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I, too, did not do this the "CMC Way".

Rather than use stair tread material as a lower flap, I cut a piece of 3/8" thick shop floor padding (Home Depot flooring dept. - comes on a big roll and is 4' wide) cut to fit the shape of the firewall, attached it with 3-M spray-on adhesive and some noise blanket plastic mushrooms and extended it down to meet the cooling tin breastplate that crosses the rear (transaxle) end of the engine, then fastened it to the breast plate with the plastic mushrooms used to hold the sound blanket onto a water cooled car's under-hood area.

Just thought that whole "using stair-tread material" a bit too John Steele (and that was ten years before we even met!) and knew it could be done better.  This way, not only does it seal the front of the engine compartment, but it cuts down on engine noise a little bit, too.

Last edited by Gordon Nichols

@Stan Galat thank you for the info. The mechanic checked timing and installed some exhaust wrap. Also cut entire center out of deck lined about 8"x14" to open that rain tray up. With scanner said that the cylinder head gauge is accurate. I test drove it and still get 360 degrees 3rd gear at 50 mph, 340 degrees in fourth gear. I tried to take on the highway but it jumped to 286 momentarily getting on the on ramp and up to 65 so i backed off to 50 immediately and took next exit.  Took it back to shop. Last night drove it 4 miles to pick up wife in the cool evening. It seemed that the oil pressure was at top of gauge or just one line below when driving and was reading around 80, maybe 60 at idle, stop lights. I nursed it back home, oil temp was under 200 and cylinder temp was around 325. Never went over 35 mph. I checked oil as soon as returning and it read full but there was some burnt oil smell when i was driving. Not sure if something got on pipes from wrapping the night before or something. Anyways, this afternoon I will go start up for ten seconds and turn off and check oil again. Not sure what that high oil pressure was about. I will sent that https://lnengineering.com/vw-type-1-dtm.html to mechanic and see if I should buy this and if he can install it on my engine or not.

He said my exhaust runs close to my valve covers and could be part of problem. I do not know which tins/fins or whatever I am missing to order them or if I can install them in existing holes or need to try to convince mechanic to make holes in my engine to mount them.

@John Bungen posted:


He said my exhaust runs close to my valve covers and could be part of problem. I do not know which tins/fins or whatever I am missing to order them or if I can install them in existing holes or need to try to convince mechanic to make holes in my engine to mount them.

That's not it. Do you have any idea if it's running lean or not?

325-350 degree head temps are normal IMHO. It's over 400 when I worry.

The only time it runs under 350 is when its warming up or you stay under 45 mph. Any attempt to go over 45-50 mph on flat highway in florida and you are 360-390. I have not experimented much above 350 as i was told that is the safe threshold. Next time he is available he will check plugs again and carb jets, mixture.

My new worry was last night driving for 4 miles each way and having the oil pressure gauge pegged when driving and around 60 at stop lights, burnt oil smell. I checked under car when back at shop and didnt see anything going on under the car or anything. Didnt see smoke coming off the engine somewhere but i thought maybe i saw smoke come up on me at one stop sign but didnt see again.

I think it's a really good possibility you have excess carbon buildup on the heads and pistons. This causes too high compression and impedes the heads from carrying the heat away.

Too much or too little timing can cause high head temps also, as well as lean jetting as I already mentioned.

I would try the old engine steaming trick. You rev and hold the engine around 3000 rpm or so, and drip water into the carb. You need to pour just enough so you get a huge cloud of white smoke out of the exhaust, but not too much so as to hydro-lock the engine. The 3000 rpm helps this a LOT though. There is little possibility of hydro-lock at 3000 rpm, but you need to be ready with the throttle to keep the revs up.

I have no clue as to why you have sudden high oil pressure unless one of the bypass pistons is hanging up.

@DannyP so you feel it is ok to drive the car on the highway for a distance even if the temp is in the 380s? We verified cylinder temp gauge is accurate with scanner the other night and its on cylinder 3. Oil pressure gauge runs 200-220 when you are warmed up and it is 45-50 mph. Maybe the engine just runs hot and im throwing away. I drove it 4-5 miles at 45-50mph through town the other night after cutting hole in engine lid, wrapping exhaust next to valve covers and checking timing. Seemed ok and in 320s then I got on the on ramp and wound through the gears shifting at 3500 and was feeling good about life then looked at temp gauge and it said 386 so then i reduced to 50 mph as i got to top of ramp and nursed it to next exit and returned home under 45-50 mph and kept at 350 or less.

I mean at some point spending $600 to 1k on $100/hr mechanics to drive 10 miles and spend more...might make more sense to spend the money and have a new engine put in or a subaru engine conversion and just spend the money all at once instead of over 2-3 months and still have a problem. So far it costs me about $250 every 12-15 miles in shop visits to try to figure this out.

@John Bungen posted:

@DannyP so you feel it is ok to drive the car on the highway for a distance even if the temp is in the 380s? We verified cylinder temp gauge is accurate with scanner the other night and its on cylinder 3. Oil pressure gauge runs 200-220 when you are warmed up and it is 45-50 mph. Maybe the engine just runs hot and im throwing away. I drove it 4-5 miles at 45-50mph through town the other night after cutting hole in engine lid, wrapping exhaust next to valve covers and checking timing. Seemed ok and in 320s then I got on the on ramp and wound through the gears shifting at 3500 and was feeling good about life then looked at temp gauge and it said 386 so then i reduced to 50 mph as i got to top of ramp and nursed it to next exit and returned home under 45-50 mph and kept at 350 or less.

Some guys cars run around 375. I'd consider 400 a pullover point, but I'd want to verify the accuracy of the gauge first. Which you have. Typically number 3 is the hottest so the others should be less.

Mine runs 325-350 but that's just my experience. Different engines in different cars in different configurations with different shrouds. You just have to see how your combination runs and what is normal for yours.

Run it for a while(like an oil change interval) and keep track of valve adjustment. Tight valves can be a good indication of valve seats sinking into the heads, a sign of too hot cylinder heads.

Last edited by DannyP

The two I have found locally do not seem to do modifications and just do engine work as their bread and butter. There is another one that said he can look at it in October when he has time for me to make an appt so maybe i can just order every tin available for this motor from this powdercoating guy and something will fit.  Do they have screw holes already or do i need to be drilling into the engine and making holes to attach?

@Michael McKelvey I just called bug city and he took my card number and said he will send 5-6 tins and 24 screws monday, I bought old german style he said they look bad but they fit good vs chinese should be less than $500 and will send receipt with stuff. I will try to match them up with pictures above and attach them when they arrive if i can reach them or ill take them in october at next mechanic opening for appt.

Here's link to the industrial tins you need (even if you go with DTM they are still needed).   All parts add up to around $100 - you'll need some metricscrews for the tin too (I bought a pack of button head hex screw for mine from a Samba advertisor).

Industrial Cooling Tins, For Heater Box Removal on 1958-74 Upright Engines, PAIR - Aircooled.Net VW Parts

Here's link to other rear pieces that are missing -

Rear Deflector Tin (Cooling Tin), Right, VW 1966+ T1 and 1963-71 T2, 113-119-358A - Aircooled.Net VW Parts

Rear Deflector Tin [Cooling Tin), Right, 1966+ T1 and 1963-71 T2, 113-119-358A

Rear Deflector Tin (Cooling Tin), Left, VW 1966+ T1 and 1963-71 T2, 113-119-357 - Aircooled.Net VW Parts

These appear missing too - might be able to bend and install with push rod tubes in???

Lower Cylinder Air Deflector Plate, Upright Engines, 10mm Head Studs, 40hp-1600cc Upright Engines, Each, 311-119-317A - Aircooled.Net VW Parts

Lower Cylinder Air Deflector Plate, Upright Engines, 8mm Head Studs, 40hp-1600cc Upright Engines, ECONOMY, Each, 043-119-317B

I can't tell if this there or not - on the dog house oil cooler at very bottom

Bugpack 36hp Doghouse Cooler Exhaust Tin - Aircooled.Net VW Parts

Bugpack 36hp Doghouse Cooler Exhaust Tin

1. yes! Get the tin, the sled tins.

2. I very much like @DannyP's suggestion that there might be carbon build up and a little squirt of water might clean it out. I did this once in a 350 engine we thought had a rod knock (after dropping the pan and looking at all the rod and main bearings), and it cured what ailed it. Any old school mechanic knows about this method; it's not air-cooled specific.

3. Also make triple sure the valves are adjusted correctly. That number three exhaust valve stem in particular can stretch just a little bit over time, and then it's not opening for as long as it should, and that keeps a bit more hot spent gasses recirculating in there and builds up a bit of pressure and also that lack of time with the hot exhaust valve "off the seat" makes that cylinder head run hotter. The difference between correct adjustment of the valves and very-wrong-this-will-hurt-the-engine is approximately .004 inches.

4. Hang in there; you're not too far off right now.

Last edited by edsnova

John; you do have the last tin on the photos that Wolfgang posted; it's in place. I believe you are doing the right thing by getting OEM tins; they fit better and in some instances have parts (like the deflectors in the cylinder head tins or the internal vanes in the fan housing) that the repops don't have. The type of oil you run can also be a factor. A friend of mine here in the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area was using Shell Rotella 40W; then switched to another oil brand and viscosity and under the same conditions the car's oil temperature dipstick lit up the oil pressure light. He switched back and it was fine. Oil weight is also another balancing act; I've heard the two versions that using heavier weight oil makes the car run cooler and the opposite. Also; make sure the valves are adjusted correctly; especially exhausts. The factory spec for stock aluminum pushrods is .006"; when using chromoly pushrods it's zero loose lash. Some people prefer their cars to be a little noisier but cooler running with looser valves  rather than tighter.

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