Aircooled VW South Africa

nice project keep the pics coming

Thanks Tony & Jonnodub

So I went to look for a machine shop to drill and tap the inserts on the modified wbx casing but ended up doubting the strength of the mod.

It has been done with success but I am new to this and I am not sure about my workmanship on the tapping of the casing.

One shop told me it will never last and should have been welded up then drilled and tapped... But on a casing it will warp or affect your alignment of the case halves and bearings? Won't the casting be affected also?

Now I am re thinking what casing to use.

Was even thinking of trying Macdonalds engineering but will they be up for unusual work like this?

Another option is a casing (As21) I have that was modified for a wbx crank using a type 4 bearing but how strong is a vw casing? Will it be able to handle around 300hp? Importing a case would be ideal but very costly and then I will need a crank to go with it also. The R-$ Is against us on imports.

Have the inserts been heat shrunk fitted of do they just slid in.

I would have made them interference fit, heated the casing, cooled the inserts, applied Loctite thread lock and pressed them in.

Would locktite the counter head screws as well.

Herman

Hi Herman I think we aren't talking about the same thing.

The inserts I am referring to is the ones in the picture above where the head studs used to be. These were tapped to M12x1.5 and inserts screwed in. Next step is to drill and tap these inserts to M8x1.25 but off centre to move the studs closer to the centre to allow the fitment of beetle cylinders and heads.

I think you were referring to the lifter inserts? I still have to get to those but want to get the head studs sorted before I do them.

Thanks

Speak to Martin Rädel, he has done this and knows exactly what to do with the inserts.

Check pm

Wentzel wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 11:31 am Hi Herman I think we aren't talking about the same thing.

The inserts I am referring to is the ones in the picture above where the head studs used to be. These were tapped to M12x1.5 and inserts screwed in. Next step is to drill and tap these inserts to M8x1.25 but off centre to move the studs closer to the centre to allow the fitment of beetle cylinders and heads.

I think you were referring to the lifter inserts? I still have to get to those but want to get the head studs sorted before I do them.

Thanks

Sorry, faulty eyes...

My concern with that is that you would be very much on edge and weaken the insert.

I think I would machine a off center stud with M12 base and M8 body from Hi tensile rod and turn it in with thread lock, turning it in the correct location.

Herman

Thanks Herman never thought of that but it may be a tricky thing to have made up.

I am taking the casing in on Monday to a shop willing to have a go at machining the inserts. Holding thumbs that it will work out.

Hi Wentzel!

Nice to see you are getting along with your rebuild
Pardon my ignorance, are the studs in question supposed to fit where the slotted screws are in the photo? And these are not in the same position as the Type1 studs? Or are you referring to the larger exposed studs in the photo?

I am assuming that they are too close to the cylinder wall to ream the stud hole which passes through the cooling fins? Not sure if the reduction in cooling surface area is significant or problematic.

Hi good to see you are building your engine also will be following it.

You are correct it will go into the slotted screws as the wbx stud pattern is bigger/farther apart than the beetle's. The cylinders and heads can be opened up the that size but I think it will be a lot of work and maybe problematic as it is a few mm.

Hopefully I will get good news from the shop next week.

U mean like this ?



i have also looked into the idea for a while

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?topic=8077.0

http://www.rockyjennings.com/

Wentzels heads are finally on their way to Witbank.
Its taken a while to finish them, but they are finally done...
I'll wait for Wentzel to receive them and post his pics before posting mine... the guys on FB will have already seen a few pics

Exactly like that Slak. I have been taking my time but trying to do as much as I can myself learning along the way. Unfortunately sone things require tools and experience I don't have.

Thanks Tony can't wait for the heads to arrive.

Any Engineering shop with a milling machine should be able to do that for U
without much hassle
it's just like drilling and tapping pcd on anything else
U just need to work from the bore centre

I agree but seems like no one is willing to help. It took me a while to get someone locally willing to help. All the other shops told me they wouldn't do it and it won't last etc.

If it works out I will probably do more casings in future.