I was having another wank fest today. After a go kart session and a few beers with VW heads I got thinking about getting my oval running. Its OK, I have been doing this 3-4 times / year for the last 20 years.

I had a look at the west coast metric okrasa knock off. It looks pretty sweet. But it doesnt have the stroker crank. But I see other places such as demello have them up to 74mm.

So if my stroke is then 10mm over stock would I theoretically need longer rods? And how would I make up the extra width of the engine? Would I be looking at installing 5mm+ barrel spacers? Eww. How much meat could I knock off the top of a 36horse piston? go hell for leather taking material out of the head and run minimal deck height?

What do you do with pushrod length? how far does the pushrod go into the lifters? So I just get some 5mm spacers machined and put them in the lifter first?

I assume a rebuilt 356 engine would be just as exxy as a fake Okrasa.

Dear Chris,

In answer to your question, maybe you should try not to think about stroking it so much......although, 3 - 4 times / year is probably nothing to worry about.

Perhaps you could concentrate on the Nationals Supersprint?

Signed,

The Therapist

^^^

You need to stroke it more often, maybe you'll get more than 10mm increase.

I'd be thinking, stock rods, modify pistons (possibly top and skirts), barrel spacers, fit longer pushrods into 36hp lifters and definately get a new therapist, that one is a joke.

I dont know anything about the sprint this year. I havent been asked. Havent been invited to meetings. I sent 2 emails to club vw, nobody replied. Can only assume I have been sacked.

This is a better idea for the pushrod length. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392901 

Only then I wouldnt be able to tell people that my pushrods are bending with each stroke. Would there be any need to keep the bits of wood in there with these? Those are the 2 coolest things about the 36horse. What other car has a wooden engine with parts designed to flex?

So why is the wood in the 36hp push-rods.....anyone know the REAL reason?

When Jack Bono built my 'hot' 40hp motor [more than 50 years ago, in 1961], he got me to make some chrome-moly push-rods. As there was NOTHING available then, I knocked the hard tips off the alloy originals, and cut up some C/M tube. Before pressing the tips on, Jack suggested putting the wood from the 36hp push-rods into the new ones. When I asked why, Jack told me that the 'wood' was actually balsa, which was MUCH LIGHTER than oil, and could help offset the extra weight of the new push-rods. Made a lot of sense to me, so that's exactly what I did. Never broke another push-rod after that.

isnt it to dampen the oil pressure to the rockers

its sort of that Dave, its actually reduces the amount of oil going to the rocker shafts as the lifter and push rod are one ...

Hey Steve, shouldn't you be in the 'New Members' section?

So in this scenario you would leave the wood out since we are now lubing the bottom of the pushrods and would be losing some oil and pressure there?

How many people out there can do the cam line bore?

try one of these.

=13&cHash=306fdd2c7c]http://www.capricorngroup.net/no_cache/de/automotive/news/news-single/article...

someone is making repro 356 4cam carrera engines.

Now this would put the sizzle in my shizizzle.

yeah that would work. Those heads look huge. Wonder what the weight of them is.