AAND We're Off . . .

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Amskeptic
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AAND We're Off . . .

Post by Amskeptic » Thu May 11, 2017 6:27 pm

Oh yes we are. You think I have been lazily lolling in the sun in Florida, but you'd be so very wrong. It has been as hectic as heck. Did you know, for example, that I had put the engine in Chloe in Atlanta, test drove for 30 lousy miles, drove back to Pensacola in Naranja, took the Lexus up to Atlanta with Chloe's old engine parts, got roped into doing repairs on my old Lexus:

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Too anxious to drive back to Atlanta in the Lexus, I instead flogged the brown cow down to Pensacola instead with only a monogrammed Lexus reversible screwdriver for tools:

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Got anxious, pulled Chloe's engine in the airline pilot's garage, cleaned and sanded the flywheel/clutch disc/pressure plate, reassembled, still had chatter:

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Drove to Don's, found a 1970 Fastback three-arm pressure plate rusted to the ground, cleaned and polished it over and over:

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lost my nerve, reassembled the engine with the new AirCooled.Net questionable pressure plate, then flogged the brown cow over to Don's and made HIM drive it and the car would not chatter for him because he was man-handling my dainty brown cow so I man-handled my brown cow on the way home and it liked it.

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Packed Chloe to the gills, parked NaranjaWesty at the Law Firm with the title and keys being safe-kept by a demolitions expert lawyer in case the Chicago Guy determines that he must have the orange plaid camper with the totally detailed interior and eche_bus spaghetti boiled black trim.

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What the heck, attached the never before unfolded rear screen. You mean I could have slept with the tailgate open for fresh air/no bugs??:

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Never before unfolded front curtain. Dang, these Westfalias are neat:

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Everything! Old English polished, waxed, protected, shampoo'd, you name it:

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Yeah, I did all that between Chloe engine pulls, fuel pump cut-off recalibration, and carburetor overhaul with new phenolic spacer for better hot starts:

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And yesterday, I bid Jack The Lawyer and Rodney The Pilot adieu! and drove to Atlanta at not less than 65 mph in Chloe daring it to explode, but of course it didn't, it got 18.4 mpg @ 65 mph with max CHT of 343*. Crap. I have to take Chloe around the country, my little Brahma Bull that bellows under load, it really does, I don't understand it, this engine sounds lovely (!) on slight downhills, then it gets all mean and thumpy on slight uphills under any sort of load. Alabama valve adjustment, I did NOT like #4 exhaust valve tight as heck:

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.. .. .. .. but after four oil changes in 400 miles, at least the engine is clean. Compression test at 30 miles was 110 / 107 / 100 / 112, which made me a bit nervous seeing as 100 is sort of the lower limit for a Type 1 engine, but the next test was at 400 miles and 115 / 115 / 110 / 110 :

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Yeah, so I rebuilt the subwoofer in the Lexus by gluing in a new foam suspension ring instead of doing my correct inventory marathon. Now I gots toons. Listened to my 1980's cassette tapes after the adhesive finally set. I like Supertramp and that's that.

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Moth-balled the Lexus and the BobD and here I am, just south of Tennessee, apologizing to the Brahman Bull Chloe for the next 25,000 miles. Maybe SGKent or asiab3 will host me an engine teardown to install a nice counter-weighted crankshaft. . . . . ?

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BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

Jivermo
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by Jivermo » Thu May 11, 2017 6:55 pm

Great! Go for it...

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sgkent
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by sgkent » Thu May 11, 2017 8:54 pm

absolutely. Whatever you need. We have a spare bed now and I sleep with a CPAP so no-more-snore.

I have a glass bead machine and a solvent tank, compressors, 12 ton with gauge, and needed gear pullers etc.

FYI - didn't you have an issue with one of the valve seats seeming a bit proud? Is it that one which had -0- clearance?
TBone208 wrote: "You ppl are such windbags. Go use your crystal ball to get rich & predict something meaningful. Nobody knows what's going to happen. How are we supposed to take ppl who don't know the definition of a recession & "woman" seriously?"

Merlin The Wrench

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Amskeptic
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by Amskeptic » Fri May 12, 2017 7:19 am

sgkent wrote:
Thu May 11, 2017 8:54 pm
absolutely. Whatever you need. We have a spare bed now and I sleep with a CPAP so no-more-snore.

I have a glass bead machine and a solvent tank, compressors, 12 ton with gauge, and needed gear pullers etc.

FYI - didn't you have an issue with one of the valve seats seeming a bit proud? Is it that one which had -0- clearance?

#2 Exhaust was reseated at Burke Machine Shop in Pensacola. I have no idea if the others were not fully seated, I can only say that they would not accept a feeler blade at the bottom of the counterbores. I expect a little tightening from heads and valves seating, but only for a couple of adjustment intervals.

This stupid engine just hauled me up Tennessee's Monte Eagle Pass in 4th gear at a max of 345* . It absolutely refused to drop below 2,300 rpm. It sounds so good on the downhill, just a nice discrete generator scream, but uphills suck, the case is being walloped under load, especially at 3,200-3,400 rpm.

Off to dispatch 210 more miles . . .
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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vwlover77
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by vwlover77 » Fri May 12, 2017 7:51 am

Wow, I need a scorecard (or maybe a flowchart) to keep up!
Don

---------------------------
78 Westy
71 Super Beetle Convertible Autostick

"When we let our compassion go, we let go of whatever claim we have to the divine." - Bruce Springsteen

71whitewesty
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by 71whitewesty » Fri May 12, 2017 8:19 am

Boy everything is so darn shiney and looking so good! Fingers crossed you have a smooth lap around town this year. See you in July. :cheers:

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Amskeptic
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by Amskeptic » Fri May 12, 2017 6:23 pm

I believe that I have a bent crankshaft. That is what my intuition is telling me. Way too much noise coming off the crankcase. I hope it can hang together until I put in a certifiably straight crankshaft.

Reasons I Believe The Crankshaft Is Bent

a) when filing all 52 aluminum camshaft gear teeth, I noticed that the mesh was still binding in two spots as it came into acceptable range. This would suggest a crank gear that was wobbling

b) the clutch pedal has a little tickle when I press it lightly by hand at almost any speed at any load. This suggests that the flywheel/pressure plate is wobbling in relation to the release bearing, most noticeable at first contact

c) the insane grinding operation on the crankshaft cheeks (photographed in earlier thread all on one side of the crankshaft, I bet that is the "low spot".

d) a well-enough-balanced engine when free-wheeling at 3,800 rpm, all thumpy hell breaks loose under load, not likely to be imbalanced cylinder output with 115/115/110/110 compression and fairly equal rpm drops when pulling wires sequentially out of the distributor cap.


On-The-Road Solution To This Most Vexatious Circumstance

a) order a counter-weighted crankshaft from reputable vendor (comes with mandatory .010" undercuts), standard case/.010 under new bearings, a new distributor drive and crank gears plus woodruff key and spacer, a new flywheel and pressure plate, and an engine overhaul kit

c) have my California Connection (SGKent or Robbie) get the crankshaft balanced to the flywheel and pressure plate at a reputable balancer outfit

d) have my California Connection (SGKent or Robbie) install #3 main bearing and drive gears before I arrive

e) take three days at above connections to tear down and rebuild engine

f) enjoy a properly smooth quiet engine that does not sound noticeably different from off-throttle to full-throttle


The Big Question

a) will this crankcase get damaged by the current crankshaft squirming inside? It is about 10,000 miles to California.
Colin

(p.s. Atlanta to Paducah with one good hill climb in buckets of rain average of 18.7 mpg at 60-65 mph max head temp of 344* at an ambient of about 70* - it has been a great strong cool little engine so far, but alas, feels like building your dream house on sand and watching the doors start jamming in their jambs)
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Bleyseng
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by Bleyseng » Sat May 13, 2017 6:42 am

Why not be ready to line bore the case once in Cali? You might be pounding the main saddles to out of spec in 10,000 miles or not.
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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asiab3
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by asiab3 » Sat May 13, 2017 8:59 am

Mi casa es su casa*

While I bet Steve has finer engine-related tooling than me, Southern California is a quick drive to DPR, Rimco/FAT, JJV, Headflow Masters, and dozens of other fine outfits that, put together, may just be willing to work with you. Did Hambone get his counter-weighted crank from DPR? I've been looking at them myself recently...

*you'll have to share the facilities with the dog, and any other wayward bus travelers. Emma and Sven showed up last year and only stayed a few weeks. You can have your own workbench, but Rule #1 is that mom's convertible Does Not Park Outside. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta available for parts/machine blasts. 1969 Volkswagen convertible available for parts/machine strolls.

Oh, I just got a nice ring compressor, too! (It's the only tool I didn't have in Colorado.)
Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by Jivermo » Sat May 13, 2017 9:30 am

The Southern Cal idea has merit...perhaps you can stop by Headflow Masters, and get one of the special oil check valve kits!

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asiab3
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by asiab3 » Sat May 13, 2017 11:23 am

Jivermo wrote:
Sat May 13, 2017 9:30 am
The Southern Cal idea has merit...perhaps you can stop by Headflow Masters, and get one of the special oil check valve kits!
For as much Woo* that surrounds the kit, Adrian is probably the most willing collaborator I have worked with, as a machinist. I asked him to cut my heads to between 48 and 50cc, and they all came back at 48.5cc on the dot. Paradise charged me for a balance job they didn't do. Rimco warped my lifter bores and wouldn't admit it. These are all folks I talk to, in person, and Adrian is the only one who has done what I ask, the way I ask.

Robbie

Woo: n. - marketing tactics supported by correlation rather than causation. See: snake oil, alkaline water, horoscopes.
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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sgkent
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by sgkent » Sun May 14, 2017 6:18 pm

we have Bugformance and with Golden State overnight I can ship anything from a transmission to an engine case overnight to LA for next to nothing. GSO goes by weight. So I can send something large overnight, have the work done the next day, If it can be completed and packed early enough it is back the following day. Colin will have about 5,000 miles on it when he comes in. It is a crap shoot if the mains will be pounded out. Personally I would try to find a standard 1600 forged crank. It might even be worth trying to find a set of rods, crank and flywheel as a set then swap all of them in and sell the old parts except the bent crankshaft.

RImco recently bought FAT and moved there from Industry. The question is will Rimco come up to FATs performance or the other way around. I can tell you some horror stories people wrote to me on regarding DPR, Rimco once Ed sold it and they moved to Industry, and also Adrian isn't someone Colin is likely to use if you see the thread Colin has on that subject.
TBone208 wrote: "You ppl are such windbags. Go use your crystal ball to get rich & predict something meaningful. Nobody knows what's going to happen. How are we supposed to take ppl who don't know the definition of a recession & "woman" seriously?"

Merlin The Wrench

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Amskeptic
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by Amskeptic » Mon May 15, 2017 8:18 am

This mission may be aborted. I am giving it until Knoxville TN.

IF the exhaust valves have appreciably tightened up AGAIN for the THIRD time, Chloe goes to storage unit, and BobD goes around the country.

This engine just eats the hills in 4th gear but dammit, the clutch vibration chatter the new .006" endplay ALREADY, and the left side head with these exhaust valves, I can't do that.
Colin
(but I LIKE Chloe and I wanna take Chloe around the country, I wanna I wanna I wanna)
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Bleyseng
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by Bleyseng » Mon May 15, 2017 9:44 am

Best to park Cloe or risk a exhaust valve snapping off and going thru the top of a piston.
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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wcfvw69
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Re: AAND We're Off . . .

Post by wcfvw69 » Mon May 15, 2017 9:52 am

Amskeptic wrote:
Mon May 15, 2017 8:18 am
This mission may be aborted. I am giving it until Knoxville TN.

IF the exhaust valves have appreciably tightened up AGAIN for the THIRD time, Chloe goes to storage unit, and BobD goes around the country.

This engine just eats the hills in 4th gear but dammit, the clutch vibration chatter the new .006" endplay ALREADY, and the left side head with these exhaust valves, I can't do that.
Colin
(but I LIKE Chloe and I wanna take Chloe around the country, I wanna I wanna I wanna)


How much are the exhaust valves tightening up in hours or thousandths? I guess it must be a lot if you're this worried about it, huh? My understanding is it's not unusual for the exhaust valves to tighten up as they seat in. My buses engine has around 16k miles on it now and I'm still experiencing tightening exhaust valves on 3 of the four cylinders. All about the same tightness. The intakes are staying perfect. I spoke to a well known engine builder and he said I shouldn't panic (yet) as it can take 20k miles for the exhaust valves to settle in and stabilize. I'm having to back off my adjusters about 2 hours at each valve adjustment on all but cylinder 4.

The other question is did they not install new exhaust valves during the valve job?
1970 Westfalia bus. Stock 1776 dual port type 1 engine. Restored German Solex 34-3. Restored 205Q distributor, restored to factory appearance engine.

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