
When you get to the part about removing the barrels, DON'T REMOVE THEM ALL THE WAY!! Just turn the crank by hand to run that piston all the way out, and push the barrel out just far enough to clear the case, then check the flange and case for cracks (just in case).
Clean the flange and case opening really well (I use a very light abrasive cloth on the case), then goop the flange up with Permatex blue (use your finger and run a 1/4 inch bead around the flange where it meets the case - there may be a spacer ring there - goop both sides - top and bottom - of the ring) and push it all back together without letting the piston rings get loose (not good if they do). Then go to the next cylinder and do it all over again. Then decide if you want to do the other two cylinders or leave them alone (your call). Should take you a Saturday afternoon if you don't really know what you're doing, but the hard part (getting the engine out of the car) is already done. Just go slow.
Again, if you decide that the leakage is not excessive, then live with it - LOTS of VW engines weep oil a little and they keep on going, and going, and going.......Kinda like old Harley's.
gn
Gordon...thanks, that's kinds what I thought. Guess I was trying to dodge the bullet or sticking my head in the sand. It does make sort of a mess on the floor (drips) and the left side is pretty oily. Really like to get it at least slowed up. The other side (1&2) seems pretty dry. The plus side is that I, if I have to pop the heads, can use stock push rod tubes as opposed to the spring loaded ones which apparently seep anyway. AND I will know more than I do now, which wasn't really what I lookin' for, but...
Yeah, I thought about the pushrod tubes after I hit "send" - didn't think about the spring loaded ones because I never use them, so at least loosening the heads and sliding them out to get the new tubes in was a given for me. If you've got the heads off, then sliding the barrels out a bit and gooping them with Permatex wasn't that bad.
Just make sure the barrels don't move when you're turning the crank to position the piston in the one you're working on (sometimes takes two people). Go slow....you'll do fine.
gn
Just make sure the barrels don't move when you're turning the crank to position the piston in the one you're working on (sometimes takes two people). Go slow....you'll do fine.
gn
VWs don
Rocky
My Triumph marks it's territory...the VW leaks! Am trying to get to the point where I can't tell "who dunnit" with the oil spots.
My Triumph marks it's territory...the VW leaks! Am trying to get to the point where I can't tell "who dunnit" with the oil spots.
Bill,
Double check the oil cooler. Alot of times it will leak straight down onto the #3 and 4 barrels along the block and make them look to be the source of the leak. I am in the process of fixing a leak now that turned out to be the doughnut gaskets under the oil cooler. Just a thought....
Jim
Double check the oil cooler. Alot of times it will leak straight down onto the #3 and 4 barrels along the block and make them look to be the source of the leak. I am in the process of fixing a leak now that turned out to be the doughnut gaskets under the oil cooler. Just a thought....
Jim
Thanks Jim, I'll check. It'll never be any easier to get than it is now.