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At 00:46 3.1.1980, Toby Basiliko wrote: * Huh? * I thought that a (properly) counterweighted crank helped reduce wear * and friction at just about any speed over 2000 rpm? Or is this not true * in a horizontally- opposed 4? It has nothing to do with the type of engine. A counterweighted crank (with other parts like lightened and balanced rods, a lightened flywheel, balancing from the fan through to the clutch and so on) will not reduce wear. Rather it will free up potential horsepower - in theory. There are many other variables that factor in. Stock Volkswagen cranks are very good. Even when opening up the top end. Contrary to popular advertizements in several popular Volkswagen magazines, you cannot just 'drop in' a counterweighted crank and expect to notice any difference when you step on the gas pedal. An engine would have to be re-designed altogether to take advantage of improved crank speed. It starts at the induction and goes all the way through to the exhaust used. Once you start changing things (crank size, cam lift and so on) you easily open up the possibilities for premature engine failure. Easily. Without limitless funds you are in trouble. Poorly built engines run hot and or eventually fail for some reason or another. You probably won't get 150,00 kilometers like you can from a stock mill. I am not trying to quote any of Gene Berg's diatribe, nor am I any sort of experienced expert. But I have seen at least 100 engines of various size and application being rebuilt in the last five years. When we rebuild a 1300cc engine by the book (to Volkswagen spec), we see them again only for oil changes and valve adjustments. Even when using an align bored AS41 case. Conversely, another engine built to be raced, with many high performance parts that you can find in any magazine, will be torn down after several months of use. They are bound to fail. But that is the idea. These are made for the track, not the street. * Melissa & Jim wrote: * <<snip>> * ...the only * > thing that I could add to the rebuild is a counterweighted crank, * > which is probably somewhat pointless in an AT. A counterweighted crank is pointless in a stock engine anyway, unless you do a lot of other things. Had it been a _good thing_ I think that we would all have counterweighted cranks in our Volkswagens. The engines in our Type IIIs were not meant to see revs of 6,500 or higher, thus they were not built to achieve engine speed like that. A cheap counterweighted crank (welded) is even more pointless. Reading too much Volkswagen Trends can cause brain sanding. OK, I will shut up now. Just a lot of my own humble opinions. Flame away. -- Patrick 1963 Beetle 1967 Variant