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VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case

AS41 Engine – Day 0 – Case Inspection

Posted on 2019-04-212019-05-04

For the most part, when I bought the AS41 case I ended up putting it aside and not thinking about it too much since I had always intended the AH Engine to be the source for my first rebuild.

Today is the first day I really gave the new case a good once over to begin my plans for prepping it.

VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case
Brazilian AS41 Case Markings

 

Case Exterior

VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case Front
Day 0 – Case Front

It is rather amazing how clean a new 0 mile case is. After working with both the AH block and then the AR and AJ2 blocks, this thing is gorgeous.

All oil gallery plugs are there, however, the large 1″ one on the 1/2 side of the case is still there, unlike the AH block that apparently had it drilled, tapped, and plugged at the factory.

What’s new to me is the fact this case is a “universal case”, and so is designed to be used as an engine in any Type 1, some Type 2, and all Type 3 cars with their various idiosyncrasies. It has the threaded mounting holes on each side of the oil pump, and it also has the Type 3 dipstick installation area (lower right of pic above) that needs to be closed off for use with Type 1.s

VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case Rear
Day 0 – Case Rear

The flywheel side is mint condition, and I find it odd that they still have the bore at the upper left where the old diagnostic ports were. I am not sure what kind of current aftermarket mods that can take advantage of that hole. The cam plug is grooved like all 71 and later Type 1 blocks.

The plugs are all there, but one looks much smaller than what was in the AH case.

 

VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case 3/4 Side of case
Day 0 – Exterior 3/4 Side of case

 

VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case
Day 0 – Exterior 1/2 Side of case

There’s a few shipping dings here on all exteriors surfaces in the alloy, but it is all solid.

VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case 1/2 Side of case Top
Day 0 – 1/2 Side of case Top

There is quite a bit of left over casting marks that probably should be smoothed off prior to final cleaning.

Case Interior

 

VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case 1/2 Side of case
Day 0 – Interior 1/2 Side of case

After having worked prepping the 45 year old never rebuild AH engine case, it is nice to not have decades of oil and prior sealant varnishes all over. I scrubbed and scrubbed that old case but it never looked remotely this clean inside at all.

VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case 1/2 Side of case - Oil Return Grooves
Day 0 – Internal 1/2 Side of case – Oil Return Grooves

On thing that I was really rather shocked to find was that this universal case has an oil groove built into it that I only thought was a Case Mod #2 I learned about at John Maher Racing when in fact, the mod mentioned is to enlarge this oil return groove. The AH engine has no groove here at all, so I thought the mod was to create one! I am not sure when the oil return groove below #1 bearing saddle and above #1 cam saddle was folded into the cases. I didn’t want to risk it on the AH case since I figured I’d frank it up with just using a Dremel to make the groove. (I learn something new every day!)

VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case Day 0 - 3/4 Side of case
Day 0 – Interior – 3/4 Side of case

The 3/4 side of the case is just as nice as the rest of it.

One thing I need to do is make some comparison measurements of the oiling groove in the cam saddles. The new cases just look a lot larger than the AH case. They probably aren’t, but to the eye just just felt like they were. Enlarging the cam oil groves on both case sides is another frequent mod.

VW Type 1 AS41 Universal Case Distributor Drive Pinion Gear Sleeve
Day 0 – Distributor Drive Pinion Gear Sleeve

While the reproduction distributor pinion gear I have did smoothly rotate in the two sleeves of the other case I’ll have to see what happens with this case. If not, this’ll give me an opportunity to hone it smooth, or just through the 45 year old pinion gear into this case.

All in all, I feel confident with my decision to shift my engine work from rebuilding the old AH case and putting my focus on this 0 mile case.

I’ll return to the other one as a straight up 1600cc stock long block build some other time.

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