Chuck's Baja Build

[chuckput]

Oh the headaches that sometimes comes with wrenching on our old cars. I was all set to head out to the desert to try out my new engine. The first issue I discovered (yes, there were multiple problems), the carbs need more tuning. Off idle they loaded up, but once I got through that they ran like snot (good). The second issue was that I could not get into third or fourth gear ( therefore I didn't even get out of the neighborhood). The confusing thing is that it worked fine before the engine swap. The final problem is an oil leak that didn't appear until I started driving it. I didn't notice as I started the engine and revved it in the garage, but when I got back home after my trip around the block there was a noticeable amount of oil on my skid plate.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

"...The second issue was that I could not get into third or fourth gear ( therefore I didn't even get out of the neighborhood)."

You did try to do the obvious and reset/adjust the shifter. For example: with my bus shifter (the ball and neck that goes into the shift rod is longer) into a bug with the spacer/adapter, that adjustment is very fine and is not always obvious it seems . It doesn't take much to knock it out of adjustment and it takes some fooling around to get it set proper.

Lee

[chuckput]

Please tell me this has happened to someone else as I feel a little foolish. I decided to take Lee's advice (thanks Lee) and check the shifter adjustment. As I began to loosen the two bolts that secure the shifter to the tunnel I noticed a screw laying in the linkage on the right side of the stick. Sure enough, I removed the screw and it would shift into third and fourth. Several weeks ago I had worked on an instrument pod in the car and I must have dropped the screw and it landed in just the right place to cause the shifting issue.

I also believe I found the source of my oil leak. It seems to be coming from the "Taco Plate" (Type 4 aficionados will know what I am talking about). I removed the cover to investigate, but when I tried to secure the cover I found one of the bolts was stripped. M6 x1.0 Timesert is on its way. The other downer is I will need to drain the oil in order to make the repair. Remember that I only got to drive the car around the block last weekend? That's how old the Royal Purple is.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

The old "Man vs. inanimate Objects" thing again... they'll get you every time.

Happy to hear it was a simple fix, now... back to work .

Lee

[chuckput]

Taco Plate 1.jpg

Taco Plate 2.jpg

What a kick in the gut. You work hard on something, only to discover a fatal flaw that sidelines the entire build. I saw it earlier, but my lack of familiarity with Type 4 engines possibly caused me to not question what I was seeing. The first picture is of the "Taco Plate" location on my new engine and the other picture is of the same location on the old engine. Notice that there is a chunk missing from the case. Somewhere along the way it got knocked out and someone ground it smooth and symmetrical (which caused me to be tricked). The Taco Plate has an o-ring seal. This is why I had an oil leak! The Taco Plate holds a oil temperature sensor which I don't use. I think I can seal up the hole by TIG welding a piece of aluminium in its place. In the mean time, I have utilized some "red neck engineering" and used some JB Weld to seal it up. I still have the other engine AND I just made a killer deal on a 2-liter case and heads.

[Leatherneck]

What was junkyard about the delortos? That is going to be a nice setup.

[chuckput]

What was junkyard about the delortos? That is going to be a nice setup.

I bought them off eBay from a "used parts reseller." I rebuilt them (new jets and everything)and they did not work (didn't squirt any go juice). Slapped the Webers on it and it fired right up. The little I drove it last weekend I could tell that it had potential.

[chuckput]

Dunebee.jpg

I have been casually following the Dakar Rally taking place in Peru. Came across a team from Belgium running a pair of Baja Bugs. They run VW 3.0 liter V-6 TDI diesel engines longitudinally-mounted mid-ship. Kinda cool! Called a Dunbee and they are avaiable for sale or rent. Currently one of the cars is running 14th overall.

Full specs here https://dunbee.racing/the-car/

[Ol'fogasaurus]

What was junkyard about the delortos? That is going to be a nice setup.

I bought them off eBay from a "used parts reseller." I rebuilt them (new jets and everything)and they did not work (didn't squirt any go juice). Slapped the Webers on it and it fired right up. The little I drove it last weekend I could tell that it had potential.

I have idle problems with the left carb of my dual 40 Dels carbs (I bought them knowing of the problem). There is a air flow circuit that has tendency to periodiacally plug. I pull the down that carb then squirt carb cleaner in all the circuits, use air to blow them clean then reassemble it then set them to function together again. Usually they work OK after doing it.

Lee

[chuckput]

Engine Bay.jpg

Something is missing!!! After all my headaches with the engine that I built (see my posts above), I decided to take my original engine to a PROFESSIONAL for a rebuild. So, in January, I delivered my long block to Paradise Motorsport in San Marcos. They contacted me this week to say it is ready for me to pick up. I am looking forward to finding out about that engine. Since I bought it used and the guy I bought it from knew very little about it except who had built it. That builder did not keep records on engines he sold to the general public. Paradise will provide me with an engine spec sheet.

I was able to land a killer deal on a 2-liter engine case so I will attempt to build an engine again with the parts that I have. I have also been doing some research and I think I will be doing a better job on the engine.

[Leatherneck]

Interesting about the builder not suppling info for General public builds. I am no pro by any means but since I have kept the boost down the engine I built has done pretty good. There is t a lot to them but for sure have to have good parts and put them wieee and in what order they belong. Let us know how the 2 liter build goes.

[chuckput]

Leather, I believe I did most things correctly, but I was bit in the rear by defects in the case I used. The one area that I will be doing a little research in will be the pushrod tubes. Type 4 pushrod tubes are quite different from type 1.

[Leatherneck]

Leather, I believe I did most things correctly, but I was bit in the rear by defects in the case I used. The one area that I will be doing a little research in will be the pushrod tubes. Type 4 pushrod tubes are quite different from type 1.

Before I started on my build I sent it to a Machine shop to look over, they “should” spot any defects in the case. Chuck I know bumkiss about the T4 engine so it will be cool to follow that one.

[chuckput]

[/quote]Before I started on my build I sent it to a Machine shop to look over, they “should” spot any defects in the case. Chuck I know bumkiss about the T4 engine so it will be cool to follow that one.[/quote]

I sent the case to a "reputable" VW machine shop with a list of things I needed done to the case and heads (check align bore, deck the case, new valve guides, galley plugs, some longer studs, etc). The one thing I did not indicate was to look over everything for any defects that the case or heads might have. Oh well, you live and learn. Can't wait to get the long block from Paradise, but getting from El Centro to San Marcos in the middle of the week isn't always easy for me. Fortunately, my wife has a doctor's appointment at UCSD on Wednesday.

Chuck

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Before I started on my build I sent it to a Machine shop to look over, they “should” spot any defects in the case. Chuck I know bumkiss about the T4 engine so it will be cool to follow that one.[/quote]

I sent the case to a "reputable" VW machine shop with a list of things I needed done to the case and heads (check align bore, deck the case, new valve guides, galley plugs, some longer studs, etc). The one thing I did not indicate was to look over everything for any defects that the case or heads might have. Oh well, you live and learn. Can't wait to get the long block from Paradise, but getting from El Centro to San Marcos in the middle of the week isn't always easy for me. Fortunately, my wife has a doctor's appointment at UCSD on Wednesday.

Chuck
[/quote]
A "reputable (especially a specialty) machine shop" should do that w/o being asked, that is part of their job. That was a waste of money on your part and a loss of respectability on theirs. The only times, and there have been very few of them, I know or heard about something like this happening the business's rep was gone and they went out of business.

I bought an engine (supposed to be a 1835 [as I remember being told]) from one of my late son's friends which ended up being a POS. It had been sitting for a long while (he rolled the roofless Baja over backwards trying to climb too steep of a hill) so I pulled the heads off to check the innards for moisture and anything else. The engine turned out to be mostly stock with "cheapie" off-shore heads (this was back in the early '90s) that were cracked all over the place and not much else was right about it. The engine builder lasted in business for a very, very short time and had to leave town abruptly .

Lee