Itinerant Air-Cooled

What I described is exactly what I purchased, and what Colin and I installed in two visits over two itineraries (each a year a part). It's still got the same ancient spark plug in it - but make a point to keep the ignition it tip top shape to keep things working as cleanly as possible. It's been about 15k miles since we installed it. Engine seems to have fallen into a happy state ......I know it's going to need new heads (at the least) but am curious how long I can drive her the way she is. Won't be taking any cross country trips, but after some new tires, I won't have any issue taking her on any extended weekend camping trips.

Amskeptic wrote:

retro1302 wrote:A little more on that, Professor. Those heads look pretty fresh. What "brown" are you referring to?

The brown where you see brown used to be shiny oily aluminum. It is evidence of combustion carbon making its way into the reaches of the engine. I might have *also* gotten brown deposits from that plastic bag sucked into my fan, causing an overheat of about 535* temporarily. That's like burning the butter in the frying pan.
Colin

How/what were the valve lash readings? Perhaps some Porsche swivel adjusters will give more life to those guides. A worthy upgrade that eliminates the side load on the guide.

72Hardtop wrote:

Amskeptic wrote:

retro1302 wrote:A little more on that, Professor. Those heads look pretty fresh. What "brown" are you referring to?

The brown where you see brown used to be shiny oily aluminum. It is evidence of combustion carbon making its way into the reaches of the engine. I might have *also* gotten brown deposits from that plastic bag sucked into my fan, causing an overheat of about 535* temporarily. That's like burning the butter in the frying pan.
Colin

How/what were the valve lash readings? Perhaps some Porsche swivel adjusters will give more life to those guides. A worthy upgrade that eliminates the side load on the guide.

BobD showed absolutely no change on valve adjustments after that little scare. It has the hydraulic lifters with the larger valve adjuster screws, so no swivelfoots (can't have lash-free valve train for lubrication reasons). I would have to put in 1700 rockers and solid lifters to enjoy swivelfoot adjusters. Since we are bone-stock still, I am going to keep this engine intact for as long as it wants to run. I am planning on a refresh at the end of the tour > new bearings and maybe valve guides and we'll see about those "German" Mahle 2.0 pistons and cylinders.
Colin

Why not build a second engine, and keep that original one in the bus until it dies? Seems a shame to tear into it, being all original.

Amskeptic wrote:

72Hardtop wrote:

Amskeptic wrote:

retro1302 wrote:A little more on that, Professor. Those heads look pretty fresh. What "brown" are you referring to?

The brown where you see brown used to be shiny oily aluminum. It is evidence of combustion carbon making its way into the reaches of the engine. I might have *also* gotten brown deposits from that plastic bag sucked into my fan, causing an overheat of about 535* temporarily. That's like burning the butter in the frying pan.
Colin

How/what were the valve lash readings? Perhaps some Porsche swivel adjusters will give more life to those guides. A worthy upgrade that eliminates the side load on the guide.

BobD showed absolutely no change on valve adjustments after that little scare. It has the hydraulic lifters with the larger valve adjuster screws, so no swivelfoots (can't have lash-free valve train for lubrication reasons). I would have to put in 1700 rockers and solid lifters to enjoy swivelfoot adjusters. Since we are bone-stock still, I am going to keep this engine intact for as long as it wants to run. I am planning on a refresh at the end of the tour > new bearings and maybe valve guides and we'll see about those "German" Mahle 2.0 pistons and cylinders.
Colin

Ahhh...missed that. Hydros. Not a big fan of them in buses. They have an uncanny ability at masking head issues until...BOOM! I can't imagine that with those head temps [-o< that something didn't move.

72Hardtop wrote:Not a big fan of them in buses.
They have an uncanny ability at masking head issues until...BOOM!
I can't imagine that with those head temps [-o< that something didn't move.

In this technical article,

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=11408#p199857

there is a paragraph regarding the forensics that allow you to spot trends just like any solid lifter engine. I have never experienced a problem with hydraulic lifters, though I do like the clatter of solids . . .
Colin

hambone wrote:Why not build a second engine, and keep that original one in the bus until it dies? Seems a shame to tear into it, being all original.

That is the plan.
I am interested in a short stroke 66mm Type 4 engine with greater displacement than stock to give me some of the power advantage of a 2.0 with the beyootiful smoothness of the earlier Type 4 engines.
Might even have to do a Luftwagon MicroSquirt engine management system . . .
Colin

Has anyone ever put a d-jet 1600 into an early bay? That would have quite a kick. I've often wondered about that.

Amskeptic wrote:

hambone wrote:Why not build a second engine, and keep that original one in the bus until it dies? Seems a shame to tear into it, being all original.

That is the plan.
I am interested in a short stroke 66mm Type 4 engine with greater displacement than stock to give me some of the power advantage of a 2.0 with the beyootiful smoothness of the earlier Type 4 engines.
Might even have to do a Luftwagon MicroSquirt engine management system . . .
Colin

I have built a couple of 1911cc engines (96x66) for 914's. Rev really nicely and have good top end hp but lack the torque of a 94x71 engine. I think it's a good combo for early buses (68- 71's) that change over to a type 4 engine with the DTM fan setup.

asiab3 wrote: ↑

Tue May 13, 2014 4:32 pm

hambone wrote:What is that extra pipe in front of the exhaust?

Late T4 bus heat dump tubes. Routes heat exchanger flow out from underneath when you don't have cabin heat on. Started aroud '78, older buses (and other ACVWs) just had outlets on the nose of the (heater control valve-ed)

#41

Any part# for 41 in the diagram?

stevespeirs wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 24, 2018 7:05 pm

Any part# for 41 in the diagram?

That is the metal dump tube with brackets for the engine carrier. You know that.
But I ask, what would a part number do for you at this late date?
Is somebody asking you to provide a part number?
Is this request for your own edification?
Colin

Partly for my own records, and partly to help track down a pair of tubes, which I successfully did last weekend.