VW doesn't do Accidental Engineering

[six]

Bit of a rant, but why do so many small engine builders still think that VW put bits of crap onto your engine to charge you more or because it looks good??

So many studies have been done and prove, especially with the tinware eg flaps, deflectors and sealing tin or hoover bit, that VW have justified every piece of material, each part does a job to ensure you motor runs, runs well and has a long life.

I have to not only pay 3.5k for a motor, I also have to listen to drivel why they believe that VW was wrong and key pieces of tinware are just there to throw in the bin.

What the crap, really? does this still go on? obviously it does. VW spend millions on R&D on the aircooled engine and as such produced a very sucessful design spanning many decades.

As the saying goes, if you want it done right do it yourself. I chose an engine builder because they claimed to build brand new engines with attention to detail and everything there just as VW intended.

Grrr, so no i got a nice new engine been billed many hours to get it to that stage only to have to spend many more of my hours to strip off the tinware esp in this case to put all the missing bits on there to ensure my engine lasts along time, maybe they come across 3.5 grand daily and dont care.. others of us have to sacrifice and struggle for along time to save that kinda dosh.
yes i can argue the case but I have not been on holiday for 2 yrs (saving for this engine) the engine is massively late already and arguing will only mean I will get weeks of hassel and no holidays !

rant over, I gunna take tomorrow off to put all the bits VW designed back on the engine they designed..

Have a great weekend.

6

 

[mattd1984]

It is very true, a lot of people seem to think they no best. When you think some 40+ year old vehicles running around on the original engine......I think VW did know what they were doing.

It is very anoying, as is taking the van to different vw 'specialists' to be told one thing from one guy and another from the next man.

I try to do as much as i can these days, by the book, or websites etc

Where's you engine coming from out of interest?

 

[six]

[EDIT facts wrong not same as yours] a south coast engine builder!, engine itself been built well.. big regret was getting them to do anything more than just supply the long block!

I think some of the smaller companies are growing fairly fast and not able to keep up with the demands that that places on them. Communication with customer, ie letting them know if there are issues or just general progress reports lack badly and I think this is true with a few companies that ive delt with that have evolved from being a hobby to a business.

 

[slammedkustom]

just make sure stripping down tinware or adding/ subtracting bits doesnt affect any warrenty
got to cover your ass fella

 

[six]

no it doesnt however, if you try and make a claim and its due to poor cooling or something related i bet they wont pay out.. and in my experiance with other companies (not them ive not claimed ) they try every way to get out of it (insurance is a classic example!!)

So i would prefer that all the bits are there.. regardless of warrenty i dont wonna be broken down in the arse end of france speaking bad french trying to fix it!

Do it once, do it right motto ive always done by

 

[Analog]

sooooo you havent complained to the people that you handed over £3,500 of your hard earned to then?

 

[six]

of course. plenty. its just got the point now where it would be better to get the motor and do the work that keep pursuing it. I know a few chaps on here have their engines so expect it will be ok, i just cant trust them to finish the job properly. this is the 3rd summer without a holiday the wife is going up the wall without a break, for some reason un happy that I have spent all our holiday funds on sonething that doesnt even run!! . we cant afford to do anything else and cant trust them to deliver and it will just delay it by arguing and so on.

 

[baron]

I must say, I have a lot of sympathy with this rant

after a couple of engines died, i decided the time had come to get one that would last, not just any old jobbie that came along

for some reason the guy fitting it decided that VW hadn't supplied enough cooling, and cut vents inside the rear wheel arches. clearly these are going to let huge amount of water spray into the engine bay, but what's worse cutting them vibrated the spot welds between the lovely flat original side panels and the wheel arches, so i now have a row of dimples on both of my formerly flat side panels :evil:

unfortunately I didn't notice at first, but now I just cant ignore them, makes my blood boil to have spoilt those beautiful flat panels for some pointless reason

there's no comeback on the guy who didn it, but safe to say he's never getting his hands on my van again

 

[Guest]

Umm baron, id have the guys nutts on a plate if he did that kind of work without my consent! :evil:

 

[baron]

Umm baron, id have the guys nutts on a plate if he did that kind of work without my consent! :evil:

yeah, I know but i'm a nice guy/wimp/idiot

 

[Guest]

I did have an episode where i blew a valve (clio sport) and the mechanic was looking for an engine for me. I left it with him, and several months later went round to pick it up see how ihe was doing and he'd sold the car on me!! :lol: .

It was in A1 condition but with a blown engine and 90,000 on the clock. He had a cheque in my hand for full book price and i was looking to change anyway. But what an idiot selling it under my nose :| . sorry for going off topic/rant.

 

[Trikky2]

So i would prefer that all the bits are there.. regardless of warrenty i dont wonna be broken down in the arse end of france speaking bad french trying to fix it!

Do it once, do it right motto ive always done by

If your ever stuck in the south west arse then get in touch

Couldnt agree more with your "rant". Your absolutely right, theres far too many so called "engine builders" and "specialists" who take liberties, short cuts or leave the fitting of the tinware etc to an under experienced "ass-istant". Leaving off parts of the cooling system for example will significantly affect the service life of the engine.

For a many years the Beetles main stumbling block was its high price compared to many other competitor vehicles that were cheaper to build. VW pared down the price as much as possible whilst trying to avoid compromising the quality. For instance a re-designed wiring loom would save a few cm's of cable in each car - but on a years production it would add up to many kilometers of wire.

If they felt that leaving off components like tinware, thermostat, flaps, dissy vac can etc could be done without adversely affecting performance, reliability and service life you can rest assured they would definitely have done so. (ask me how I know :lol

 

[six]

thanks for that trikky, thats an offer i would never pass on. We are hopefully off down to the bottom, labenne ocean and mimizan areas mainly if all goes well

last down there in 2007 and loved it cannot wait..

 

[67panel]

depends on you engine spec/use,3.5k i hope its not a 1600 single port,yes it should have all its tin wear i.e cylinder shrouds,deflectors ect but thermostat and flaps arnt allways needed ,as a tuned "built"engine should be warmed up before use,as said it depends on state of tune :shock:

 

[six]

not sure what a built engine is.. ours is for the van, camping tourin.. leisure really will be used in all conditions, imo flaps are needed to help air flow and certainly thermostat seems to be recommended for such a thing.. if yo umean built is a hi po rave box then sure you dont need flaps etc as it will be nice and warm before its blased down the track.. its all understanding and designing a engine for the intended purpose

 

[alex4057]

thermostats and the flaps are well know to stick and cause overheating, it's nothing to do with HI PO RAVE as you say, A Built engine is anything above the 1600TP that VW designed I'd agree with the fact the most of the tinware is needed, but there are bits that are unnecessary and could cause more problems than the help solve

 

[Blake7even]

Rusty jammed thermostat flaps are a problem, but only because they are rusty and jammed. They ate absolutely necessary for correct engine warm up. The engine warm up takes too long without them and so engine wear occurs for longer. As the first post. Being a budget car sold on reliability they put nothing in they didn't need and left nothing out.

 

[cyberdyne systems]

The thermostat and flaps like anything else old might need repair/maintenance. I think if a garage tells you to remove them in case they seize, means the engine is not being looked after and short cuts are being taken. The default position of the flaps is open, its just the thermostat that holds them closed. If the thermostat fails it becomes open as a fail safe. For daily driven cars they are essential in winter.

 

[67panel]

YES

 

[six]

now thats sense.. i like that.

anyhow just spent the day on the engine all the cooling system is back and correct. ive got steve extension pice for the firewall.. thanks steve, but the crap thing is the thermostat after all that is broken.. ive installed all the flaps though and will hold them open till i can find another one. we are getting there