I wanted more space to work so I removed the strap holding the alternator down and removed the fan shroud.
It is pretty much identical to all prior doghouse year setups.
With that gone I could do a lot more without destroying my knuckles.
Intake Manifolds
Removing the fuel system allowed me to get the intake manifolds off. Each connects at the plenum via a cloth-braided rubber boot not unlike the stock pre-heat intake manifolds from Pre-75 setups.
The Cylinder 1/2 manifold’s boot is basically under the oil filler and not accessible at all without removing a lot of parts.
The Cylinder 3/4 manifold’s boot is odd, as it is the same size as the one on 1/2 but it doesn’t fit the length of the piece. The replacements are the same size as well.
I have to assume this is intentional and that the boot does not go the entire length of the male end on the 3/4 intake. It just looks like it is going to come off but it isn’t.
Other than being grimey and the cloth part being just filthy, the inner hard rubber core material is sound on both with no real signs of wear.
I assumed these were leaking given their external appearance but I just think this is all accumulated from the general dirtiness of the engine.
The head ends also exhibit grime, and the 1/2 side has residue from the fuel leak last year.
Since I have no other like engine to compare to, I assume this is what an engine that has run for some time eventually looks like at these points.
While I thought about powder coating these, I’ve decided I will like save the money for more important things, soak these in mineral spirits, and then scrub them up good.
If they clean up well I may just top coat them. If not, I’ll find a neutral gray paint for them and then top coat over that.
Oil Filler
You really feel that this is one of the first major parts in the 70’s that mirrored what was going on the new water-cooled Golf side.
The oil filler is such a departure from Beetles imported prior to 1975. It is all plastic and just feels 70’s and not 50’s.
I am thinking I can clean up this gasket, coat it in a sealant, and reuse it. Or make one based on it.
Thermo-Time Switch
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There’s yet another irreplaceable part on the front of the engine basically next to the Auxiliary Air Valve. It is called the Thermo Time Switch and and basically controls the timing of the cold start valve and keep it from opening when the engine is at operating temperature. I assume it can gouge the temperature of the case up front, as the sensor part is exposed and hides behind the pulley.
Oil Cooler
The oil cooler’s foam is gone and was never replaced. I am certain this engine was apart sometime before and is not as original as I had hoped.
I noticed there’s no hoover bit on it, but I am not sure if the FI engines had the hoover bit tin or not. I’ll have to investigate more.
It looks in good shape with very little damage like I’ve seen on others.
By damage I mean the cooling fins, other than the area at the bottom, are all really nice.
Frankly, I don’t know how these get damaged other than through carelessness.
I’ll try and fix some of these after I clean out the oil galleries and right before installation.
Given the oil and grime up front on top of the case I really thought that the oil cooler seals may have been leaking but that’s not the case.
The seals look brand new as if right out of a new kit.
While I haven’t separated the cooler from the base component, there’s no oil present so I am assuming those seals are all still sound.
Perhaps someone missed the oil filler, and oil fell onto the top of the case and just gathered dirty for many years.
Cylinder Tins
I removed the cylinder tins and found more grime and dirt on the cylinder fins than I expected.
I was so happy that every tin screw easily came out. I’ve fought with prior engines’ tins and screws so much that I assumed it would be the same but nope, all removed easily.
The FI tins have a different shape than the earlier carb tins and are not available in aftermarket replacements. These are precious to me too.
Note that they have the internal vane to direct air over the through the head fins.
Both cylinder tins are in perfect shape. It would be so nice if a vendor out there produced solid fitting aftermarket tins, including the FI ones. I mean, I know that there are not a lot of the original FI engines out there, but there has to be a way to make one master that can easily be modded.
Note the 3/4 tin has the cut-out near cylinder 4 for the head temp sensor.
Now it looks like there’s an extension used. The bung is tapped, the extension is screwed in, and then the sensor is screwed into the extension. I assume the temp reading is within the necessary tolerances and this reduces the risk of the sensor wire from melting since this is one hot area when the engine is operating.
It would be nice if you could split the sending unit’s signal to also go to a gauge. I wouldn’t necessarily alter Murbella, but in future performance engine for Żuczek I plan on doing something similar here to feed both the Gen4 EFI as well as a gauge up front.
The underside of the front tins are horrible and mirror how bad the push rod tubes and lower tins are. There’s so much grime.
All of these will be salvaged and repainted.
The heads seem clean from up top. The cylinders, especially at the case side are really dirty. The studs are also really bad with tons of oil and debris caked up on them.
Cylinder 2 is the worst. This is why I am thinking that someone in past allowed oil to spill out all over, and it ran down directly under the tin and coated the heads. It then picked up massive amounts of dirt at crud.
This cylinder is also pretty corroded.
I can’t explain all of this filth in any other way. I mean, the entire top of the engine case is coated and dirty.
The throttle body/plenum’s rear side that faces the fan shroud is coated as well.
What’s odd is the intake manifolds, while located here, are completely free of this grime. It is odd.
A bigger picture view shows there’s no oil or grime to the rear of the fan shroud at all. It is completely clean and everything is up front, making me think my “spill” theory is the right now.
Cylinder 1 and 3 are in better shape too so maybe that is in fact it. 4 shows a lot of the same accumulated grime.
I know the real problems, with the push rod tube gaskets leaking, are all below. Those tins are just the worst and show full signs of oil leaking.