VW Automatic Register

Here is a photo of My 68Autobug engine bay...

I have found that painting parts in the engine bay do Not make the engine :
run any cooler...
go any faster...
save any fuel...

it does however :
make it extremely difficult to pull apart and put together without scratching the paint....

Lee Noonan - 68autobug - Australia -

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug








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What kind of paint did you use to paint your engine.  High temp or standard?

Hi
I used spray can engine enamel, its not High temp paint
it peeled off over the heads last year, but Maybe I put too many coats on??
the black semi gloss paint is also pressure pack engine enamel..
the exhaust and inlet manifolds are painted with Silver POR 15.. Hi Temp brush on paint..

Lee

Thanks Lee, I want to paint my engine and compartment soon and I appreciate the info.

Thanks

Here is the latest photo of My engine bay..

The alloy box in the Left hand corner is My
Universal High Energy Ignition System...
I've added an extension piece between the carburetor and the air cleaner
as the oil bath air cleaner does have one built in...

Lee

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I've saved your pic.  I'm trying to decide how to paint my eng. when I get the new long block.  Your's looks great!
I have found that bbq grill paint works well as a primer for hi-temp uses.  Any advice?
   regards,  John

Well
My engine bay does Look different Now...

No engine
No gearbox

Lee

Yes I have heard of people using BBQ paint to paint the engines...
I have tried many different High temp paints on the muffler and exhaust
but they all eventually peel off....
I just found some High Temp Metallic silver spray paint in My shed
so i have used that....
hopefully it will stick...
or i will just keep wirebrushing and painting...

Many years ago I used John Deere pressure pack Muffler black paint
with success....

Lee


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Hi
I have been thinking about changing the color of My engine tinware...

Yellow... Metallic silver... Green...  Black's out as there are too many already that color... ;D ;D :D :D
Dark Blue..  or Maybe Red again.... ??? ???

Metallic silver would look like the car was painted and the engine lid opened and the engine was painted at the same time... lol   ??? ;D

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Lee





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I would bet dark blue would look good with the silver exterior of the car.  That is the color the I want to experiment with. ;)

Well Chris,
I have bought some pressure pack Etch primer
and pressure pack Hi Temperature Red paint

I've never had any problems with the primer peeling off
just the top coat...
and i know i did put many coats of paint on...

Lee

Well,
it seems I did put a lot of undercoat and top coats on My tinware...
Now, I've found out that paint that gets very hot...
is called baked enamel....   ;D ;D :D

and its very difficult to get off...
I've been wire brushing it [in a drill]
but looks like I'll have to use an abrasive disc in the drill../
to get ALL the paint off to bare metal and start again...

Plus the RED high temperature paint isn't glossy...
I'll see how it looks when its all done...

I thought the engine would be in the car and going by tomorrow but the High temperatures
has kept Me indoors...  most of the time...


cheers

Lee

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

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Well,
here is a pic of My gearbox installed plus one axle...

starter motor is installed and wired up..

engine is ready to have the tinware installed
but I'm still rubbing the old paint off...
down to bare metal....

Heater boxes and exhaust have been painted with High temperature Metallic silver paint..

all ready to be installed...

cheers

Lee

Well,
the tinware has been rubbed down to bare metal..
High Temperature paint has been used...

looking good at the moment..

won't be long now...

Lee

Engine is now in..
bolting it in was very difficult due to installing the heater boxes...
and front plate behind the engine.. and doghouse cooler tinware..

I'm not sure if i can bolt the torque converter onto the flexplate without removing a heater box...

Lee

Well, I installed the engine...
and started it...
I found one of the heads was leaking underneath due to the head shims
had dropped down and were jammed in the head..
and was blowing oil out there..

I replaced the head and then decided to change back to My non doghouse fan shroud
and using a new external oil cooler...

I took the Altenator and Generator [both with fans attached] to My Son
to undo the fans with a rattle gun
and to My surprise...
On My alternator was a non doghouse fan...???  thinner by approx 3-5 mm
so My doghopuse oil cooler wouldn't have been getting much air... if Any..??

so I didn't have to change fans , just the fan shroud..

Lee

That was My non doghouse shroud with the new oil cooler on the back...

I was hoping to put My electronic ignition box behind the fan shroud too
but the hoses to the oil cooler take up too much room...

Lee

engine ready for fan shroud with Alternator and oil cooler to be installed
then its fingers crossed..... ;D ;D

that everything will go according to plan...

Lee

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

Well, as usual, nothing went to plan...
the oil cooler will not fit behind the fan shroud
because of the vented stainless steel firewall...

I thought I would fit the doghouse oil cooler over the fan
but it won't fit either...

so, its back to the drawing board...
and more thinking... more ideas...
it looks like the external oil cooler has to go somewhere
either attached to the engine cover??
or under a rear fender??
or under the body near the gearbox??

so, I'm still thinking and looking and looking...

the inlet manifold had to be "stretched" slightly to fit onto the heads..
so, a jack handle in one end, and My foot on the other end..
and it worked... I gained about 10mm...  just right...

Lee

I installed the engine today..
with the electronic ignition behind the fan shroud/housing...
it was much easier to do the two top 17mm locknuts up
with no doghouse oil cooler...
and somehow?? the two top engine bolts that have a "D" shaped head
were sticking thru the gearbox holes plus they were jammed in place??
so, I jacked the engine up and pushed it onto the top two bolts...
fitted the locknuts and then did the two bottom bolts up [17mm]

I fitted the 4 special bolts to the Flexplate/torque converter [8mm]
thru the RHS square hole.. tightening them in sequence until they were all tight..

The external oil cooler is Not fitted anywhere yet...
I'll buy some more 12.7mm high pressure hose [300PSI]
and find somewhere to install the oil cooler...

next exhaust and heater boxes..
I also did the tappets today...

Lee

Lee,

    When I pulled my engine, I didn't disconnect the torque converter from the flex plate and ended up pulling the T.C. off with engine. I wouldn't advise this method since the T.C. gets hung up on the bell housing when you drop the engine. Now I know.

    When you installed your engine, I'm assuming you placed the T.C. against the T.C. seal and held it in place as described in the Bently. My question is. How do you access the four bolts that connect the T.C. to the flex plate? I see the access holes in the bell housing but wonder if I can reach all four bolts. Can you do it without turning the crank over? I'm at top dead center now and don't want to move it before I'm ready to start timing it.

Dave

Hi Dave

Yes, You need to turn the engine over to access the 4 bolt holes..
You also need to be careful NOT to drop any of the bolts into the bell housing...

I have learnt to take the spark plugs out before i install the engine
so i can turn it over easily with the fan belt...

I'm lucky that i have a removeable rear valance
so I just pull the engine back a few inches

and let the jack down...
the car is only up about 6 inches above normal ride height
so I can get under the engine easily..

when you pulled the torque converter out
did you also get about a pint of ATF fluid on the ground??
I did the first time...too  Very Messy

Now I put a large shallow pot plant drip tray under the torque converter..

cheers

Lee

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

Dave,

when You push the torque converter back onto the gearbox shaft
You will notice there are two sets of splines..

VERY Important
You have to turn the Torque converter back and forth slightly
as You push the torque converter onto the splines..
You will feel it go onto the splines...
You can then move it easily in either direction..

Also - You will notice when You align the torque converter holes
up with the threads in the Flexplate
that the bolts can be done up by hand...
or i should say "fingers"..

I did Loctite the bolts in once...
and when i went to undo them
one nut that was brazed/welded to the flexplate came loose
[not a good thing] so now, no loctite..

I now leave the heater boxes off until I install the engine and bolt up the Torque converter...
I do use the square holes in both sides to tighten the 4 TC bolts
although I have used the RHS hole most of the time..

cheers

Lee

Well folks...
I started My beetle today
and apart from the gears crunching
everything seems to be OK...

I finally put the external oil cooler on top of the fan shroud..
well, slightly above it...

it seems like years since i drive My beetle
and because I still have one axle not fitted
I couldn't take it for a drive..

but tomorrow is another day...

Lee

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Well,
I drove 400kms over the last weekend without any problems
no oil leaks...
and driving My beetle in traffic at 80kmh was great...

really enjoyed the drive...

Lee

That is colourful! 8)

I drove over 500kms last weekend to a VW Show
over a steep and winding mountain road
the temperature dropped and My beetle stopped...

Inlet manifold and carburetor were all iced up...

so, I had to close off the cold air getting into the engine bay..

this is how i did it....lol

LEE

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

The oil cooler sitting on top of the fan shroud with the top of the engine lid open
was too cold for the engine...
I have now replaced the oil cooler with a doghouse oil cooler
which is located next to the RHS tappet cover..
the engine cover is now closed at the top...
I have fitted a VW air cleaner with hot air pipe taking hot air to the carburetor
also I have fitted a heater blanket around the inlet manifold
to stop it icing up...

its all working well..

LEE

H = Electric blanket
HA = Hot Air hose

Well I finally put the small vacuum hose into the correct hole in the front of the carburetor.
Vacuum is much less and the clutch servo dosen't thump any more...
Just like a new car...  lol

I did have to adjust the control valve slightly as it was a bit slow
engaging the clutch..

Lee

A few changes here and there....\
I drove 600kms recently without any problems..

I am now replacing the inlet manifold...
which isn't all that easy on a single port engine...
maybe i'll find something else to paint.... lol

LEE