Żuczek – Dropping Ż’s AE engine for refresh!

So I had planned to delay this a couple of days but decided to at least pull AE engine out of Żuczek so I could start cleaning out the engine bay, assess what needs to be purchased to fully make the AE engine ready to go into the 74, and generally get things ready to install the newly built motor into him Ż.

I did the usual, getting his looser parts removed, as well as his engine wiring, rear tin off, etc.

With his ass up in the air, higher than I even had it when I was redoing the rear brakes last year, I was able to really assess the transaxle, CV Joints, cabling, etc.

I never noticed the half-assed repair to the passenger-side heat adjustment cable.  I tried removing the screw for both this side and the driver side and they weren’t budging so I just cut them. They were all going to be replaced after during the restoration anyway.

His transaxle is just horribly filthy, with caked up oil and dirt everywhere. I’m going to need to try to powerwash this later this week. I sure as hell do not want to put the new engine onto him with it this filthy.

The thing is I cannot tell if this is leaking or just a collection of funk over the years.

This is not his original transaxle, as he was born an autostick and someone in the past converted him to manual. (This is another reason I don’t feel bad altering him even more during the restomodding.)

While I’m not sure if these are his original axles yet, I can say that the CV boots are in really good shape if they are. Knowing this is not the original transaxle makes me want to think they were removed at some time and replaced but who knows.

I have a major issue getting the rear tin off.

The pre-heat tubes are held down but some kind of much larger than stock bolts, and whoever did this kind of shoved the tin under one, and just got it all back together without really considering the fitment. I mean, he’s missing the 2 pieces that fit over and screw down onto these.

You can see how pitted the pre-heat tubes are. Someone just cleaned them up and then painted them. I am assuming they are totally rusted inside. This leads me to just really consider throwing those dual ICTs on this so I don’t need to deal with the pre-heats.

I had to finally pry the rear tin off and didn’t damage it, though it is bent.

The tin screws took some effort but did come out without damage.

So the passenger side top nut, as well as both bottom stud nuts came off fine.  Getting to the driver-side top nut was a major pain in the ass made even worse by how oily and dirty the transaxle is.

It actually took me about 20 minutes to fully work this, finally having success with a ratchet with 2 extensions, and feeling blindly with on hand to keep the socket on the bolt head.

 

Separation was a cinch once I got that one bolt out.

I misplaced a wood block so lowering the engine on the jack didn’t put it perfectly onto the rolling engine cart and I’d hoped.

Still, it was fairly quick in the scheme of things. I didn’t have any issues with the generator nut clearing the engine bay seal, and nothing got caught up on the studs.

 

Now to get the engine bay cleaned up, not to mention the transaxle, and get the new engine ready to go in.

I am hoping it’ll be easy to get the dual carbs lifted up into the space without any damage or having to remove them and putting them on afterwards.

This’ll be the first time I’ve installed a dual carb engine back into a Beetle so… who knows. Definitely want one or two spotters for the install.