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Well, I finally got into the engine bay. A few things I knew about and a few I didn't. First, oil everywhere because the oil overflow tube gets caught in the fan belt (1600 engine). SO, first we use a few quarts of orange degreaser and a power washer so we can see what the heck is going on. The car runs like an off balance washing machine and could smog a neighborhood for mosquitos. Once clean, I could see all the wires and again and get at the plugs. 3 of one type (long thread, weird number not in the books at Kragen for NGR's. They had a "dash A" which means "special order" according to the book at the auto parts store. One plug was a short thread. I tried to get the closest to the three long thread.........majority rule? Since you really don't have a year on the 1600, you can't look it up on the auto part computer. Gapped them at .025 (a guess since the old ones were so bad you could not tell and replaced the wires). The car has electronic points and hydraulic lifters but still runs...........BETTER, but with a backfire every few seconds. Pulled the exhaust since it seemed loud (it was supposedly replaced with one that looks like the old "Cherry Bombs" three years ago and found a crack which I fixed with JR WELD (630 degree epoxy). Still runs crappy but at least on all four now. Comments? ideas?
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Well, I finally got into the engine bay. A few things I knew about and a few I didn't. First, oil everywhere because the oil overflow tube gets caught in the fan belt (1600 engine). SO, first we use a few quarts of orange degreaser and a power washer so we can see what the heck is going on. The car runs like an off balance washing machine and could smog a neighborhood for mosquitos. Once clean, I could see all the wires and again and get at the plugs. 3 of one type (long thread, weird number not in the books at Kragen for NGR's. They had a "dash A" which means "special order" according to the book at the auto parts store. One plug was a short thread. I tried to get the closest to the three long thread.........majority rule? Since you really don't have a year on the 1600, you can't look it up on the auto part computer. Gapped them at .025 (a guess since the old ones were so bad you could not tell and replaced the wires). The car has electronic points and hydraulic lifters but still runs...........BETTER, but with a backfire every few seconds. Pulled the exhaust since it seemed loud (it was supposedly replaced with one that looks like the old "Cherry Bombs" three years ago and found a crack which I fixed with JR WELD (630 degree epoxy). Still runs crappy but at least on all four now. Comments? ideas?

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oh man - looks like you need to just pull the motor and clean her up. Pulling it is a 15 minute affair and would greatly help in the inspection / installation of new parts not to mention the cleaning.

sounds like your timing is out too. Actually sounds like you just need a serious tune-up. And i would see if you could find someone with a 110V MIG and jsut zap the exhaust hole rather than the JB Weld.

Atta boy Fred! Now you're gettin' with the program! Keep thinking of the satisfaction you'll feel when you turn this belching renegade into a sharp, responsive sports car.

If you want some suggestions for VW parts or service other than Kragen's (hey, I use them too), I can offer a few in San Diego that I've used with good results.
OK, engine out, cleaned and back with bay touched up. Still a long way to go. Plugs: Kirk says long reach but says Bosch W8AC which is a short reach. I have NGK long reach in it now since there were 3 longs and one short when I got it. Any ideas? Is there something different about the 1600 from Vintage?

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Fred,
Hot damm, you sure got that cleaned up fast, it looks wicked clean.

You said you had hydraulic lifters, very cool no valve adjustments. Did you get your engine # to date your engine? Post the number and we can at least tell you the year the case was made. Which is vital for registration with DMV. Give me a shout if you want to discuss DMV tactics.

Will is right I do have a tri mill I bought from Vintage Speedsters just about 300 miles hundred miles ago and decided to go with a stock exhaust. Let me know if you are interested, my email is in my profile.

Cheers
Dave
Wolfgang: Thanks. I just was trying to figure out which was right. What happens with short thread plugs. I have a set of the cool type "7's" (new) in my tool box (short thread) versus the "8's" (normal hot ones) long thread that are in the block now. The car is backfiring right now, but I have a bad linkage screw I need to take down to Home Depot and replace before attempting setting up the 34ICT's that are in the car.

Lane: The tins are just out until I reinstall the exhaust which I pulled off because I did not like the look of one of the gaskets. Got new ones in an Empi kit from Cp1 with new bolts and brackets. Also, Michigan caused all kinds of surface rust and I could wire brush and heat paint them. I HATE rust.

Dave: What's a trimill? The one I pulled off is supposed to be one of Kirk's newer units put on three years ago. See pix. I cleaned it up and fixed a crack in it. S100 (a biker's spoke clay I know about) brought the chrome back despite abuse. I thought I would try that first in an effort to "keep some sort of budget" on this thing for now. Thanks.

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Little stuff to start off this weekend. I am refurbing all the "attachments" on the car. The license plate light in back is a real piece of "sh....t". It was full of water. Cleaned it up and replaced all the screws with stainless and siliconed the plastic windows in it and the siliconed the steel to the rubber. Made in Brazil. Junk. But, before all the re-attachments in the back, I have to go at the paint in back while the stuff is off with my Porter Cable and a few levels of rubbing compound. Got new tail lights from ebay. Waiting the second "third brake light" since the first one from J.C. Whitney ($14 bucks) was too high to fit under the rear grill even after grinding it down to the casing. Found a 3/4 inch high one that should fit from Commandelectronics.com for $26 bucks. I have been hit so many times in my 914 from behind, I am taking no chances with a "glass" car.

Thanks guys.
DAVE,

DMV registration. I had been reading how so many have problems with that so I went to AAA and asked them how to get that done. Normally, if running, AAA will do the verify and they just look at the VIN under the flap behind the back seats. BUT, since it is not running, AAA said find a "friendly" cop. They thought only CHP would do it. I called the local Community Cops (you know the guys that drive around white cars for a free lunch?) and they pointed me to San Diego Police, Traffic Division. They referred me to the Penasquitos office and they sent a good looking female cop over. She said, "Show me you VIN" and I politely did. She had the form, I took it to AAA and I already in less than a week have my registration as a 69 bug.

Maybe I got lucky...........
Fred,

I'll say you are lucky + AAA. I assume you had the badges removed also.
I bet the car chassis was born before the Police officer.
I had to go the the DMV (running car, Porsche badging and out of state registration calling it a 04 porsche, so I went the SPCN route, no other legal choice for me. Good on you for getting through it so easily.

On the tri mill, yours does look like mine which I just bought from VS. So you are good to go with what you have already.

Let get the SD guys together some time.

Cheers
Dave

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Great job Fred! Tri-Mil is the manufacturer of the exhaust system you got from VS. I suspect that due to the rear clearance with the body VS modifies stock Bug units to make them fit Speedsters. I like the Tri-Mil units because they look like the sport mufflers used on the original Speedsters.
Well another weekend. Another pile of work done. So the engine is clean, the carbs have been cleaned (not set yet), new wires, plugs (long reach per Wolfgang's help, firmed up the carb linkages (one was stripped in the housing and I needed to retap the carb housing and replace the screw holding the bracket for the cross linkage) and the thing is still missing. I have not put a timing light on anything since my '57 Chevy and in fact need to buy one if that is it. The VS invoice says, "1600cc engine, dual carburation (34 ICT), hydralic lifters, electronic ignition". Any ideas on the roughness when running. Sure sounds like a misfire. Think its a carburator or timing? If timing, I will need a refresher course on the ancient art or just take it to VW Heaven of some other shop close to Scripps Ranch once it it street legal again (reassembled).

Fred
San Diego
Thanks. I have been looking at those. I just figured these "one of a kind replicas" are so far off a standard bug that those might now apply well. By the way, does anyone have the instructions from their 34ICT dual installation on a scan (pdf)? I need those instructions to figure out what is screwed up on the linkages on the used car I bought. I found the linkage bracket on one carb loose due to a stripped screw and fixed that but I am not sure where on the hex shaft the levers need to be for example.

I found a good reference list on distributors to tell me where to set the timing once I get my head (a terribly fragmented hard drive I don't think I can defrag without electroshock therapy) around how to do that again. I remember thirty years ago doing it and I have a fuzzy recollection.

Fred Adler
San Diego
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