How do you make it rain in California?... buy a speedster.

What should I use for a shim? Thin pieces of metal between the hinge and the door? or hinge and the body?  Is this process written down any place or is it another 'earn an you learn' type deal?

 

I'm sure it'll make sense once I stuff the first shim or two in there.

Thanks for the quick replies!

Ted

Ted;

 

My drivers door is shimmed out at the top. Thin little rectangular metal. A fender washer(s) would work equally as well.

 

I don't like seeing them every time I open the door and look at the door jamb. BUT, I haven't fixed my butt sag yet, so I'm hoping this might fix it all.

 

BTW....your body shine work is very nice. you ought to be proud and happy. Me, I'm just jealous.

TRP: My bet this is all OJT. There is some sh## you just can't write down.  And you can buy shim stock of various thicknesses.  Alan says you don't need much, so I am thinking a few thou here or there at the hinge.

Ted

Mine is shimmed between the hinge and body. FWIW.

It all depends on which direction the door has to move (in 3 dimensions).  You really have to sit there and see where it's out to begin with, then determine where to put the shims and how thick they should be.  

 

I aligned the doors on the red Speedster that Alan finished and all I used was some flat aluminum stock 2-1/2" square or so.  Sometimes it goes between the door and the hinge, sometimes between the body and the hinge, depending on which door corner you're trying to move and in which direction.

 

A very little difference in shim thickness and where positioned can make a BIG difference in the end result, so go slowly and play with different thicknesses until you get it to where it looks cool.

@Ted

any news about wiring, swap hoses and pumping oil up ore down? ;-)

I have been putting that off.

 

The new sand seal and the BOSCH relay(s) arrived yesterday, so now I have no excuse not to finish all of that up. It's on the radar, I just haven't wrapped it up yet. I started to remove the cooler and the hoses so I could build a proper FOD screen over the cooler. I'd hate for a rock to come off the tire and damage that cooler/fan.

 

I had one question on the fan wiring. What if I pulled my 12V off of a terminal that's only 'hot' when the starter is not cranking? I'm pretty sure I have such a terminal on my ignition switch. If I did, would that work in place of the relay setup?

Ted

Yes, but in using a relay you will dramatically lessen the power going through the switch, thereby extending its operational life, as well as supplying more power to the fan (from the relay) and decreasing heat generated in the wire (although that's pro'bly negligible, in this case).

 

Other than that, using that spare lug on the ignition switch (to drive the fan relay) is fine.

Thanks, Gordon! Your info makes sense. I'll put this on 'the list' of tasks to tackle. Now that the seal has arrived I'll turn my attention back to getting the ole girl up and running again. 

 

Jan - I know it seems like I'm all over the place on this car. I like to keep myself busy while I'm waiting for parts.

 

I started to tear into the oil system as part of an overall project to keep the motor cool and attack a few small oil drips. With the proper Gene Berg oil pump cover, the new 'step stud' on the sump and the 'red seal nuts' on the oil pump - I hope to have solved my oil drips.  I uncovered the sand seal when I was trying to install the proper 7" crank pulley. Previously I had no idea the motor was running a sand seal. Once I discovered the seal was leaking I decided to replace the seal and put a proper sized sand seal pulley on the car.

 

Naturally, while the oil was out, I figured it's the right time to install the cooler and thermostat. With the stock sized pulley, the cooler, the thermostat, the fan, etc. - I should be able to help keep the temps down into comfortable levels. Granted, it was't bad before - I just didn't like watching the temps go up while sitting in traffic.

 

I've also been planning on sealing up the rear most area of the engine compartment. It's always bothered me that it was 'open' the the heat from the header. A 38" x 4" gap can let in a lot of heat while sitting in traffic. Gotta keep the hot side hot and the cold side cold.

 

I decided to tackle the dingy back end because it's the first thing I see as I pull and out of the garage every single day. Also the wires are in the visible as I'm dealing with both the waxing of the rear of the car AND sealing up the rear of the body/engine tin.

 

Ted 

this is what I already wrote you got these two possibilities: you can take the power from the relay ore from the ignition switch. I also think the way to do it with the relay might be easier for you because you don't have to put an extra cable from the ignition switch up to the fan across the vehicle.

Fair enough. That's probably where I got the idea then. 

 

Ted

Missed my anniversary? How did that happen?

 

So, turns out that in early March (the 6th?) was my one year anniversary of owning the speedster. ALB reminded me of it yesterday. I can't believe how fast the time has flown. I'll have to go back and do a retrospective of all the stuff I've done to the car over the past 365 days. I'll remember what Wolfgang and Gordon said ("Don't add up the receipts!).

 

I think I'll celebrate by wrapping up the cooler install and getting her back on the road today. I got most of it done yesterday. I was bummed that the 'thermostat switch' didn't seem to work. The cooler works well, but I let the car run for 20 minutes in the garage and the fan never came on. I jumped the 12V across the two pins on the switch and the fan came alive, but the 'switch' never triggered. My thought is that the with the fan switch on the return side of the cooler, the oil leaving the cooler was under 180.  Not sure if that's accurate but it's a theory. 

 

Setrab suggested putting the switch on the INLET side of the cooler. Considering moving it to their suggested location.  Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

I fixed the stud on the sump. No more leaks there. I still have a drip at the oil pump even after replacing the rear cover and installing the red seal nuts. Looks like it's coming from the top. Might need to pull the pulley, the tins, and go at it again. 

 

While I'm cleaning up the rear wires, I took the time to install LED's. 

 

 

With the fan switch on the inlet side of the cooler, the fan is running whenever oil is circulating through the cooler, and that isn't necessary. I've never heard a reasonable explanation as to why they suggest it. As you said, a lot of the time it's going to be less than 180' after the cooler. 

 

YOU WANT THE OIL TO BE CLOSE TO THAT TEMPERATURE, SO WHY RUN THE FAN AND MAKE THE OIL EVEN COLDER?

 

Remember, oil does it's job best when it's 180-200 or 210'F. I think the cooler thermostat should be set to open at 200 or 210', as the engine's just getting warmed up at 180, but they don't make them like that.

 

And congratulations, Ted; you've definitely got the Madness! and you're an inspiration. 

it just means everyting is 100% o.k.
running the engine in the garage will never bring ist to the temerature, you need to swirch on the fan. my Engine for example neeeds 20 minutes hard driving in the hot summer to switch it on.
to give you an idea for the right temperature 180 deree is the temperature you cant touch the metal of the cooler for longer tha3 seconds. If you can touch it for lorger, it's to cold, try it out

 

Gary and Jan are right. Want to see the effects of an engine running too cold? Look at a beetle engine with no thermostat or flaps; in my neck of the woods (Vancouver, BC) oil temps won't reach 180'F for several months of the year, and removing the oil filler cap will yeild a mungy, dirty, mayonaise like substance at the top of the filler, which is condensation from the engine not reaching proper operating temps. Engines like this (even rebuilt stock 1600's) don't last 60,000 miles because of moisture build up, gas dilution and acid corrosion from not reaching operating temps for months at a time! A friend here who still drive a beetle full time (78x90.5, FK44 with 1.3 rockers, 40x35 heads, Webers or Dels, I forget) removes the rear breast plate over the exhaust during the winter months, otherwise the engine never fully warms up around town.

 

Gene Berg once said that an engine's life was shortened 12- 15% from the longer warm up times caused by people removing the thermostat and flaps, and that's in souther California. An engine (any engine) needs to get to proper operating temps quickly to minimize the damage from running too cold.

Drove the car for 20 minutes today. Motor is leaking somewhere behind the crank pulley or the top of the oil pump. Drained some oil out because the oil level was a tad on the high side. The oil has a lot of sparkle/shimmering silver dust in it. Brad Penn shouldn't shimmer. Need to tear it down and inspect what's going on in there.

This motor is coming out and the 1600 is going back in.

Lame.

That sucks, it is bad enough to find metal particles in an old engine but worse in a newly built one...I hope it is not really major like shaved cylinders or something.

Not sure what it is. It's like powdered graphite but silver. Very fine particles in suspension in the oil. I  don't even know what it could be.

I'll assume the dog house is a throw away. What about the setrab? Do I need to pitch that as well?

Can't both of them be flushed out?

Ted, is this you first oil change with the new engine? If so, it is not unusual to find metal floating around in a new/rebuilt engine. When you change the oil again, keep a close eye on it and see if that continues, if so there is some interference inside the engine. To make sure it is metal, I would get a magnet and stir up the old oil and see if anything sticks, that way you will know if it really metal or not. Good luck.

 

Gary

coud you tell something about the engine? how long did it run at all after the revision? and a funny question: did anyone paint the engine case in silver before the engine was mounted?

Good point Jan! Now I know why I've painted the few cases I've rebuilt black...

 

Gary- If the cam and lifters are self-destructing most of what you'll see will be aluminum/magnesium from the cam gear and lifter bores, so I wouldn't be surprised if most of the material isn't attracted to the magnet.

 

Bummer, Ted! On the other hand, now you have an excuse for building that stroker..

ALB, I agree that some won't be picked up by metal, but it is any cheap easy way to verify if some metal is in the engine. Good point.

 

Gary

I believe if was the cam or lifters going bad you would have immediately noticed in the way the car performed. When either goes bad it is almost always self-evident in performance...at least that is what I've found in V-8's and I do not see a flat-4 being any different.

There are some shops around that build racing/hi-performance engines that can perform an oil analysis it may behoove you to have the oil checked out. I've had it done before years ago on a BB 427 I had bought used and after firing it up found what looked like metal particles in the fresh oil and it cost about $50-60 to have the analysis done...unfortunately for me the 427 needed a complete rebuild and bore as the particles were metal from the cylinder wall on the #7 piston.

Kind of a pisser, but there isn't much I can do about it now. Just need to drop the Motor, swap in the ole (tired) 1600 and tear down the 1915. This motor has been a leaking mess since  day one. I really despise a leaky messy motor.

Grumble. Grumble. Grumble.

Ted

It is pretty common for engine builders to use a graphite assembly lube on new parts, which comes out of the first few oil changes exactly as you described.  We see it in new engines and transaxles quote often.  I know that does;t help your leaks and such, but it may not be as bad as you think...

Thanks, Carey et al. I'm torn on this one. It's a good running motor. Strong and smooth. No bad habits. The builder said it was broken in and ready to go. My concern is that after the first oil change there was a good layer of the stuff in the base of the sump plate. I put my finger in the stuff and it looked like silver / grey graphite paste. Do you fix the oil leak and run it? Or bite the bullet and just pull the motor apart?

What about the setrab? Is it junk if it's been filled full of lifter/bearing material?

That is a BUMMER, Ted! As much as a pain in the a$$ a tear down would be, I know you wouldn't have any peace of mind unless you verified with a tear down. For you, that may be only a weekend project! When I retire next year, I can drive up whenever you need help wrenching on that bad boy, cuz I know you got the madness real bad and will still be tinkering! 

As already mentioned, sounds a lot like builder lube.  Builder lube will slowly go away over time.  The first oil change should show a lot of fine filings - like a shimmer on the oil or dust suspended in it if viewed through a clear glass.  put the container in the sun and it will shimmer like a rainbow.  This will markedly decrease with the first three or four oil changes.

 

If the Setrab is downstream from (or after) the external oil filter in the circuit, then it should be fine as the filter will catch anything large enough to get trapped in the cooler.   Some people make a living out of cutting oil filters in half and analyzing the residue left behind, but that's mostly for racers to determine what's wearing and whether it's time for a tear-down/rebuild.

 

Now....leaks - That's a whole 'nuther thing.

Sounds like you should drive it for a while before going through the bother of pulling the engine, Ted.

i like what Jan is saying here! I learn something new every time I visit this site. 

Thanks for the replies guys. If I can fix this damn oil leak I'll run it a bit and see if it clears up. The stuff sounds exactly like what Gordon and the rest of you are describing. If it's builders lube, then that's great. My luck usually doesn't go that way.

 

The oil level was a little 'proud' of the top mark on the dip stick. I was hoping the extra oil (everywhere) was due to the extra oil pressure pushing past the sand seal. We'll see.

 

I will check the three questions you mention above. If I just open the crank case while it's running I'm pretty sure nothing comes out of the breather/inlet... unless I try to add oil while it's running, then it creates a horrible mess.  Don't ask me how I know.

 

Jan - I see what you did there.

 

Ted

. . . and I'll assume you have a magnet in there and that you looked at that too.  What did you see: little filings like hair??  I like the builder's lube theory to explain the appearance of the oil.  Sounds right.  Run it 300m mi, change the oil and filter, and run it some more, see what you see.  Jan's list of three things is right on and easy to do.  I rubbed a cam lobe off an old Volvo once and it took a really long time to fully develop. By the time I rebuilt it the lobe was most gone (I think it was an intake valve) and the car still ran pretty good if you did not ask it to do too much, but when you stepped on it and the cylinder pressure went up, it faltered and had a lot of popping up through the carbs. And of course the Volvo had one lobe per valve, and the VW has two valves per.  Whatever that might mean -?-

Besides the damn thing leaking oil like the Valdez (crank seal, previously valve covers and sump stud) - the motor runs great. The oil looks like just fine particles. NO hairs. No chunks or anything, just a fine silt of what I assume is non magnetic material.  I will run a magnet through the oil tonight. and possibly a cheese cloth. 

 

I'll check the valve settings. I recently set them to .004 all the way around. A lot of people suggest loose / 0, but I couldn't get my head wrapped around NO valve clearance. The push rods/ valve springs / etc should allow for loose 0.

 

I'll test the oil filler cap trick. Should I remove the breather tubes before I do this test? I feel like the way the breather is set up, it's going to create some sort of splashing. 

 

Anyway  - thanks for your replies. I appreciate each and every one of them. I'm hoping I'm just paranoid. Something tells me I'm not but I've been wrong many times before. 

 

Sorry, Ted, but I'm  pretty sure the Setrab is toast.

I'll be happy to take it off your hands and dispose of it, free of charge.

No, don't worry about it, Ted! What're friends for, right?

Thanks, Buddy.  At least pay for shipping? Let's see... with shipping, hazardous materials, etc.  - it comes to just under $300.00

 

Sound good?

 

 

OK, I'll agree (politely and with full respect) that there may be a little paranoia (engine hypochondria -- I like that) going on here.

 

Loose zero, is the way to go IF you have the chrome-moly pushrods.  it sounds like you do, but you ought to check to be sure; get a sworn affidavit from the builder or put a magnet on the pushrod and see if it sticks.  If so, then you will be wanting to use 0.004" intake 0.006" exhaust)  If not magnetic, then likely chrome-moly, which is an alloy that expands and contracts with heat in tandem with the case and barrels, hence Loose zero" stays loose zero while things warm up.  If you set chrome-molys w/ a little gap, there will be no particular problem w/ that, except there will be a little valve clatter and you might notice that.  And always set valve clearance w/ engine stone cold.

 

Leaky valve cover gaskets: use the neoprene/fiber kind, and glue them down to the valve covers using HT silicone (red stuff). Let dry/set overnight, then apply some grease (I use silicone) to the exposed surface prior to application to the engine.  Original steel VW valve covers w/ the bale to secure them are the best -- other designs look cool, but in my experience do not work as well.

 

The "hair" I am referring to would be what you would see when you remove the sump drain plug and look at the magnet that should be in there.  Be sure to have that look when the oil gets changed.  If no magnet there, get a drain plug that has one, they are cheap.

 

Crank case pressure: with engine running, just open where you pour the oil in and see if gasses come out of this opening.  Leave everything hooked up otherwise.  Rev the engine and see how it goes.  There may be some positive pressure sensed, but it should not be strong and full of oil mist.  Ideally, it would be slightly negative pressure.  And putting oil down this pipe w/ engine running would not be a good idea.

 

Best news: you say engine is running strong, so that is good.  it will take a bit to get broken in. Running at various speeds, and not over-reving would be the order of the day.

 

And of course, do not overfill with oil.