Publisher Description

Rebuild your Volkswagen's air-cooled engine with confidence and get your beloved boxer back on the road.How to Rebuild VW Air-Cooled Engines: 1961-2003 offers beautiful color photos with insightful step-by-step captions for expertly rebuilding Volkswagen air-cooled engines and provides in-depth, hands-on information for disassembly, inspection, machining, parts selection, preassembly, final assembly, installation, and tuning. Not only are the procedures for rebuilding covered in depth but engine model types, identification codes, specifications, and details are also covered in a manner that allows the user to source a good later-model candidate for rebuilding and helps retrofit the modern engine designs into earlier chassis. This resource focuses on the VW Type 1, 2, and 3 engines beginning in the year 1961, when a significant redesign improved the reliability, durability, and horsepower of the basic initial design. For more than 70 years, automotive enthusiasts and the public in general has embraced the VW air-cooled engine for its simplicity, its capacity to be modified, and its bulletproof reliability. One of the most widely used and versatile internal combustion engines in the world, this engine has powered VW Beetles, Buses, Porsche 914s, off-road buggies and rails, formula race cars, and many other machines both on and off-road. From 1938 until 2003, more than 21 million Beetles equipped with an air-cooled rear-mounted engine were produced.If you have any interest in reviving your old VW, or perhaps are researching the purchase of one, this handy guide will cover all the bases in bringing that old air-cooled powerplant back to life.

Author Biography

Prescott Phillips has been building stock and high-performance Volkswagen engines and transmissions since 1981. A semiretired Journeyman Tool and Die Maker, he always strives for perfection and has the reputation for building strong, reliable powerplants. His love for drag racing and Volkswagens led him to build some of the fastest Beetles in the Midwest.

Table of Contents

About the Author Acknowledgments What Is a Workbench Book? Chapter 1: Before You Begin A Brief History of the VW Flat 4 Engines Engine Identification Is This Engine Worth Rebuilding? Planning Work Area Tools Our Engine Chapter 2: Engine Disassembly Spotting a Rebuilt Engine Be Patient Get Organized Engine Disassembly Parts to Keep and Parts to Replace Chapter 3: Parts Cleaning and Inspection Cylinder Heads Rocker Assemblies Pushrods Lifters Camshaft Connecting Rods Crankshaft Flywheel Flywheel Gland Nut Oil Pump Oil Cooler Engine Case Chapter 4: Machine Shop Choosing a Machine Shop Engine Case Machining Procedures Head Rebuilding Procedures Post-Machine Shop Procedures Chapter 5: Component Preparation Engine Case Head Studs Internal Components Long-Block Cooling Tin Chapter 6: Preassembly Preset the Flywheel Endplay Scribe the Main Bearings Gap the Piston Rings Install the Rings on the Pistons Chapter 7: Final Assembly Crankshaft Engine Case Preparation Join the Two Halves Flywheel Piston Barrel Cylinder Heads Oil Pressure Relief Valves Full-Flow Filter Oil Pump Upgrade Sump Plate Valvetrain Adjusting the Valves Chapter 8: Accessory Installation Important Questions to Ask Yourself Carburetor: Rebuild or Replace? Installing Accessories Exhaust System Chapter 9: Startup, Break-In, and Adjustments Building a Test Stand Installing an Engine on a Test Stand Installing a 12V Starter in a 6V Transmission Installing a 12V Engine in a 6V Transmission Installing the Clutch and Pressure Plate Vehicle Installation Start the Engine Appendix Source Guide

Review

"From disassembly, to inspection, and on to the machining processes, Prescott tames the process like no other book available on the market. Engine books can be a little overwhelming at times, but all bases are covered in a simple and matter-of-fact way that's very appealing. DIYers will feel empowered to test themselves in the garage."-- "VolksAmerica" (11/12/2019 12:00:00 AM)

Long Description

This book covers rebuilding the VW Type 1, 2, and 3 engines beginning in 1961, when a significant redesign improved the basic initial design. Step-by-step color photos provide in-depth, hands-on rebuilding information, while engine model types, identification codes, specifications, and details help the user source a good candidate for rebuilding or retrofitting.

Review Text

"From disassembly, to inspection, and on to the machining processes, Prescott tames the process like no other book available on the market. Engine books can be a little overwhelming at times, but all bases are covered in a simple and matter-of-fact way that's very appealing. DIYers will feel empowered to test themselves in the garage."

Review Quote

"From disassembly, to inspection, and on to the machining processes, Prescott tames the process like no other book available on the market. Engine books can be a little overwhelming at times, but all bases are covered in a simple and matter-of-fact way that's very appealing. DIYers will feel empowered to test themselves in the garage."

Details