[vintagvw] Bill May
Was wondering about a member of the group I have not heard from in some time. Do you all remember Bill May? Is he still a member, I don't know if there is anyone who knows the VW bug like he does. -- Visit the VintagVW archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/vintagvw@googlegroups.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups VintagVW - Air Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to vintagvw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to vintagvw@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [vintagvw] Bill May
Bill is still around. He's one of my facebook contacts since 2011. Look for Bill May that has a picture of Kermit the frog for his profile photo. NQ - Original Message - From: Jeffrey Bateman To: vintagvw@googlegroups.com Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2015 5:07 AM Subject: [vintagvw] Bill May Was wondering about a member of the group I have not heard from in some time. Do you all remember Bill May? Is he still a member, I don't know if there is anyone who knows the VW bug like he does. -- Visit the VintagVW archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/vintagvw@googlegroups.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups VintagVW - Air Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to vintagvw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to vintagvw@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- Visit the VintagVW archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/vintagvw@googlegroups.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups VintagVW - Air Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to vintagvw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to vintagvw@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [vintagvw] Rocker arm geometry
Dean, do live any where near NYC? I would be happy to help Daniel, I live in Shirley Long Island. I'm in need of a bug mechanic. Know anybody? Rudy LI NY On May 26, 2015, at 9:36 PM, Dean Johnson dean.john...@rochester.edu wrote: I read the How to hot rod instructions and couldn't make sense of them 'Adjust the push rod so that it fits...' Not helpful and I don't have any idea what centerlines they're talking about and what does it mean for two lines to 'coincide'? Not at all helpful. Still looking for instructions with visuals. On May 25, 2015 9:29 PM, Dave C. Bolen dbo...@shockwaverider.com wrote: Guys, Your good old copy of How to hot rod vw's has excellent instructions on this. Although...if you have stock rocker arms and stock pushrods they really should be close. Oh, stroked engine? Cheers, dave On Mon, 25 May 2015, Daniel Moy wrote: When I did mine I made an adjustable push rod out of a stock rod. Basically cut one in half, trim down then cut some threads and insert threaded rod with two locking nuts. Install the head torqued to spec. Do not install the push rods or push rod tubes. Install your adjustable push rod and your rockers with some spacers to account for the swivel feet and lash caps (these are a good idea as the provide a larger surface area for the swivel feet), check the geometry, there should be no binding when cycling the engine. If there is binding make the push rod shorter. Check the adjusted rod in a few locations particularly the other side of the engine. If all is well then you now have a properly sized push rod, now you need to make eight solid push rods. I purchased mine from gene berg back in the day. Chrome moly, cut them to length and pushed in the ends. It's been a while but I believe those are the steps. On May 25, 2015, at 8:39 PM, Dean Johnson dean.john...@rochester.edu wrote: I re-read the info from the machine shop. He thinks the original engine builder, Strictly Foreign, didn't set up the push rod length at all and that I need to do this. That makes sense as they are way off. So who has a good description of measuring proper pushrod length? BTW. RISMachine did the head work. On May 26, 2015 4:13 AM, Dean Johnson dean.john...@rochester.edu wrote: No, stock rockers. On May 25, 2015 5:32 PM, Daniel Moy sole...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Dean, Did you have ratio rocker arms, if so did you size the push rods? Dan On May 25, 2015, at 5:21 PM, Dean Johnson dean.john...@rochester.edu wrote: I am finally installing my rebuilt heads into my 1915 cc engine. I have the heads on, put in the push rods and am test fitting the rocker arms to check geometry.I put the shims that had been installed under the shafts originally and there is not nearly enough room for the swivel foot adjusters. Even screwed all the way out, they nearly touch the stems. If I use a thicker shim I am afraid I won't have enough threads for the rocker arm nuts. ( can I back the studs out?) will standard adjusters give me more adjustment? Where is the best graphical description of adjusting the geometry? I don't have a dial indicator so if there is another way to do it, that'd be great. Dean '71 Super Beetle http://deangj.tumblr.com -- Dean G. Johnson, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow Biomedical Engineering McGrath Lab University of Rochester Robert B. Goergen Hall Rm. 316 Box 270168 Rochester, NY 14627 dean.john...@rochester.edu Office: 585-273-2156 Mobile: 315-576-5928 -- Visit the VintagVW archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/vintagvw@googlegroups.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups VintagVW - Air Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to vintagvw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to vintagvw@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- Visit the VintagVW archives at
Re: [vintagvw] Rocker arm geometry
Dean, So here is how I remember it. I have used this method since 1972. Best of all done with the engine out so you can actually see the geometry well. First of all this method takes in to account everything that you may have changed on your engine including different cam, lifters, deck heights, copper head gaskets, valve stem caps and stroked or not. Deck height must already be set properly and matched on both sides of the engine. First of all lay a straight bar or ruler across the valve stems. If they are not all the same, them send them back to be fixed. Do not assume that just because one side of the engine gets one measurement that the other side will be exactly the same...don't ask how I know this.grin Install your rocker arms without shims under them. Pick a valve(usually #2 exhaust for me. Adjust the valve adjustment screws so that you are in about the middle of it's travel or less(look at some old factory rocker arms if you need to so you can get an idea of where the factory started. Rotate the engine until you have half lift from the cam on #2 exhaust(oh, BTW, if you have a cam with different lift on exhaust and intake then you get to do a lot more measuring). Insert your adjustable push rod and start adjusting it until the rocker arm is pushing the valve down half way. Unless you have a long travel dial gauge this is going to be mostly by eyeball. Rotate the egine now so that valve is now fully pushing down the valve stem at max lift for that valve. Make sure that the valve spring is not binding and has the proper clearance between the valve spring coils(60 thousandths or better?) If the clearance looks good, then rotate the engine though the entire lift sequence for that valve several times and decide whether it looks right. Oh, and you might as well add a piec of clay to the top of the lifter adjusting screw andthen install you rocker cover and then rotate thru the sequence againso you know the adjusting screws are not going to hit the inside of your rocker cover. If that looks good, then you have your correct pushrod length. Now do the same thing with your locked adjustable pushrod on the #4 exhaust checking for too much clearance at no lift or too much valve spring binding at full cam lift. If it is binding or too loose, then you will have two sets of pushrod lengths to make. Be aware that you are using the same type of adjustable pushrod similar to what you will actually install in the engine. All pushrod ends are not made the same. Cheers, dave On Tue, 26 May 2015, Dean Johnson wrote: I read the How to hot rod instructions and couldn't make sense of them 'Adjust the push rod so that it fits...' Not helpful and I don't have any idea what centerlines they're talking about and what does it mean for two lines to 'coincide'? Not at all helpful. Still looking for instructions with visuals. On May 25, 2015 9:29 PM, Dave C. Bolen dbo...@shockwaverider.com wrote: Guys, Your good old copy of How to hot rod vw's has excellent instructions on this. Although...if you have stock rocker arms and stock pushrods they really should be close. Oh, stroked engine? Cheers, dave On Mon, 25 May 2015, Daniel Moy wrote: When I did mine I made an adjustable push rod out of a stock rod. Basically cut one in half, trim down then cut some threads and insert threaded rod with two locking nuts. Install the head torqued to spec. Do not install the push rods or push rod tubes. Install your adjustable push rod and your rockers with some spacers to account for the swivel feet and lash caps (these are a good idea as the provide a larger surface area for the swivel feet), check the geometry, there should be no binding when cycling the engine. If there is binding make the push rod shorter. Check the adjusted rod in a few locations particularly the other side of the engine. If all is well then you now have a properly sized push rod, now you need to make eight solid push rods. I purchased mine from gene berg back in the day. Chrome moly, cut them to length and pushed in the ends. It's been a while but I believe those are the steps. On May 25, 2015, at 8:39 PM, Dean Johnson dean.john...@rochester.edu wrote: I re-read the info from the machine shop. He thinks the original engine builder, Strictly Foreign, didn't set up the push rod length at all and that I need to do this. That makes sense as they are way off. So who has a good description of measuring proper pushrod length? BTW. RISMachine did the head work. On May 26, 2015 4:13 AM, Dean Johnson dean.john...@rochester.edu wrote:
Re: [vintagvw] Rocker arm geometry
Dean, Be careful with the adjustable rod. I have had some I made myself and I easily bent them...especially with serious valve springs. Whatever adjustable you buy, make sure that the actual ends are the same size and diameter as your pushrods that you will be using. I have seen both skinny and fat pushrods. fat pushrods generally do not measure well when mated with exotic lifters that use skinny pushrods. I am going to bet that for your engine, standard lifters were installed...the exotics are quite expensive and would probably not been used on your engine. Cheers, dave On Wed, 27 May 2015, Dean Johnson wrote: Thanks Dave, I don't have an adjustable push rod yet but will soon. On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 10:23 AM, Dave C. Bolen dbo...@shockwaverider.com wrote: Dean, So here is how I remember it. I have used this method since 1972. Best of all done with the engine out so you can actually see the geometry well. First of all this method takes in to account everything that you may have changed on your engine including different cam, lifters, deck heights, copper head gaskets, valve stem caps and stroked or not. Deck height must already be set properly and matched on both sides of the engine. First of all lay a straight bar or ruler across the valve stems. If they are not all the same, them send them back to be fixed. Do not assume that just because one side of the engine gets one measurement that the other side will be exactly the same...don't ask how I know this.grin Install your rocker arms without shims under them. Pick a valve(usually #2 exhaust for me. Adjust the valve adjustment screws so that you are in about the middle of it's travel or less(look at some old factory rocker arms if you need to so you can get an idea of where the factory started. Rotate the engine until you have half lift from the cam on #2 exhaust(oh, BTW, if you have a cam with different lift on exhaust and intake then you get to do a lot more measuring). Insert your adjustable push rod and start adjusting it until the rocker arm is pushing the valve down half way. Unless you have a long travel dial gauge this is going to be mostly by eyeball. Rotate the egine now so that valve is now fully pushing down the valve stem at max lift for that valve. Make sure that the valve spring is not binding and has the proper clearance between the valve spring coils(60 thousandths or better?) If the clearance looks good, then rotate the engine though the entire lift sequence for that valve several times and decide whether it looks right. Oh, and you might as well add a piec of clay to the top of the lifter adjusting screw andthen install you rocker cover and then rotate thru the sequence againso you know the adjusting screws are not going to hit the inside of your rocker cover. If that looks good, then you have your correct pushrod length. Now do the same thing with your locked adjustable pushrod on the #4 exhaust checking for too much clearance at no lift or too much valve spring binding at full cam lift. If it is binding or too loose, then you will have two sets of pushrod lengths to make. Be aware that you are using the same type of adjustable pushrod similar to what you will actually install in the engine. All pushrod ends are not made the same. Cheers, dave On Tue, 26 May 2015, Dean Johnson wrote: I read the How to hot rod instructions and couldn't make sense of them 'Adjust the push rod so that it fits...' Not helpful and I don't have any idea what centerlines they're talking about and what does it mean for two lines to 'coincide'? Not at all helpful. Still looking for instructions with visuals. On May 25, 2015 9:29 PM, Dave C. Bolen dbo...@shockwaverider.com wrote: Guys, Your good old copy of How to hot rod vw's has excellent instructions on this. Although...if you have stock rocker arms and stock pushrods they really should be close. Oh, stroked engine? Cheers, dave On Mon, 25 May 2015, Daniel Moy wrote: When I did mine I made an adjustable push rod out of a stock rod. Basically cut one in half, trim down then cut some threads and insert threaded rod with two locking nuts. Install the head torqued to spec. Do not install the push rods or push rod tubes. Install your adjustable push rod and your rockers with some spacers to account for the swivel feet and lash caps (these are a good idea as the
Re: [vintagvw] Rocker arm geometry
Dan, You want to know what I need? Well let me tell you a story Fifteen years ago I bought a body off restored 1963 beetle. Never ran right, only put about 1000 miles on her. Rebuild, I believe Mofoco,1600 cc twin port engine. Stumbled and overheated, I bought a new Bopar? carb. Stumbling and overheating continued. Got married (again) moved to a new house 30 miles down the road and put VW in carport to be worked on later. Had to stop 1 time due to overheating. Later became 2 years, bought stuff to make it a stand off lid and tried to tune the engine. Got it to run but rough, tried time to it and decided to check TDC on Cyl. 1, very carefully with the old pencil trick. I very carefully, broke the pencil off. Anyway removed engine took head off and removed stub. Bolted her up and started again. Got her running, working in the back using remote start. Start, stalled over and over again. etc, trying to adjust carb. Here comes the sad but very funny part. I'm almost 70 years old now and no longer the sharpest knife in the drawer. A thought hit me, I wander if the fuel pump is working properly? Now I'm trying to white wash, remember that she was a tough start during this attempt to tune carb? I pulled the fuel line to the carb. off and decided to turn the motor a couple of turns to see how the fuel pump functioned. Can you see where I'm going with this? The engine immediately fired and there I was standing leaned over the engine with a fuel spewing hose in my hand above a HOT engine. If I would have had half a brain and not panicked I would have pulled the high tension wire of the coil but I didn't, I folded the hose instead to stop the flow. That's all good and dandy but now I'm standing right above a still running engine with gas having been spewed all over it and can't leave, have to hold the hose closed don't you know? My partly functioning brain told me Rudy, she's gonna catch on fire' and she did. Still running, my hand had caught on fire and my belly. Luckily all I wore was a pair of shorts if I had worn a t-shirt I may not have been able to tell the story. I ran off a bit, people on fire tend to do this, put out my belly and found a rag to extinguish me hand. Remembered that there was an extinguisher and the car and got it, at this time engine stopped running starved from fuel but engine compartment was burning brightly. Pulled the pin on sprayed myself in the face, turned the exst, around and it didn't work, 15 years is a little old for an ext. Ran out back and got the water hose and in a manly manner put out the blaze. Now this is all very embarrassing but the story gets worse. Like I said all I wore were shorts, no underpants. As I'm running around, on fire, my shorts fell down to my ankles and there I am, on fire, naked as the day I was born. Damage was minimal considering. Left hand one huge blister and a couple of small once on guts. Paint burned about 10 slats of the air intake and all wiring and rubber parts. You asked what I needed and that's my story. My back is shot can't work on cars anymore, hmm, on hind sight that maybe safer. This story occurred 2 years ago this Sept.I have pics. Last year replaced the wires, fuel lines still need to be done, engine and carbs need to be tuned, deck lid needs to be fitted. Also need a new line from break fluid reservoir to M. cylinder and what ever else we can find. I'm not a cheap skate and not looking for free help but would prefer a capable private person over a professional with hourly rates as they are. Come one come all. I'm far better cook than mechanic. Rudy LI NY Rudy, I'm in Nassau County (New Hyde Park) and was just speaking with Sonny at S.M. Motor Sports. I have been bringing my Porsche 914 to him for years. He has a lot of experience with Porsche's and VW's, I would recommend him. What is it that you need done? Dan S.M. Motor Sports, Inc. - Bosch Car Service Address: 140 Lakeville Rd, New Hyde Park, NY 11040 Phone: (516) 775-8655 On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 11:46 AM, 'Rudolph Dehoogh' via VintagVW - Air Cooled Volkswagen Discussion Listvintagvw@googlegroups.com wrote: Dean, do live any where near NYC? I would be happy to help Daniel, I live in Shirley Long Island. I'm in need of a bug mechanic. Know anybody? Rudy LI NY
