Ritchie came up to the house this morning and helped me finish pulling the engine out of my 67 Bus. I had to pull the engine for a clutch and presure plate replacement.

Once on the ground, I found out my biggest problem was the size of the old assembly. Lucille had a 180mm clutch, presure plate and flywheel bolted up to a 1600 dual port engine. Unless I'm way off in left field (Zen told me I wasn't) that engine should have the 200mm clutch assembly and flywheel. The teeth were badly worn on the flywheel and that explains why she always sounded wierd when I cranked her. I have had to adjust the clutch 4 or 5 times in the 5 years I've owned her and now I pretty much know why. The 180mm assembly just wasn't large enough to pull her around.

If you're haveing any clutch problems with anything that seems abnormal, pull your engine and find out what the problem is.  

Didn't all 69mm stroke cranks use a flywheel with the 0-ring?  I'm not real familiar with 67 and back stuff, but I'm thinking I've seen "6 volt" flywheels that used an O-ring.  When did they add the O-ring?

I bought a 40 horse engine to go in my still 6 volt 63, but couldn't get it in the transaxle.  It turned out to have a "12 volt" flywheel, but with a 180mm clutch and (if I remember correctly) no 0-ring grove.  I've seen and heard all kinds of other "situations" with the flywheels, and the more I learn/see/hear, the more confused I get.

Here's what I "think."  David, please let me know if these are true assumptions.

There are two sizes of clutch disc.  Anything that originally came with a 1300cc or smaller engine used the 180mm disc.  All 15-1600cc engines used the 200mm disc.

Before a certain date, all flywheels sealed to the crankshaft with a paper gasket, after that date they had an o-ring.  I have no idea the date.  There is something different about the crankshaft as well as flywheel (I don't remember exactlly what it is with the crank) so these don't just mix and match.

All VWs with 6 volt electrical systems used a 109 tooth starter ring gear on the flywheel.  All 12 volt VWs used a slightly larger gear with a few more teeth.

If all we ever had to deal with were Beetles made in Germany and bound for the US, it would be cut and dry.  But it's not that easy . . . 12 volts came out as an option on the buses as early '64(?).  The buses got larger engines sooner than the cars.  So did the type 3s.  A 12 Volt 40 horse was an option as late as the mid-80s, maybe even into the 90's on Mexican Beetles.  Overseas, 1300 dual ports were offered . . . who knows what kind of flywheel they had.  Then, there is the issue of industrial engines . . . they were offered in all kinds of sizes and configurations for many, many years.  Somewhere I've seen (In Muir's Idiot Book, I think) a referance to an engine code for a 36 HP industrial engine built in the late 60s or early 70s.

Anyway, it's late.  I gotta get up early.  Now I have a headache 'cause my next to the last working brain cell is going into overload.  I'm going to bed.  Maybe it'll all make sense tomorrow.  

Maybe not.   :p  

 :cool:

OK, let's keep it simple.

Two sizes of gears on the starter. Two sizes of starter ring gears on the flywheel.  They have to match.

Two sizes of Clutch discs. Two sizes of Pressure Plates. They have to match.  They also have to match the size of the flywheel surface (again, two of those).

Two different styles of Crankshaft shanks. Two different styles of flywheel centers.  They have to match.

Two different sizes of starter shafts. Two different starter bushings. Two different size holes for the bushing. Two different voltages for the starter.  All those have to match.  Well, that's if you don't count the 66 Ghia's 12 volt size starter that was 6 volt and if you don't ever run a 6 volt starter with 12 volts (by the way, that works pretty well . . . as long as you don't grind on it for long at a time).

Two different size openings in the transaxle bell housing. Two different starter ring gears on the flywheel.  Those don't have to match, but one combination requires a little clearancing work inside the bellhousing.

There.  It's simple.  Stuff has to match.  It's like a jigsaw puzzle.  If a piece doesn't fit, pick up another piece and try it.  Sooner or later you'll find the pieces that fit together.
 :cool:

You guys have succeded in just completely confusing me. I have tried to follow but somehow got lost. I now have a 200mm flywheel with an O ring to go back in Lucille along with a 200mm clutch, presure plate and, I think, the correct throw out bearing. Now I just have to get the flywheel turned as it has some "hard spots" on the face. I'll be locating a machine shop today to take care of that.

                                                                           :cool:

And then there is the automatic starter that can be used on a manual when the hole for the bushing is worn out.

I know all of the autostick Beetles were 12 volt . . . but was there an automatic type 3 that was 6 volt?  If so, then there are two automatic starters.

You guys are having entirely too much fun with this. :O

You guys are having entirely too much fun with this. :O

You started it!!!   :laugh:

Up until now, Lucille's medical team has consisted of LPN's, one RN, a couple of interns but today, her transmission went to the chief surgeon. Dr. David Johnston has Lucille's entire transaxle in his operating room to do a syncronizer transplant and anything else that may need doing. If complications arise, Lucille could possibly have to have an entire transaxle transplant but let's keep our fingers crossed that Dr. Johnston can save and repair her old unit. Lucille is currently on life support but I have all the confidence in the world in her doctor.

Stay tuned for up dates.............maybe even by the doctor himself.  

                                                                        :cool: