Das Volks Vintage Volkswagen Gruppe

Just to close this thread out:

Sold my house and had some cash so I had the car towed to Freccia Bros in CT. They found about 4 vacuum leaks, the main culprit being the thick plastic gasket under the intake manifold. I replaced it during the rebuild but maybe i torqued the nuts too much or blew it ...

Ok Update. Discovered that the car runs fine and idles (albeit a bit high) with the AFM unplugged. Assumed it was the afm so ordered a new bosch unit and plugged it in. Bus starts but then dies. Unplug the new unit and car runs fine again so assuming its not the AFM.

From what I read it could still ...

Yeah from what I've read the booster leak symptoms occur when you step on the brake. I got underneath and checked the lines. They seem ok. It is mostly a length of metal tube with rubber lines at the front and back.

Update: Lifted the bus and found a set of exhaust bolts hand tight. At the header to U bend flange.

Then replaced points, rotor, cap, static timed and did valves which were way loose.

Bus starts, revs up nice and smooth, quieter now, idles high then died. I can start and rev it but if i take my ...

Thanks for the responses guys. So the Bus is a 79 with a 78 engine. 2.0, oval port heads and confirmed solid lifters. The head pipes go to a U bend to each side heater box. Then the heater boxes straight to the round muffler like the black one mike posted in the first picture.. all triangle flanges ...

Will do.

Yes, i kept the old exhaust heater boxes and the round cylinder muffler that i think is called eliminator? Put together with new flange gaskets and copper gunk paste. I wasnt this loud before the top end job.

btw i used the old headers with the new heads and fresh copper gaskets.

Ok almost 2 years since I pulled the engine, about time for an update. I had some issues getting everything done and engine back in (oh and wife and I also had a son so cut me some slack). Heres what happened:

wouldnt start, sanded the rotor a bit and started right up. I'll order new parts for a ...

the engine is actually an earlier 2.0. they are confirmed solid lifters.

gotchya. and i can at least static time it beforehand, then dial it while running.

wow thats a pretty intricate break in but I'm up for it. I'll assume a few minutes at start up to just let it idle and warm up.

Mike, you going to run it like this?

Had a bit of a snafu with some spark plug threads but the heads are on. Currently putting tins and fan hub, alternator back on (wish I had made a note of the order in which all this stuff needs to go back on).

Is there a trusted break in oil? Or will any old 10w40 do?

First oil change at 100 miles ...

Haha, I thought it was a car for sale ad at first.

Here's a depressing albeit well written piece on whatever the hell wheres my office now is doing.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/vanlife-the-bohemian-social-media-movement?mbid=nl_TNY%20Template%20-%20With%20Photo%20(9)&CNDID=39833252&spMailingID=10853826&spUserID=MTMzMTg0NjY2NzIxS0 ...

Cool, thanks for the advice. Pep boys might have something in the loaner section.

Right, in fact they come with the pistons installed in the cyl. If I can assume the ring gaps were positioned properly I could install them on my engine and no need to buy or borrow a ring compressor.

Do I need to hone these new BD cylinders?

or if I see cross hatching its ok?

ugh, yeah. Hmmm.

Posting pics here has been my nemesis since I dont have photobucket but I'll try.

I've read that the BD heads are rebuilt by a shop in CA with questionable reputation. They are better than GEX but not close to adrian's heads.

I will do a solvent test on the heads to see if they leak. I have ...

Update: Brought the Top ends to Freccia Brothers in CT. (Realized I have 76-78 oval port 2L heads.). 2 pistons had dome damage from previous dropped valves that must have been fixed w/out replacing the pistons.

Recommendation was to just get the Mahle p/c set that glenn posted in the link and get ...

yeah $414 isnt bad actually, huh.

Thanks Glenn!

wait does p/c mean pistons and cylinders?

yeah that could get costly.

Finally got the #2 head, jug and piston off. The head looks ok on visual inspection aside from quite a bit of carbon build up, more so than #1. Cyls feels smooth and still some cross hatching visible at the bottom.

The #2 piston top most compression ring is stuck in the ring groove. I mean really ...

Update:

engine came out yesterday. Going to start taking off intake manifold, fuel injection stuff, tins, etc...