My thoughts exactly, Chris! It's a bit like watching Ari's video rebuilding a Honda Trail 90 on the RevZilla channel. Only with more humor. Great stuff all around!
@@jeffreyvaughn6332 I mean, that's certainly nice, especially for getting the attention initially. But without her clear knowledge, skill, and sense of humor, it would have gotten boring quickly.
The engine was originally built to power a two seat biplane training aircraft. The they put it in a car and years later it went back to being the power plant of choice for may home built aircraft and a few factory built types.
I had mentioned before that I had over 20 years working for and on VW's. One of the jobs I like the most was rebuilding air cooled engines. The second was rebuilding the front ends. The older VW's before 1966 were the king and linkpin front ends, those were a lot of fun to do. 1966 started the ball joint suspension. You are doing a great job on this build, you are bring back a lot of memories about my old VW days. Thank you. Bill
Absolutely! Both for the audience AND the winner of the car, it's better to do the job WELL rather than on time. It's more informative, more entertaining, and keeps the eventual owner safer.
Hey Sarah, double check the orientation of the baffle for the oil filler neck. If you face it the wrong way, it could end up shooting oil out of the oil cap.
Your dedication to quality work is well worth any additional wait for Ragnar's completion. Stop apologizing for adjusting self imposed deadlines, sometimes things just don't go as expected and that is perfectly fine.
Hey Sarah, nice job, rtv is not used inside the engine and best practice is to replace the push rod tubes. The old tubes suffer metal fatigue and stretching them, often will not seal them.
I've done enough vehicle restorations and also built a couple from scratch, so I know exactly how much work this is. You are kicking butt on it and whoever wins it will be 1 lucky bass turd!
Sarah, do it up your way. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that would allow all the time required for you to make "my" car right! Watching your videos is a much needed respite from my daily grind.
@@SarahnTuned I just happen to see one of your older videos where you were baking the headlights in the oven. I think I watched it originally but it was fun to watch again. When you were testing out the lights someone was in the car and spoke for just a few seconds, sounded like Charlie.
I think i speak for everyone who entered, if you need more time, of any amount, your welcome to it, the level of work you put into these builds is worth any delay.
@@dochlldy that wouldn't really be needed. If torqueing on the floor the bar would rest on the floor. If it's on a stand the bar would rest on one of the arms of the stand. Assuming the stand is securely mounted, of course
@@johnniebalfour1666 those locks require the case to mounted very securely to prevent rotation of the case. At least with a bar the mechanic can rest it against an immobile surface. It can then be torqued on a bench or floor without the need to secure it. Of course, this is from the perspective of one who already has a bar and no lock. If I had one I probably would modify my setup to use it
Starting watching Mr. Dos videos from the beginning, and it's interesting to see how you polished your technique in shooting/editing videos. And great content as always!
I've been a air-cooled VW fan since the 90's and I've built many engines and had many projects. Still have the bus I got in 1991. I fully support your rebuild choices and absolutely love the time-lapse sections. I can't even tell you how many pushrod tube seals I've replaced. Stay Awesome.
As WB correctly stated: the pushrod tubes need to be stretched a little before installation, hence the accordion ends. Otherwise, the engine will leak oil.
I never reuse them... too hard to not deform them trying to stretch them, plus they look terrible. But ya... no stretch on used pushrod tubes is pretty much a guaranteed leak.
I rebuilt my 65 bus engine and 68 bug clutch. I wasn’t as organized as you ( is anybody), but I managed. Early 70’s. Thanks for the memories. Great vehicles at the time.
At 16 a '73 Super Beetle was my first car. during my ownership I replaced the clutch twice, wheel bearings all around, learned how to install and adjust brake shoes, timing, carb adjusting, basically, I learned how to work on cars with this simple machine. I loved it.
Pushrod tubes usually need to be stretched a little before you put them back in, correct length is 7 1/2" between the seals. Without a little crush when you install them they will leak again. I also see four dowel pins on the crank, that's a weak point. 8 is more better,
Did that, I don’t film every little last thing I do. I’m already tempted to just start time lapsing everything so people stop mansplaining everything to me like I’m an idiot.
Back in the day, I owned 4 VW's, they were fun vehicles, easy to work on, and mod. Still have a couple of repair books on the old VW's. Great memories ! Thanks!
This is the part of the series I was most looking forward to..... I rebuilt the engine of a 71 Super Beetle a lifetime ago... It was all OEM... Ended up putting in a duel throat Intake Manifold and a Duel port Holly carb. I did split the Crankcase and put in new crank and journal bearings. New Pistons, rings and sleeves. I replaced the Valve push rod tubes. That baffle on the oil filler is to prevent you from dropping things down the filler tube as well as preventing oil from splashing up the Oil filler and getting into the breather tube. Glad to see you changing out the gaskets, the originals were not the best quality and often leaked. Especially that oil cooler. That leaked and the fan would spread oil EVERYWHERE. Hope your using a OEM exhaust. I love the BUG chirp you get from the factory exhaust. Have been watching with great enthusiasm. Love those original Bugs
Sarah… Wow. I really appreciate all the hard work and effort going into the project build. Truly enjoy the video and I glad that you got the mosquito 😂. Looking forward to the next video. 💯
You, my Dear Sarah, are absolutely killing it with this restoration and build!! Whomever wins this I'm positive won't mind a small delay as you finish up, so please don't stress!! Remember "Stress is the path to the Dark Side. Stress leads to Rushing. Rushing leads to Missed Steps. Missed Steps leads to Suffering!!" I am of course paraphrasing but I'm sure that's what Yoda said, damn near positive actually. Seriously though, Thank-you so much for this project Sarah! So many people tackle Beetles and get frustrated but I think kids today lack patience, they have way more talent with computers and tuning than my generation but I'm with you, Beetle engines are easy and you've shown so much of the correct way to do an at home restoration that anyone with basic skills should have no issue with one as a project. Looking forward to your next project now that there is a crack of light showing under Ragnar!! Take Care!
This is awesome. I have been into VWs since I was 13. My first VW was a 1966 beetle. Was a father son project. Finished it in time for my 16th birthday.
I think this is my favorite of your projects, even surpassing the Ranger. It’s really cool that this is your first Beetle and you’re taking such care. Have to say I’m not a fan of lifted Beetles, but that’s a personal choice
you can go another remote oil cooler and bolt it up underneath the rear deck up overtop of the transmission and put a small electric fan on it. Oil cooling is key and essential for these engines to survive not just the air
I use the same engine in an aircraft called a Corby Starlet. The information you have provided is great and easy to understand. However the pushrod tubes are a real pain to prevent leakage. You can purchase adjustable aluminium tubes, which are easy to fit without taking the head off. One you have done up the threaded end and locked it they never leak. If a seal fails it takes 30 minutes with the engine still in the car or aeroplane to replace it. Thanks
My buddy from high school had a Baja bug and watching Sarah dig into the engine is bringing back memories. Seudo-fond memories; sometimes we were broken down on the side of the road replacing a fuel filter. Ha! I love it. Thanks, silly YT person! This has been a fantastic YT series.
Air cooled engine like the old bugs require heads to be torqued every so often, and any time you take the heads off you put new pushrod tubes. Also, there is no ‘Super Beetle engine’ Not bad for a non-beetle mechanic. 👍👍😊
Like everything VW there is a special tool to hold the flywheel in place while torquing it. You slide the U shaped tool on one of the 4 engine bolts and no need for the assistance of the second person to try and hold the engine back. Great job.
#3 would run hot because the oil cooler was inside the fan shroud and would not only block airflow to #3 but would also preheat the air that did get to that side of the engine. The doghouse cooler was engineered to prevent that
When I worked at a VW shop in Tampa some years ago, during a rebuild we would stretch the PR tubes just a bit so that when the heads were torqued, the tubes and seals would compress and give a better seal. If I remember right, most new PR tubes came ‘stretched’ already. 😁 Fine job, Sarah and as always so much fun to watch! Keep it up.
Lol a beach buggy is sooo much easier to work on .... so 40 years ago I stripped a wrecked beetle, hot dipped galvanized the floor pan, sourced a 2nd hand Fibre glass body and built it up. It was fun and I learned a lot . Also surprisingly cheap. I remember the 4 engine mounting bolts cert clearly. I loved it , it got stolen though.
For torquing that fly wheel a thing i used to do when i was rebuilding rzr engines is take a strap or strap wrench around the gear to hold it in place while you torque.
I’d replace the old rusty pushrod tubes with new olds. The tubes are made of thin metal and are made to be pulled apart. This makes them initially longer so that that when you install them the seals press tightly against the heads and the engine. The seals are made of silicone rubber and resist the high heat of the engine head which is over 300C. Most VW engine eventually leak again around the pushrod tube seals due to the high engine temperatures and vibrations. When you own a VW beetle there is lots of routine maintenance like frequent oil changes, value adjustment, distributor points, filters, etc. you need to do to keep it running correctly. The parts were cheap and usually available at you local hardware store. Fun vehicles to own and work on!
14:11 The oil deflector plate is not on correctly. It’s that silver square with the louvres on. It needs to rotate 90 degrees clockwise from what you have there. The louvres should look like “CCC” if you are standing facing the front of the engine. If this is on wrong then it won’t effectively stop the oil from spraying back up the oil fill spout when the engine is running.
I usually get a square tube 6 foot long then drill two holes through it then bolt it to the flywheel where the pressure plate bolts to. Then put a breaker bar on the gland nut with another 5 foot pipe over the gland nut to torque it until my feet lift off the ground! Get someone to hold the square tubing that’s facing the other way on the left of engine while you torque on the right side pulling down otherwise the engine lifts and twists off the table
“You don’t need mechanical skills to work on this engine” Nope, don’t even need a torque wrench LOL I wish I had these videos 30 years ago. You’re work ethic is very motivating.
One of my favorite times working with my dad, was my chance to tear down a whole motor myself. Even if it was a V.W., for a kid, its a big deal. Love this series. Brings back a lot of memories.
Great job Sarah and no comments about your jugs!! That’s respect ! Love the tenacity you approach this project with, can’t wait to see this beetle finished and heat is running! Of course you will have to do a review of its capabilities off road!!
Well done. Talking about oil leaks, my 1988 Lowrider motor leaks oil at the base gaskets when not warm, nothing to worry about, it seals when it is warmed up :)
Happy Humpday Sarah!!! Yes, mosquitoes are indeed assholes, just sucks that they tend to still hang around after the weather cools off like it has. High 5 to Brandon!! Stay excellent!!!😎
On the push rod tubes they are designed to expand out a bit so they compress them down when you put the head on. That is why they look like accordions on each end.
Sarah - the head studs are only 25 ft/lb's so only lightly tightened. Most folk over tighten them causing the heads to warp and blow after a few miles. If you haven't already reassembled it you should replace the valves ( especially no.3 ) as they tend to drop their valves.
Its been awhile since I last rebuilt a bug motor but I'm pretty sure the tubes are supposed to be stretched back out before reinstalling. Thats the reason for the accordion ends. Car looks great btw!
They were probably baked in on the right side because the right rear cylinder is cylinder 3. Cylinder 3 runs hotter than the rest of the cylinders due to limitation of air flow across it. So I’d assume that’s why those seals were baked in. 7:51 Btw, this is an awesome video. You’re awesome. I hope that you have a wonderful existence.
Thought I'd share: I "discovered" Zep's purple degreaser a while ago (at Walmart) and it's proven to be extremely capable. It's supposed to be cut with water, but using it straight, it will absolutely do some damage to grime and grease. Warning though, it will strip anodization and other coatings, and it will oxidize aluminum.
Seriously…. I absolutely love ❤️ how much you clean these parts / cars.. I rebuild old RC cars and I Sonic clean everything before I rehab them. I soooo appreciate all your hard work and tips for cleaning that you share…. ❤❤❤❤
You installed the oil baffle under the oil filler/generator mounting "sideways" It'll throw oil the first time you fire it up. Next time you pull the flywheel on an air-cooled VW, you'll save yourself some time/work/aggravation with a $10-$15 flywheel lock that mounts in one of the upper engine bolt holes. And you have to stretch the pushrod tubes also or they'll leak, even with the new seals. They were designed to be compressed during assembly. Love the way you daintily cross your legs like you're at a cocktail party while you're pulling the clutch.
Hey Sarah, yes those pushrod tubes are notorious for failing. back when I was upset with Corvair‘s I replaced quite a few brings back lots of memories as they’re pretty similar. you could remove the tubes without removing the head looks like the head has to come off but I’m not sure on the VW. And I know what they’re working on next-door I just don’t know what it is🙂🐧🐧🐧👍
Hello in there Sara. I got into air cooled VW type 1 vehicles while on active duty USN in Keflavik Iceland 1977 thru 1980. The John Muir book "how to keep your VW alive" was all I needed. The Icelanders ran the bugs, as well as Russian LADA Niva's. I like the way you talk; I am an instant fan of yours, heck, I like the way carry yourself. PO1 Keith Hitzeman, USN, retired
You'll have to do a valve lash adjustment as this baby has a solid lifters. As well as a gear drive cam and crank drive ignition. It's really a detuned race engine.
Back in the late 70's and 80's my friends knew when I was broke. I'd be driving an air cooled flat four VW bus. With a dead engine, I could buy one for under $500. A rebuilt replacement engine was about $800 or less. With oil changes and valve adjustments they'd drive forever. Replacement parts, when needed, were cheap. And I could camp/sleep in my van. The simple life ❤
Fyi, Brazilians love that thing, cheap and easy to fix, made in the country. They stop being made in Brazil not too long before they stopped the production in Mexico (the last place to make those things). They called Fuscas in Brazil.
I had one of this dc port air compressors and kept helping people on occasions. Then either I could reach them or their port didn't work. So I put a longer wire on it with booster cable ends to resolve it. It was maybe 20-22ft\...
I love how you downplay your obviously superior skills to play like you don’t have a clue - all that to show how in the end, you knew exactly what you were doing all along. Well played!! When you counted in German, you tipped your hand on just how smart you really are, and I completely respect that! I’m a fan already of your channel. Keep bringing these videos and show us more of just how smart you really are!!!
Great job sarah n clening frenzy... Three vw tips You can stretch the pushrod tubes just a bit when you reuse them for a better seal. The baffle should be instaledl so the vents look like the letter C from looking from the rear of the car. Its correct to put a have a little grease dabbed under the fuel pump for lubrication Keep on buggin
generally if the head bolts come undone easy cos they were not tight usually means the motor has been overheated. ps. always retorque the head fixings after 100 miles of run time. . you will be surprised how much they have slackened off.
In my younger days we worked on so many VW engines we could take one out in 20 minutes lol. #3 exhaust valve was the biggest problem. You should have adjusted the valves while the engine is out. It's really important to adust them every 4-5k miles or you can drop a valve.
Always replace the pushrod tubes as well. They are cheap, compress on installation, and don't expand back out to seal after they are used. It'll 'work' but it'll soon begin marking it's spot again.
Hi Sarah, it's true that it's a simple mechanic, but to perform a job of this quality as fast as you do you have to be an expert in mechanics like you. The future winner will be so happy to win this car that even if there is a delay it will not matter to him.
Dam having just found you, I dare say you do impress. Not only a femme fatale but a real deal mechanic. Somebody is going to be lucky. I am now your number one fan.
As you had the engine stripped down. You may as well had changed the pushrod tubes together with the seals. They have a tendancy to split and leak oil. Love seeing an old Beetle brought back to life🤘
Watching someone completely rebuild a car is really cool. Doing comedy and educating us all at the same time, is impressive.
You missed out the foxy lady part!. With a great voice at that!. Real cool.
My thoughts exactly, Chris! It's a bit like watching Ari's video rebuilding a Honda Trail 90 on the RevZilla channel. Only with more humor. Great stuff all around!
No one on earth has the patience and skills to do this car better
It’s really going to be a cracker
Well done Sarah 🙏🙏🙏
Her being gorgeous is pretty fuqin cool too.
@@jeffreyvaughn6332 I mean, that's certainly nice, especially for getting the attention initially. But without her clear knowledge, skill, and sense of humor, it would have gotten boring quickly.
Anyone who doesn’t appreciate the time and effort you put into this doesn’t deserve Ragnar.
I’m wearing my 69 beetle shirt as I’m watching this episode ;)
agree
Absolutely.
Nah fam. Bugs are junk
Ragnar needs bigger motor
The engine was originally built to power a two seat biplane training aircraft. The they put it in a car and years later it went back to being the power plant of choice for may home built aircraft and a few factory built types.
Words can't describe how satisfying it is to watch someone work and check all the OCD boxes!!! Stellar work as always Sarah, you are killiing it!!
I had mentioned before that I had over 20 years working for and on VW's. One of the jobs I like the most was rebuilding air cooled engines. The second was rebuilding the front ends. The older VW's before 1966 were the king and linkpin front ends, those were a lot of fun to do. 1966 started the ball joint suspension. You are doing a great job on this build, you are bring back a lot of memories about my old VW days. Thank you. Bill
And then in 71, the super beetle went to MacPherson struts, right?
@@robertweinmann9408 Yes you are correct.
Interesting to watch.
your next project is stripping a jag v12 blindfolded
@@MrGodsking already did that hahaha!!!!!!!
You caught the flywheel with those nails. Sarah, you’re the coolest lady on RUclips. You do excellent work; it’s a pleasure to watch.
You're Doing an Awesome job on this restoration. It's not the end of the world if you take an extra week or so to finish...
Absolutely! Both for the audience AND the winner of the car, it's better to do the job WELL rather than on time. It's more informative, more entertaining, and keeps the eventual owner safer.
Hey Sarah, double check the orientation of the baffle for the oil filler neck. If you face it the wrong way, it could end up shooting oil out of the oil cap.
I was just going to say that I didn't think they dropped it on the right way. Not a huge deal, but it is meant to point in a specific direction.
It wasn’t permanently on in this video, just sitting there. It’s oriented correctly in the next video where I fully assemble everything.
Oh not the pressure washer....
Your dedication to quality work is well worth any additional wait for Ragnar's completion. Stop apologizing for adjusting self imposed deadlines, sometimes things just don't go as expected and that is perfectly fine.
Your videos are a special part of my week. I enjoy your work, I enjoy your humor, and I enjoy looking at you! Thank you for being you
Having rebuilt alot of bugs in my time I LOVE watching this. Brings back a lot of memories and a few nightmares. Great job.
Hey Sarah, nice job, rtv is not used inside the engine and best practice is to replace the push rod tubes. The old tubes suffer metal fatigue and stretching them, often will not seal them.
I think that they used aviation form a gasket seal, permatex 3H.
Thanks!
I've done enough vehicle restorations and also built a couple from scratch, so I know exactly how much work this is. You are kicking butt on it and whoever wins it will be 1 lucky bass turd!
Awesome job you are doing. Love that you’re sticking with everything original or close to. Whoever wins Ragnar is going to have a very nice bug.
Sarah, do it up your way. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that would allow all the time required for you to make "my" car right!
Watching your videos is a much needed respite from my daily grind.
*We hope Charlie's doing well.* Hope to see him back on the videos soon.
His back is not doing well unfortunately
@@SarahnTuned I just happen to see one of your older videos where you were baking the headlights in the oven. I think I watched it originally but it was fun to watch again. When you were testing out the lights someone was in the car and spoke for just a few seconds, sounded like Charlie.
@@lexteakmialoki5544 lol that one came up in my feed too I was like what wait 4 yrs ago they turned out bad ass too
You take the time you need, you are ROCKING it!!!
I think i speak for everyone who entered, if you need more time, of any amount, your welcome to it, the level of work you put into these builds is worth any delay.
You need a chunk of angle iron drilled to bolt to the flywheel in order to hold the crank from turning while you torque the gland nut.
And a very strong tie down strap/chain,to keep the entire engine from turning over on you.
Or just buy a flywheel lock for $20
@@dochlldy that wouldn't really be needed. If torqueing on the floor the bar would rest on the floor. If it's on a stand the bar would rest on one of the arms of the stand. Assuming the stand is securely mounted, of course
@@johnniebalfour1666 those locks require the case to mounted very securely to prevent rotation of the case. At least with a bar the mechanic can rest it against an immobile surface. It can then be torqued on a bench or floor without the need to secure it. Of course, this is from the perspective of one who already has a bar and no lock. If I had one I probably would modify my setup to use it
I used the lock and the torque amplifier kit on mine. So easy.
Starting watching Mr. Dos videos from the beginning, and it's interesting to see how you polished your technique in shooting/editing videos. And great content as always!
I've been a air-cooled VW fan since the 90's and I've built many engines and had many projects. Still have the bus I got in 1991. I fully support your rebuild choices and absolutely love the time-lapse sections. I can't even tell you how many pushrod tube seals I've replaced. Stay Awesome.
As WB correctly stated: the pushrod tubes need to be stretched a little before installation, hence the accordion ends. Otherwise, the engine will leak oil.
They were
I never reuse them... too hard to not deform them trying to stretch them, plus they look terrible. But ya... no stretch on used pushrod tubes is pretty much a guaranteed leak.
@@SarahnTuned Thanks Sarah...You Rock ...Girl.
"Carefulling" is one of my favorite Sarah-isms. I use it all the time.
I'm always surprised by your ability to keep to keep your videos entertaining and worth watching you complete your project cars
I rebuilt my 65 bus engine and 68 bug clutch. I wasn’t as organized as you ( is anybody), but I managed. Early 70’s. Thanks for the memories. Great vehicles at the time.
Coolest video in this series so far... Love all the close-up views of a clean original engine. (Great background music at 9:00 BTW).
At 16 a '73 Super Beetle was my first car. during my ownership I replaced the clutch twice, wheel bearings all around, learned how to install and adjust brake shoes, timing, carb adjusting, basically, I learned how to work on cars with this simple machine. I loved it.
As usual, attention to detail… the hallmark of a SnT project. As a hopeful winner… take all the time you need. 😉 Thanks! 👍👍👍
Thank you for all your videos!
Pushrod tubes usually need to be stretched a little before you put them back in, correct length is 7 1/2" between the seals. Without a little crush when you install them they will leak again.
I also see four dowel pins on the crank, that's a weak point. 8 is more better,
Yes, this is true. I watched you torque down the head and kept wanting to tell you, “Stretch those push rod tubes!” They will leak otherwise.
My dad used to work on these and you are correct sir.
Did that, I don’t film every little last thing I do. I’m already tempted to just start time lapsing everything so people stop mansplaining everything to me like I’m an idiot.
@@SarahnTuned you can’t blame people for pointing out something you didn’t show.
I've got my bench marked just for that purpose. And 4 dowel is fine for a stock motor
Back in the day, I owned 4 VW's, they were fun vehicles, easy to work on, and mod. Still have a couple of repair books on the old VW's. Great memories ! Thanks!
I've never seen one of those Bug engines torn down before, interesting. Thanks!
Literally did the entire thing without tech data other than torque specs, it’s pretty easy!
This is the part of the series I was most looking forward to..... I rebuilt the engine of a 71 Super Beetle a lifetime ago... It was all OEM... Ended up putting in a duel throat Intake Manifold and a Duel port Holly carb. I did split the Crankcase and put in new crank and journal bearings. New Pistons, rings and sleeves. I replaced the Valve push rod tubes. That baffle on the oil filler is to prevent you from dropping things down the filler tube as well as preventing oil from splashing up the Oil filler and getting into the breather tube. Glad to see you changing out the gaskets, the originals were not the best quality and often leaked. Especially that oil cooler. That leaked and the fan would spread oil EVERYWHERE. Hope your using a OEM exhaust. I love the BUG chirp you get from the factory exhaust. Have been watching with great enthusiasm. Love those original Bugs
Sarah… Wow. I really appreciate all the hard work and effort going into the project build. Truly enjoy the video and I glad that you got the mosquito 😂. Looking forward to the next video. 💯
You, my Dear Sarah, are absolutely killing it with this restoration and build!! Whomever wins this I'm positive won't mind a small delay as you finish up, so please don't stress!! Remember "Stress is the path to the Dark Side. Stress leads to Rushing. Rushing leads to Missed Steps. Missed Steps leads to Suffering!!" I am of course paraphrasing but I'm sure that's what Yoda said, damn near positive actually. Seriously though, Thank-you so much for this project Sarah! So many people tackle Beetles and get frustrated but I think kids today lack patience, they have way more talent with computers and tuning than my generation but I'm with you, Beetle engines are easy and you've shown so much of the correct way to do an at home restoration that anyone with basic skills should have no issue with one as a project. Looking forward to your next project now that there is a crack of light showing under Ragnar!! Take Care!
Your the hardest working RUclipsr I’ve ever seen!
Great job on the Beetle
This is awesome. I have been into VWs since I was 13. My first VW was a 1966 beetle. Was a father son project. Finished it in time for my 16th birthday.
I think this is my favorite of your projects, even surpassing the Ranger. It’s really cool that this is your first Beetle and you’re taking such care.
Have to say I’m not a fan of lifted Beetles, but that’s a personal choice
I am now a fan. Yep!
you can go another remote oil cooler and bolt it up underneath the rear deck up overtop of the transmission and put a small electric fan on it. Oil cooling is key and essential for these engines to survive not just the air
This is so exciting! I don't think any of your viewers would mind waiting for the car to be complete.
I use the same engine in an aircraft called a Corby Starlet. The information you have provided is great and easy to understand. However the pushrod tubes are a real pain to prevent leakage. You can purchase adjustable aluminium tubes, which are easy to fit without taking the head off. One you have done up the threaded end and locked it they never leak. If a seal fails it takes 30 minutes with the engine still in the car or aeroplane to replace it. Thanks
Did you check end play on the crank? The shims to adjust are behind the rear main seal.
Very important!
@@TML34 Yes it does. And it was actually 59 hp new
@@TML34 yes. Both clearance and the number of shims
My buddy from high school had a Baja bug and watching Sarah dig into the engine is bringing back memories. Seudo-fond memories; sometimes we were broken down on the side of the road replacing a fuel filter. Ha! I love it. Thanks, silly YT person! This has been a fantastic YT series.
Air cooled engine like the old bugs require heads to be torqued every so often, and any time you take the heads off you put new pushrod tubes. Also, there is no ‘Super Beetle engine’ Not bad for a non-beetle mechanic. 👍👍😊
No it’s not. Type 3’s we’re the first VW’s to have dual port heads in 1968. Followed by every other VW in 1971
Like everything VW there is a special tool to hold the flywheel in place while torquing it. You slide the U shaped tool on one of the 4 engine bolts and no need for the assistance of the second person to try and hold the engine back. Great job.
Set the exhaust valve lash a little loose on #3- it runs hotter than the rest
No need for that
#3 would run hot because the oil cooler was inside the fan shroud and would not only block airflow to #3 but would also preheat the air that did get to that side of the engine. The doghouse cooler was engineered to prevent that
Almost 40 years of aircooled life. And I’ve never heard of anyone doing that
35 year wrench here! That's gonna be beeachin'! Keep up the great work. Proud of you from Michigan.
After watching your video, I decided to change my priorities in my life.🙂
When I worked at a VW shop in Tampa some years ago, during a rebuild we would stretch the PR tubes just a bit so that when the heads were torqued, the tubes and seals would compress and give a better seal. If I remember right, most new PR tubes came ‘stretched’ already. 😁
Fine job, Sarah and as always so much fun to watch! Keep it up.
First
🏁
Lol a beach buggy is sooo much easier to work on .... so 40 years ago I stripped a wrecked beetle, hot dipped galvanized the floor pan, sourced a 2nd hand Fibre glass body and built it up. It was fun and I learned a lot . Also surprisingly cheap. I remember the 4 engine mounting bolts cert clearly. I loved it , it got stolen though.
Awesome work lady and damn you're smokin hot!! 🔥
For torquing that fly wheel a thing i used to do when i was rebuilding rzr engines is take a strap or strap wrench around the gear to hold it in place while you torque.
There’s also an o-ring inside the flywheel lip that seals around the crankshaft. It comes in your engine gasket kit. Common leak point of not changed.
I’d replace the old rusty pushrod tubes with new olds. The tubes are made of thin metal and are made to be pulled apart. This makes them initially longer so that that when you install them the seals press tightly against the heads and the engine. The seals are made of silicone rubber and resist the high heat of the engine head which is over 300C. Most VW engine eventually leak again around the pushrod tube seals due to the high engine temperatures and vibrations. When you own a VW beetle there is lots of routine maintenance like frequent oil changes, value adjustment, distributor points, filters, etc. you need to do to keep it running correctly. The parts were cheap and usually available at you local hardware store. Fun vehicles to own and work on!
14:11 The oil deflector plate is not on correctly. It’s that silver square with the louvres on. It needs to rotate 90 degrees clockwise from what you have there. The louvres should look like “CCC” if you are standing facing the front of the engine.
If this is on wrong then it won’t effectively stop the oil from spraying back up the oil fill spout when the engine is running.
Your knowledge of all things automotive blows my mind. Wow !!!
I usually get a square tube 6 foot long then drill two holes through it then bolt it to the flywheel where the pressure plate bolts to. Then put a breaker bar on the gland nut with another 5 foot pipe over the gland nut to torque it until my feet lift off the ground! Get someone to hold the square tubing that’s facing the other way on the left of engine while you torque on the right side pulling down otherwise the engine lifts and twists off the table
“You don’t need mechanical skills to work on this engine” Nope, don’t even need a torque wrench LOL I wish I had these videos 30 years ago. You’re work ethic is very motivating.
It's best to remove the studs and install k savers on the block casing. The cylinder heads will never loosen and back out, nor leak oil. Easy peasy
One of my favorite times working with my dad, was my chance to tear down a whole motor myself. Even if it was a V.W., for a kid, its a big deal. Love this series. Brings back a lot of memories.
Great job Sarah and no comments about your jugs!! That’s respect ! Love the tenacity you approach this project with, can’t wait to see this beetle finished and heat is running! Of course you will have to do a review of its capabilities off road!!
Well done. Talking about oil leaks, my 1988 Lowrider motor leaks oil at the base gaskets when not warm, nothing to worry about, it seals when it is warmed up :)
Happy Humpday Sarah!!!
Yes, mosquitoes are indeed assholes, just sucks that they tend to still hang around after the weather cools off like it has.
High 5 to Brandon!! Stay excellent!!!😎
It’s refreshing to see you build the beetle , not many can say “ I built it” regards from the UK.
Alternator conversions are great on old VW motors. Makes a huge difference.
Carburetor cleaner worked very well cleaning my 1600 motor & engine bay on my 71 VW ! 👍✌
On the push rod tubes they are designed to expand out a bit so they compress them down when you put the head on. That is why they look like accordions on each end.
Sarah - the head studs are only 25 ft/lb's so only lightly tightened. Most folk over tighten them causing the heads to warp and blow after a few miles. If you haven't already reassembled it you should replace the valves ( especially no.3 ) as they tend to drop their valves.
The #3 valve thing isn't a problem, assuming the head wasn't previously run with an internal oil cooler. The doghouse cooler cured that issue
Its been awhile since I last rebuilt a bug motor but I'm pretty sure the tubes are supposed to be stretched back out before reinstalling. Thats the reason for the accordion ends. Car looks great btw!
You are correct Eric.
They were probably baked in on the right side because the right rear cylinder is cylinder 3. Cylinder 3 runs hotter than the rest of the cylinders due to limitation of air flow across it.
So I’d assume that’s why those seals were baked in. 7:51
Btw, this is an awesome video. You’re awesome. I hope that you have a wonderful existence.
Thought I'd share: I "discovered" Zep's purple degreaser a while ago (at Walmart) and it's proven to be extremely capable. It's supposed to be cut with water, but using it straight, it will absolutely do some damage to grime and grease. Warning though, it will strip anodization and other coatings, and it will oxidize aluminum.
Seriously…. I absolutely love ❤️ how much you clean these parts / cars.. I rebuild old RC cars and I Sonic clean everything before I rehab them. I soooo appreciate all your hard work and tips for cleaning that you share…. ❤❤❤❤
You installed the oil baffle under the oil filler/generator mounting "sideways" It'll throw oil the first time you fire it up. Next time you pull the flywheel on an air-cooled VW, you'll save yourself some time/work/aggravation with a $10-$15 flywheel lock that mounts in one of the upper engine bolt holes. And you have to stretch the pushrod tubes also or they'll leak, even with the new seals. They were designed to be compressed during assembly. Love the way you daintily cross your legs like you're at a cocktail party while you're pulling the clutch.
Hey Sarah, yes those pushrod tubes are notorious for failing. back when I was upset with Corvair‘s I replaced quite a few brings back lots of memories as they’re pretty similar. you could remove the tubes without removing the head looks like the head has to come off but I’m not sure on the VW. And I know what they’re working on next-door I just don’t know what it is🙂🐧🐧🐧👍
They make a specific tool that bolts to the motor mount and wedges onto the tooth on the flywheel so that you can torque up the gland nut.
Hello in there Sara. I got into air cooled VW type 1 vehicles while on active duty USN in Keflavik Iceland 1977 thru 1980. The John Muir book "how to keep your VW alive" was all I needed. The Icelanders ran the bugs, as well as Russian LADA Niva's. I like the way you talk; I am an instant fan of yours, heck, I like the way carry yourself. PO1 Keith Hitzeman, USN, retired
That damn bass line starting at 0:39 seconds that you start tearing down the engine is a great one.
You'll have to do a valve lash adjustment as this baby has a solid lifters. As well as a gear drive cam and crank drive ignition. It's really a detuned race engine.
Meticulous and thorough work. Was so satisfying to watch this.
Back in the late 70's and 80's my friends knew when I was broke. I'd be driving an air cooled flat four VW bus. With a dead engine, I could buy one for under $500. A rebuilt replacement engine was about $800 or less. With oil changes and valve adjustments they'd drive forever. Replacement parts, when needed, were cheap. And I could camp/sleep in my van. The simple life ❤
Fyi, Brazilians love that thing, cheap and easy to fix, made in the country. They stop being made in Brazil not too long before they stopped the production in Mexico (the last place to make those things). They called Fuscas in Brazil.
I had one of this dc port air compressors and kept helping people on occasions. Then either I could reach them or their port didn't work. So I put a longer wire on it with booster cable ends to resolve it. It was maybe 20-22ft\...
The "dirt" under the fuel pump is very important actually. That should be grease to lube the mechanism.
Great video👍☺️
To torque the flywheel nut, bolt a steel bar across the back of the flywheel using the pressure plate holes. Makes the job much easier.
And such personality at talent , confidence and competence. That’s our Super Sarah. Woo!
I love how you downplay your obviously superior skills to play like you don’t have a clue - all that to show how in the end, you knew exactly what you were doing all along. Well played!! When you counted in German, you tipped your hand on just how smart you really are, and I completely respect that! I’m a fan already of your channel. Keep bringing these videos and show us more of just how smart you really are!!!
I had a 71 Super Beetle from Wolfsburg.
Loved it, fun car.
Great job sarah n clening frenzy...
Three vw tips
You can stretch the pushrod tubes just a bit when you reuse them for a better seal.
The baffle should be instaledl so the vents look like the letter C from looking from the rear of the car.
Its correct to put a have a little grease dabbed under the fuel pump for lubrication
Keep on buggin
generally if the head bolts come undone easy cos they were not tight usually means the motor has been overheated. ps. always retorque the head fixings after 100 miles of run time. . you will be surprised how much they have slackened off.
In my younger days we worked on so many VW engines we could take one out in 20 minutes lol. #3 exhaust valve was the biggest problem. You should have adjusted the valves while the engine is out. It's really important to adust them every 4-5k miles or you can drop a valve.
Always replace the pushrod tubes as well. They are cheap, compress on installation, and don't expand back out to seal after they are used. It'll 'work' but it'll soon begin marking it's spot again.
I used to get 33mpg with my 1600 single port. Great engine.
Sarah, CONGRATLATIONS ! I just notice that you have over half a million subscribers. That is amazing!
An inspiration to all women. Keep it in the family. Keep it VW! I think you are brilliant!
when I rebuilt a 1300 was the same torque I believe as you're 16 I used a 4 ft bar to help torque the main bolt down kept it from tipping over
Hi Sarah, it's true that it's a simple mechanic, but to perform a job of this quality as fast as you do you have to be an expert in mechanics like you. The future winner will be so happy to win this car that even if there is a delay it will not matter to him.
Dam having just found you, I dare say you do impress. Not only a femme fatale but a real deal mechanic. Somebody is going to be lucky. I am now your number one fan.
As you had the engine stripped down. You may as well had changed the pushrod tubes together with the seals. They have a tendancy to split and leak oil.
Love seeing an old Beetle brought back to life🤘