Here's one for ya

[Jake Kooser <jake_k@ibm.net>]

Hey Volks, I'd like to get some opinions on a problem my buddy Wilson is
having.  He's got a '66 Squareback, stock engine and dual carbs (as far
as I know).  He was driving the car a while ago, when it started making
a lot of noise and lost power.  The local mechanic he stopped at told
him he had blown the engine - even though it still ran.  Somehow, Wilson
got the car home, where it's sat since I went over there today to see
what's up.  He can start the car, and has been doing so to keep the
battery up - maybe 5 minutes or less to charge it.  I had him start the
car today, and it makes a clunking sound that doesn't seem quite as loud
as a rod knock to me, but more like something loose inside - I thought
almost like a "piston slap" condition.  When the engine is running, it
puffs copious amounts of sooty smoke out of the breather box on the
right side of the engine centerline.  I haven't done a compression test
yet, but it seems to me that maybe some (or all) of the rings have taken
the early retirement plan.  I don't know the odometer mileage right off
the top of my head, but I think it's high.

   What I'm thinking of doing, just to get the squareback back on it's
feet, is to use the stock 1600 'long block' - everything except the
heads, ignition, and fuel injection - from my '73 fastback to replace
the squareback motor while it's being fixed.  Anyone see any problems
with this?  I think I can just replace those items mentioned above in
Wilson's engine, and use the heads, cooling tin, carbs, and non-FI
distributor from his engine to get him back on the road.  I would do a
"top end rebuild" ie. new rings, gaskets, tune-up on the '73 engine.
I've done this to my squareback and had good results.  I noticed he
doesn't have the rear engine support in his car - is that right, or did
I just not notice it?  I'm also curious about how different the cams in
the '73 FI engine and the one in the '66 carb engine are going to be.
Will I have to use a '66-spec cam for this to run right?

   Those are the immediate questions I can think of.  Maybe you folks
can think of something I've missed, but I think it should work.

Jake Kooser