1978 FI Bug Vert

[MikeH]

Tin cut and template made. Used tape to mark my cutting lines on the original tin. Hand shears, jig saw and dremeal to do the cutting and touch up.

[MikeH]

Shaped and held on with sheet metal screws. Suprised how well this worked.


Number 3/4 tin mounted with J tube



Tin 1/2 side


Painted in high temp paint, silver is what I had so I used it Matches my heads.


Have to admit, this took me a long time. Probably 5 hours.

[tarrich]

Still looks awfully close to the head and j- tube If it makes actual contact with the J- tube and the head it would bridge and transfer the heat instead of isolating the fan air from the heat radiating from the exhaust. If I understand the original VW design there was a layer of tin in T3 "cool tin wrapping around the head with air gap or just the type1 deflector plates hanging from the studs and the heater boxes had the outer shell to contain the exhaust heat for the cabin and support the sleds. The J- tube would have to be double walled to achieve the same thermal isolation. Is there a risk of the sheet-metal screws vibrating loose?

[MikeH]

I doubt the sheet screws will come loose but this is until I get a weld on the extra piece anyway.

After a little more bending it maintains a nice gap with no touches. Even if it did touch, the head can handle that I'm sure, considering the amount of heat it endures for the combustion itself.

The shield serves two purposes, one protecting the pushrods and second maintaining the integrity of the air flow through the cylinders and out the back. Without that piece air flow would be interrupted by turbulence or exit the sides and potentially back up into the fan.

You're right the stock heater boxes act to fill that side gap normally but even then left an air space considerably larger so it's not a perfect setup either way. This setup has a much tighter tolerance that the stock one so if anything should help with cooling. My thoughts anyway.

[MikeH]

Before and after: all these pics are for my own benefit

[67type1]

Mike, quite a difference from start to finish. Nice Job!

[MikeH]

After long struggles with the rear engine compartment seal I've decided the best way to install it is with a flat screw driver and just work your way from one end to the other poking it in slowly.

It went fairly quick once I stopped trying to slide it in with soapy water. If all goes well on Friday I'll have the engine back in.

[MikeH]

Geez I just want to put the engine in

Removed the transmission horn bolts to get new rubber mounts on and they came out real hard. After inspection appears they were pretty buggered up. Probably installed with an air hammer and cross threaded. The bolts won't go back in.

[teamafx]

Did it mess up the frame horns or the bolts? Or both?

[MikeH]

Bolts looked ok. Called around and found 1 tap 18 x 1.5mm at Napa for $5. Took some serious knuckler busters to tap the horns but got it done.

5 hours later mounts are in.

[teamafx]

That was a cheap fix. Will you have it in and running tomorrow?

[MikeH]

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D



Family effort got it in. I am now very tired, cut and bruised. Right side wiring complete. Lots of wire's to route and hook up. Some I'm not sure what they are any more.

Need to install a fuel pressure guage and final hook up on fuel rail.

Then test fire and timing. Saturday is family day so won't be running until next week. Soccer tournament in Kalamazoo all weekend.

Glad to have it in though.

[MikeH]

Darn, forgot I need to cut off and weld the heat risers on my exhaust. So can't put that back on for a bit. No welding skills/tools.

[MikeH]

IT'S ALIVE!!

Fiddled with wires for 2 hours and seem to have them all right. Drained all the old gas. Beauty of the elec fuel pump, just turn on the key and let it empty the tank.

Car started immediately after a static timing. Runs very very rough right now. Hopefully it's just a timing issue.

Let it run only for 45 seconds to get the oil pressurized.

Pictures show the new quiet pack peeking out. I really like the sound.



Will clean up timing later this week. Cross my fingers it's just basic tuning and not a full diagnostic of the FI again.

[MikeH]

Just read on Samba that the FI engines are designed to be timed with the engine running. Static timing won't work like the older models. You can static time to get it close but then must time at 28 degrees at 3500 rpms with vacuum hoses off. Dwell is evidently critical too, can't just set the point gap at .016.

Interestingly you must also static time initially at 7.5 degree BTDC, not TDC like my Ghia. No clue how they came up with that number.

That might explain the initial rough running. I'm 7.5 degrees off. Can't wait to get home to try it.