Re: [T3] Need a real Engine

["Jim Adney" <jradney@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

On 2 Feb 2002, at 23:49, Colemans wrote:

> Okay, , so I've decided to pull the almost new upright engine and put a type
> 3 in, as is good and right.  Now, any tips on what my best course is from
> here?  My local junk yard has a '69 Fastback with FI and most of the other
> components, but across the windshiled in ominous, orange crayon are the
> letters B-L-O-W-N!  Being a born skeptic, I'm unwilling to believe  they
> were talking about the tires.  BUt for $125, the mean junk yard lady will
> let me take it home. 

I agree with you, $125 is too much for a blown engine. Sometimes 
these have good core parts in them and sometimes the only good 
parts are the generator and distributor.

Buying used junkyard engines is always a gamble, even if they 
offer a "guarantee" (bring it back and we'll exchange it for another 
one if this one is bad.) That can evolve into infinite work and nothing 
to show for it.

Someone in your area, Washington state, is bound to have a 
known good type 3 engine. BTW, a 70 or later makes a better 
core, unless you're trying to keep things original in an earlier car.

If you're willing to take a long term approach to this, your best bet 
would be to build a good engine yourself. The cheapest way to do 
this is to buy a working but tired engine (or a whole parts car) and 
disassemble it for the parts. Then clean them up, fix them up, and 
reassemble. It's NOT trivial, and it takes a lot of time for the 
beginner, but if you're willing to be careful and ask questions you 
can get a good engine this way. This would cost you $1000 to 
$1500 to complete, and it would be a better engine than the $600 
engine that you buy from one of the commercial builders.

-
*******************************
Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
*******************************

-------------------------------------------------------------------
List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list or mailto:help@vwtype3.org