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Rebuild Advice - top end or all-in?

JarcoJarco
I'm not sure what I have under the cooling tins but it needs some work. When I bought it I the previous owner didn't know much about it.
My compaints are 1) dark gray smoke out the exhaust on acceleration after a long drive 2) lousy gas mileage (18 mpg) 3) kinda sloppy sounding but power is okay.

It's tuned well with dual Kadrons. I'd like some advice on how far to rebuild. I'll do the heads (valves, springs, etc) but should I go with new pistons, just rings, or split the case and go all the way? And if I go with pistons, go bigger or stock (whatever's in there).

Thanks for your input!

SKIPTOWN Mike

1957 CMC Speedster (SKIPTWN)

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JarcoJarco
I'm not sure what I have under the cooling tins but it needs some work. When I bought it I the previous owner didn't know much about it.
My compaints are 1) dark gray smoke out the exhaust on acceleration after a long drive 2) lousy gas mileage (18 mpg) 3) kinda sloppy sounding but power is okay.

It's tuned well with dual Kadrons. I'd like some advice on how far to rebuild. I'll do the heads (valves, springs, etc) but should I go with new pistons, just rings, or split the case and go all the way? And if I go with pistons, go bigger or stock (whatever's in there).

Thanks for your input!

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FM Former Member
As opposed to No. Calif, us folks in So. Calif. don't have a rainy season,

Oh wait, I forgot about Feb 21 and 22nd.

If it were me, I 'd split the case, a nice 3 step valve job, mild porting on the heads, a counterweighted crankshaft, different cam new pistons and cylinders and as big an engine as you can afford.

JarcoJarco
Compression test - great idea! Why didn't I think of that... the pulse of the engine spoken so truly there. I've rebuilt a couple VWs from the crank up and just not all too excited about getting that deep, but hearing the voices of reason and experience, I'll take it down as far as I need to go. Starting with heads and budgeting for a full rebuild.

Should be a fun time - I forget which weekend it rains in winter. I think I missed it last year.

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JarcoJarco
I'm at 100/100/90/100 on compression. That number 3 cylinder got hot and worn out of course long before I added the doghouse. Those numbers, as I understand from Muir, are at the bottom end of acceptable, and about what I expected.

New heads or rebuild these? Of course I'll know if there's a crack or other damage once I get them out. And where to get valve job and mold porting in Southern California - I'm near the VW mecca or Orange, CA.
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