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.

That is the truth.

I gotta say, if my Type 4 blew up tomorrow, I'd seriously consider shelling out for a Camper Special from Jake Raby. Expensive yes, but probably the last engine I'd ever put in there.

I learned a lot about the Type 4 from the Bug Me DVD with Rick Higgins and Jake Raby. They tear one down and rebuild it. You can have a copy if you want.

On hundred billion dollars.....



 

I agree with you, but you have to give the devil his due.  Raby knows his Type -4's . I would have to belive he is good as they come, better than most.
 All you have to do is ask him .With parts prices the way they are these days,  I really think that $ 3500 is not to far out of line considering what you end up with but you really need to have a super clean well restored van to justify  the cost and you had plans to keep it for a while.

Turnkey, yes. The build-it-yourself CS kits are a little cheaper.

Ok, you guys have done an amazing job of freaking me the f*&^ out. $3500 for a rebuild??? Does that include body work and a paint job with 3 coats of clear? My friend who said he would do the rebuild is a very good mechanic. He has worked on my Mercedes S500, Chevy Tahoe and other cars I have had. He knows VW motors and I trust him. He will back up his work and make sure it is right. What I need now is a kit or a list of what parts I need to for him to do this. I know this bus is a challenge and expensive to get right, but this is for my son. Since I am divorced from his mother this has been a great project for the two of us to work on together and create memories. I don't want to throw in the towel on this. You guys have been a ton of help, but I am feeling overwhelmed and like there is little or no hope for a reasonable out on this. I guess I bit off more than I can chew on this bus, but he wanted a bus like I had when he was little. I don't have a ton of money to spare but I vow to get this son of a buck on the road and reliable for him.   Ahhhh.. I think I feel better now.

Sorry for the dramatic post. Several beers will do that to a guy. I am just frustrated and want to do this right. I am very thankful to have this forum and such knowledgeable people to not pull any punches and lay all of this out for me. When we get this bus done right and back on the road for my son, I will invite all of you over for some beers on me. Maybe I will organize a camping trip or something and cook for all of you? A friend of mine owns about 250 acres down in Lafayette with a pond that I could possibly arrange a Volks Folks weekend gathering/camping thing at this spring. Once again, thanks guys.. This is not just the beer talking..

I will give my buddy a call and get some dates that we could maybe do it. He has hootananny's and bluegrass parties down there all the time. Here are some pictures of a concert that goes on down there on Memorial Day weekend for the last several years. I think he would probably only charge like $10 a person for the weekend. Do you think the Volks Folks would be interested in something like this?

http://www.scottrutter.com/PGroove.htm

Ruttco, The last bunch of post was not intended to freak you out but to give you some other options . Its scary I know and can be very  pricey. What you do to this engine now can and will determine how long you can keep it on the road before you have to go through all of this again. Trust me on that one. I'm not questioning your friends mechical ability.  I'm sure he is very good but I have seen many so called "Expert" VW tech's come and go after getting in trouble. I have been working on these " Critters" all my life and I still can't fix my Buddy's lawnmower.Go figure.
 
    And you are correct in the fact that a lot of us don't pull any punches  and NOBODY in this club will ever "lead you down the garden path" on purpose. So do what you can.