Quick update on the 1972 VW Campervan! Type 4 engine disassembly and analysis.

[@SanDiego_VDubLife]

well, welcome to vdub life. cool ride you got there and some awesome work you have already done. sounds like you wrench so all the mechanical work will be in good hands. Vdubs have their personality so you will have fun learning all about this bus. You probably have previous vw experience but not sure. As far as that engine, it's all up to how much work, time and money you want to put into it. That rust inside the engine does not look good. There should be none in there, so moisture got in there somehow which is bad, but these engines are strong and it will probably run. something might fail on the internals, but the only way to find out is to open it up. Once you do that you might as well put new parts. Before you go throwing thousands of dollars at it though I would probably just do the bare minimum and see if the case is worth putting money into. Once you have to replace that we are talking a few thousand dollars in upgrades. I know because I am in the predicament right now and just trying to get a few more miles out of my current engine until I have to start from scratch or at least a cheap rebuild until I save lots for my ultimate engine. Good luck buddy.

[@NortheastVintage]

Thanks! All new to aircooled! Going to split the case and probably do a full rebuilt kit from AA Performance. Other than obvious cracks, what should I look for in terms of the case? Spun bearings, etc?

[@SanDiego_VDubLife]

@@NortheastVintage cracks yes also the lifter bores should be snug. Make sure all the oil galleys are not clogged. The head bolts should not be stripped or pulled. Make sure mating surfaces are flat and that the crank journal seats are flat. You might need to align bore it or get a thrust cut. If you go bigger you will need to machine for clearance of crank and pistons. For engine stuff check out VW Darrin and EZGZ. They got good stuff but they may contradict each other so it’s a lot of opinion and you gotta decide. I’m learning on the engine side of things and have never rebuilt the bottom end but planning to soon.