Re: Rebuild....
Wow!
It's not an anchor anymore!!
Way to go Nick!
Patty B.
'69 stock bug
'69 stock bug
Re: Rebuild....
"""Then the oil pump itself started to leak, and of course the rocker covers. Not too worried about the rocker covers - I'll just tak ethem off, clean them up a bit more and try to get a better seal. But the oil pump is going to have to come out in order to get it cleaned and sealed again and this poses a huge problem since the case is obviously torqued around it.... Not sure what I'm going to do about that."""
Biggie: Are you sure it's the oil pump that's leaking or perhaps the oil pump cover plate that's leaking? The cover plate leaks are simpler to fix.
As for the valve covers, please look into the silicone items that Wolfsburg West sells:
http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/Detai … 3101481FSI
I have them and they do not leak.
Or does the 1776 use a larger valve cover and gasket? I've never had an engine that big so I really have no idea......
Clancy
Re: Rebuild....
Clancy: The cover plate was sealed liberally with permatex on both sides of the gasket while the rear of the oil pump was not... I put the gasket in behind it and put the oil pump on just to test fit when I was having issues with the crank binding due to torque. When I put the oil pump in, I realised that the case torques around the pump and it takes some of the pressure off the bearings. From that point on, I never took it off. It was an oversight on my part that I didn't take it back off and seal the gasket properly on both sides, and then torque the case again. I've created a lot more work for myself by being lazy in the first place. I'm feeling more confident now and I think I can fix it, but it probably wont be easy/fun ... especially since I may have to pull the muffler back off to get in there... we'll see.
Valve covers/gaskets are the same size as stock. The valve covers were utterly nasty when I pulled them off the engine in the first place. I cleaned them up and painted the outside, but I think I just didnt get all the grime out from the previous build. There was quite a bit of blue sealant around the edges and I think I may have just missed some in my haste to get it together (again, my own laziness causing me more work now 
Interestingly, I think the previous set of seals may actually be silicone, but they were so dirty, I just used the new cork ones from the gasket set. Given the amount of extra sealer that the previous owner had obviously put in, those seals may not have been that great (maybe just too old?) I may try to clean up the silicone ones and see if they create a better seal though, thanks for the link!
-biggie
Re: Rebuild....
You're gonna have to tell me what it feels like climbing Main Street hill with that monster!!!
Congrats on getting it to run!!!
Patty B.
'69 stock bug
'69 stock bug
Re: Rebuild....
Thanks Patty! 
Its been a few weeks of nagging oil leak issues.. but with any luck, I'll be cruising around soon.... Annoying the neighbours and townsfolk with this loud-ass exhaust 
Last edited by thebignic (2009-06-24 17:16:04)
-biggie
Re: Rebuild....
Biggie: Nice progress report!....and not to rain on your parade, but here are my concerns:
1. Did you finally get to do a full 20+ minute break-in at 2000 rpms held steady? Your mp3 sounded like you (or Matt) were having to give it gas and then let off (probably a result of the carbs not being tuned or balanced) just to keep it running. It may still not have the burnishing of the cam shaft or the seating of the rings.
2. Just loosening the case bolts around the oil pump so that you could remove the pump scares me as to what kind of unequal forces may have been exerted on the case, the other case studs, the crank and the crank bearings. I hope that I'm just being a worry wart and that no serious problems will result.
And now to a happier note. Your logging of your progress and extremely nice photo journal will undoubtedly help others with their rebuilds. Thanks for doing that. And I really think you're going to have a lot of fun with that engine once you get the kinks worked out. Fun isn't it!!??
Keep up the good work and the report!
Clancy
Re: Rebuild....
Ok dont ask me I dun no Nothin ! Have an oil leak at the Pump ! First off Common V.W ailment .
Make a oil pump tool ??? There 20 Buck's !
But first what kind of Pump ?? Snelling , Shadeck ?? New used ????
Where is it leakin behind the Houseing of Pump or under the Pump plate ??
Under the plate simply pull plate remove the shaft gear ?? Give shaft few Rapp's re- install check Pump plate clearance !
If under the Pump houseing <<< Look for screw driver indent's in the Case !!
Now they say never to use any Dope of any kind on oil pump houseing's ???
I use aviation on the snelling or metal houseing pump's But carefull not to smear it where pump houseing will cause it to leak intoo the OIl Port hole's of the Pump or case !
Not all Pump's are Pump's ???? I prefer Shadeck pump's ! But mostly you need to mike the Pump houseing the round part check the Spec's <<<< wich I forgot what they are 56 <<end # I beleive ?
But if some one has pried pump out of the case with a gjch gh,hg1786376y hvf Screw Driver ! Dope hell out of it hope it , doesnt leak !!
Usually tho it's the shaft in the pump gear that hold's the plate out from the pump !
The shaft is a press fitt can be rapped on lightly I just tapp um few time's pretty hard on my desk then make absolute sure that you check pump plate Clearance !
Sean
Re: Rebuild....
I'll come down to your place --you can try my bug to see the difference--if you can get in!
We will be spending a good part of the summer there and am super happy my bug is still in town--even tho it needs work.
Let's do Tim's sometime!
Last edited by Patty B. (2009-06-25 19:27:57)
Patty B.
'69 stock bug
'69 stock bug
Re: Rebuild....
Clancy: It hasn't been running that long at all. We've done two 'break-ins' of about 15 minutes before I got concerned with the amount of oil that I was losing. Both times, it never idled at all. We were giving it gas, but it would have idled (very very high) if we let it. I'm not sure if a proper break-in is possible at this point but if you would still reccommend doing a 20minute high idle, I can't see what harm it would do at this stage.
As soon as I get my new pump cover (hopefully) the oil leaks wont be so catastrophic that I need to shut the engine down and it will be able to get up to proper temperature. We're still playing a lot with the carb tuning and timing settings but its not running too rich any more and should idle easily.
New pump from aircooled.net came with instructions to loosen the front case-half bolts (three on top and three on bottom) so I'm not too concerned about warping the case.
Sean: read the last part of the very first post in this thread. Its where I'm keeping the journal, and it lists the 4 specific areas that I've found to be leaking (at different times, after doing different things to the pump, etc)
Patty: sounds like a plan! But I'm pretty sure I cant fit into you car ahahah If I can finally get my car on the road (without leaving an oil trail) and if you trust me maybe we can take a look at your bug n see if we can fix it?
-biggie