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Like all air-cooled VW engines the 1700cc, 1800cc and 2000cc suffer with oil leaks from their push rod tube seals. However, unlike the Type 1 engine these seals are changeable without cylinder head removal.
Before starting work ensure that you have the correct replacement 'O' ring seals and a new rocker cover gasket. The 'O' rings must be the correct ones not just any rings from a universal 'O' ring kit. The seals for this job are designed to withstand serious heat without hardening and splitting. Genuine Volkswagen 'O' rings are colour coded Green for the outer end and Black for the inner end, (Type 4 engines up to 1970 had slightly smaller outer rings coloured Red)
The procedure that follows relates to the above engines fitted to a van, either T2 or T3.
Raise and make safe the rear of the vehicle on axle stands, NOT blocks or bricks but good strong axle stands. Remove the rear wheel(s) as required for the side(s) to be worked on. Remove the sheet metal lower cover plate from between the heat exchanger and the crank-case. The screws for these are invariably tight and often rusted but perseverance and good quality tools will win the day.
Next remove the rocker cover by prising down the big spring clip. A bent screwdriver somewhat like a small tyre lever is often a good tool. Invert the removed cover and use it as a receptacle for the next removed parts. With an 11mm socket remove the two rocker shafts complete with rockers, flat washers and wave washers. Keep each assembly together, there is no need to separate any of these components, in fact you are generating complication if you do! These two assemblies are distinctly different so note where each one fits. Having removed the rocker assemblies you will be presented with a wire clip which looks like part of a fairground electric game, its not, and its vital so look after it.
Now pull out each push-rod remembering that THEY ARE FULL OF OIL! A finger over the top end until you can drain it into that up turned rocker cover will be a good idea. Now place each push-rod so that you can replace each one back from whence it came. This is not vital but with a later engine with hydraulic tappets (Note the sticker on the rocker cover showing no valve clearance adjustment.) you do not need to do any adjusting when all is re-assembled.
With the push-rods remover you can pull the tubes out through the cylinder head. Sounds easy but they are often stuck firmly in place. If you have to resort to Mole Grips or similar be very careful not to crush the tube you wont like the price of new ones and crushed ones are no good to anyone. When all are removed, clean them up, remove the old seals and fit the new ones, a thin film of grease should now be applied around each seal and return them to the engine. To press the tubes home a long extension bar and socket just large enough to fit inside the enlarged outer end can be used to exert enough pressure or maybe a light tap from the hammer. Now continue to refit the rocker shaft assemblies leaving the long curly spring to last. Before tightening the rocker shaft assemblies down make sure that the push-rod tube ends have correctly seated in the rockers as they can sit on the edge without dropping in.
Now that all is tightened down fit that funny spring clip like this. Place outer bends and the centre straight section into the slots of the rocker shaft support blocks, the four remaining distinct protrusions MUST seat on top of the outer ends of the push rod tubes, NOT inside them against the push rods themselves.
Next dispose of the oil in the rocker cover, change the seal and clip the cover back in place.
After running the engine and checking your handy work for leaks refit the cover plate tin-ware below the engine. You may well have taken this opportunity to clean and repaint any bits and pieces that you have found along the way but the above is all that you need to have done to cure the leaks. If you have been under the right side of the engine you will have noticed the bellows of the cooling control thermostat. If, when the engine was cold, it filled the bracket in which it lives it is faulty and needs replacement. If the cable was broken then that needs replacement. Look after your engine and it will work well for you. |
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