IT DIED ON ME!!!

[Tintop]

First proper outing and the engine gives up.

After 12 months of resto, bodywork, paint everything sorted, engine serviced.

1641cc big bore engine serviced and running/sounding sweet.

Set off to Tatton Sunday 8am on M62 sudden loss of power, engine overheated immediately, loud metallic noise, engine died!!!
Got a piggy back home, thanks to the AA, dumped van on drive jumped in car and back to Tatton.

All that money and time spent getting it ready.

All i can say is AAAARRRRGGHHHH!
You know that low feeling, well i'm there right now.

Never removed an engine before, any pointers would be greatfully accepted.

Question is do i rebuild (if possible) or buy a new engine?

If new engine is it air cooled vw or subaru conversion?

 

[easy]

sorry to hear about that mate, i know the feeling.

Rebuild or new is a difficult one as rebuiding a new engine is great experience and a huge learning curve, plus you get to know exactly what is in there. This can actually be very costly aswell as you do need a good few things such as measuring gages etc to do it 100% correctly.

The other option is to go for new and you can be up and running in a day, with manufacturers garentees the lot. A good engine builder could make you one up to your speck or point you in the direction of what you want. Can be a way to get half involved aswell.

The decision...................is yours!

 

[baron]

sometimes I don't know why we bother, having just had a summer of engine nightmares myself

but then I get the van back and cruise down to bristol to break it in at a leisurely 50mph, and it runs a treat and I sleep in it all weekend and life is sweet again and all is forgiven

we're deliuded fools :wink:

 

[andewilson]

find a guy in the know to help you and try building it up yourself. have the block and crank line bored etc. unleaded heads bang a cam in and your choice of barrels. i built one myself at 20 and it ran well. with no other help so anything is possible. i think that the main thing is getting all your tinware present and correct as so many people scrimp on it, and if it wasnt important it wouldnt be there in the first place. my beetle was missing lower tins etc so didnt cool correctly then the bit of wire that was holding the thermo flaps open perminently snaped causing them to close. and it was game over for my poor first engine.

buy a cheap running engine for a bit and it will give you time to build your desired unit.

 

[Tintop]

Think i'll go for the aircooled option.

There is a garage near me, i'm going to give him a ring and see if he'll come out and have a look.

I now believe the crankshaft has broken.

I have receipts for new barrels, pistons, heads etc from about 2 years ago from volkspares (bearing in mind it hasn't be out of the garage for 12 months).

So they could have only done about 5k. The block looks fine on the outside and a pushrod is leaking.

Will ring the guy and see what he has to say.



PS. there doesn't seem to be any cheap second hand engines around (in decent working order).# No guarantee the cheap second hand one will last.

 

[Araon]

Theres plenty of cheap motors out there, you dont know what you've got is the main problem but ideal for striping down and learning on.

You may be lucky and get a good clean motor but thats unlikely..

It sounds like its gonna be worthwhile you stripping what you have and starting from there, it may not be so bad.

Get someone local to give a second opinion theres a few on here from your neck of the woods.....

 

[strongy]

!!SNAP!! mine did the same this mornin,and it was a 1641.
any how ive orderd a new engine from gsf and it will be hear tomoro dinner,under £1000 and comes with 20000 mile warantee,not the most exsiting option but the safest

 

[Guest]

was it a CB crankshaft by any chance?

http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=384045&page=1&pp=10

 

[Araon]

Whoooa thats severe man cant believe a company like CB aint doing anything about it....Warranty or not theres still sales of goods act though makes it difficult being a foriegn co.

 

[easy]

Thats mad! difficult one to regulate, but you would have thought they would have just replaced it. Pence to them :roll:

 

[Tintop]

Cheers.

Plan to pull engine out this week (weather permitting).

Will have to weigh up repair against new.

As a foot note at Harewood this weekend a number of van owners were advising me to go for a 2 litre rather than replace my 1641.

What do you think.