Useful information from Paruzzi magazine and from our YouTube channel :
setting valve clearance The first technical work I ever did on my first Volkswagen Beetle was to set the valves. I didn't know much about the technology of the VW Beetle at the time, but I dared to do it, valve setting is easy to do yourself, you don't need many tools, and it's essential for the proper functioning of your classic.
Engine overhaul - video 17 assemble cylinder heads In this video, we show you how to assemble the cylinder heads of a VW Type 1 engine, and what to pay particular attention to.
Engine overhaul - video 07 TDC compression in practice In video six, we explained the operation of the four-stroke internal combustion engine through animations. In this video we will look at how to determine the top dead centre of cylinder 1 in practice. We will also learn how to find the compression stroke of cylinder 1, different techniques will be shown.
Engine Overhaul - video 01 video series preview In this video, we will give an overview of the most important steps during the engine overhaul of a type 1 air-cooled Volkswagen engine. Each step will be discussed in a separate video. We will show special tools and even homemade tools to help the enthusiast perform their engine overhaul.
Engine overhaul - video 04 removing the distributor drive shaft We want to give extra attention in this video to the position of the distributor drive shaft of the VW Type 1 engines, . If the drive shaft of the distributor is not correctly mounted during the engine overhaul, problems can arise later with the adjustment of the ignition timing. Disassembling the drive shaft is then the only solution.
mesuring the compression How can you determine very objectively how much wear the engine has? An indication of the wear level can be obtained by performing a compression measurement, the engine compression determines the power of your VW. Anyone can perform a compression measurement on an air-cooled or water-cooled VW.
Engine diagnostics - video 03 pushrods In video fourteen of our series on engine overhaul, we disassembled and reassembled the rocker arms and pushrods. In this video, we will inspect the pushrods. The result of this diagnosis, will tell us if we can reinsert the pushrods, or if we need to replace them.
Engine overhaul - video 06 find the TDC compression stroke We will explain in this video how to determine the top dead center, as well as which of the two top dead center moments is this one from the compression stroke. This is important in order to properly position the distributor drive shaft. Properly understanding how a four-stroke engine works is essential when you begin an engine overhaul.
Engine overhaul - video 16 part 2 valves removal In Part 1, we showed the basic techniques for disassembling the valves and valve springs. We did this on a fairly new cylinder head.
When you`re dealing with a used cylinder head, disassembly may be a little less smooth.
oil leakage If you are planning to buy a classic Volkswagen, you will certainly take a look under the engine lid and under the car. If it's dirty both at the bottom and under the bonnet, it doesn't offer much trust. The engine will need a lot of attention in the coming weeks, but how bad is it?