Got an old Beetle, next project....!

[Crater Creator]

Hi folks,
I came across a decent VW Beetle up the road from me and I went ahead and bought it. Great nick, has had a good quality factory-colour respray at some point int the past, 1973 1303 model.
It didn't run very well, I received a box of parts with the car which suspiciously included three new plugs and three new HT leads.....
First thing I did was strip, clean, and rebuild the card - it was minging. First two pics are before, then into the parts washer for a paraffin scrub, then the ultrasonic cleaner for 10 minutes for each major part.
Looks pretty good after - refitted, and car runs the same, badly.
Decided to fit electronic ignition - new coil, plugs, leads, distributor ready-fitted with pickup, etc.
Tried to get the first plug out - oh dear. Every plug was rock solid in it's head. I'm guessing the previous plug change was aborted over worry that the plug would snap. God only knows when the plugs were last changed.
After a lot of improvisation with socket sets, and extension bars, I now have a new set of plugs in. Took me 6 hours to change the friggin plugs! I still plan to run a 14mm tap through the heads to ease future changes.
Anyway - I then set the timing, and the thing drives like it was new.
I love it when a plan comes together!
More pics will follow, promise.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Don't run a tap down the thread holes. Get a new Spark plug thread chaser.
Bring the piston to TDC, heavy grease the chaser, run it down.
Then a quick hover out of the chamber and you be fine. A dap of copper grease on the new plug threads. That never goes amiss on any engine.

I guess the "Dizzy" M8 clamping bolt is good. They did have a history of appearing to be tight. But would work loose and the trimming would amble off.

 

[norlander]

A dap of copper grease on the new plug threads. That never goes amiss on any engine.

 

[Gareth J]

Drop the engine if you've got more than one job to do. Shouldn't take much more than an hour to remove even if you've never done it before. Then access becomes easy.

.... what's the body like?

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Drop the engine if you've got more than one job to do. Shouldn't take much more than an hour to remove even if you've never done it before. Then access becomes easy.

.... what's the body like?

It used to take me 15 mins to remove the engine from my 1200 Beetle so fully agree that easier to drop it if any serious work needed. I seem to remember changing the exhaust with engine in situ was a nightmare job.

 

[Crater Creator]

Thanks for the replies chaps.
Yeah the distributor clamp is OK but I have a new chromed one on order.
It is a spark plug chaser I will use, can't say I fancy it really in case anything gets into the chamber, but like you say Aardvark, I will try to hoover it and give it a blow with the air duster.
I am definitely a copper grease fan - use it on just about everything - too many years working in the North Sea I think. The new plugs got a smear before going in.
I will probably have to replace the heat exchangers (or at the least drop them and refurb them), so I'm thinking the next step may be to drop the engine. I have done it before but it was many years ago....
I've had a bit of a go at it again today, just replacing hoses and pulleys, nothing serious but it's looking better. There are also chrome rocker covers fitted but not visible in the pics.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Looks nice. Are the strut towers in good condition as that is a weak point on this model (which I've always fancied )
I fitted a Nikki carb to my 1200 and made my own choke cable using push bike Bowden cable - was something like 13' long

 

[Crater Creator]

Compo, Yeah most of the steelwork is pretty good. There's still a fair bit of rubbery underseal on it which will be getting stripped off and repainted in time.
The car came with two spare carbs, both as dirty as the one which I cleaned up, not sure what was going on there.
I was hoping to get the original wheels on today but the new tyres haven't arrived yet, maybe tomorrow.

 

[cardiffrob]

I've got a Beetle engine in my aeroplane and the general advice was to keep the matt black rocker covers because they throw out more heat than chrome or ali ones. Makes sense, I guess.


Engine upgrade???

 

[Gareth J]

Looks very nice indeed. 1303s are looked down on a bit but when they come solid and not too leaky, what's not to like.

... on the leaky front, if your heat exchangers are leaking, take off those new ali pipes for now and cap the fan outlets. Don't want CO getting in the cab.....and, replace that braided fuel hose for something R9 rated as if the newer ethanoly petrol eats through it, the braiding hides the perishing..... and, and, if you find the chrome rocker covers won't seal, try to find a replacement set of originals, they're supposed to be better fitting.

Like it

 

[Crater Creator]

Very good points. There is a strong "petrolly" smell in the car at times, could be the fuel lines or maybe the heat exchangers. Looks like I will be dropping the engine sooner rather than later. There are no obvious leaks in the engine bay right now but better safe than sorry etc.

 

[Gareth J]

Very good points. There is a strong "petrolly" smell in the car at times, could be the fuel lines or maybe the heat exchangers. Looks like I will be dropping the engine sooner rather than later. There are no obvious leaks in the engine bay right now but better safe than sorry etc.

Petrol smell is more likely to be the filler neck or the steel pipe that runs through the tunnel than the engine bay. Air-cooled vws are susceptible to engine (and then entire car) fires as driving along, smells of small leaks in the rear are left behind and not investigated, that and they're likely to happen just above the dissy. I did have a pair of 1600 repro hx'ers I was trying to flog back along. Can't remember if I still have them or how knackard they were but will look if you like.

 

[Crater Creator]

Just been having a look at the HXers, they actually look to be in very good condition, the heater flaps work fine but are not connected to anything as the cables have corroded away = hence no heating. The actuating levers also came off in my hand, I have a new set of levers springs etc on order. I think the exchangers themselves will be usable.
I've doused the whole lot in WD40 to give it some time to soak in before I attempt dismantling.
On the rocker covers - yes black will definitely run cooler but I live in Scotland...... shouldn't be a problem :-)