Re: [T3] engine diagnosis

[<veedub@apartment101.com>]

<x-charset iso-8859-1>I just talked to the machinist - the news was grimmer than we initially
thought:

1.    The case is in good condition with a previous .020 line bore
(standard).
2.    The crank is okay, but shows .3 wear (the max), so the life span is
probably short.  Will replace with another reground crank.
3.  The rods are fine.
4.   Will replace CAM and LIFTERS with VW (reground CAM)
5.  The main, rod, and cam bearings will all be replaced.

Nothing tragic, but about $250 worth.  Now let's recap the engine after the
rebuild:

New case, reground crank, new cam, new bearings, lifters, seals, cylinders,
pistons, rings, rod inserts, dual solex carbs, quiet pack exhaust, hot
dipped (but not rebuilt) heads, new clutch and a whole lotta elbow grease.

Should I consider anything else during this rebuild?  Clean the tank? Change
fuel filters?  Etc.

I really appreciate all of the cam advice you guys have given me since my
last post.  Thank you very much.

Jason
68 Notch



----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Adney" <jadney@vwtype3.org>
To: "T3 List (E-mail)" <type3@vwtype3.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 9:10 AM
Subject: Re: [T3] engine diagnosis


> On 30 Oct 2001, at 20:17, Keith Park wrote:
>
> > You may want to read Bergs writings on the cams. He goes through
painstaking
> > procedures for breaking in new cams these days and NOTHING will ruin a
cam
> > faster than the cheap non-German lifters... probably your entire problem
> > here.
>
> I actually got to talk with Gene a few years ago about this. Here's what
he
> had to say. Keep in mind that this was ~15 years ago and everything's
> changed since then:
>
> About cams: All the world's sources of VW cams can be divided into 2
> groups, Isky and various OEM makers around the world. Their cams all have
> the same metallurgy, so you can choose any cam you want without concern
> for where it comes from.
>
> About lifters: There are many VW lifter manufacturers around the world,
and
> there are almost as many kinds of metallurgy in the lifters they produce.
If
> you want a lifter that will work with your VW cam, however, there are only
2
> sources that you can buy from with confidence, either OE VW, from a dealer
> (or from Berg, his were OE VW at that time) or you can buy the 3 piece
> Brazilian lifters that come in the blue and white Eaton box. The latter
were
> somewhat lighter, but they carry a downside in that there is a little snap
ring
> inside them which can work loose and then work its way thru the filter
screen
> and destroy an oil pump. This doesn't happen often; I have an engine that
> went 100kmi with these with no problem.
>
> The lifters which I had bought came in a plain brown wrapper marked simply
> "Made in W. Germany." They were junk and Gene knew all about them. He
> told me that they were too soft and just how soft they were. I measured it
on
> a Rockwell tester we had at work and he was exactly right. The OE lifter
that
> I measured was harder, right where Gene said it would be.
>
> I've followed Gene's advice since then and never been burned again.
>
> Today's story is different, however. The new cams are no longer made with
> the same metallurgy and Berg has had a terrible time getting a quality
> product that they can sell with confidence. I don't think there's much
they
> can do about it since they just don't have enough buying power to dictate
to
> the manufacturer's what they should produce. I think it's all about the
fact
> that there are few aircooled VWs made in the world today, so VW doesn't
> have the clout it used to, but I've got to wonder what the BeetleMex
engines
> use.
>
> Myself, I stick to reusing good used stock VW cams and Berg lifters. If
you
> want a performance cam I don't know what you can do. I would at least ask
> the cam maker what he recommended for lifters and see if you can
> guarantee compatability if you buy both from him.
>
> -
> Jim Adney
> jadney@vwtype3.org
> Madison, WI 53711-3054
> USA
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list or mailto:help@vwtype3.org
>
>

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