Okay, so I’ve been wrenching on this old Volkswagen bus engine, and let me tell you, it’s been a journey. I got this bus a while back, and the engine was pretty much shot. So, I decided to pull the whole thing out and see what I could do.
First off, getting that engine out was a beast of a task. It’s tucked in the back there, and you gotta disconnect a ton of stuff – fuel lines, wiring, the whole shebang. I spent a good afternoon just labeling everything so I wouldn’t lose track. Then, with a buddy, we hoisted that sucker out. It’s heavier than it looks!
Once it was out, I set it up on an engine stand. That’s when the real fun began. I started tearing it down, piece by piece. The heads came off, then the cylinders, and before I knew it, I had the whole thing in bits. It was like a big, greasy puzzle.
Inspection and Cleaning
With everything apart, I could really see what I was dealing with. Turns out, it needed a lot of work. The pistons were worn, the cylinders were scored, and the bearings? Don’t even get me started on those. It was time for a deep clean.
I soaked everything in parts cleaner, scrubbed every nook and cranny with a wire brush. It took forever, but slowly, the parts started to look like something again. I even took the engine block and heads to a machine shop to get them checked out. They decked the block and did a valve job on the heads. Money well spent, I think.
Rebuilding the Engine
Next up, I had to order a bunch of new parts – pistons, rings, bearings, gaskets, the whole nine yards. While waiting for those, I honed the cylinders myself. It’s not rocket science, but you gotta be careful not to mess them up. I found a nice crosshatch pattern was the goal.
When the parts finally arrived, it was like Christmas morning. I carefully installed the new pistons and rings, making sure everything was lubed up properly. Then came the crankshaft and bearings, followed by the camshaft. It was slow going, but I took my time, double-checking everything as I went.
Putting It All Back Together
After that, it was time to put the heads back on, torque everything down to spec. I’m telling you, a good torque wrench is your best friend here. Then came the pushrods, rocker arms, and valve adjustment. Tricky stuff, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not so bad.
Finally, after weeks of work, the engine was back together. I bolted on the intake, carburetor, and distributor. It looked almost new, which was pretty satisfying.
Final step
- I dropped the engine back into the bus.
- Connected everything back up – fuel, electrical, the works.
- Added some fresh oil and coolant.
- Turned the key.
And guess what? It fired right up! It was a little rough at first, but after some tuning, it was purring like a kitten. I took it for a test drive, and man, it felt good to have that old bus running again. It’s still a work in progress, but getting that engine rebuilt was a major milestone. Now, onto the next project!