New Engine.... Part 6 - Fitting & first start

With the engine fully built up the fitting and then engine could be started!

1. Fitting

As the engine was built on the ATV jack it is ready to be installed straight in. The ATV jack and removable valance is the way to go for installing engines. So stable, slick and quick. Especially as I have to work solo.

Engine waiting ready to slide in on the plywood flooring.

There is quite a lot of wiring and cables to and from the ECU and also fuel and accelerator cable

Finally home

A Little tricky to get fitted. Last few inches always tricky to find the right combination of height and angle.

I recalled the great words of wisdom of the late Bob Hoover.........

"If it doesn’t want to go, stop. Take it out. Think about it a while. Check everything over and tackle it again after taking a break. (This time it’ll slide right in and leave you wondering, it was so easy. Veedubs got a sense of humor.)"

After a break and a cup of tea...... Slipped straight in :-)

All home and connected up Wiring and Fuel Lines.

Welcome to your new home!

Quick check of the Accelerator cable movement Fan belt attached, removed spark plugs and filled the oil read for the oil pressure test.

Not the final oil but okay for first few hundred miles.

Oil Level checked

2. Oil Pressure Test

Following the engine warranty and instructions supplied by the engine. Removal of spark plugs and fuel & HT, turn the engine over on starter motor until oil pressure warning light goes out.

Here is the video proof.

Also timed the time for the light to come back on. First time about 30 seconds. Second Oil pressure test around 78 seconds. Not bad. Seems to be holding pressure.

Quick check for any signs of oil leaks........

All dry and clean

4. First fire!

Checked tappets.

Its odd value of 0.10mm for the tappets but the instructions said to check the push rods for either Steel or aluminium. After checking with a magnet the new engine uses steel push rods so had to go for 0.1mm tappets.

So Tappets set. Oil pressure checked.

First fire up! Took a while for fuel to pump through. Used the 1 seconds prime of fuel pump repeatably to ensure fuel was there.

She is alive!

The engine fires up. No leaks and idle and accelerator fine. Yipeeeeee!

Moving on I have to fit the rear valance - Still got to put some paint on it.

 

All sort and snug and sealed. New Valance is okay.

Valance was filled but the etch primer had eaten a small edge of the filler.

Next job is to refit the bumper - It needs some serious rust and paint work. So much for powder coating

Broken Gearbox - Phase 6 Engine Install

Broken Gearbox - Phase 6 Engine Install

Phase 6 - Last phase. Install the engine connect up and finish!

After completing the new gearbox install on Saturday morning it was time to install the engine!

Texted good Friend Matt (aka Mr Quickfit!) and asked for balancing hands and also his larger trolley jack to help install the engine.

Matt & his van Frank arrived. It so much easier to lift engine and install with another pair of hands.

Despite the 20 degree slope on my drive we managed to lift the engine and roll it towards the awaiting gearbox.

First attempt was slightly tilted at the top (looking back the slope on the drive will mean that as it goes in it needs to be lowered to compensate) but after lower and a little bit of wiggling in slid the engine.

Quickly in with the engine mounting bolts & nuts. Engine was in!

Installed & connected up fuel lines, filter and all associated auxiliaries.

Struggled for an hour trying to get braided accelerator cable into locking bolt on throttle body. Every time we cut the braided cable the cutters crushed the braid meaning it would not go in. In the end enlarged the hole with a drill to give the braids in.

Decided to install battery and start engine without rear tin and valance to confirm we had 4 forward gears, neutral and reverse.

Engine started first time once the fuel had pumped through. No leaks. Sound mean with only the CAT in the exhaust!

Checked clutch and all 4 gears and wheels rotated correctly and reverse was good. It was great to see the wheels move again!

ALL GOOD! No leaks no issues!

Installed exhaust - The rubber mounts are tricky to clip over the hangers BUT Matt just clipped them in straight away and has now been given the nickname "Mr Quickfit!" as I think he might have been an exhaust fitter at Quickfit in a former life!

First Drive Impressions:

Rear valance installed dropped off axle stands and chocks away.

Getting off the drive was very nerve racking but away we went for first drive round the block!

First impressions - Same acceleration in 1st and 2nd. 3rd is much longer allowing me to get over 50 mph before changing. Did not really get much 4th gear yet.

No more crunching going in to 2nd! I always thought this was my gear level adjustment but it was actually the old Brazilian Gearbox (RIP!)

Clutch is a little softer but might need some adjustment to tighten it up. Good gear selection but a little stiff but I am sure once the gearbox oil as got everywhere and starts to wear in. The hockey stick was a little tight on the gear selection forks so this is to be expected.

I am SO PLEASED! All that hard work and late evenings, grease and oil have paid off and the replacement gearbox is so far so good.

Next few days of shakedown testing and a re-check of all bolts and a CV clip to replace.

The Big Thank you!

I could not have done all this without the support of my Family and Friends and I would especially like to thank the following people.

My beautiful, supportive and loving wife Charlotte

You have supported me throughout this giving up your car, driveway, evenings, husband and allowing me to erect the "party tent" while still bring me cups of tea and kind words of encouragement and support through all of this. I could not have done this without you. I love you x.

My Boys

Thanks must go to my two great boys who lost their dad for a week. Thanks for taking an interest and asking about the progress and the thumbs up through the sitting room window. A dad could not ask for better two sons and I am really proud of you both!

Mr "Quickfit" Matt.

Your supportive words and helping hands throughout this have been great. Your ability to clip exhaust mounts on in a flash amaze me. You and your family having to go to bus stop over without us. Your a true Friend.

DazDub.

Online Member of the Brazilian Bay forum who did a Beetle / Brazilian bay gearbox swap a few years ago and wrote it up on the forum. Never met you but thanks for your write up and advice.

Anyway that's all folks!

More updates with progress and any debugging will follow.....

Spares, Tools and pre-journey checklists

Quick new page update today with a list of spare parts, tools and a pre-journey check list.

It's a list of some of the things I carry on board. I carry more than this BUT this will cover the basics.

Where to carry them is up to you but I keep mine in the Danbury side wardrobe. There is a large space underneath where the spare wheel well next to the hook up charger on the air-cooled.

Here is a link to the page for reference.

http://t2bay.blogspot.co.uk/p/spares-and.html

VW Directory / Links page

I have created a new links & directory page which lists companies and sites which supply parts and information related to the Type 2.

Its now available online and is on the pages on the right hand side ->

Here is a link to the page as well.

http://t2bay.blogspot.co.uk/p/vw-t2.html

Hope you all find this information useful. I especially like the reference section as these sites have great information.

Coming soon to T2Bay...........

Coming soon to T2Bay Blog.......

So I have again neglected this blog while I have been working, working on my Van and also completing my ** NEW ** Brazilian Air-cooled Fuel Injection & Diagnostic guide.

So the following items and updates will be coming:

1. Brazilian Air-cooled Fuel Injection & Diagnostic guide - This will detail all Brazilian fuel injection UGA engines (1997-2006)
2. Wiki Style - Updating to manuals formatting to make it a Wiki
3. Possible forum for questions / FAQ etc.
4. Updates to Manual:
5. Rust proofing / Waxyol guides
6. General maintenance - Greasing / service intervals
7. Exhaust replacement - Write up exhaust fitting guides.
8. Printed Manual - Not really sure about cost of printed manuals but might start to offer this.

I see from the visitor numbers that there are quite a lot of hits BUT I don't really get any visitor feedback. Please contact me, write a comment if you want.