Aircooled VW South Africa

OK, so here's our project (my son and I - and a fair number of his mates)



And here he is - hard at work



Some of the funnies (found to date!)

Westy windows


And an engine bay requiring some work

So far we have

1) Removed the engine, stripped it and then decided it needed a refurb - so got a recon short block

2) Removed the rubbers around the rear and front windows - to see the damage and to replace. The rear can go straight back, the front needs some surgery

3) 70% through a sound system install

4) Had the carb refurbed - the bushes were loose, the choke jammed and it leaked a bit

5) Moved the coil back to the fan housing

6) Played with the brakes - It only had pressure in the rear circuit, it STILL only has pressure in the rear circuit

There is still a lot longer list of things to do, with the plan to get the mechanical / electrical side sorted now and then leave the paint / interior for later.

Anyway we are having fun, and it should be a fun student ride when complete

Love it !!!! Good luck with the project. Try find/replace the tinware that goes around the motor, very important for keeping the motor cool. Also, remove the fuel filter from the engine bay before Tony sees it
Is this one going to drive to Cape Town ?

jolas wrote: Love it !!!! Good luck with the project. Try find/replace the tinware that goes around the motor, very important for keeping the motor cool. Also, remove the fuel filter from the engine bay before Tony sees it

Got the front and back tinware - just missing a small piece underneath cylinder 2 - the fuel filter will be replaced by one somewhere further forward - near the gearbox?

jolas wrote: Is this one going to drive to Cape Town ?

Yes - as soon as possible.

Looks like a lovely bus but my eyesight most be failing as it looks so far away

Awesome, Aweso project guys, LOTS OF PICS....

So we spent the weekend under the bus



After unsuccesfully spending satruday afternoon/evening trying to install the engine, we called it a night and started again with clear heads today. First try and on it went (after re-centering the clutch, putting the bus into gear and changing the angle of the gearbox.

Anyway it is just practise as we have to fit a new starter motor bush, which we noticed was shot. Such is the joy of 40 year old vehicles

Any ideas about the space around the dog house cooler tin?

jolas wrote: Love it !!!! Good luck with the project. Try find/replace the tinware that goes around the motor, very important for keeping the motor cool. Also, remove the fuel filter from the engine bay before Tony sees it

Do I have a reputation around here?
I try to learn from other peoples mistakes so I dont have to make them myself.... too many people have had their bug burn down because the fuel filter was in the engine bay. Next to the gearbox is a brilliant location.

Work looks good. That gap you talking about, there are plates that you can make up - I cant remember their name right now tho, so cant help you with a key word to google. It wasnt made by VW. Stopping the air coming out and diverting it all through the oil cooler helps make things better.

Tony Z wrote:

jolas wrote: Love it !!!! Good luck with the project. Try find/replace the tinware that goes around the motor, very important for keeping the motor cool. Also, remove the fuel filter from the engine bay before Tony sees it

Do I have a reputation around here?
I try to learn from other peoples mistakes so I dont have to make them myself.... too many people have had their bug burn down because the fuel filter was in the engine bay. Next to the gearbox is a brilliant location.

Work looks good. That gap you talking about, there are plates that you can make up - I cant remember their name right now tho, so cant help you with a key word to google. It wasnt made by VW. Stopping the air coming out and diverting it all through the oil cooler helps make things better.

It was made by VW. It is stamped VW, FYI. It's commonly known as the "Hoover Bit".

Most engines are missing them. Most mechies have never seen one let alone heard of one. Even fewer know where it goes or what it does.

thats the one, thanks Merlin

Ok, so we have spent the last while madly trying to sort out all kinds of niggles. Tonight we took her for a drive and she purred. Some of the tasks completed in the last while.

A) Installed the fuel filter above the gearbox, with new fuel lines - Just for Tony

1) Had the alternator pulley bolt re-cut
2) Completed the sound system
3) Have more pressure on the brakes - but not enough to stop just yet!
4) Got the front and rear window seals (and windows back in)
5) Completed the engine install, happy with the foam strip to seal it all - just missing the hoover bit for now.



6) Nearly had a fire! The carb lost a bolt whilst we were doing some tuning and there was some petrol spilt. Luckily while we were watching it when it happened
7) Got the carb bolt sorted and carb reinstalled.
8- Timing and tuning
9) Went for a test drive.


Now just for the brakes!! Any good brake guys in Durban, So far I have (Never worked on a system without a booster) to "DOn;t do those any more you can;t get spares. If only I was in Cape Town and near Jurgen's place.

I have resleeved the master cylinder and both front cylinders, replaced flexible hoses up front, adjusted shoes up nice and close, bled, and bled and bled... Now when we push the pedal we get some pressure, if we pump really hard we get a lot of pressure for a very short time, and then the pedal goes to almost the floor.

Bleed and bleed some more!

Well an update is in order. We have been to school on this one - or at least paid some school fees.

Fixed the brakes - The master cylinder was leaking - took three shops before that was sorted.

Repaired/replaced the following:
Front Beam
Ball joints, Tie rod ends, Drag link, Steering damper, wheel bearings, Shocks, Steering wheel, slight adjustment of the Steering box play

Electrics
New fuse box, many new cables, all lights up and working

Rear Axle
New CV joints - then discovered that a stub axle had thread issues, got these repaired with heli-coils - had the heli-coils fail. Replaced the stub axle

Had a lot of rust taken out along the bottom sills.

Got the bus through C.O.R and all registered

Things were looking good

Hey Rob, long time !!! Thats quite a lot of progress, glad to hear that your bus passed the roadworthy test and is now registered - such an achievement when you pass that hurdle

So when is the Cape Town trip ? Is it still coming to the Cape ? Cheers !!!!

Then every time my son took her for a ride, the bus would break down and a nasty noise started coming from the right side of the engine
There was also a funny whistling noise :
And consumption was appalling - 150 miles to a 45 liter tank
At that time we found an air leak through the bottom of the carb, tried to get this sealed off without success.
And the starter motor packed up - Replaced this with a new one from Midas

Anyway I was running out of time so took the bus off to a local guy to have a look - turns out.

The noise was being caused by pistons slap
The piston slap was caused by one of two things - not enough deck height and a sump full of petrol
The sump full of petrol was caused by a hole in the petrol pump
The sump full of petrol stuffed the bearings, pistons....... So my new short block was down the drain. Managed a whole 1000 miles.

The sump full of petrol was also full of silicone and RUST

The new starter motor from Midas managed to stuff up the Flywheel

So we have had the engine rebuilt, Another petrol pump, another flywheel - Got the crank balanced
A new improved Fuel Tank
Another manifold and carb - The old manifold was leaking air from some hacked off heater pipes, was a single port with a twin port flange welded on - hence the air leak from under the carb. So went back to a standard 31 PICT from the 34

Also replaced the Brake pedal return spring - this turned out quite a job with the whole pedal assembly needing repalcement

Got new alternator bearings, the original starter re-wired.

I pick her up tomorrow. So hope for some great runs around Durban to run the new engine in this weekend. Wish us luck