Adjust crankshaft endfloat or full rebuild?

[Aidan]

so it's a low compression 2.1 MV/SS - we don't know for sure it's got a 2.1 cam in it, I don't know if you can work out the lift and dwell angles easily
The asterix is factory mark, but was copied by others, but it is a pretty early engine mumber, from February 1986 so may well have been rebuilt previously by VW and I'd guess rebuilt again subsequently at which point it ended up with the MV psitons in.
Bitsa = made out of bits - the fact that the case hasn't been re-stamped means the engine builder didn't care about accuracy or was deliberately misleading about what it actually is, but it could be the customer needed an MV but the engine builder only had a really good case from a DJ so used that and no wool was pulled over anyone's eyes. Unless paperwork stays with the van then the detail gets lost over a 40 year period, some owners are meticulous, some careless, especially in the end of 90s/early 2000s when these vans were cheap.
Which engine management system do you have, assuming fuel injection, with ECU behind the left rear lights (DJ - Dijijet) or ECU under rear seat (MV - Digifant)? Or is it run on carb ?

[cres1964]

It's got a pierburg carb on it. So with all that's now become known from this thread about what engine I might or might not have, what should I do about my excessive endfloat? Remove the rear main seal and look to shim it or do I need to split the case and look at lower end bearings?

[maxstu]

It's got a pierburg carb on it. So with all that's now become known from this thread about what engine I might or might not have, what should I do about my excessive endfloat? Remove the rear main seal and look to shim it or do I need to split the case and look at lower end bearings?

Do you have the shims? Cos there's none out there to buy at present.
I would wait for your new tool and measure endfloat again before making the next move. 1mm is seven times the normal movement. Never seen that before. The engine must have sounded like a bag of shaken nuts and washers in a tin bath.

[cres1964]

Ok so I got impatient and decided to split the case anyway just to clean it and put it back together well the can of worms is now very much open and wriggling towards my wallet.
I've updated my photo album with 20+ more shots of the inside of the crank case.

Looks like the camshaft is shot so that makes me think I'll need at least
Camshaft
Camshaft bearings
New hydraulic tappets (to match the new cams?)
One of the oil pressure switches stripped some thread out so that'll need repairing (hopefully just tapping out again)
I've not taken the con rods out yet as I need to do a bit of organising to store all the parts but if anyone wants to roast the my bottom end feel free

Some wise sage in this thread said to split the case I would need great appetite for disappointment and a readiness to open my wallet. You sir, know your stuff! *nods*

I'll repost the link to my photos in my signature below

[TwinTurbo]

Removing the con rods renders them effectively scrap, unless you can find a mythical source of the stretch bolts.

I split my 2.1 last week and concluded it was effectively scrap , slop in the conrods, case hardening on the camshaft done. Not bothered to split the rods as there's probably nothing worth saving. Two coffee tables coming up.

Rob

[maxstu]

Time to discuss with yourself how much you want to fork out.
So far MV pistons. You have decided it is the correct crankshaft by measuring stroke. It all looks as if on standard bearings, too. By the way, a 2.1 crank has a green markings. But unlikely you will see anything now. Replacing a knackered camshaft is going to be costly, and doesn't help with poor compression readings.



You should be concerned with the very poor compression readings taken. 70psi on three and 50 on last cylinder... probably no 1. That is awful. But could be the low compression MV pistons. Even an early DG l rebuilt in 2023 gave readings of 150 plus recently. A DJ should punch out at least 180psi. I'm not convinced adding oil to the cylinders on a flat four achieves much. So I would check the exhaust guides for wear. They are replaceable. But a skilled job to do it correctly. New cylinder heads, anyone?

Shims???? Let me know where. However, it could be worn out casings. A massive gamble.

Sourcing a set of used DJ pistons is nearly impossible. New a fortune. New conrods is the way to go. And a new set of sleeves. New camshaft??? So new hydraulic followers. New oil pump and cover and nuts. Gasket kit.

Expect around 2-3 grand.....

If it were mine. I would take out exhaust valves and check guide wear.

[maxstu]

Oh, l forgot to mention condition of head studs?

[Stesaw]

budget 3k+ for a rebuild if not more.. or just use that money to get an engine conversion.

[maxstu]

or just use that money to get an engine conversion.

Wash your mouth out!

[Stesaw]

A TDI at this point sounds more appealing MPG wise. I dont think I'll ever get marcos EFI stuff for a 2.1.

[cres1964]

I'm not doing this for financial reasons. Me and my bus have been together a long time, I've got another, bigger, more economical, more impressive campervan (old ambulance conversion) which is what we use but this van was my first love so at (almost) any cost she has to be saved. What that saving looks like we'll have to see, even if the engine was perfect I've got £1000s to spend on rust and bodywork later on. It's a fools errand but I am that fool.

Spending some time cleaning everything up now then I'll make a spreadsheet of all the parts in the engine, which ones pass muster and which don't, then where and for how much I might be able to replace them and as long as I can get everything I need without making my child go hungry I suppose I'll do it and lie to my wife about the cost

[TwinTurbo]

It's not really the cost of the parts, it's the fact there are no parts to buy. and these are not easy engines to do. You may find yourself 2K into something that is impossible to finish.

If you search the forum you will find issues with parts going back many years, it's not new.

If money is no object , find a good rebuilder that can supply a rebuilt 2.1 , they may struggle to mind. Then you have time on your hands , not stressing , and can focus on other elements of the van that could do with attention.

My 2.1 was bought part stripped , it was a gamble that did not pay off but not a huge loss when I finally got inside to see assess. I will stick with my DG ( I have 2 spares to assess soon ).

I think member AJSIMMO may have recently built a fresh 2.1 that was up for sale.

Cheers

Rob

[cres1964]

I'll get to work on my spreadsheet of parts needed Vs parts available and maybe that will help others in this situation.

It's about the journey not the destination

Didn't there used to be a version of etka still lurking in the depths of the internet? Would that list part numbers going back to cover the t25's, from a quick look the versions I can see have cover T2 and then jump to t4's

[Aidan]

T3/T25 is a Type 2, Type 2 is rear-engined van, from the splittie, through the bay upto and including the T3 including those made up to 2002 in South Africa

Transporter is T4 on, front engined van

just to confuse you most T25s were badged Transporter

The problem with the parts catalogue now is the deleted without supersession parts are often not fully listed so you can see them but not the part number

You really need an old pre 2002 copy of Etka 5 for the fullest level of detail and even that may not have the early T3 stuff detailed, even Etka6 was missing a lot of detail as so much was deleted in 2002 at the end of SA production. The old versions only ran on Win98/WinXP. Etos does run on Win10. Etka had some better search functionality than Etos, but Etos does have price database, though eventually they turned off the update for the trial version which many of us had, took them a good few years to realise we were accessing it still as we figured out how to work around the 6 week trial feature they had put in the distributed disc that became widely copied. Etka7 etc. were also DVD distribution, then online distribution only, with the hardlock licencing specific to user so a good deal harder to crack.

It's a shame there was a really good parts catalogue online up till a few years ago, hosted in Russia, no advertising, that had a super detailed version of the data base that was better than anything even available at a main dealers or TPS but eventually that disappeared and Zap7 replaced it, with advertising, and clearly licensed from the current version of Etos which is the subscription version available to the trade. I wish I could get hold of that complete database, but I guess it is only held by VW themselves and they have no business reason to make it available again, indeed more reason not to.

[300CE]

Good luck with whatever you decide for the old girl.  I know we've usually said buy on bodywork over mechanics, but i'm now wondering whether this has shifted due to the costs/parts availability and its now worth buying on the mechanical aspect instead of bodywork.  At least you'd be able to drive the thing and get the bodywork sorted over time.

With an engine, it has to be everything sorted and working - you can get the bodywork done in stages and how funds permit.