CT Engine Restoration

[pmulcahy]

Thanks all, heres a better look at that cam. Ive found a machine shop who said they can resurface. Do they need it?

[dugcati]

Given the conditions a cam lives in if you can afford for the machine shop to resurface I would say get it done - last thing you want is to have to rip/strip the engine 3 months down the line

Doug

[pmulcahy]

Right just tried to clean my engine case with white spirit, then washing off with soapy water. but even after scrubbing hard i can get the baked on oil off. Im thinking of using oven cleaner but obviously am very hesitant , i know its eats alluminuim, allaminum, alll oh you know what i mean. Has anyone tried this?

[VWCamperfan]

As far as I know it will only cause problems if left on for a long time... Quite a long time! Just keep an eye on it and it should be ok.
I usually use a very strong mix of caustic soda, washing up liquid and soap powder... all mixed together! Works a treat but again, keep an eye on it!
These cleaners can discolour the allllyoummiiinimumm and make it a bit darker but this can be polished up again with a bit of grease... Elbow grease that is!

[sarran1955]

Hello!

I' ve been following your thread, well done so far. As for cleaning the block. Many VW recon engines were finished in a heavy grey epoxy finish, (to hide the corroded surface), .

What I do is this:

Pressure wash the aluminium bits, don't let them fly away!, (at the local car-wash in plastic crates in a trailer is good) Dry with compressed air and then spray with WD40.

If the casing is in grey paint, don't try and scrape, (you're making it worse)! Obtain a very big flowerpot base in plastic. Put the engine half into this on little spacers and paint on a solvent NOT CAUSTIC (eg: genolite) paint stripper. The viscous sort is best. Leave for several hours out of the sun. Now rinse off, (protect your eyes from splashes). The casing will now after cleaning, be a uniform grey. Now for the crafty bit(!). Before starting all this you have been collecting the packets of descaler that come in packets of coffee filters. (It's sulfamic acid, in dry crystals). Make the sachet up with hot water, and pour over the casing,scrubbing in with a paint brush. (Don't inhale any fumes, humans and aluminium salts don't go together.).Rinse copiously with warm water and then compressed air dry. Your bits will now be gleaming. Either spray ASAP with a clear lacquer, or this is the best substrate for a nice engine lacquer, in any colour you like.

The steel tinware is best degreased, de rusted, and painted to your taste in a synthetique paint. Don't forget to run through all the threaded captive nuts with a M6 tap once the paint has well dried. (Makes assembly sooooo much easier).

That's all 4 now




Cordialement

[dugcati]

Hello!

I' ve been following your thread, well done so far. As for cleaning the block. Many VW recon engines were finished in a heavy grey epoxy finish, (to hide the corroded surface), .

What I do is this:

Pressure wash the aluminium bits, don't let them fly away!, (at the local car-wash in plastic crates in a trailer is good) Dry with compressed air and then spray with WD40.

If the casing is in grey paint, don't try and scrape, (you're making it worse)! Obtain a very big flowerpot base in plastic. Put the engine half into this on little spacers and paint on a solvent NOT CAUSTIC (eg: genolite) paint stripper. The viscous sort is best. Leave for several hours out of the sun. Now rinse off, (protect your eyes from splashes). The casing will now after cleaning, be a uniform grey. Now for the crafty bit(!). Before starting all this you have been collecting the packets of descaler that come in packets of coffee filters. (It's sulfamic acid, in dry crystals). Make the sachet up with hot water, and pour over the casing,scrubbing in with a paint brush. (Don't inhale any fumes, humans and aluminium salts don't go together.).Rinse copiously with warm water and then compressed air dry. Your bits will now be gleaming. Either spray ASAP with a clear lacquer, or this is the best substrate for a nice engine lacquer, in any colour you like.

The steel tinware is best degreased, de rusted, and painted to your taste in a synthetique paint. Don't forget to run through all the threaded captive nuts with a M6 tap once the paint has well dried. (Makes assembly sooooo much easier).

That's all 4 now




Cordialement

hmmmm..... now thats a proper cheeky top tip I'll be trying that one on my next engine rebuild

[xpress]

wow, i can't imagine what that's like to clean up, cleaning the gasket faces when fitting a new fuel pump was long and tiring enough to do, like years worth of baked on petrol and oil!

[pmulcahy]

Wow thanks for the engine cleaning tips and yep this looks like hours of fun. Pretty poor results from white spirit and oven cleaner. Will have to get some paint stripper and descaler..
Now for some information overload:
Went into the north today and saw 2 t25s parked up in peoples drive ways, chuffed to bits cos it might mean i can get parts here.(Havent seen a single one in the south) They were pretty shocked when i asked if i could buy them, one owner was an elderly German women who promised to ring me back when her daughter gets home ( i only speak pigeon German). The machine shop tested my heads for free and showed me on the machine that i have a slight leak on one exhaust port but said i can drive on it. I gave him 40 Euros to get all the ports sorted as its a CT (dunno if its worth it or not). He cant do anything about my camshaft , how ever he said that "itll be fine, theres only a few scratches". Not sure what "itll be fine "really means but there are so many old cars still going here. But wait! when i got home i found this company in Denmark. JP GROUP A/S
u might already know about them(JK use them), download their catalogue and if your a CT owner it might make u smile. Theres still hope for my camshaft yet! BTW ive realized that the part number i have is for the wheel only, any one know it for the shaft?(11
109111B)

[pmulcahy]

I know what your going to say..but it had to be done.

[pmulcahy]

This bearing.. i can just feel the lip in the oil channel. Does it have to be as smooth as silk? Its like running your finger over a scratch in your paintwork (the best way i can describe it).

[pmulcahy]

Just pulled my case from the dishwasher......omfg.

[dugcati]

Just pulled my case from the dishwasher......omfg.

hahah do tell/show what happened? did it shrink/gunk up the washer/do nothing/come out looking like new.. dooo tell!! (bet it smelt nice though hehehe)

[pmulcahy]

mate, i did it as a joke..

[pmulcahy]

See below, no problems atall. I had to take out the top tray in order to fit it in though.

[pmulcahy]

Heres the result: