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On Fri, 2004-04-16 at 16:27, Dave Hall wrote: > > Does anyone think that VW broke in all the millions of VW engines that > > they built before it left the factory?? > > One year, 1961, (the first year for the 40hp), they had a problem with > > one batch of cams that caused problems, and they replaced everyone that > > they could get back. > > > > My '59 36hp engine needed a new camshaft in 1967, after about 50,000 miles - it > had worn the follower down into the oil bore. Dealer rebuilding cost about 1/3 > of the car's value at the time - a lot for a student to find! > I remember being told that VW did run the engines for a time before releasing > them, so they didn't need running in by the cuustomer. Probably more likely the > low rpm and understressing that meant you were using it within the normal > running-in range. > 36hp VW's did have a camshaft problem. But the main problem was that the design of the engine did not allow the lifter to rotate. The wear on the lifter was always in one spot. VW changed this design in 1961 model year when they went to the 40hp engine. When I went to VW engine school, this running in at the factory was brought up, and we were told definitely no, they were not. There was too much expense involved to do that. Yes, prototype engines are run for endurance test. The neatest one I know about is the one Mahle ran on their new valves. The engine ran on test for 500 hours straight with sodium filled stamped steel valves, with no problems. Well, I guess I will just keep using from my personal inventory of stock cams. I probably have a lifetime supply. -- Russ Wolfe '66 FB MT '71 FB AT '65 Bug (not running) russw@classicvw.org http://www.classicvw.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org