So, I have been wrenching on my 58 bug for two months now. Thats therapy for ya: sweating your ass off in the driveway cussing out damn near 60 year old German engineering!
I did a complete top end engine rebuild, completely replaced the entire brake system from scratch, dropped the front end 2.5 inches, and did a complete, and proper, 12 volt conversion.
However, I am struggling with an idle speed issue.
I went with magnafire in the distributor as I hate setting points. I upgraded from an impossible to get parts for 6 volt 28 PICT carb to a 30/31 PICT-3 carb. I have no problem setting the carb or the timing. She is currently set a 800RPM at idle showing 50 degrees dwell at 300RPM. I have the timing set at the 7.5 degrees BTDC as is correct for this 1500cc Single port. Carb jets are VW factory sizes.
Got everything dialed in and she was running great. Now I have developed interesting symptoms: Getting it started is easy. Keeping it running is near impossible until I get the engine seriously warmed up. The engine is also leaking oil from the rear crank seal, but only when the car is running.
I wonder if some of you wise sages can confirm my theory.
I suspect the lousy idling and the oil leak are connected- that is I'm getting a ton of blow by oil pressure that isn't relieved until the case heats up and allows the intake breather on that end of the block to become a vent instead.
(I had to convert to bolt on head covers as the passenger side bail type cover actually blew off while driving one day...my first indication of a blow by pressure issue.)
I do have a vintage EMPI external oil breather system from one of my old sand rails. Basically you bore a hole in each valve cover, install the sealed hose barbs, run a hose from each head up to the box, and then run a hose out of the box so the oil condensate is returned to the oil filler breather barb.
I suspect that should relieve the blow by pressure issue that is keeping positive pressure on cylinders 1 and 2 when the engine is cold.
I don't drive far in it, but sitting parked and reving the engine to get it warmed up is pretty hard on an air cooled Bug in the Nebraska summer heat.
Any suggestions?
I did a complete top end engine rebuild, completely replaced the entire brake system from scratch, dropped the front end 2.5 inches, and did a complete, and proper, 12 volt conversion.
However, I am struggling with an idle speed issue.
I went with magnafire in the distributor as I hate setting points. I upgraded from an impossible to get parts for 6 volt 28 PICT carb to a 30/31 PICT-3 carb. I have no problem setting the carb or the timing. She is currently set a 800RPM at idle showing 50 degrees dwell at 300RPM. I have the timing set at the 7.5 degrees BTDC as is correct for this 1500cc Single port. Carb jets are VW factory sizes.
Got everything dialed in and she was running great. Now I have developed interesting symptoms: Getting it started is easy. Keeping it running is near impossible until I get the engine seriously warmed up. The engine is also leaking oil from the rear crank seal, but only when the car is running.
I wonder if some of you wise sages can confirm my theory.
I suspect the lousy idling and the oil leak are connected- that is I'm getting a ton of blow by oil pressure that isn't relieved until the case heats up and allows the intake breather on that end of the block to become a vent instead.
(I had to convert to bolt on head covers as the passenger side bail type cover actually blew off while driving one day...my first indication of a blow by pressure issue.)
I do have a vintage EMPI external oil breather system from one of my old sand rails. Basically you bore a hole in each valve cover, install the sealed hose barbs, run a hose from each head up to the box, and then run a hose out of the box so the oil condensate is returned to the oil filler breather barb.
I suspect that should relieve the blow by pressure issue that is keeping positive pressure on cylinders 1 and 2 when the engine is cold.
I don't drive far in it, but sitting parked and reving the engine to get it warmed up is pretty hard on an air cooled Bug in the Nebraska summer heat.
Any suggestions?
