HOW TO BUILD A STOCK VW 1600 MOTOR, VW Engine Build, air-cooled Volkswagen Restoration

HOW TO BUILD A STOCK VW 1600 MOTOR, VW Engine Build, air-cooled Volkswagen Restoration

[@charlesgalassi4488]

Darrin, I just want to thank you for all the videos you have posted. I have learned so much from you. I am almost finished restoring my 71 Super Beetle. Building the engine now. Thanks again.

[@charlesallen7567]

The 4 red seals not the latter models are rocker arm seals for a 40 hp engine.. 4 late model , 2 black for early model and the 4 round are rocker arm seals... good job I enjoy watching how other people work, been working on them since 72 and still working on them at my house.. im 66 and still love it

[@patrickperkes580]

I found this really helpful! Great video man! Im rebuilding my first bug motor tomorrow lol

[@mylessiglin4134]

+vwdarrin thank you for the great video, it was a wonderful refresher for me. I had a stroke in '09 so this has brought back memories of building VW engines from the 80's that were forgotten. Thank you again! 👍 👍

[@iceman22st]

Haven't built a motor for several years, and this video brings back memories. Used to love the meticulous work involved.

[@brianfoster9090]

Good video, I feel a lot better about tackling my first rebuild, Thanks.

[@RamblinAround]

Excellent vid....straight to my favorites with this one.

[@richlijacanacua]

Wow you are so generous! Thank you for taught us on how to rebuild our 1600 VW Classic Aircooled engine. You are awesome!

[@TherealHRF]

Thank you for taking the time to share this. I will for sure follow this build and refer back to it when I build my bug engine.

[@AdamNicholasSievers]

I think I just found my new favorite channel! Thanks man!

[@BoulevardRecording]

Hey man. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Rebuilding a 1600 and I learned a lot from your videos. Thank you so much for the info.

[@shawnobrien629]

Thank you on the video. I have a 1600 VW engine on my trike. My generator alternator went while on a run to Daytona Bike Week. I like how you did step by step. I lost a good friend who help me build my trike. Thanks again for making the video.

[@paulv9293]

The videos you put up Are priceless!

[@turbogrin]

Thanks for the refresher course on air cooled vw engines as it has been 30 years since doing one!

[@TheBigspoon1]

very cool vid, never saw how a VW engine was put together, thanks for the vid very informative

[@camronbitzer3159]

been looking for a video like this for a while. thanks for sharing.

[@GregsGarage]

AWESOME!!! Thanks for filming this and talking through it. Enjoyed it a lot. I could hear the flies buzzing the camera.

[@TerrainFlightSubie]

Before I left to go overseas I was building a VW motor and I ran into the exact problem you were describing with the crank not turning. I thought the guy sold me the wrong size bearings, but now I'll check the dowel pins when I get back. Thanks for the info!

[@firebull02]

Fire-Bull-02 was here. Thanks for the vid. I will be doing one of the VW motors for a sandrail later this week. Nice to see the process.

[@BelgianMuscle]

Good vid Darrin!! Love the mechanical builds!

[@michaelo1492]

Thanks for this post, I like all the tips you have for a good build, lots of stuff that others either forget or assume that everyone watching knows...keep the details coming for us newbie's...

[@joemcinteerjr4247]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge of vw motors.i have learned alot from your videos! I'm building my first vw motor and have it in a short block form as of now.trying to have it in long block form by tonight.i have several motors that I plan on building.thanks again darrin.keep up the good work.

[@thisoldjunk5752]

Nice video. I'm about to assemble my first VW engine. This is helpful.

[@paulortnakamura2968]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@georgeocegueda]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I haven't built my own motor because it seemed so hard but you made it look simple.

[@trevorsteele341]

Great video, I've been taking notes on it. No kidding about the flies, heard one at 22:32 and thought it was me.

[@russotragik]

thank you man, really thank you! your video was exactly was i was looking for!

[@kellytolliver2390]

Just got my first bug long time chevy guy I love it now I know how to fix it thanks guy

[@AlbertaClimber]

Cool about the cam lube, I've always used the right lube where I was supposed to, just never knew the difference or why. Awesome video, man I love these!

[@kallenhunstiger7970]

It's a great video. The help and advice is much appreciated.

[@bearkamakana8487]

Learn a lot .Thank you🤙

[@michaelwoodsdale460]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge - considering going for a German project and people like you make the unknown a lot less intimidating

[@richard16372]

Wow!!!! I am impressed with this video and how well you explained each step. Nice job my friend. Richard

[@charleswesley9907]

If you want your heads to cool properly in you airplane then you need to clean the casting flash from between the cooling fins . I flew a 1915 cc VW from Steve Bennett in a KR2 for 950 hours so I know what I am talking about. This can be done even with the heads in the engine from the top . What seems insignificant is aluminum casting flash that interuptsthe flow from the top through the fins and keeps the airglow from cooling the bottom of the cylinder head . I cleaned these fins out with 3 hacksaw blades bolted together to get the right thickness and smooth the airflow out . I was seeing 400 degrees plus on take off but then with the clean up 350 max . Excessive heat can cause a valve seat to drop ruining your day or worse . This is very important.

[@ivanvega2821]

Someone will enjoy this.... Yaaa that would be me:) thanks for the vid!

[@GratefulMeds]

This was a Grate video. Love watching things come together. I recently build a motor and haven't ran it yet. your videos help me a lot. but I built the damn thing so long ago I don't remember if my friend and I did things right....

[@gomudhen]

Very helpful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@stonefurball1]

Great video Darrin, you got me wanting to buy a VW now lol, thanks for the video. later

[@TheDrivebynerf]

wow..i dont know crap bout vw but these vids almost make me think i could build one lol...nice work

[@bearkamakana8487]

Awesome teacher.👍

[@whatsthisnow]

Great video! Very helpful!!

[@jenniferknight8404]

Excellent presentation , of engine components , and good advice for a clean rebuild . Thanks Boss .

[@TheWreckingYard]

Good stuff, I don't think I've seen anybody assemble an engine on the youtube

[@svenolley]

Useful-informative.Thanks vwdarrin.

[@brandenarchuleta9367]

Excellent video thank you !

[@ncautoman57]

Great informative video Darrin. Thanks for sharing. Take care. Rich

[@SILVERHORSE347]

Great teachings, thanks for taking the time video this for us.

[@terhhh87]

Another great video. I like these more detailed and longer videos.

[@JaegerWrenching]

when you start the engine isn't the cam lub going to go through the engine and onto the main and rod bearings? or is it some super dense grit the jsut drops to the bottom of the pan?

[@timsbeetle]

Great job and very informative ,thank you for taking the time to do a vid of this calibre ,big thumbs up to you Darrin :-)

[@BBugnOut]

Better than watching reality shows on Cable or satellite! FOR SURE! In my favorites!

[@BBugnOut]

I think the long pins may have caused my dads bearings to spin in his 1600 sp. Probably why we are rebuilding his motor now. Great Video Darrin!

[@dingadang]

Great video brother.

[@mitchcronin8689]

Good to see this on video. Well done sir. ...one comment, if I may... your torquing procedure is clearly resulting in overtorque... You should not push past the click, as you did on every nut you torqued. Your 27 ft lbs probably wound up closer to 35 or so.

[@merlyn59]

I was also taught to never touch your grimy finger to a bearing surface. I must be waay old school but, it is a practice that I always follow to this day...and I'm 55.

[@merlyn59]

I was taught the same thing about torquing Mitch. Then again I did 32 years in aviation,, not Vee Dubs. Dry torque vs. using a specified lube is also critical to correct final torque values.

[@jenniferknight8404]

Great video , I enjoyed watching it .

[@jginme]

Love the vids and live in central FL....where can I get the case work, line bore, crank and cam work done?

[@SwPiotrek]

Very very cool vid! Very interesting one. All best for you Darrin!

[@idgaf719]

thanks for the videos and tips

[@lukeshirley2289]

vwdarrin. hope your doing well. thanks for all your videos, they are very helpful.

[@mbsb5017]

great vid.

[@MegaArcher101]

thanks for posting great vid

[@gmd1417]

@vwdarrin-Great video, very well-explained and helpful---thanks for posting!

[@Miggys.Garage]

Your awesome man!

[@vw64manyrd]

very cool video! what about cam thrust bearing? ever have one w/ the thrust thickness too large and bind the cam?

[@MrJoes2010]

awsome video sir!!!!

[@harleyironhead7090]

/great job man you are a world of knowledge

[@Timetotinker]

awesome how to, thanks....tony

[@bojangles5226]

hey hows it going great videos to start off with watched them. but first time rebuilding a VW and i cant seem to get those dile pins to all line up with the bearings just the back bearing on the crank falls in nice other 2 not so much. any suggestions.

[@rmnkys1]

Darrin, I am going to be starting my own engine rebuild soon and found your video to be a wealth of knowledge. I have one question. How did you get the case so clean? Mine is an absolute wreck. I need to know how to clean it. Thanks

[@ak47popoff]

cool vid man!

[@davidzrocha]

Thanks for sharing your videos...

[@reloader50bmg]

Very good video, lots of info!

[@bunnythekid]

I would buy the Bentley or Haynes manual, research online and just watch videos from this guy! the VW flat4 motor is one of the simplest motors to work on, so it's a good place to start. Good luck!

[@gyrocaptain5816]

In one of your videos you mentioned replacing the full circle #3 bearing with a two piece #2 bearing. I can see the benefit of this as the #3 bearing can be easily replaced without removing the camshaft and distributor gears from the crankshaft. My question is, does a dowel pin hole need to be drilled in the case half where the other half of the bearing rests much like the #2 bearing half?

[@bensoloart]

thank you havent wrenched in a while. and never a german car.

[@JohnCarey1963Jag]

Like going to school - thanks for part 1

[@vintage76vipergreenBeetle]

Great video.

[@steveballard1463]

Great video

[@finpainter1]

great info.

[@billysalisbury8074]

Good job!

[@LoganSometimes]

Curious about what your ideal sealants are for an engine. I have a 1600 SP that I am getting ready to put together, but it doesn't have the cuts made for the large stud O-rings. I thought it was a 67 block, but it might be a 66 as it is an H0 case. Anyway, I am trying to figure out the absolute best sealing to keep it from leaking. I don't know what to use for case halves and other places.

[@robbiegwinn]

cool stuff....i like this kind

[@shoominati23]

Hi Darrin. I know you're not well at the moment. But as there are alot of people out there that want to build stroker motors, I thought you might be able to make a how to build your bulletproof 2110cc engine. So far I was looking at buying an engine kit from an online store, then today, I just happen to go to the scat website, and lo and behold they have the FORGED engine kit with EVERYTHING, cylinder heads, valve gear, everything. It has a good forged crank that hs alot more meat on the outside of the big ends, unlike the empi? one you show us in this vid. PLUS it's about $2000 cheaper than buying it from online shops like cb performance, 1aircooled.net etc etc.All the reciprocating components are forged. Well they come with heads and valves, but no rocker gear, but you can't expect everything for such an attractive price. I guess I should try and find those Berg rockers you recommend secondhand somewhere. And With the gearbox.. Am I better off just getting a changeover superstreet unit from 1aircooled.net instead of spending the money rebuilding my one? and what clutch should I run? Anyway, thanks for any help you can give I know your back is really giving you grief, I appreciated any time you can take out to answer any of my questions man. More power to you, and keep the informative vids coming!

[@dougherbert7899]

shoominati23 the SCAT kit doesn’t have every last item needed. Things like bearing dowel pins, oil sump cover, plugs, flywheel, pressure plate, distributor drive, cam plug, a few oil fittings, etc. are not included. Overall, I would budget $600 to $1000 on top of the kit price for the rest of the items needed, and figure another $200 to $250 for balancing if you are doing any5hing high performance.

[@Rosskenpo1]

nice job, good instructional video

[@bridgettec959]

Darrin....this video rocks but you always say "guys" don't forget about all the female high performance junkies out there! :-) Thanks for the awesome video-can't wait to build my first turbo VW

[@willow450]

I'm doing the same thing in school this semester. im building up a vw 1600 with forged rods and aa alluminum pistons. then I'm going to turbo it and add water meth injection for some lower egts and so I don't melt the pistons. I'd also like to machine the case to accept oil squirters that cool the bottoms of the pistons

[@Dirtyol12valve]

I doubt you'll need to do all that. You won't really be running high enough boost to have to worry about egts and your Pistons. It's a little vw motor not a diesel. And if you're running so much boost and fuel to need piston oil coolers you might want to consider forged steel Pistons. Even tho they don't last

[@larryhill9615]

very informative videos. At what time do you install the flywheel and set the end play?

[@bobandres5559]

Thanks Darin i am in the process of putting my sons stock 1600 together, had a question about cam break in lube. This engine was put together 10 years ago and was never run long just start ups and thats it. So putting new crank bearings and rod bearing just as you said not good for an engine. Should i put break in lube this time or just assembly lube as a used motor? Been watching your stuff for a couple of years i think now i have a reason to ask questions. Thanks alot super helpful.

[@bestcareanywhere]

Hi Darrin, excellent video. Just building my first engine from the scratch. I have a question about the dowel pins: All pins I have are about 8.1 mm. Everybody I asking keep telling me I should not bother and build them in. If they are too long, what could happen?

[@danelectro68]

Nice one Darrin...I'm learning something!!! :-)

[@bassdaze]

awesome work best video out there, is the only difference in the build for a 1641 be the cam?

[@lloydammoguy3829]

Darren, what do you think of the Hoover mod's?

[@dwightgeorgecarlson]

How are you holding the crank on the work bench?

[@Slashart666]

sorry didnt catch which article to check out with regards to torque specs, cheers

[@MarkNastasi]

thanks vwdarring. good job.

[@buggyyellow]

How tight should the crank feel after torquing? Should it spin freely or should there be a slight resistance?

[@aaronshah9491]

good info. the reason why people don't use locktite on rod bolts because it gives you false torque readings. locktite torque lube is the best for getting accurate torque readings on those rod bolts and it will give you the insurance that it will stay together.

[@tyleridzerda7900]

have you ever used any of the scat cranks and rods?

[@dwightgeorgecarlson]

Do you get the case line bored whenever you do a rebuild?

[@matthiaslahr829]

hi darrin, i am new here; i am a fond viewer of your aircolled vlogs and am amazed by what you share with us; ijust bought a brazilian split screen bus with 1500cc stock engine (44bhp) and swing axle; i will use it as daily driver on german highways for which reason i look for some more bottom end torque and speed and the ability to deal with fast trucks; i want to have around 120kmh top speed and decent overtaking power; target gearbox and rear suspensionwill be IRS; could you kindly recomend to me which kind of engine mod you would suggest ? and which gear and ring/pinion ratios to consider ? i know that this comment will be sort of off topic but i did not know where to file my question and maybe you could be so kind and share your suggestions with me; cheers and kind regards

[@jevchance]

Hey Darrin hope the storm doesn't cause too much trouble for you and Andrea.