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Post by stude on Dec 25, 2019 9:41:21 GMT -8
One of your Beetles has balljoints? Are they new replacements? Not at this time sorry if I am giving poor advise.
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Post by CrazyBrit on Dec 25, 2019 13:29:26 GMT -8
I resolved the balljoint problem a few years back, after the initial post in this thread. I ordered up a set of new balljoints from Chris at Victoria Volkswagen and once fitted, it was like driving a different car. It appeared that the housing of the Meyle balljoints had compressed around the ball once installed, to the point that they were unable to move freely and do their job. Cheap crap as Russ pointed out.
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Post by CrazyBrit on May 27, 2020 20:35:33 GMT -8
Because of life getting in the way, my poor Ghia hasn't been touched in a long time. I need to move it to start work on it and other home projects. I'd borrowed the dizzy and coil for my bus, then the Pertronix failed and it was replaced with my other 009, so ended up in my parts cupboard. Today I put a used set of points and a junky looking condenser into the dizzy and "timed" it at the line I'd marked on the distributor and crankcase. I turned it over without the rotor arm to get the oil moving. As soon as I tried with the rotor arm, it fired up and idled on 3 year old fuel. Who says old VWs are unreliable?
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Post by CrazyBrit on Nov 7, 2021 9:38:38 GMT -8
I've made a slow start on the Ghia this week. I need to do a radio slot repair on the dash and have found that my 1971 - 1980 Becker Mexico (OE for a Mercedes or Porsche) is too big to fit in the slot of the Karmann Konnection repair plate that I have. Were the radios fitted to our VWs an odd size, or did sizes change over time? Perhaps a period Blaupunkt would work, but I prefer the look of the Becker...
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Post by Volktales on Nov 7, 2021 17:58:11 GMT -8
Those Beckers are quite sweet. Can't comment on the size issue as I don't have one to compare...
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Post by CrazyBrit on Nov 8, 2021 19:51:40 GMT -8
I'm looking for recommendations for a good quality painter for the Ghia. I've spoken with Shawn Cole about welding, but unfortunately he doesn't paint anymore. I'm after a high quality job that will do justice to the car and last at least 25 years like the last one did!
Shawn is willing to prep the car, so it could potentially just be for the topcoats.
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Post by Volktales on Nov 8, 2021 23:17:29 GMT -8
My boss Jeff has not finalized who will paint his wife's Thing yet either. Shawn is almost finished all the bodywork, now... Most body shops out there do NOT want to paint over somebody else's work...
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Post by CrazyBrit on Nov 20, 2021 21:52:12 GMT -8
After a bit of head scratching, I finally managed to do something with my Ghia that I have never done in the 23 years that I have owned it - I removed the engine from my Ghia today. It is leaking a lot of oil, so needed to come out for a bit of TLC. The old jeans were to protect the bumper from the handle of my trolley jack. When I started to remove the engine bolts, this is what I found adjacent to the clutch. The car is a 1971 model, built in early 1971. This means that it should have an AN code transmission and a dual port 1600cc motor. The 1600cc case has a captive nut on the case adjacent to the clutch. However the transmission in the car also had the casting to hold the head of the bolt for the earlier style bolt with a non-captive nut. Something didn't add up. As Russ suggested to me, the car has had a transmission replacement at some time in it's life. It appears that it has been fitted with an IRS transmission from a 1969-1970 Ghia or a 1969 - 1972 Beetle. If my understanding of gearbox numbers is correct, this is from October 1971, a few months after my car was built. Anyway, it was a bit of a struggle to remove this bolt, as I could not get a wrench or a socket onto the head of the bolt due to the casting. In the end, I removed the doghouse exhaust from the back of the fanshroud and used a set of pipe pliers on the exposed threaded end of the bolt to undo it sufficiently to be able to get a socket over the end. The AH transmissions had a 4.125 final ratio, whereas the Karmann Ghia specific transmission fitted from August 1970 until the end of Ghia production would have had a 3.875 ratio. The AH transmission in the car is a good one, but it would be nice to have the original "Freeway flyer".
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Post by CrazyBrit on Nov 20, 2021 22:04:09 GMT -8
The engine is now on my engine stand and largely stripped down. It was missing the hoover bit and my thermostat was squishy and therefore dead. The case is a Brazilian AS41 and I suspect it was new when the car was reconditioned by Karmann Ghia Motorworks in London in 1996. When I removed the 3/4 head I found a fair bit of carbon, but what looks like a newish head. Again, probably new in 1996. I need to remove the carbon buildup and check it over, but I could not see any evidence of cracks. It has dished 85mm pistons and the barrels look quite decent. There is no evidence of any scoring and only a very slight edge where the piston has reached the end of it's stroke. I had been considering going for 1641cc, but given that it all looks good I am loath to replace the barrels and pistons. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to the piston dishing? I was expecting a flat topped piston. It's no secret that I am not a mechanic! I am expecting to possibly have to replace piston rings and will remove the barrels to enable me to reseal them to the case. One of the case studs unscrewed from the case when I attempted to remove the nut from the head, so will need to be screwed back in with some Loctite. The case is covered in oil, so I am not sure if there is any oil leaking between the case halves. Is this common and should I be taking it this far down? Any suggestions or guidance on how far I should go with this would be appreciated. I would like a little more power from this engine, if possible. I intend to use my twin Weber 34mm carbs which should help. I have read that higher ratio rockers pick these 1600cc motors up a bit too. Is this worthwhile and is there anything else that I can do to (bearing in mind my limited mechanical expertise) give it a little more oomph?
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Post by Volktales on Nov 20, 2021 22:35:32 GMT -8
Dished pistons are interesting. Same as the ones in my '72 Canadian Custom engine. If you want a bit more go, the flat top pistons will give higher compression. I have heard of ratio rockers on stock engines giving a little boost, but have not done that myself. Oil leaking between the case halves is pretty rare. More likely from the pushrod tubes and barrels to case. And of course the oil cooler seals. I wouldn't split the case unless the camshaft looks bad... That '72 Ghia I scrapped years ago was the dreaded autostick, and that ended up "donated" to Ron's property...
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Post by CrazyBrit on Nov 21, 2021 9:04:01 GMT -8
Thanks Russ. Good advice. I'm surprised that the dishing of the pistons makes such a difference. I'll have a look at my old bus engine before spending on new stuff. That motor always had lots of power, whilst the Ghia always felt quite lethargic. That could also be due to gearing though
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Post by owdlvr on Nov 22, 2021 7:31:39 GMT -8
Lol, Russ and I are complete opposites. You have it torn down this far, I'd be splitting the case and being darned sure I won't have any problems with the motor moving forward. It's a great time to pop in new bearings and confirm everything inside is in great shape.
If you're redoing rings, I'd just swap barrels and pistons myself. But I certainly don't have any love for stock internals, and consider them to be wear items.
For what it's worth, the photos of the pistons you posted show no signs of needing rings...maaaaybe the piston on the right, but highly unlikely.
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Post by Volktales on Nov 22, 2021 7:52:13 GMT -8
Lol, Russ and I are complete opposites. You have it torn down this far, I'd be splitting the case and being darned sure I won't have any problems with the motor moving forward. It's a great time to pop in new bearings and confirm everything inside is in great shape. If you're redoing rings, I'd just swap barrels and pistons myself. But I certainly don't have any love for stock internals, and consider them to be wear items. For what it's worth, the photos of the pistons you posted show no signs of needing rings...maaaaybe the piston on the right, but highly unlikely. Back in the day of quality parts, I would have agreed with you. Given that even basics of finding quality bearings is a thing of the past, then part used quality parts are a better bet for me...
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Post by mitchy965 on Nov 22, 2021 11:36:45 GMT -8
Dished pistons and like a 80 thou step on the cylinder head probably gave you less than 7to1 static. If your final drive ratio is higher numerically (ie lower gears) than your car should feel faster around town and rev a little higher on the hwy. I don't re-ring stockers like this,if they need rings chances are the barrels are done. Buy a new a/a p/c kit and rid yourself of the ineffective dished pistons and get a return on your hard work. Imho.
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Post by CrazyBrit on Nov 22, 2021 17:20:17 GMT -8
The reason I was suspecting rings is that I get a LOT of smoke on startup. To be fair though, the car has not been run properly in five years. The fuel is five years old, but has stabiliser in it. The timing is not well set up and the carb' needed a tune up. The furthest this car has been driven in this time is in and out of my garage and down my driveway between garages - around 50 feet!
I pulled the heads off my old bus engine today to see what it was like. It is also a 1600cc, but based around a single relief F series case - so a late sixties 1300cc. I think that this engine was given a top end replacement by my Dad back in the UK in the late nineties. It has always run well with lots of power, but has also always marked it's spot - significantly. The heads are basically new (VW Mexico) and there is zero wear on the barrels. This engine did not smoke and was pulled to allow the bigger 1914cc to be fitted to work with the higher gearing that my bus now has.
So, from what I am hearing I should be ditching the dished barrels. Is it advisable to take the lightly used barrels from the bus engine? Other than the paper gaskets between the barrels and case, is there anything else that has to be replaced with new? Do I need to start worrying about compression ratio, or is it a simple case of bolting the parts on? Like Russ said, one of my concerns is the quality of the current parts on offer. I am not certain who manufactured the pistons and barrels in the two engines that I have, but I doubt that they were made in China back in the nineties - probably Mexico or Brazil. IIRC the bus engine may be COFAP. I believe the Ghia engine was professionally built.
If I go new, I would probably look at the slip in 87mm 1641cc or 89mm 1680cc barrels and pistons because, why not if I'm spending money anyway. Are the AA products reasonable quality?
As a complete mechanical novice, I am looking for advice here please.
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