HG Blown & Hydrolocked (1 Viewer)

[midfat]

Welps, at 267k miles, Lady Luck dealt me a bum hand on Christmas Eve and the motor looks like it’s toasted. I’m not heartbroken as it gives me the opportunity to do some serious updates. Likely to do a new OEM short block, but the motor is coming out next week, so I’ll know more then. Either way, looking for some sage advice on what else I should consider updating while the rig is in pieces.

I’ll be doing motor/trans mounts, hoses, etc, but for those that have been through this before, what do you wish you would have done “while you were in there?” And don’t say @NLXTACY turbo. That’ll come in time, just not this go’round.

 

[Mighty690]

Will you being doing the work?
Do you have a machine shop you know and trust?

One idea is to leave it in place and remove the head. The Keep it Simple option.

 

[midfat]

Will you being doing the work?
Do you have a machine shop you know and trust?

One idea is to leave it in place and remove the head. The Keep it Simple option.

Farming this one out. Due to time and space restrictions, I’m just going to buy my way out of this mess. Wish I could do the work in my own as I’d love to, but Work comes first.

 

[midfat]

It’s a good thing I have a semi-unreliable second car to drive in the interim...

 

[NorCalFJ100]

In my opinion, if you just tackle all the hard to reach hoses and new mounts, your truck was baselined before. You know if there is something you haven't tackled. I think you'll be good. Just clean the sh*t out of everything you can see once its out! Perhaps think about ARP Head Studs as they are basically the same price as OEM...Oh and if there are any connectors on the DS of the block that look remotely bad, I would repin and replace with OEM.

Looking at @NLXTACY 's test mule engine bay, I am sure he can help pretty it up with some fancy stuff! Haha.

 

[COYS]

Blessing in disguise, Jim! Good luck coming back stronger, fitter, faster. I expect nothing less from you.

 

[NLXTACY]

I think my only regret is not changing out the motor mounts.

 

[eimkeith]

It’s a good thing I have a semi-unreliable second car to drive in the interim...

View attachment 2168491

hot.

 

[midfat]

hot.

It takes a lot to make a 1965 Beetle with a potentially cracked block more reliable than an 80 Series.

 

[midfat]

I think my only regret is not changing out the motor mounts.

Yeah, new mounts are definitely on the list. Considering a 3:12 transfer case regear as well. Seems like now is the path of least resistance for many bits and bobbles.

 

[1911garand]

That is a beautiful VW. More pics please!

 

[EvanD]

It’s a good thing I have a semi-unreliable second car to drive in the interim...

View attachment 2168491

That thing looks like it needs to turn into a Baja bug or something...

 

[Rusty Marlin]

Rear heater hard line replacement.
Motor mounts, as discussed above.
Re-bore .020 or .040 over with a full rebuild kit.
Check/Adjust valve lash or rebuild head; new seats, valves, guide bushings, valve guide seals...
Water pump, rebuild the oil pump and power steering pump.

 

[LINUS]

Did you eff the lowers/block-side of things, or was this a ‘soft blow’?

If effed - yeah, have a crack at getting Robbie to 4.6 that thing, get the head checked, decked, new stem seals, ARP studs.
Get the ‘house foundation’ ready for a snail, sooner or later.

Screw the rear heater hardlines if it’s been a Cali rig most it’s life - but either redo the soft lines (or flat delete the RR heater & reroute lines) & get a new heater valve, all-AL radiator, new OE hoses & t-stat.

Motor mounts, a HG / rebuild kit - and anything @NLXTACY sees that I missed, but I think I hit the bulk.


What shop are you using / closest to?

 

[graham5david]

Replace the fuel injectors and their connectors. I replaced the TVV and VSVs under the intake and all vaccuum lines because they are a hassle to get to. If you plan on deleting the EGR now is the time. I replaced my power steering pump and ac compressor too but probably didn't have to. Power steering pump seems like it wouldn't be fun to replace in the truck. I just figured I wanted it to last another 25 years. Obviously all hoses should be replaced. Knock sensors are easy to access in the truck so you could reuse them if you want. Replace plug wires, rotor and cap. Replace distributor o ring. It's a good time to replace all o rings in the AC system. Transmission mount. Sway bar bushings. If you want to be very anal then send the transmission and torque converter to the transmission shop.

 

[midfat]

That is a beautiful VW. More pics please!

Because you asked...

 

[midfat]

Rear heater hard line replacement.
Motor mounts, as discussed above.
Re-bore .020 or .040 over with a full rebuild kit.
Check/Adjust valve lash or rebuild head; new seats, valves, guide bushings, valve guide seals...
Water pump, rebuild the oil pump and power steering pump.

If the engine block is fine, I’d prefer to have it freshened up. But this will come down to math. It may well be more economical (and reliable) to just do a new short block. As for the head, definitely going to spend what’s necessary to do this right: hot tanked, machined, new valves, seals, seats, guides, etc. And because I plan to go turbo this summer, I’m not going to get carried away porting and polishing to maximize air velocity. Compressed air tends to find velocity in even the skankiest of passages.

 

[eimkeith]

If the engine block is fine, I’d prefer to have it freshened up. But this will come down to math. It may well be more economical (and reliable) to just do a new short block. As for the head, definitely going to spend what’s necessary to do this right: hot tanked, machined, new valves, seals, seats, guides, etc. And because I plan to go turbo this summer, I’m not going to get carried away porting and polishing to maximize air velocity. Compressed air tends to find velocity in even the skankiest of passages.

I did a head refresh on mine when the gasket blew at 320K - still could see the crosshatching on the cylinder walls! Seems good now

 

[midfat]

Replace the fuel injectors and their connectors. I replaced the TVV and VSVs under the intake and all vaccuum lines because they are a hassle to get to. If you plan on deleting the EGR now is the time. I replaced my power steering pump and ac compressor too but probably didn't have to. Power steering pump seems like it wouldn't be fun to replace in the truck. I just figured I wanted it to last another 25 years. Obviously all hoses should be replaced. Knock sensors are easy to access in the truck so you could reuse them if you want. Replace plug wires, rotor and cap. Replace distributor o ring. It's a good time to replace all o rings in the AC system. Transmission mount. Sway bar bushings. If you want to be very anal then send the transmission and torque converter to the transmission shop.

I bought the truck with 200k miles and immediately replaced the entire emissions system. New cats, all new vacuum lines, new VSV and EGR modulators, etc. yanked the upper intake plenum and pretty much went to town. This included having all the injectors cleaned and flow matched at RC Engineering. My gut says I don’t need to redo any of that since it’s only been three years and the first set lasted almost 20. I also just recently rehabbed the entire cooling system with a new radiator, all new hoses, thermostat, water pump, heater valve, fan clutch and copious amounts a Gates green-stripe hosing. Again, planning to just swap most of this over. And lastly, the power steering pump and lines were just replaced a few months ago.

Attending to the EGR Is something to consider...

 

[graham5david]

That pretty much covers everything. you should be good to go unless you want to have the transmission and transfer case gone through.