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Date:         Fri, 1 Sep 1995 08:29:25 -0500 (CDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Joseph F. Fournier II" <jfourni@comp.uark.edu>
Subject:      $50 Engine: the rEaL deal

Well all, looks like Phase I of my rebuild has begun. The $50 engine, it turns out, looks pretty good for $50, but I won't be installing it in the van this weekend. The "new" jugs and pistons are new-to-this-engine jugs and pistons...haven't gotten into the engine, so I don't know if the pistons are *really* new. The "mechanic," responding to my question about whether he had done any work on the heads informed me that "to rebuild a VW, all you have to do is slap on a new set of jugs and pistons and run it til it dies." He then proceeded to ramble on about heads for $30 a pair that you could get mail order out of the back of VW Trends (I think I saw these same heads in a pile on the back of a truck last week). I nodded, thinking to myself "yes, I'm glad you never found a car in which to install this motor...maybe, with a proper rebuild, it may be salvageable."

I gave his kid the $50 and had him help me load the engine into the bus. I also got the heat exchangers, fan shroud, 009 distributor with new cap and rotor, misc engine tin, coil, and manifold. 8)

It's also got a peice of copper tubing coming out from behind the pulley (is this for an "external oil cooler"? ...I can plug this, right?)

Once I got it home, I popped the valve cover on one side. Yeah, this is a rebuild and I'm Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. The heads were dirty under the valve cover...this engine, if run in it's current condition, would be catapalted into a wear cycle none of us want to imagine. Bet they didn't think to replace the rear main seal; KNOW they didn't replace the oil cooler. Reaching into the oil filler tube, I feel caked-on oil. This engine needs a good going-over. The kid's dad (won't call him the "m" word again, cause he's not) told me how you should never split the case on a VW because it's only good for one low-end rebuild anyway. I'm glad HE didn't open it up, but I'm wondering about all of the crap that's probably in there. Hey, if you don't clean your heads, wonder what else you don't do. I also note that two of the lifter tubes are bent up pretty badly. I hope there's no damage to the lifters...hell, I hope the lifters got put back where they belong...I doubt I can count on that. I don't remember the implications of not getting the lifters in the right order, but it seems pretty important. I've ordered the How to Rebuild your Aircooled Engine book...and I'll find out before I get too deep.

So, now I have a $50 engine sitting on the floor of my bus, waiting for Saturday's yard sale to yeild space for me to work in the garage...soon to become victim to my inquisitive, mechanical mind (that's the Hyde side of my personality, I think), and my inexperienced hands...but also the benefactor of much cleaning, a thorough inspection, much attention and care. In the meantime, the bus sits quietly by the side of the house, thankful, I'm sure, that my first experiment in rebuilding an engine won't be hers...unless it's successful. 8)

Thanks! Joe

---------------------------------------------------------- Joseph F. Fournier II <jfourni@comp.uark.edu> 501.575.7353 <a href="http://comp.uark.edu/~jfourni/"> Joe Fournier</a> ----------------------------------------------------------


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