With the muffler out, there was still not enough space to not risk damaging some things.
I had no intention of touching the distributor, but I had to sacrifice my perfect timing to be able to turn the canister inwards. It kept smashing into the the tin rubber seal, which I soon learned was dry rotted in parts.
So with adjusting the distributor inwards, I then had to tackle the pointy part of the auxiliary air valve that pops out in between the alternator belt. Not wanting to risk damage, I removed it from the engine as well.
I ripped out some of the dry rotted rubber seal which also helped, though I was really worried that the fuel injector/fuel arrays for both heads were not going to want to come out and pass the engine “hole” as it dropped. (In retrospect, it probably could have all been taken off and the injectors removed. It would have been tough to do with man hands in such a tight space but it could have been done.)
With some assistance from my other half operating the jack stand, we were able to slowly shift it around and lower it down onto a rolling cart.
I then lifted the car up a bit more, and it slid out from the side since the trailing arms and axles were not there. I may wish to prep this the same way and put it back in prior to reassembly the suspension and drivetrain.
With the engine out, people not familiar with the substantial differences in the exhaust and heating can really see how different it is from the Pre-1975 carb Beetles.
I mean, you basically have the exhaust going to an exhaust manifold which then directs the gasses through much larger heat exchangers that are farther to the sides than Pre-1975. Because of the location changes on these, those special pipes up front needed to be added to allow the fan’s output to reach the tin and subsequent heat exchanger opening.
While Dansk does make an aftermarket FI heat exchanger, those exhaust manifold pipes are not made by anyone so saving these for decades to come is the goal. Since this is all original, I want it all to last for another 40 years at least, long after I’m gone and she belongs to my grand-children.
It is my understanding from the vendor I found that the colors for ceramic high-temp powder coatings are limited, so I’ll probably do all of this in the matte silver color along with the muffler. It is either that or a matte black finish. While I would loved to have had something yellow for these, I’ll settle for longevity over stock color at this time.
Another improvement made in 1975 was the addition of a velocity ring to the fan shroud to increase the air direction and increase cooling. The output to the charcoal canister is off to the left than being on the side of the shroud as in earlier years.
I noticed the metal is starting to get some surface rust so it is definitely time to clean this up and respray, though I do not think I could possibly reproduce that 518 factory marking with any real accuracy which kind of sucks. I should look for some stencil numbers.
The diagnostic wire has been snipped. The velocity ring is starting to show some signs of rusting too.
With the engine freed from the car, you can easily see the fuel pressure regulator directly behind Cylinder 1. It was almost impossible to see. I knew it was there and could feel it but I could never get a really good look at it prior to today. The fuel line that runs under the starter comes up through the tin here. I am not sure yet if the this is the fuel to the engine or the return line to the tank since I haven’t look recently at any diagrams. I would think it is to the engine then gets consistently regulated as it goes to the fuel array and injectors.
With the car out, you can really see the surface rust on the various parts that keep the fuel lines and splitter up off the cylinder tins and from the intake manifolds. All of this will get completely sanded up and repainted with several top coats of clear.
I can’t stress enough how frustrating it is to try and get your hands in here to change the plugs when the engine is in the car. There’s just so much “stuff’ in the way.
My decision to take the intake manifolds to be blasted and powder coated is sound. You can see the beginnings of surface issues above and especially at the mount point to the head.
The 1/2 side is really not better. I hope that when I disassemble I can finally determine the exact cause of the fuel leak. I still think it is that indent in the line from the pressure regulator but it could just as well be the small seals of the injector.
So, I accomplished a lot today.
I wasn’t sure if I would make it this far when the muffler issue came up but well, it is out and so far I haven’t damaged anything on the engine.
I’m going to get the pressure place and clutch off and get it mount on the stand and then probably reattache a lot of parts for photo reasons as well as training myself where everything goes except the wiring.
A good day!