Your 3 options: 1. If you decide to leave the bottom end and just fit the new B&P, and heads don’t ‘run it in gently’ if that means pussyfooting around at slow speed, low revs and low load. Get some load on the engine to bed in the rings and drive it as you would normally. 2. You won’t buy a recon type 4 case with a new cam, followers, reground crank, main and big end bearings for £400. 3. These engines are really very simple, with a few spanners and a socket set and some patience they are easy to overhaul. There are very few special tools required and none of them are expensive, and you might recon it for £400. And when you do it yourself you know it’s been done right. Or wrong. Bearing in mind you said ‘I really just want to get on the road’ I’d leave the bottom end alone. But you also said there was wear on the cam lobes so presumably you’ve pulled the followers and had a look. Incidentally, make sure you put the followers back in the same hole that they came out of. Does the cam have the wear pattern as shown in the 'How to rebuild your VW air cooled engine' book? If you put the followers face to face they should be slightly convex, if they’re flat or concave they’re worn out, but don’t be tempted to replace the followers without renewing the cam.
I’ve just re-read this thread and that^ is probably why you need to replace the B&P and heads. Or is there another reason? Bottom end with few miles and top end needing to be replaced seems odd.
£400 10 years ago might have bought you a recon motor. My engine rebuild although I don’t know the exact cost must be about 2 grand. However a recon motor would cost that now & you are buying an unknown quality.
I've just had a shifty through the type4 rebuild thread and whilst I'm incredibly impressed at his work its definitely a winter job for me. The cylinder heads weren't new at the last rebuild and cracked at the exhaust ports one also had a loose valve guide. All but one of the cylinders were junked alongside.
Full disclosure: I built it and I think I mucked up the carb balancing and timing which brought about its untimely demise. Hence my hesitancy to break the crank case open and fit a new cam etc! Thought I'd come clean in order that you didn't waste anymore time working out why it broke when the ingredients were all there for a good engine. It only takes one idiot to take those ingredients and make an almighty metal omelette. I'm getting someone to tune it once I've built it this time round.
Thanks for that. I had a good look at mine and decided to replace them. New cam and followers on order
