Your help please - I am going to re-con my 1600 engine what parts shall I also replace on it?

I am going to get my 1600 engine reconditioned what parts shall I also replace on it?

E.G I am going to replace the exhaust with a stainless steel system from VW Heritage (as my one has seen better days).

I don't want to put old parts on a fresh reconditioned engine but I am not sure what parts to replace - your advice please people.

 

How many miles has it done?
Have you done a compression test?
What's the end-float like?
Do you want an external oil filter? (doubles your service intervals, but a PITA to do...)

I'd normally want to replace the exhaust valves if it's got some miles under the belt, and piston rings. Anything other than that would be on an inspection basis. That would be a top end "preventative maintenance" job, take a look at the clutch friction disc too (you shouldn't be able to get an 8mm spanner over it).

rule- Don't go mad with new shiny parts. Practically the only thing I replace on my beetle are non-genuine parts that I fitted when I was young and didn't know better. They are the parts that break. The old, bedded in and well made German parts are still spot on, by and large. Avoid chrome. Avoid high output alternators and non original pulleys. Make sure you've got all of your tinware (flaps and thermostat, yes...). When it's all back together, tune it properly with a CO meter, dwell gauge, and a strobe light. Don't throw all that effort away by tuning it by ear and cooking the bugger.

 

^this. What do you think is wrong with engine at the moment? Generally, 30-year-old German stuff is better than shiny new bits. Avoid anything with chrome on it.

Compression test, end float check, a good service and you'll be sorted.

 

The engine is the original and done 55k from new since 1974, I have been told the cam followers have gone (I trust the guy who has told me this he's from very well known aircooled VW garage in London) they have advised me to take it to a company in Grenwich it's making a terrible noise!

 

An old saying was chrome don't get u home when I 1st came to this forum !!

 

An old saying was chrome don't get u home when I 1st came to this forum !!

 

it does looks nice when the bus is on the back of a recovery truck though....

 

flywheel oil seal, oilcooler seals, fuel pump gaskets etc.....if the cylinder heads are good, have them bead blasted and reconditioned (refaced, new guides, plus a three angled valve cut)....

 

Cam followers on a 1600 are solid, so they don't just fail after all this time... the do wear out to the point of where they start pitting on the surface...

Do you have a video of the engine running so we can hear the noise it is making?

 

I will take one in 2 days when I am off work and post it up here.

First of all he thought it was a loose fly wheel but he has checked it and said it isn't.

The noise started after I had the manifold rubbers and gaskets changed I had an air leak problem and it was only running fully on 3 cylinders and it was misfiring.

Got the manifold rubbers and gaskets changed and it's running fine and not misfiring but now has a very loud ticking noise which matches the Rev of the engine (if that makes sense).

 

The tin isn't catching under the pulley is it?

 

The tinware was checked - I don't mean to sound dense I will check again - the thing is I really trust my mechanic as he has been in business for 30 years so I hope he hasn't over seen this I will check when I am off but will also post up a video of it running.

 

Back to the original question, you would replace the distributor if it was malfunctioning and had caused the premature death of your engine, likewise the carb or any other ancilliary parts that are broken. If there's nothing wrong with them, clean them up and re-use.
Replace rusted through tinware etc etc. Depends on your budget. Avoid chrome, it's ok in a lightweight Beetle, but on a bus you don't want to be squandering any cooling and chrome reflects heat back at the engine. e.g. VW fitted chrome push rod covers to buses within the arctic circle to keep the heat in. Not what we want here in the uk.

 

Can I please put in a mention for this kind of thing :

This is a no-brand tappet screw (from VWH other suppliers are available, seem the same ... ) after a few thousand miles. E.g. a trip round France, including a tappet adjustment about 1000 miles in.

Turn it , adjust the tappet clearance to 0.15mm between the burr and the valve stem, and a couple of days later the burring is flattened, the metal flakes go off into the engine and the tappet knocks really loudly like something is seriously bad inside the engine.


And the speed up my benchmark hill (Southwick going south up to by DERA entrance) goes down a little, getting to the top at 42mph in third not 45mph.


So now I remove tappet screws when adjusting them and I replace the ones that look like this :-(


As others say, the fix is £50 worth of Elephant's feet swivel adjusters.

 

What make of elephant feet did you use? The quality seems variable on those as well.

 

Hi Mike, was the screw thread really loose in the rocker as well?

 

Here's what my engine sounds like it isn't sounding as loud today I will take it for a drive later and post another video tmrw if it's louder.

 

Right... Bloody video won't post!

 

Try uploading it to photo bucket then copy and paste the link or YouTube

 

Here's the link to my engine noise people