VW Engine Build: Top End Install Part 2, shims, jugs, rockers, Type 1

Aircooled Volkswagen Type 1 engine building video: putting shims under the jugs, installing the cylinders over the pistons. Mike Smith also covers the differences between 8mm and 10mm VW head studs, with respect to when it comes to installing the cooling sheet metal under the jugs. He installs the pushrod tubes, and heads.
Defective worn out rockers are shown in detail, so that you know what to look for.

[@chrischapman276]

It's been decades since my last build with dad. Unfortunately we lost him nearly 2 years ago. He was a lot like you with your knowledge and ability to teach with basic, understanding terms and direction. I appreciate what you've done with these video's. I, since I had dad's 'hand to hold' during the few builds he and I had done, am very green at the knowledge of doing this alone. There are many video's out there covering the rebuild. Yours is superior by far. Thank you very much for letting me 'hold your hand' during my recent come back to the old school air cooled world. Much appreciated. My going projects 67 2nd owner beetle. Natural patina since 85 70 Ghia. stocky project. Likely going to throw my 2332 in it or... 70 beetle rat rod project. 12" extension. 7in chop. 33's rear rubber. lower than low pro front. select a drop, etc.... 64 Ghia Baja. going pro comp suspension with 1776

[@DragRacingTV]

i'm glad to hear that the video is helpful, thx... sounds like you have plenty to keep you busy!

[@secondlooksformen3836]

Mr. Chapman, sorry to read about your loss of your Dad. Best friend we ever have - as you know. Sometimes when I hit a snag wrenching, I ask "Dad, can you help me out here?". I feel he looks down and gives me a hint or an idea to try. Many times it works! So, I know how you feel. My Dad passed in 1981, but saw me re- build 2 VW motors. He was a Ford man, from way back. But, I knew he was glad to seeing me following in his doorsteps. So, I just got another old Bug, and am trying to learn what I can again! Take care. And God Bless! 😎 John.

[@secondlooksformen3836]

Wow. You are so thorough and meticulous - as you should be. A true professional. We are very fortunate to be given tips from such a knowledgeable and experienced artist. A true master VW mechanic. Thank you very much.

[@beautifulbodybykevii9484]

I love your style. Educational, effective and old school. I'm trying at nearly 50 to understand cars and engines, wish I had paid more attention to my old mechanic decades ago. Also, Sweeney believed in lots of orange goop, no gloves, for "feel" and dexterity!

[@DragRacingTV]

+kev - Thx, Mike Smith is definitely old skool! He's still working on these engines, decades after we make this video.

[@erwinjansen2885]

Your videos series have been one of the best I have seen on KZbin! Very well explained and full of small details!

[@DragRacingTV]

Thanks to everyone for watching the videos.

[@reallymadmaso]

You have a remarkable instructional capability. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us all.

[@Isa.M568]

Thanks

[@marianodemarco2975]

Excelente trabajo, felicitaciones desde Argentina.

[@FixinBugsNStuff]

This is how I learned many years ago.

[@outdoorfreedom9778]

Thanks for the memories, back in the late 70sup to the mid 80s I could build these engines in my sleep. I'm now 72 years old and still have the torques and end plays locked into my brain. The VW engine is like a good Swiss watch, if anything needs forcing then your doing it wrong. I miss working on my sand dragster.

[@robjasmin3197]

back in the early 70s we used 3m weatherstripping adhesive to seal the block halves

[@vicioustwist]

You could put these videos on CD, and sell them like Jake Raby does. These are very high quality instructional videos.

[@DragRacingTV]

vicioustwist thanks for the comment, appreciate it... i made this vw engine building video years ago, and we sold it on dvd back in the day... greg and the crew over at www.piersideparts.net/ should still have the dvd in stock.

[@cristinalopez5202]

Hello DragRacing, i have a question. what kind of sealent did you use in the pushrod tubes? it isn't enough whit the neoprene seals? thank you.

[@DragRacingTV]

+christina lopez i think that Mike uses Gasgacinch on the case surface where the rubber seal hits the case, but i don't recall seeing him use it around the metal tube/rubber seal area itself.

[@cristinalopez5202]

Okk, thank you very much.

[@Smarty1171]

Notice the sealant dripping perfectly from the tube into the case Twice You don't want that hardening in a push rod or rocker arm gallery.

[@Resq28]

Hello, sorry, what was the sealant you used on the cylinder before you put the shim on? Thank you.

[@DragRacingTV]

+resq28 - Mike is using Permatex2B there, but people also use rtv, yamabond, 3bond 1211, etc... keep the curing time in mind, need to work fast.

[@Resq28]

That's great. Thank you so much, if it wasn't for your videos I would be completely lost. Thank you very very much.

[@DragRacingTV]

+resq28 - glad to hear that it helped, thx for the feedback!!

[@dwightgeorgecarlson]

I see you don't appear to put any Gasgacinch between the push rod tubes and the grommets. Would that be bad or ???

[@DragRacingTV]

+DG Carlson i've never had a leak there, but putting some gasgacinch in that area shouldn't cause any problems?

[@najam68]

hello ,shouldn't you be installing Copper gaskets between the head and the cylinders ?

[@DragRacingTV]

yes, that's where people put 'em, just be aware that volkswagen did not use head gaskets on these type 1 engines, it's not a factory procedure... shims that adjust the compression ratio go between jug and case, and they are not made out of copper... i suppose that shims weren't a factory procedure either, they only became necessary because octane and fuel composition changed so much over the years.

[@najam68]

DragRacingTV thanks

[@davidmartin2631]

Thanks for this. I would have left out those tiny pieces under the cylinders. 😥

[@DragRacingTV]

thx david for checking out the vid! be sure and use stock tin under the cylinders, there are some aftermarket pieces around that don't clamp down to the head studs.

[@secondlooksformen3836]

David, I would have left put a lot if things!

[@donaldpelletier6654]

I am wondering if I should use both Lash Caps and Swivel Ball Adjusters (stock arms/solid shafts), since I have stainless steel valves in my 1904 build?

[@DragRacingTV]

Good question. The old Gene Berg catalog says no lash caps are needed with their Berg GB341 swivel head valve adjustment screws, that do the valve adjustment on the valve stem end of the rocker arm. However that is for their stock valves that have chrome stems, not sure how compatible it is with stainless steel valves. As I recall, the factory setup equals a slight offset, that causes the valve to rotate very slightly? If you go with lash caps make sure that they are a tight fit, so tight that you may need a lash cap puller to get 'em off. When I first started with VWs, a long time ago, I bought a VW engine that had the valve tips mushroomed, and I didn't know it; when I took the heads to a V-8 machine shop they cut the ends off of the valve stems in order to get 'em out of the head, without hurting the valve guides :-0 So it is something to look out for.

[@dwightgeorgecarlson]

Is there a time urgency after applying the Permatiex 2B to the barrels?

[@DragRacingTV]

+DG Carlson i don't think that permatex gives a specific working time, but fwiw people have reported about half an hour until it starts going off.

[@dwightgeorgecarlson]

Would it be ok to paint the push rod tubes with perhaps high temp silver paint or does that reduce cooling?

[@DragRacingTV]

+DG Carlson i would imagine that it might interfere slightly with cooling, but it would be hard to prove that... a very thin coat of black paint might help the cooling, tho.

[@casimirobuenabista]

@@DragRacingTV what is that sealer he put on the push rod tubes?

[@DragRacingTV]

I think that he uses Gasgacinch on the rubber pushrod tube gaskets.

[@casimirobuenabista]

@@DragRacingTV thanks!

[@deltaylor8280]

It appears that sometimes he is using an extension when torqueing down nuts. That give a false torque reading.

[@DragRacingTV]

a long socket extension might affect the torque reading if it's used incorrectly: "Using an extension won't alter the torque reading, but you must use care to keep the extension straight (parallel) to the fastener you are tightening." www.aa1car.com/library/torque_wrench.htm definitely something to watch out for, thx for bringing it up.

[@antong4892]

Great videos. If I install copper head gaskets. How I must measure them, as combustion chamber CC or as deck height?

[@DragRacingTV]

thx anton g... what i would do is plug the head gasket measurements into a calculator like this: www.gtsparkplugs.com/CompRatioCalc.html

[@antong4892]

This is a real good tool. Thanks. Now, what is the ok compression ratio for a 1776cc?

[@DragRacingTV]

+anton, it'll depend in part on how good the fuel is, in the country that you live in, but i tried to cover most of the bases in part 1 of this vw top end install series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n32mkJuBr696n9E... it gets a bit complicated, and it's a controversial subject, because new cars are running such high compression ratios, so people wonder, why can't we do the same in an old aircooled engine.

[@alexistripp7581]

Should you expand the tubes a little before putting them on?

[@DragRacingTV]

Not with an engine that has the factory VW crank in it, but you'd be thinking about it with a stroker motor, because the heads are further out and you'd be into custom pushrods, etc. Thanks for watching.

[@isaiasrodriguez4100]

I have question if you can help me i turn my vw motor over by hand but rocker arms wont move can you please tell me why they wont move. Thank you

[@DragRacingTV]

First off, don't try to force anything. If it's an old motor, perhaps the camshaft/cam gear is broken, and not turning when the crank turns. If it's a new engine you are building, are the pushrods moving up and down, but the rocker arms aren't tightened down enough?

[@soggz4246]

Hi. I’m building a motor at the moment. What’s ‘gasket cinch’, please? All the best.👍🏾🇬🇧

[@DragRacingTV]

Hi, Amazon has a good description of what it is used for: www.amazon.com/Gasgacinch-440-Gasket-Sealer-Dressing/dp/B0012TTDN8?th=1

[@soggz4246]

@@DragRacingTV Thank you.👍🏾🇬🇧

[@shawnlawrence4840]

What's the name of the product you used on the push rod grommet?

[@DragRacingTV]

I believe that it's Gasgachinch

[@angelgil9527]

What is the torque for the rocker arms?

[@DragRacingTV]

that's a good question, i didn't see it listed in the hotvws torque spec page? hotvws.com/content.php?contentID=62 do you have a bentley manual that lists it. for your year of engine?

[@khamul02]

@@DragRacingTV Rocker Arm Shaft Nut - 22 ft/lbs.

[@MrGarcon98]

this is no doubt great learning , if anyone is looking for videos on how to , try bug me video , mr higgins has many decades in a vw dealership and is nice enough to when e mailed to answer any questions you have with pride . i knowed them for a few years now and recommend them to anyone . thanks for this vid i love it , just trying to help others wile i am here .

[@secondlooksformen3836]

Bug den, thank you sir for telling us about Mr. Higgins. He sounds awesome. I hope you and he are still very actively involved in the air-cooled VW arena. I've recently gotten another bug to work on. Can't wait to hear and feel that unique car again! Owned about 15, but been without for about 20 years. I agree this video is fantastic. I realize now, I didn't do as much as I should have in my rebuilds. I hope I'll do it better this time! God Bless, sir! 😎 John

[@AS0144]

What manual are you following?

[@DragRacingTV]

Everything that is on these videos should be in accordance with the official factory VW Bentley service manual. If you see something here that's not covered in the manual, it would have come from what Mike learned, from working on a lot of Volkswagens.

[@snowflake9705]

what is that gasket lube used on the rubber seals?

[@DragRacingTV]

The pushrod tube seals, at the engine block? Gasgachinch, if I recall correctly.

[@snowflake9705]

@@DragRacingTV thanks for that mate. Do you think aviation sealer is also suitable?

[@DragRacingTV]

@@snowflake9705 If it'll stick to rubber it might be an option? I don't know that the factory uses any sealer there, might want to consult the Bentley just for drill.

[@aceh3104]

how much money u sale after upgrade to 100 hp

[@juan7848]

Where can I find the torque specs?

[@DragRacingTV]

Hi Juan, here are a couple of links that have torque specs: www.cbperformance.com/kb_results.asp?ID=1 www.jbugs.com/VW-Tech-Article-Engine-Torque-Specifications.html

[@emanueldavila85]

Permtex what?

[@DragRacingTV]

+Emanuel Dávila thanks for watching, mike said "permatex 2b", it's still commonly available.

[@emanueldavila85]

Thank you!

[@robjasmin3197]

i wish i had 10 bucks for evry time i forgot the damn heat deflectors.

[@merygabymendoza6958]

Made in mexico weee

[@civilianwilly]

Wondering how well it ran with "gasket cinch" dripping on the camshaft at 3:45

[@DragRacingTV]

Steel is a lot stronger than gasgacinch :-)

[@secondlooksformen3836]

@@DragRacingTV great answer, guys!

[@newvilla8115]

What sealant goes on the bottom of the cylinders?

[@DragRacingTV]

the orange high-temp rtv sealant is what we used, it didn't leak... be sure and push the jug down to fully seat it, before the rtv sets up and gets hard, don't want the jug sticking out even slightly from the case.

[@newvilla8115]

@@DragRacingTV Hi, didn’t you mention in the video high temp copper sealant? How about the seals on the push rods? What glue or sealant do you recommend there? THANKS.

[@DragRacingTV]

@@newvilla8115 mike actually used permatex 2b under the jugs, probably in part because it has a slow cure time... we use gasgacinch on the pushrod tubes, orange rtv under the head stud nuts to help seal against oil leaks... one thing to think about is that we made this video decades ago, and the sealant technology has changed and improved since then.

[@newvilla8115]

@@DragRacingTV thank you so much.