anyone in STL that could help tune my SB?

I just got my engine back in my 72 SB - after frying a piston. I replaced
the pistons/cylinders and put new gaskets where needed. I also rebuilt the
carb and replaced the ignition components.

I finally got it started tonight but it's not right. I worked with it for
about an hour and got it to idle, but it runs not quite right - seems to
run rough.

I'm wondering if I need to readjust the valves. I'm not real good with
these VW motors - is there anyone local to St Louis MO that I could get to
come over and look at this (or help)? Or at least a reputable shop?

I'd really like to get it back on the road with gas being $4/gallon...

Thanks for any help!

Mitch

--
Looking for a Sharpshooter backglass in good shape.

barnhart_pinball wrote:
> I just got my engine back in my 72 SB - after frying a piston. I replaced
> the pistons/cylinders and put new gaskets where needed. I also rebuilt the
> carb and replaced the ignition components.
>
> I finally got it started tonight but it's not right. I worked with it for
> about an hour and got it to idle, but it runs not quite right - seems to
> run rough.
>
> I'm wondering if I need to readjust the valves. I'm not real good with
> these VW motors - is there anyone local to St Louis MO that I could get to
> come over and look at this (or help)? Or at least a reputable shop?
>
> I'd really like to get it back on the road with gas being $4/gallon...
>
> Thanks for any help!

Any time you have the upper end off any engine, you need to adjust the
valves. It's not hard, I just did mine this weekend.

Les

> I'm wondering if I need to readjust the valves. I'm not real good with
> these VW motors - is there anyone local to St Louis MO that I could get to
> come over and look at this (or help)? Or at least a reputable shop?
>

You can do this job yourself with little more than a shop rag, 13mm
wrench, feeler gauge, and a flathead screwdriver. Position the engine
at TDC on cylinder #1, then pop the valve cover off on the passenger
side. Stuck already? Fine. Pull the distributor cap, find the wire
that goes to cylinder #1 and follow it back to the distributor cap.
Which one is #1 you ask? Rear cylinder, passenger side. Turn the
engine until the distributor rotor points at where the #1 wire resides
on the cap, and then line up the crank pulley with the TDC mark. If
your engine has been set up correctly, the #1 spark plug wire should
be the one pointing more or less at the fan belt, and if you remove
the distributor cap, rotor, and dust shield you should see a little
'mark' on the distributor body that is aligned with where the rotor is
pointing.

Now that you have the valve cover off and you are at TDC on cylinder
#1, check the rockers for a small amount of play between the valve and
the tip of the adjuster screw. Grab the top of the rocker arm where
the screw/nut are and pull/push to see if you can feel a tiny bit of
play. No play? Then loosen it up. Start by loosening the 13mm jam nut,
then use your screwdriver to turn the adjustment screw out a little
bit. Can you feel some play now? As soon as you can feel some play put
your .006" feeler gauge blade between the valve and the adjustment
screw and then slowly turn the screw in while sliding the feeler gauge
back and forth. As soon as you start to feel a little drag on the
blade stop turning the screw. Get your 13mm wrench, and tighten up the
nut while holding the adjuster screw steady with the screwdriver. Then
check it again with the feeler gauge, you want to be able to put the
blade between the tip of the adjustment screw and the valve and be
able to move it with just a little drag.

Got it? Good. You have 7 more to do. When you finish with the 2 valves
on cylinder #1, turn the engine BACKWARDS 180 degrees and you can do
cylinder #2. Finish there and you put the passenger valve cover back
on, turn the engine backwards another 180, and switch to the other
side. Do #3 on the other side of the engine, then turn it backwards
another 180 and do #4. When you are all done button it up and give it
try, if the valves were tight you should see an improvement in how it
runs.

Good luck with it.

Chris

> wrote in message
...

>>
>
> Which one is #1 you ask? Rear cylinder, passenger side.

*front*..... right side...(front is front)

Ahhh one of the first jobs I did to a Beetle engine that got me started
working on VWs back in the early 70's.

You can do it and you will be pleased with the results!! ;-)

Chris gave a nice write-up too.
Look around Speedy Jim's website http://www.nls.net/mp/volks/
in the 'Why won't my engine start?' section.

This is how I see the engine looking down at the car, if it makes sense.

front of car

seats

cyl # 3 cyl #1
cyl #4 cyl #2
engine pulley

rear of car


> wrote in message
...
>> I'm wondering if I need to readjust the valves. I'm not real good with
>> these VW motors - is there anyone local to St Louis MO that I could get
>> to
>> come over and look at this (or help)? Or at least a reputable shop?
>>
>
> You can do this job yourself with little more than a shop rag, 13mm
> wrench, feeler gauge, and a flathead screwdriver. Position the engine
> at TDC on cylinder #1, then pop the valve cover off on the passenger
> side. Stuck already? Fine. Pull the distributor cap, find the wire
> that goes to cylinder #1 and follow it back to the distributor cap.
> Which one is #1 you ask? Rear cylinder, passenger side. Turn the
> engine until the distributor rotor points at where the #1 wire resides
> on the cap, and then line up the crank pulley with the TDC mark. If
> your engine has been set up correctly, the #1 spark plug wire should
> be the one pointing more or less at the fan belt, and if you remove
> the distributor cap, rotor, and dust shield you should see a little
> 'mark' on the distributor body that is aligned with where the rotor is
> pointing.
>
> Now that you have the valve cover off and you are at TDC on cylinder
> #1, check the rockers for a small amount of play between the valve and
> the tip of the adjuster screw. Grab the top of the rocker arm where
> the screw/nut are and pull/push to see if you can feel a tiny bit of
> play. No play? Then loosen it up. Start by loosening the 13mm jam nut,
> then use your screwdriver to turn the adjustment screw out a little
> bit. Can you feel some play now? As soon as you can feel some play put
> your .006" feeler gauge blade between the valve and the adjustment
> screw and then slowly turn the screw in while sliding the feeler gauge
> back and forth. As soon as you start to feel a little drag on the
> blade stop turning the screw. Get your 13mm wrench, and tighten up the
> nut while holding the adjuster screw steady with the screwdriver. Then
> check it again with the feeler gauge, you want to be able to put the
> blade between the tip of the adjustment screw and the valve and be
> able to move it with just a little drag.
>
> Got it? Good. You have 7 more to do. When you finish with the 2 valves
> on cylinder #1, turn the engine BACKWARDS 180 degrees and you can do
> cylinder #2. Finish there and you put the passenger valve cover back
> on, turn the engine backwards another 180, and switch to the other
> side. Do #3 on the other side of the engine, then turn it backwards
> another 180 and do #4. When you are all done button it up and give it
> try, if the valves were tight you should see an improvement in how it
> runs.
>
> Good luck with it.
>
> Chris

" > wrote in
:

> Good luck with it.
>
> Chris

Chris - thanks for the indepth description on how to adjust them. I should
have done it when it was 'on the ground' - but I was in a hurry and thought
if I put them back (the rocker assemblies) where they came from - it
wouldn't be an issue.

I know better than that. But...when hurried...

Luckily, mine has the aluminum degree wheel, so I can tell TDC easily.

Again, thanks!

Mitch


--
Looking for a Sharpshooter backglass in good shape.

> Chris - thanks for the indepth description on how to adjust them. I should
> have done it when it was 'on the ground' - but I was in a hurry and thought
> if I put them back (the rocker assemblies) where they came from - it
> wouldn't be an issue.
>
As a couple folks pointed out, I incorrectly identified where Cylinder
#1 is located (I was bound to screw up somewhere...). If you are using
the original VW tinware pieces, there is usually a cylinder number
stamped on them that is clearly visible. Or you can look at the
correctly drawn out text-graphic that Dave posted.

As an aside note, I had a bug come into the garage lately that was
running very, very poorly. I checked dwell, timing, carb adjustments,
vacuum advance, and while everything checked out it still wasn't
right. So I pulled the valve covers and started checking there. All
but one valve had zero lash at the adjuster. I reset the valve
clearance and it ran like a top.

If you are diligent about checking the valves you can run your
clearance a little tighter(.004").

Chris

> wrote in message
...
>> Chris - thanks for the indepth description on how to adjust them. I
>> should
>> have done it when it was 'on the ground' - but I was in a hurry and
>> thought
>> if I put them back (the rocker assemblies) where they came from - it
>> wouldn't be an issue.
>>
> As a couple folks pointed out, I incorrectly identified where Cylinder
> #1 is located (I was bound to screw up somewhere...). If you are using
> the original VW tinware pieces, there is usually a cylinder number
> stamped on them that is clearly visible. Or you can look at the
> correctly drawn out text-graphic that Dave posted.
>
>
Chris, your write-up was excellent... and for the newbies, it shows even the
"old timers" can make a hasty mistake so double check everything... this
group is great for providing accurate information(and good entertainment
when the friendly banter starts...hehe)