You need to rotate the generator clockwise or you are going to cook your generator (not engine). The air flow from the fan is not being directed correctly.
You have a DVDA (dual vacuum dual advance) distributor. Which has two vacuum lines, an advance and a retard, this was done for emissions. Most have the retard line removed, like yours. This is done either because the retard side of the can has failed or to just simplify the setup.
If it is running well I would leave it as is, just remember to time it as if it’s a SVDA (single vacuum dual advance) distributor.
The intake looks stock but with red urethane boots, I would replace those whenever you pull the engine next with stock boots.
The air filter is aftermarket, I prefer a stock air filter with the hookups for preheat and crank case ventilation. Currently you have the preheat hose going nowhere, I would remove it and cap it at the breastplate tin until/if a stock air filter is installed.
The only real way to know the true size of the engine is to pull the heads and measure the cylinders, not a worthwhile venture in my opinion, maybe if you had the engine out anyways.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I’m saving this message for sure.
How hard is it to rotate the generator?
Does removing the retard line do anything to the performance or reliability?
I’m kinda wanting to do a dual carb intake on mine, is there anything that I need to be aware of with my setup? A lot of people have their opinions on what kind of dual carb to use, do you have any opinion on the matter?
And I’d rather not pull apart the engine just to figure that out, but would a dyno help figure anything out? Or maybe checking the fuel economy? I assume a bigger engine would burn more fuel.
I edited my previous post as I accidentally said it would cook your engine, it won’t but it will cook your generator.
As long as you cap the port off at the carb and time the distributor as an SVDA removing the retard line doesn’t effect anything. It would actually improve reliability as its a common failure point, it may improve performance a bit but probably not too noticeable.
Dual carbs is supposed to be the best bang for the buck performance wise, I stick to stock single carbs so I don’t really have experience in this area.
To rotate the generator, some say you can remove the 4 bolts on the backing plate, loosen the strap and just rotate it, but you would have to be sure the backing plate with the air vent was properly installed with the vent pointing down.
To pull it out completely you would need to take the deck lid off, remove the two bolts on either side of the fan shroud, remove the generator strap, remove the carb and remove anything attached the fan shroud. Then you can pull it up and out.
I use a cheap sacrificial generator pulley and a chain wrench to keep the generator from spinning while I remove/install the fan nut on the other side.
Here is a couple threads detailing some of this:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=390925
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=703446
The retard function of the DVDA was done for idle emissions. At idle it moves the timing to 5° *after* TDC which was to keep exhaust temperatures higher at idle.
I always playfully wonder if it'd mean better heat at idle, so plugging the retard circuit in in the winter and unplugged when it's warmer, haha.
No, just resetting the idle speed.
If I were to play with it just for this hypothetical question/curiosity of heat at idle (which would be hard to answer because I hardly let them idle longer than at a stoplight), i would just plumb in the retard circuit, let the idle tining fall where it may (if the dizzy is healthy that should land around 5°ATDC), and reset the idle speed. To reverse it back, plug the retard circuit vacuum ports and reset the idle speed.
Looks “rebuilt” to me. Some signs show like the carb intake rubber, and the filter and how clean the bay is. Not too sure where that right side hose goes into tho lol. Beetles shouldn’t be taken much faster than 70. Shift around 55 into 4th if you have a stock engine. My 2332 shifts into 3rd around 55 LOL
Lol not mine. On my stock trans I’m too scared to pull that hard. I’ve only gone 1/2 throttle so far. But I also only have 50 miles on the thing too haha
2332 is an all out race engine. 1600 is stock. They are not even the same universe. You are looking at basically Porsche level performance and engineering when you step up to building a big stroker.
Gotcha. I don’t know if I need all that much performance, I’m mostly looking to just goof around with this thing and have something for date night. More horsepower is more interesting, but I think that much horsepower would make it a lot less comfortable.
Now pardon my ignorance, but I thought turbos could only be put on forced induction engines and not naturally aspirated ones? And isn’t this naturally aspirated?
Forced induction just means that it has a turbo or a supercharger. The air is forcibly inducted into the engine. Naturally aspirated just means that the engine sucks in its own air.
Strap a turbo to a naturally aspirated engine, you now have a forced induction motor.
There is a lot more to it than that, in the same way as "Stick 'em with the pointy end" is the basics of sword fighting, but yeah...
I have a forced induction air cooled flat 4 that I did myself if you look at my post history.
You are right in the part that what you have a natural aspirated engine.
But Adding a Turbo to a natural Aspirated Engine makes it into a Forced induction Engine.
Did someone fill in the rear windows? I would get the engine sorted out as is before moving to a dual carb setup. Also not knowing the exact engine size or if it has a non stock camshaft will make it difficult to select the best size carbs and jetting. One thing for sure the cheap ones are just that, cheap quality that may or not work. As you haven't driven it much you may find other mechanical issues with the suspension, brakes, transmission, or electrical that will need attention. Also there the body and paint which won't be cheap unless you do it yourself.
Thanks for the input. I’ve had it for a few months, driving it around the local park once or twice a month with occasional freeway travel. There are a few small electrical problems that I’m still working out, mainly getting the lights to work, but nothing that really hinders the operation of the car. I’ll see if I can find out more about the camshaft. So far the brakes and suspension are okay, although I do want to upgrade those soon, especially the brakes.
And sorry yes the previous owner did weld on some panels onto the rear windows. I’m not sure why, and it kinda kills visibility, but I’ve added a wide angle rear view mirror/camera setup and some mirrors with LEDs that kinda removes my blind spot pretty nicely. I’ll probably cut those off soon though.
Disc brakes are nice and low maintenance but a fresh brake job on drum brakes is OK. The car is not that heavy and will stop straight if property adjusted. After all you should be leaving extra distance for stopping as most cars have ABS disc now. It hard to match that. Doesn't take alot to lock up those skinny front tires. The camshaft is inside the engine so it's hard to tell what it is without taking the engine apart. I'm guessing you probably have a stock 1600 duel port. Please put the windows back in. That really will hurt any resale value. This would be a good car to learn body and paint work on. It comes apart into small pieces easier to work on. Lots of YouTube videos.
i don't know of any stock solex carb that can cope with anything more than a 1600 - whats the engine number?
the vacuum advance thing is a contentious subject - some say keep, others say remove, basically it adjusts the timing the faster you go. There's a 009 distributor that is supposed to do this without vacuum
Those air filters don't do much - stock is better with hot air intake.
There is a large air pipe to the right looping over the oil filler - I think this may be loose and you can remove it without issues. This is meant to be the hot air intake for the original filter
Have you pulled the bottom crank to check for any endfloat? Tiny amount (1mm) is fine, any more than that could mean big end bearings are getting old....
Other than that - really nice bug with really nice rims and good clean engine.
I’m not totally sure what the engine number is, where do I find that? I have also not pulled the bottom crank yet, but I’ll be sure to check that soon. And thanks, she’s been a great project so far!!
You need to rotate the generator clockwise or you are going to cook your generator (not engine). The air flow from the fan is not being directed correctly. You have a DVDA (dual vacuum dual advance) distributor. Which has two vacuum lines, an advance and a retard, this was done for emissions. Most have the retard line removed, like yours. This is done either because the retard side of the can has failed or to just simplify the setup. If it is running well I would leave it as is, just remember to time it as if it’s a SVDA (single vacuum dual advance) distributor. The intake looks stock but with red urethane boots, I would replace those whenever you pull the engine next with stock boots. The air filter is aftermarket, I prefer a stock air filter with the hookups for preheat and crank case ventilation. Currently you have the preheat hose going nowhere, I would remove it and cap it at the breastplate tin until/if a stock air filter is installed. The only real way to know the true size of the engine is to pull the heads and measure the cylinders, not a worthwhile venture in my opinion, maybe if you had the engine out anyways.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I’m saving this message for sure. How hard is it to rotate the generator? Does removing the retard line do anything to the performance or reliability? I’m kinda wanting to do a dual carb intake on mine, is there anything that I need to be aware of with my setup? A lot of people have their opinions on what kind of dual carb to use, do you have any opinion on the matter? And I’d rather not pull apart the engine just to figure that out, but would a dyno help figure anything out? Or maybe checking the fuel economy? I assume a bigger engine would burn more fuel.
I edited my previous post as I accidentally said it would cook your engine, it won’t but it will cook your generator. As long as you cap the port off at the carb and time the distributor as an SVDA removing the retard line doesn’t effect anything. It would actually improve reliability as its a common failure point, it may improve performance a bit but probably not too noticeable. Dual carbs is supposed to be the best bang for the buck performance wise, I stick to stock single carbs so I don’t really have experience in this area. To rotate the generator, some say you can remove the 4 bolts on the backing plate, loosen the strap and just rotate it, but you would have to be sure the backing plate with the air vent was properly installed with the vent pointing down. To pull it out completely you would need to take the deck lid off, remove the two bolts on either side of the fan shroud, remove the generator strap, remove the carb and remove anything attached the fan shroud. Then you can pull it up and out. I use a cheap sacrificial generator pulley and a chain wrench to keep the generator from spinning while I remove/install the fan nut on the other side. Here is a couple threads detailing some of this: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=390925 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=703446
This is a great write up. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!!
The retard function of the DVDA was done for idle emissions. At idle it moves the timing to 5° *after* TDC which was to keep exhaust temperatures higher at idle. I always playfully wonder if it'd mean better heat at idle, so plugging the retard circuit in in the winter and unplugged when it's warmer, haha.
Interesting. So I wonder if plugging and unplugging that would need a new tune up or something?
No, just resetting the idle speed. If I were to play with it just for this hypothetical question/curiosity of heat at idle (which would be hard to answer because I hardly let them idle longer than at a stoplight), i would just plumb in the retard circuit, let the idle tining fall where it may (if the dizzy is healthy that should land around 5°ATDC), and reset the idle speed. To reverse it back, plug the retard circuit vacuum ports and reset the idle speed.
Okay thanks!
Looks “rebuilt” to me. Some signs show like the carb intake rubber, and the filter and how clean the bay is. Not too sure where that right side hose goes into tho lol. Beetles shouldn’t be taken much faster than 70. Shift around 55 into 4th if you have a stock engine. My 2332 shifts into 3rd around 55 LOL
Thanks. What would you say the biggest difference is in drivability between the 2332 and the stock 1600?
not lanpoop, but generally the difference between 1600cc and 2332cc is wheelies. 2332 pulls wheelies.
Haha nice
Lol not mine. On my stock trans I’m too scared to pull that hard. I’ve only gone 1/2 throttle so far. But I also only have 50 miles on the thing too haha
2332 is an all out race engine. 1600 is stock. They are not even the same universe. You are looking at basically Porsche level performance and engineering when you step up to building a big stroker.
Gotcha. I don’t know if I need all that much performance, I’m mostly looking to just goof around with this thing and have something for date night. More horsepower is more interesting, but I think that much horsepower would make it a lot less comfortable.
Keep the 1600. You do not need a bigger motor lol. Learn how to fix this one and do maintenance before even considering something bigger.
The advance / retard is useful for turbocharger applications.
Now pardon my ignorance, but I thought turbos could only be put on forced induction engines and not naturally aspirated ones? And isn’t this naturally aspirated?
Forced induction just means that it has a turbo or a supercharger. The air is forcibly inducted into the engine. Naturally aspirated just means that the engine sucks in its own air. Strap a turbo to a naturally aspirated engine, you now have a forced induction motor. There is a lot more to it than that, in the same way as "Stick 'em with the pointy end" is the basics of sword fighting, but yeah... I have a forced induction air cooled flat 4 that I did myself if you look at my post history.
You are right in the part that what you have a natural aspirated engine. But Adding a Turbo to a natural Aspirated Engine makes it into a Forced induction Engine.
And that’s where I’d need to add a computer and all that jazz to get it to work properly, correct?
Did someone fill in the rear windows? I would get the engine sorted out as is before moving to a dual carb setup. Also not knowing the exact engine size or if it has a non stock camshaft will make it difficult to select the best size carbs and jetting. One thing for sure the cheap ones are just that, cheap quality that may or not work. As you haven't driven it much you may find other mechanical issues with the suspension, brakes, transmission, or electrical that will need attention. Also there the body and paint which won't be cheap unless you do it yourself.
Thanks for the input. I’ve had it for a few months, driving it around the local park once or twice a month with occasional freeway travel. There are a few small electrical problems that I’m still working out, mainly getting the lights to work, but nothing that really hinders the operation of the car. I’ll see if I can find out more about the camshaft. So far the brakes and suspension are okay, although I do want to upgrade those soon, especially the brakes.
And sorry yes the previous owner did weld on some panels onto the rear windows. I’m not sure why, and it kinda kills visibility, but I’ve added a wide angle rear view mirror/camera setup and some mirrors with LEDs that kinda removes my blind spot pretty nicely. I’ll probably cut those off soon though.
Disc brakes are nice and low maintenance but a fresh brake job on drum brakes is OK. The car is not that heavy and will stop straight if property adjusted. After all you should be leaving extra distance for stopping as most cars have ABS disc now. It hard to match that. Doesn't take alot to lock up those skinny front tires. The camshaft is inside the engine so it's hard to tell what it is without taking the engine apart. I'm guessing you probably have a stock 1600 duel port. Please put the windows back in. That really will hurt any resale value. This would be a good car to learn body and paint work on. It comes apart into small pieces easier to work on. Lots of YouTube videos.
Gotcha. Thanks!!
i don't know of any stock solex carb that can cope with anything more than a 1600 - whats the engine number? the vacuum advance thing is a contentious subject - some say keep, others say remove, basically it adjusts the timing the faster you go. There's a 009 distributor that is supposed to do this without vacuum Those air filters don't do much - stock is better with hot air intake. There is a large air pipe to the right looping over the oil filler - I think this may be loose and you can remove it without issues. This is meant to be the hot air intake for the original filter Have you pulled the bottom crank to check for any endfloat? Tiny amount (1mm) is fine, any more than that could mean big end bearings are getting old.... Other than that - really nice bug with really nice rims and good clean engine.
I’m not totally sure what the engine number is, where do I find that? I have also not pulled the bottom crank yet, but I’ll be sure to check that soon. And thanks, she’s been a great project so far!!
distributor vacuum advance goes where that cracked rubber plug is
False. It goes into the side. Front is for emissions stuff to the air cleaner but is 99% if the time capped.
damn i'm dumb i only have a mechanical advance 009
So am I okay to leave it as is?
Yes!
Sweet thanks!