My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

Ruttco · « **Reply #45 on:** December 17, 2009, 12:38:13 PM »

I keep going back and reading this... First I laugh then I cry

"you get the "Big Cookie Award" for trying to repair the most cantankerous, problematic and expensive Air Cooled engine that VW ever made in my estimation"

ASBug · « **Reply #46 on:** December 17, 2009, 12:40:44 PM »

Quote from: "Ruttco"

Yep, the damn thing was in gear.

I have had frustrating times / things like this happen to me as I "lernt" how to work on my own stuff. Don't let it get you down, one day you'll look back at this moment and you'll laugh it off, sorta like how I'm laughing my head off right now.... :lol:

Keep it up, I liked my '76 westy, but the $'s were hard to say no to...
I've a 1970 now that is the old beetle engine set up, I'll tell you how I like it when I get it safe to drive...
KC

certdubtech · « **Reply #47 on:** December 17, 2009, 03:21:21 PM »

I built an engine once in my 72 bus (type 4 engine also).... finished it way too late, couldn't get it started. screwed around checking stuff for an hour in the middle of the night. couldn't figure it out.... then i realized i had put points in the dist. while it was out, but had never adjusted them. ](*,)
Adjusted them by eye, she cranked right up. :oops:

It happens to everybody. Some more than others. :lol:

Zen · « **Reply #48 on:** December 17, 2009, 04:53:35 PM »

I've been pushing Homer the Super Bus (a 73 with a 79 tranny) down the road with bone stock type 1 engines for several years. As long as it's in good shape and properly tuned, a stock 1600 single port will do fine . . . you won't be doing any burnouts and you may have to downshift to 3rd when you are climbing a mountain . . . and if you over load the bus and stick a big trailer (also overloaded) behind it, get ready for folks to wave one finger at you when you hit steep hills on the interstate . . . but it'll get you there eventually.

I've driven Homer to Tampa 3 times, Jacsonville, FL twice, Effingham, IL twice, and Nashville, Seveirville, Hunstville, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Tacoa countless times.

If you spend a little money and build a good solid 1776, you'll have the best of both worlds . . . the HP of a stock type 4, and the economy of a type 1.

If you really want to do a type 4 right, get Jake Raby to build you an engine. It'll smoke the tires, get 30 MPG and run 100,000+ miles without a problem . . . but you better rob a bank before you go talk to him . . . :shock:

attack chicken · « **Reply #49 on:** December 17, 2009, 05:15:58 PM »

Here's what we did...
First I wanted to make sure there wasnt anything in the cylinders keeping it from turning over, looked in through the plug holes with a bore scope and found nothing, then turned the motor over with a wrench and no problems. Then pulled the push rod tubes and installed the under cylinder tin that was off, I reused the O rings in an attempt to get it back on the road faster and for less. Installed the plugs and re-wired the dist cap, set the static timing and backed off all the rocker arms to start it up. Once it was running, noticed problems with vacuum leaks, ran a smoke test on it and found a few places leaking, intake gaskets and rubber adapters, but the biggest problem was smoke comming out from the number 1 plug hole in the tin. It didn't look like it was comming from around the plug sooo that leaves a very few places it could be originating from.. It really sounds like there is a compression leak when cranking, and when spraying carb cleaner around the intake area it makes a bad cherping noise that can be heard well over the exhaust leaks. For the longest time it would back fire through the intake on what felt like 1 cylinder, could be lean or could be a intake valve open or at least not all the way sealed on a power stroke. May have a cracked cyl. or missing/damaged head gasket?

attack chicken · « **Reply #50 on:** December 17, 2009, 05:22:25 PM »

I guess it could also have a exhaust seal from the head that is missing or damaged that could cause the funny noise from carb spray, I'm afraid it will take more than it's worth to pay for the engine repair over a replacement..I just don't know on that.

Ruttco · « **Reply #51 on:** December 18, 2009, 07:37:19 AM »

I have a friend who is a mechanic and has built several VW motors including my buddy Fish's, offer to do all the work on it for $500 if I supply the parts. He has worked on several of my vehicles over the years and stands behind his work. Does this sound like a good deal? I know he can do the work it is mostly the price I am asking about.

Rick, as always, did a great job working on her and getting her back on the road. She is just to far gone right now for any quick fix to solve her problems.

attack chicken · « **Reply #52 on:** December 18, 2009, 08:46:28 AM »

Quote from: "Ruttco"

I have a friend who is a mechanic and has built several VW motors including my buddy Fish's, offer to do all the work on it for $500 if I supply the parts. He has worked on several of my vehicles over the years and stands behind his work. Does this sound like a good deal? I know he can do the work it is mostly the price I am asking about.

Rick, as always, did a great job working on her and getting her back on the road. She is just to far gone right now for any quick fix to solve her problems.

Thanks Scott! I wish I could have done more for you guys, but at the rate I'm going it may have taken months

If you have someone that can do that work for that money and you know them that's great!! It's getting harder and harder to find folks willing to go "into" any engine let alone a aircooled VW.

Ruttco · « **Reply #53 on:** December 18, 2009, 09:12:23 AM »

Anybody have any idea where I could get a Rebuild Kit for a Type 4 2.0l motor with hydrolic lifters?

certdubtech · « **Reply #54 on:** December 18, 2009, 10:39:35 AM »

Define rebuild kit. I haven't seen "kits" listed in a long while for type 4s, mostly ordering all parts seperately. Think VERY strongly about quality reman cyl. heads when you do this job, and the piston / cyl. sets for these engines have gotten pretty pricey last i checked just f.y.i. With a labor cost of $500, I'd put a complete overhaul upwards of $1500 up to $2000 if you go crazy, the price dwindling significantly for how many things you try to reuse /a bit less if you just due a top end rebuild. Like David said, the bottom ends in these engines were actually pretty reliable, it has been my experience that the top end stuff is usually what fails.

Ret.Bugtech · « **Reply #55 on:** December 18, 2009, 10:57:37 AM »

Quote from: "Ruttco"

Anybody have any idea where I could get a Rebuild Kit for a Type 4 2.0l motor with hydrolic lifters?

Good luck on that one. $500 ? Has your friend ever rebuilt a Type-4 engine ? If not he is in for a treat. $500 would be a great deal for you and your friend is fixing to lose his butt. There are things on the Type-4 that are completey different than a Type-1 so your friend had better know what he is dealing with. There are a few bolts on that engine that torque in Inch-pounds . If you over-torque them they will break and total the crank case.
If you want to carry on with the rebuild the first thing you need to do is locate a source for ALL PARTS NOW. You really don't what you will need until you tear the engine down. Get yourself a copy of "Hot VW's" and start looking. Most of the parts vendors have a Web site now. Keep us posted

Ruttco · « **Reply #56 on:** December 18, 2009, 11:12:35 AM »

I think what I will do is pull the motor this weekend. Then I can at least start looking at where it is leaking and such. I will get my buddy to come take a look and tell me what all he thinks we will need. If I could keep from opening up the case that would be great and cheaper.

Can the heads be cleaned up or machined back to new?

If we just did the top end what do you guys suggest gets replaced?

Push rods?
Push rod tubes and seals?
Valves?
Carb rebuild?
Heads?
Pour gas all over it and drop a match???

Ret.Bugtech · « **Reply #57 on:** December 18, 2009, 11:15:48 AM »

I just saw Ricks post. Ditto on replacing the heads. Thats a "no brainer". A few years ago you could buy a whole set of 4 piston/cyl for a Type-1 for the price of 1 piston/cyl for a Type-4. But even the price for O.E.M. Type-1 piston/cyl have gone up a bunch. I don't know the price for 2 cyl. heads but I bet they are way up there also.

certdubtech · « **Reply #58 on:** December 18, 2009, 11:16:51 AM »

Quote from: "Ret.Bugtech"

Quote from: "Ruttco"
Anybody have any idea where I could get a Rebuild Kit for a Type 4 2.0l motor with hydrolic lifters?
Good luck on that one. $500 ? Has your friend ever rebuilt a Type-4 engine ? If not he is in for a treat. $500 would be a great deal for you and your friend is fixing to lose his butt. There are things on the Type-4 that are completey different than a Type-1 so your friend had better know what he is dealing with. There are a few bolts on that engine that torque in Inch-pounds . If you over-torque them they will break and total the crank case.
If you want to carry on with the rebuild the first thing you need to do is locate a source for ALL PARTS NOW. You really don't what you will need until you tear the engine down. Get yourself a copy of "Hot VW's" and start looking. Most of the parts vendors have a Web site now. Keep us posted

Gotta agree with the Godfather. If your friend hasn't had experience with a type 4 engine, he needs to be really careful. I specifically remember that if you overtorque the strainer plate center bolt, you will break the case mounting, essentially destroying the case. . They may be air-cooled, but they are a totally different monster.

Ret.Bugtech · « **Reply #59 on:** December 18, 2009, 11:31:44 AM »

Ruttco, If you want to just do a "Top in Thing" and hope the best for the Bottom End, I would suggest 4 piston/cyl's ,2- good re-man heads (with the valves if poss.) tube seals (or complete gasket set) The gasket set should have everything you would need including the copper"O" rings for the heater box to the exhaust ports in the heads.

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Topic: My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head (Read 16427 times)

Ruttco

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

ASBug

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

certdubtech

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

Zen

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

attack chicken

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

attack chicken

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

Ruttco

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

attack chicken

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

Ruttco

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

certdubtech

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

Ret.Bugtech

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

Ruttco

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

Ret.Bugtech

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

certdubtech

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

Ret.Bugtech

My son's bus blew a spark plug out of the head

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