Skip to content
Aussieveedubbers

Recomended engine building literature

0 likes
Share Share on Facebook Share on X Share on Reddit
Log in to reply

alien8 Wolfsburg Wizard

521 posts · joined Sep 2008 ·

#696512
Now that my resto project is well in hand and almost completed, well body wise anyway, my focus has turned to the engine/g.box. I'll admit that I know squat about VW engines except for doing the valves, timing and points etc. With this in mind can anyone suggest some "for dummies" manuals or books for VW engine building and modification.
Cheers, Brad.

alien8 Wolfsburg Wizard

521 posts · joined Sep 2008 ·

#696548
Is this book a good start? Hey Bizarre, have you more info or a link to the DVD you mentioned?

1 attachment · Log in to view

silver Dangerous when poked

2,169 posts · joined Dec 2002 ·

#696550
Bizarre wrote:How to rot rod volkswagen engines by bill fischer
ditto and the scientific publications Workshop manual, read them all
Keeping it real !

eraser Fahrvergnugen

970 posts · joined Mar 2005 ·

#696588
I found the VW DYI videos/dvds to be very helpful, showed me exactly what and where everything is and what to look out for.

alien8 Wolfsburg Wizard

521 posts · joined Sep 2008 ·

#696607
I just had a look at the "Bug Me" DVD series. They sure arn't cheap with the Aussie $ being so weak at the moment. They look pretty darn good though. So anybody got a copy of Volume 3 (type 1 engine rebuild) I could loan for a night?

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#696620
some ppl swear by muirs idiot book
i dont even recomend that one to beginners, its not even good enough for shithouse paper

in the words of Glenn from samba its good reading when u need a laugh

only idiot was muir himself, almost all of his book is stupid outdated ideas that everyone now knows these days arent smart moves like disabling auto chokes and thermostats, fitting 009s etc

alien8 Wolfsburg Wizard

521 posts · joined Sep 2008 ·

#696647
Yeah, I have had the Muir book for a few years and rarely if ever use it and mainly for a cross reference. I find the work shop manuals far better. I am after a good book or DVD that explains the engine workings in a bit more depth though. The workshop manuals can somtimes lose me in this regard.

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#696676
ah good ol syncronicity
heres a quote posted yesterday by joe cali on samba
if name seems familiar he wrote that book on putting a type4 in bug


"If you read the Idiots Guide by John Muir, he said he would not tell you how to fix your choke. He would tell you how to disarm it.

He believed the choke was a Goverment Plot to waste gas, ha.

His method was to wire the choke open, pump it a few times, start rolling a joint, and by the time it was drawing smoothly he would take off.

I live in NY and it gets real cold. I have a T-4 in my bug which makes warming up even worse because they run real cool. "

DirkHedde Slammed & Awesome Dubber

91 posts · joined Oct 2008 ·

#696889
i have a copy of the idiots guide to vws and i reckon its a great reference. joel it seems like you just cant handle anything with a reference to a 009 distributor? my chokes are disabled on my kombi and it drives nice with no problems so dont know the big deal

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#696923
009s they have there time and place

i actually run a 009 on my bug but its a german 009 and due to my cam, ignition setup etc a vac advance wasnt an option - thats an example of where theyre suitable

however theyre a poor choice for a standard motor which is where most of them end up and 99.9% of them are brazillian 009s which have major quality control issues
i fitted one for someone a few weeks ago and by the time i maxed it out at 30* the static timing ended up at 16* abit more than the 7.5 a stock engines happy with

they are real hit and miss with their advance curves
believe me a 009 is alot cheaper to manufacture than a vac advance if the factory could have got away with it they would have

uptill recently when the new vac models came on the market cheaply there just wasnt a viable alternative for a stock motor hence the amount of 009s around

ppl who havent driven their cars with vac advance think that just cos when they take off it goes flatspot......flatspot...flatspot....boom then takes off like hell that 009s are the greatest
ive owned and worked on enough vws over the years to know allt they do on a stock engine is chew fuel, raise temps and make a car generally unpleasnt to drive

if ur car runs fine now the good for u leave it
theres always someone who knows better than 100s of german engineers

type3lover in the garage...

796 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#696989
I still reckon it is ideal for anyone who is not a mechanic and doesn't really want to be one.
Maybe they just love their aircooled vw?
Anyway although many have outgrown the Idiot's Guide I still think there is a lot of merit in picking one up and reading it a few times.
I've been through 3 of them and it used to be my favourite read when on the loo and looking for inspiration.
There are way better books out there that focus on vw engine building and there are workshop manuals with measurements and tolerances and specs but I still believe the Idiot's Guide is a worthwhile investment to the layman.
Anyone disagree?
.