Practically Classics Forum

Well today, I have spent it in a shed with the wind and the rain heavy all day. I was hoping the roof holds out as we have very high winds were we live. I had a few leaks on the roof nothing that made me stop however.
I took out my beetle engine, on the side of the road yesterday due to the fact a few days ago the engine seal went bottoms up.

This in turn put oil all over the side of the road outside my house.The only way to fix it is to remove the engine first, to do this I used car ramps to rise the beetle and trolley jacks to remove the engine from underneath the car. Its not easy I can tell you, or ideal on the side of the road in the cold weather.
However it worked for me this time were needs must so I had to make it work.
The biggest reason, that is why we are moving a garage with a house is a must. I now have to replace the engine seal, and pushrod pipes they were also leaking but not OTT.

This I found out once the engine was out, so best replace the pipes at the same time. Also going to replace the clutch as well while the engine is out. There may be oil on it from the leak anyway, I have no idea of when it was last replaced the bearing looks low anyway. I do not want to take the engine out again, soon afterwards just to replace the clutch next year.

As I have no control over the weather, I had to wait a few days for a dry day to remove the engine in the first place .

I got the old pipe's etc, removed cleaned up the crankcase etc, bits removed going to get the parts tomorrow fingers crossed .
Then refit find a dry day at this time of year to refit the engine back into the car.

I need the car running by next Thursday

Well that was my classic day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to ask this: If the UK is such a dustbin, how d'you not just buy one, get one free to somewhere that isn't?
Bloody ingrate!

SEE YA wrote:a garage with a house is a must.

Glad to see you've got your priorities right

JPB wrote:I have to ask this: If the UK is such a dustbin, how d'you not just buy one, get one free to somewhere that isn't?
Bloody ingrate!

Well back to the topic now, got the bits needed at GSF had to remove and cut off the tinware which was not in my plan. The screws that held it together were seized on tight. As I needed to undo the cylinder heads, to fit new pushrod tubes they are in the way. So out came MR GRINDER and my wallet to buy new tinware. I had to remove the fan tinware and the extras carb, around the same area again for me to do the work needed on the engine.
I then found another leak that needed to be fixed off the oil pump, then once I moved the cylinder head I found another leak off one cylinder head?
As the head was off I decide to do a decoke as well before I fit the new pushrod tubes on one side. So pistons were cleaned up as was the head as well with a wire drill bits etc.

Fitted both the rear wings and door steps,rear lights and fuel tank last week!



Fitted new loom and relays etc,and wired them up yesterday.


Fitted the front engine bay side panels and front wings today!


Next weeks jobs are to sort out a radiator to fit in,try to get a s/s exh made up at my local s/s fitter,and then start the engine!!

Well another day in the shed, I got one side fitted with new pushrod tubes and a decoke.
I then started on the other side, once again the same as before I had to cut off the tinware

The other side looked worse for some reason, I got it done in the end just got to tighten up the nuts after a final check on my work .

I am going to replace the clutch tomorrow, and see why the engine seal went due south last week on me.
Hence all this work in the first place, on the engine I am looking for about just over £200 in parts including the tinware.

Plan is to fit new seals, and clutch tomorrow then a final check over my work then refit the engine fingers crossed need car back on road by Thursday. This will only happen, if the weather is dry as the car is on on car ramps outside my house.
I will post an update tomorrow.

Another day in the shed, got both heads on now and decoked as well. I removed the old clutch, went to fit new release bearing to find out inner shaft seal on gearbox is leaking. This could could have been the main reason, for the oil leak in the first place maybe?

Its just on the way I have found a few other leaks as well, and having to cut off my tinware was not in the plan.

So the next big thing is to remove the flywheel, the nut is the biggest problem for me once off got to fit a new crank and flywheel seal,then fit a new clutch.

Then refit the engine and the fan housing etc, leaving this off will be better when I refit the engine underneath the bug.
A trip to pick up my torque tool, and the inner seal from GSF tomorrow then try and get that all done and that nut off the flywheel.

Its a case of so near yet so far .

Went to pick up the seal needed and my torque wrench, only had time to dig out the old seal in the gearbox ready for the new one tomorrow if the weather is dry?

Well as they say never an easy job sometimes, the last person who replaced the seal had a bright idea to glue it in the gearbox bell housing.
This meant it broke up, when I went to remove it and the rear of the seal it tight inside the housing.


I have so spent over six hours, trying to remove it I have still got to get the rest out somehow.

So far its been screwdriver made thinner on my brench grinder, stanley blade, a bit of damage around the bell housing .

I just hope I can remove the rest and fit the new seal and it holds ?