You'd think this wouldn't be hard for a stock engine. You'd be wrong. Just because the specifications are stock doesn't mean that the new products that will go into the case and mesh together are NEW. You might wait a life-time to find all NOS parts to assemble your 'perfectly new' VW engine.
So you must re-use some parts, rebuild others, and have replacements made for yet others. There is always the nagging temptation either to upgrade (more power!) or otherwise 'improve' on stock.
I have largely resisted. Yea me. My concessions to modernity are:
- The factory 1977 exhaust system is a disaster. It has 14 different joints that it can leak from, spread over 11 components. By installing the early heat exchangers, the number of joints drops to 7 and cab heat improves at the cost of slightly dirtier exhaust.
- There is no source for NOS camshafts. Nada. They don't exist, unless it is in reground form. Why in the world would I use a forty year old hunk of metal that has already gone through thousands of heat-cool cycles? Hasn't metallurgy moved forward in forty years? So I'll maintain a stock camshaft profile on a new billet.
- The best balance job on the stock engine components was rods and pistons to within 5 grams of one another. My goal will be to get to less than .5g. There is no reason this shouldn't be completely possible based on a man having enough patience and grinding discs. Less wasted wear, more longevity.
- To my knowledge, the factory engines were not spin balanced. If Vince's Machine Shop in Clementon, NJ can handle it, I'll have them balance the whole rotating mass (crank, flywheel and clutch cover with a possible look into the impeller fan) so that I have a 2000cc sewing machine when we're done.
- No one makes the factory exhaust. The original parts are rare, and difficult to deal with. However Ernst does make an exhaust for the 411/412 that is available both with and without an EGR fitting. I'm going for the one with the EGR fitting. I'll get the darn thing working someday...eventually.
- The heads will have to be rebuilt or replaced with AMC castings and then rebuilt again. No thanks. If I can have my VW castings reworked, I'll just do that. This will include upgraded valves, guides, seats, retainers and keepers which are the wear components which cause a bus to spit parts and embarrass the owner.
So those are my changes of note. Nothing is for increased power. Everything is for increased reliability based on three years of study. The final parts list looks like this:
- Stock Type4 GD 2L crankcase
- Stock 71mm stroke crank, repolished journals
- Rebuilt stock connecting rods
- Webcam 142 grind (stock) camshaft & Webcam Lifters
- AA 94mm Pistons & Cylinders (13cc dished heads)
- OEM VW heads rebuilt by Headflow Masters with standard durability upgrades
- All bearings, gaskets & seals by either Kolbenschmidt or Reinz
- All new Gates Barricade fuel hoses (E10 compatible), Gates vacuum hose with GeeBee Decel, Breather & Sboot custom mandrel hoses (to replace factory NLA parts)
- Stock 70amp Bosch Alternator (factory)
- New Injectors (Sorensen)
- Rebuilt throttle valve assembly
- 72-74 heat Exchangers
- Stock German 411 Ernst exhaust w/EGR fitting
If you think that this shouldn't be too painful because VW's are just cheap cars....you couldn't be more laughably wrong. They were cheap cars... in the 50s and 60s. Before the Smog Man came swinging the Scythe of yearly EPA regulation changes. Before Volkswagen of America disowned the aircooled vehicles in an attempt to put their watercooled offerings forward.
I have pinched pennies on this gig until the Lincoln screamed. If I bring it in under $2000 with me doing all of the labor and assembly, I'll be amazed. If I come in under $2500, I'll be relieved.
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