How long to strip and rebuild a type 4?

I've allowed 24 hours in total (not in one hit), is that reasonable?

 

If you have all the bits and know what you're doing yes.

I think the quickest I did was my last one. The strip was already done as it was received partially in bits. Once I had all the bits it took me about 5 hours with breaks.

I removed my engine last weekend, stripped its ancillaries and heads and b+P's in 2 hours.

Supposed to be nice tomorrow so I'll have it driving again by tea time

 

Haven't built one myself yet but I've stripped a few.
I'd say that's easily doable if you have all the bits ready.

 

I have the new B&Ps and gaskets and seals all ready to go.
The motor is a known running entity so I'm hoping full strip and clean tomorrow rebuild on Sunday and fettle,fix and fit next week.

 

Should be ok so long as you don't find any nasties inside.

 

You're doing top end only? If so you'll easily do it in a single sitting.

Be prepared to do it again in a few hundred miles though as it lunches its bearings

 

What he said - do ze bearings. And the heads will be knackered - they nearly always are...

 

Git!
It was a good runner just *******ing oil everywhere.
Thought as I was taking the top end off to do the leaks might as well make it a 1910cc.
Then bung it in the pick up with twin carbs.
Should go ok. Thinking of making it my daily instead of the Beetle until the boy returns from SA, I'll have to fight him for it then, I'll lose!

 

@Majorhangover do you know the motors history?

 

What's this an 1800 and you're going 1910? Do the bearings or it will be trash. Unless it's had a new bottom end recently.

You're going from good runner *******ing oil (why is it *******ing oil?) worn out piston rings my guess causing excessive crankcase pressure, all running ok and everything is all nicely mated together, all of a sudden you massively increase the compression by adding new b+P's and rings, all nice and tight. Runs nice, power feels great the ka-boom! Bearings go fecking your crank and cam, all the loose Marmite wrecks your nice b+P's. For the sake of £50 and an extra couple of hours

 

He's right doncha know. Joker knows about lunching engines.
The only way to do it is take it to pieces, see what needs doing, order what you need, bearings as a matter of course, THEN build it. Guessing what you need is silly - you know that really.

 

Forgive my naïveté but I'm used to roller bearing cranks, do I have to size and select bearings using plasti gauge and all that bullMarmite?
Or is it just a case of fitting new?

 

Take to bits and see - It could have had a regrind on crank and or cam or rarely a case bore. Nothing lost - you'll need the bits you've bought.

 

Bloody VWs. Kawasaki's have only two possibilities. Good or fecked and it's dead easy to tell!
End float, oversize bearings and cases all unheard of in my world, yet we still make over 150hp from a 1.3 litre engine.

 

But it never has much weight to push along.
(waits for Keith to comment...)

 

As Z says find out what's in there, it's a VW so everything is sized and marked. When you take the mains out check the centre saddle on the case and see if there are any mirror image of bearing numbers stamped into the case. If so its fecked but you could get by with having it bored. I doubt its like that though unless its a seriously abused high miler.

If you've never split a type 4 case make sure you get all of the bolts out (I'm *******ed now so need to read my book to tell you how many, 15??)

DONT stick anything at all between the case joints!!!!!

 

This is my first (so I'm a virgin?).
I'm going to photograph each hour tomorrow, so watch for updates/swearing/acts of arson!

 

I cant, he just bought me a pressie

 

I've just clicked the watch button, I'm on lates tomorrow but I may buy some popcorn on my way home, and sit down and watch your progress