Aircooled VW South Africa

Hey all,

I finally have time to update you! Finally managed to get a socket the right size to torque down the flywheel and put on the clutch assembly. Also replaced all the rubbers in the engine bay and bonnet since they have all gone hard and brittle. So that means this engine in going in on the weekend!

I just need some advice on a couple of things:
1) I have used Redline assembly lube everywhere (I think its fairly high in ZDDP, but am not sure). Does it make sense to get a break in oil as well? Or perhaps an additive? My plan was to use a straight 30-weight oil and then change to synthetic (not sure what wieght to go with here, but I sense that the oil pressure will dictate that).
2) I havent been able to get a stock idiot light, and want to just use the VDO sender I have. I realise the warning limit is different, but since the VDO is higher, its more conservative? I am sure I can swap it out later and also do a remote installation later on.
3) When priming the oil system, I get that you remove the rocker arms and spark plugs. I will also fill the oil filter to get some air out the system. Does one not also disable the coil or remove the distributor cap to keep it from sparking?
4) I have set up the carb for first start, but its not clear how to set the idle air screw. I have pretty much done the same as the volume control: all the way in and back it out 3 turns.
5) Having never started an engine for the first time to run the cam in, I am worried that I might get the RPM / Mixture / Timing all screwed up. Any suggestions for minimizing risk of damage?

use rimula R4x 15w40 oil for breakin and for the rest of the engines life - I do this everytime. No additives needed.
get the stock idiot light, any other unit will drive you nuts thinking you have low oil pressure when in fact it is fine
disconnect the coil power too

as soon as the engine fires, get it up to above 2500rpm (immediately!!!!) and do not let it drop lower for the first 15 minutes. Vary the rpm if you can. Dont worry about mixture, you are running at low load, so it doesnt really matter too much. After the initial break in, change oil, drive for 100km, change oil, drive 1000km, change oil, then change as per normal. Set valve gaps at each oil change.

1. Do not rely on the ZDDP content in the Redline assembly lube to protect a new cam and lifters during break-in. Find a SAE 30 grade oil with at least 1200ppm zinc and phosphorus. Oil with API rating of SJ and older, should be fine. Until recently I used Engen Premium SAE-30 API rated SF for my break-in runs. In January this year, I was told by the distributor that this oil is NLA... Perhaps there is old stock floating somewhere.

I also ad a shot of ZDDP addictive to the break-in oil. Bit of overkill, but it's relatively cheap compared to the damage of a failed lifter. I use CB Performance ZDDP additive. Do not know if similar products are available locally. Some say too much ZDDP is detrimental, as phosphorus causes buildup in the bores and on valves. Well, I drain the oil after the cam break-in run anyway, so not much time for deposit buildup...

2. Use the VDO sender, knowing the indication is conservative. Oil pressure light will come on at a higher pressure, than with a stock idiot light sender. If the light clears after start-up, you're good. Obviously investigate if it doesn't clear. Also check that the lamp stays clear once the engine has warmed up. An oil pressure gauge will probably give you a better indication of what is really going on.

3. During priming for oil pressure, I normally remove the spark plugs, rockers, and the HT lead from the coil. Crank until the idiot light clears, or pressure is indicated on the gauge. Check for oil leaks.

4. Which carb are you using for break-in? Don't worry about setting the idle screw, because running at idle is the last thing you want the engine to do during cam break-in.

5. The engine is running unloaded during break-in, so you can't go too far wrong with standard textbook-guide settings for timing and mixture. Start with 7.5 degrees BTDC (static), it will get you in the ball park. You can do proper timing adjustment, after cam break-in.

This is the way I do my break-in procedure... Have a fire extinguisher nearby!
Once I have oil pressure, I install rockers, set valve clearance, install plugs and HT leads (to coil as well). Be sure that the carb is primed, to allow the engine to start immediately when cranking starts. There should be enough fuel to complete the 15 minute cam break-in run. You should also have a tach, or use your timing light if it has a tach, to monitor engine speed. Immediately after start-up, bring engine speed to above 2000rpm. I vary engine speed between 2000-2500rpm, for 15 minutes, then shut the engine off. NEVER LET THE ENGINE IDLE during the 15 minutes. Check for oil leaks or other problems during the run, but shut the engine off if you need to fix anything. Do not let it idle. Let the engine cool over night, and adjust valve clearances again. I sometimes repeat the 15 minute run, just for good measure. I then dump the oil and filter, and refill with normal oil. Check valve clearances again once cooled down. There should not be much, if any change to clearances. Now you can let the engine idle, to make adjustments to idle speed, timing, and mixture.

Thanks for the info guys.

I will stick with the sender I have for now, but will consider adding a stock sender later if I find that it's a problem. I would also remote mount it since it seems these things can vibrate themselves to the point of fatigue.

I will see what I can find oil-wise, but will aim for the higher ZDDP content, preferably without an additive.

Tony Z wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2020 8:12 pm use rimula R4x 15w40 oil for breakin and for the rest of the engines life - I do this everytime

I assume you have just had good experiences with this brand and grade? Or is there something particular about it?

Also... One minor update. After breaking another lead separator, I decided to make a few from some aluminium stock. I think they came out pretty well.

Simmy wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 8:22 am

Tony Z wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2020 8:12 pm use rimula R4x 15w40 oil for breakin and for the rest of the engines life - I do this everytime

I assume you have just had good experiences with this brand and grade? Or is there something particular about it?

I've said it plenty times on this forum and elsewhere
the viscosity is perfect for our engines
I've also had the oil tested more than once and it comes back with ZDDP in the 1250 range - exactly where we want it for our engines.

Thanks! I will go looking for those posts.
To start, I was a little confused about the use of diesel oil, but it seems to be quite common in the authors community.

usually the same as petrol oil, just with better/bigger detergent packages and higher load bearing capacity additives (ZDDP for example). Many diesel oils have petrol ratings

Guys. The day of the first start is here. Got the engine in, and everything hooked up. 10l of Rimula 4x for the changes, a couple of filters, some extra hands and a fire extinguisher are all ready to go...

Fingers crossed there are no issues or leaks, but will be triple checking timing, leads, wiring and the like this morning.

Wish me luck and stay warm!

Best of luck from my side, but seeing how meticulous you were I do not foresee any issues. Enjoy reaping the fruit of your work.

Good luck! Cant wait to hear how it went.

All will be fine,....enjoy the moment,....just before you start,....sweep under the engine for all theexces nuts and bolts!!!!.......a person can get nervous when you see these things lying around !!

Haans

Ok... So partial success. We got it to getting it started... Oil pressure and timing were ok to get it running. Bit of a hiccup with a loose spark lead.

But... We are struggling with fuel pressure. Nothing is coming out of the pump. I suspect it's my fuel filter... I believe it's for fuel injection, not a carb so I am thinking it can't pull through to prime itself?



Will be pulling off the pump just now to check it's making pressure when manually pumped.

But here is a video with the misfire... Just to keep you lot interested!!!!

https://youtu.be/_hbA0TUrU-k

Still struggling... But found I made a rookie error... Swapped the suction and pressure lines.

But still not finding fuel come gushing over whilst cranking. So not sure if this pump is bad... It's been sitting for several years, so not sure if is diaphragm has failed.

Squirting fuel into carb gets it going for a moment, and then it dies....

We gave it a rest for the day. Wasn't happy cranking more whilst I have a fuelling issue, so I pulled the rockers and plugs again so I can crank it over safely.

Lowered the rear of the car a little to reduce the suction head a bit. Will try again in the morning once the battery has charged up over night.

Sounds extremely smooth when it runs. Well done

You need to fix that fuel issue ASAP. The first breakin period is vitally important for the cam and spending too much time below 2500 can kill the lobes. Continuously cranking isn’t doing you any favors.