Any air cooled guys anymore?

I think those of us who dabble in old VWs are getting fewer, but as I recall there are a few here. I?ve got a ponderance with my car.

I still own four old VWs and use my 69 as my daily car. Granted, I don?t go off the farm everyday, but when I drive a car it is that one. Going to the city, road trips - it?s my only car. I like my old car and she makes me smile so who needs a car payment. Granted, I did paint it about 20 years ago so she?s not ugly or anything.

I built an engine for it about 25 years ago. From the start I had trouble with rebuilt heads. I dropped a valve guide on three sets before I finally broke down and bought a brand new set about 15,000 miles ago.

It sat for about two weeks in the shed while I put a new brake master cylinder on it and some oddds and ends. I finished it today and went to start it and it flooded which was odd. As I was cranking I noticed I could hear air getting past a valve so I thought I would adjust the valves since it has been right about 3000 miles since I last did. ALL of the exhaust valves were tight. Tight enough to not ever close completely (maybe one rotation from valve stem contact). I adjusted them up and it fired up like it always does. Since they were all exactly alike I just wondered if I messed up last time I did them.

I noticed when I rolled it over with a wrench that I couldn?t feel any compression. Adjusting the valves helped that, but it still doesn?t have what it always has. It used to be you could hardly spin it with a short handled wrench. It isn?t hopped up or anything (a 1650 I think or whatever 87mm jugs are) but has always been a quick engine. I don?t think I did any special cam or anything but I?ve slept since then so who knows.

Have you ever had one wear out and lose compression without using any oil? It uses none in 3000 miles. Never has since I bolted it in. I?ve had engines with lots of power that used oil but in the years I?ve been building engines I haven?t had this happen. It runs good and strong and has about 30,000 miles on it. She will run right up to 80 mph on the interstate and get 30 mpg no matter how you drive it. It just seems odd.

My first car was a 72 super. Had it souped up pretty good. The car got stolen during restoration but I still have the motor.

With modern no-lead fuel, and crappy metal valve seats, checking and adjusting the valves lash has become real important on the air cooled. I don't use one regularly but I have a Manx style buggy that we use at the lake house to get around. I have a 1835 with dual port heads, and I'm careful to adjust the valves every year(maybe 1500 miles?).

There's another option called swivel ball foot adjusters. Fairly cheap upgrade, and the adjustment is a bit tighter so that it doesn't clatter, and change geometry quite as much.

You may have burned a valve if they got too tight and kept driving. This will show up quickly in reduced compression. Thankfully, it's a fairly quick fix. If you want to test, get a leakdown compression tester, and set it for 80PSI on a warm engine. Do the leakdown, and listen where the air is coming from. Typically in the exhaust but can also be the intake. Pull the head, have it reworked, and insist on heat treated seats, and new guides. The guides without lead in the fuel tend to hog out, and of course this also causes seat and valve face wear.

Good luck. If you don't want to do the fancy leakdown, you can use an air compressor with a rubber nozzle on it, and apply pressure to the plug hole.

Wow, that is a nice one!

Don't see many on the road down here, the Texas heat is not good for them.

That is strange for the ex valves to tighten up like that, all of a sudden running good to too tight.

I had a commercial push mower come in the shop the other day. It has a very easy life, just used as a touch up mower at a residence, very low hours and well maintained. A Kawasaki OHV engine.

It was running fine, put away, went to restart and zero compression...

Pulled the valve cover, the ex valve was way tight, probably a full turn on the adjuster to get any lash. Adjusted it, the intake was right where it was supposed to be. It started and ran great.

How? Why? Maybe the seat is coming out, time will tell.

Be careful those motors are famous for dropping a valve.

In 1967 I owned one for five days. Bought it from the outgoing motor officer. Traded it even up for a 1963 Dodge pickup, owned by the incoming motor officer.

Here's my EMPI Sportster. Learn to drive before I could see over the wheel. Just put brakes on it this summer. Also have a manx that's a project.

All my motorcycles are air cooled. I think someone else mentioned you may have burned the valves by running them tight. I have owned a couple mid 60's vw's. If my memory is correct the motor could be pulled in less than 1/2 hr. Last year I was looking for one to pull behind my motor home. Good ones fetch a good price. I settled for a chevy tracker. That's my main run around car now, like your VDub.Stan

After owning them run it at a good speed all day, recheck the valves. Did you check them hot or cold. Makes a big difference on a V dub.

I agree with 37Chief, if adjusting the valves made the compression better they were too tight, and probably burned. I helped a friend pull a bug engine once, we put a tire under the engine, took all the bolts out, grabbed the exhaust pipes, gave them a wiggle and a jerk, and let it drop on the tire! Then we picked up the back of the car and lifted it over the engine.

I was lucky to get 25 mpg from a 69 beetle. I get better mileage from a v6 3.6L Cadillac. It had a 3 speed auto/stick shift. A torque converter and clutch. Clutch was pneumatic operated. I had head work done, new roka valves. On way back from Florida on I65 the valve broke off and I was stranded. Can't run them wide open for a long time.

Defroster is an ice scraper and a towel.
Heater only worked in summer. The heater tube would rust out behind the front wheel. Then rain water would come out heater vent.
Oil change was recommended 1500 miles and adjust valves too.
Great car for snow. Never got stuck.
Sold the VW and never wanted another one.
Terre Haute doesn't have a VW dealer.
After getting stranded I concluded Hitler exported the VW to the US to get even for losing WW2.
Sometime in the 70's there was a tariff on all imported cars.

As a result, we now have some factories in US making cars. Large Toyota plant north of Evansville.
I no longer want an air cooled car, just mowers, generators.

There is a Youtuber called mustie 1 that does a lot of complete teardowns on old aircooled VW's, and a lot of body work on old VW buses, Karmann Ghias and some bugs. Very interesting guy to watch, he usually explains how and why his reason for whatever he's doing. Also has some excellent videos on old motorcycles and lawnmowers, etc. He has a great foolproof method for getting the rusted on nuts off the exhaust manifolds of the beetle engines.

That is a very nice looking bug! I especially like the chrome stone guards. You don't se many with those. I drove my father's '65 for 2-3 years. One hand on the wheel and the other with the ice scraper in the winter, LOL.

I have a 1600 CC on air boat and was looking last night at a roots style blower and weber carb for it. It needs a little more out of the hole power with my fat backside in the seat.

Beautiful Bug! I had a bunch as kid, but my nicest one was a 63 with 1835 forged jugs and pistons, dual two barrel Weber's, dual port heads and a mild cam. That car was a lot of fun - I'd still have it, but I lost it in my first divorce. I'd love to have another some day, but good ones are really hard to find in these parts
Pete

Yea, i played with vw's for a few years. 3 sand rails and a couple of daily drivers. I had a 62 sunroof that my wife drove a lot. I say do a compression test or leak down test. Like others have said the ex-valves may have burnt and if they did and you keep driving it you may drop the valve. It makes a mess of the motor. You may have a head leaking at the cylinder as there is no head gasket in those. It could be warped or cracked. I had and old vw with no title. Let my boys drive it in the field when they were little. They will go a lot of places yo wouldn't think they could. There are all kinds of tricks to do to them. I got out of the vw's years ago.

Been awhile since I had my 63.
Might as well replace your plugs with NGK’s while your doing your compression test. I remember that being a chore (especially if you have the heavy dual intake manifolds.

I seem to remember I did the test with a stick on the throttle pedal.

I’d adjust my valves very regularly.
I can remember adjusting valves and points Friday night before cruising. A degreed crank pulley helped speed things up.

A quiet valvetrain is a bad sign for an old air cooled VW.

"nojustair" Since they were all exactly alike I just wondered if I messed up last time I did them.
I really think that is what happened. Strange to tighten up.
You have to watch #3 cylinder as that is where hot air dumps from oil cooler. In 71 they went to dual port heads and a different dog house, cooler and fan to fix the hot number 3 cylinder. Good luck!

Worn valve seats will allow the valves to go 'deeper' and the stems to raise and close the clearance. Mark.