Aircooled VW help... coked rings?

notfarnow · 09-18-2006, 10:35 AM

My neighbors have a '72 Westfalia with a single port 1600 from a bug. About 3 years ago, they were on a kick to get it all fixed up. I did the brakes, some electrical work and rebuilt the engine for them.
Then it sat in the yard until this spring. I was actually a bit irked, I had done the work pro-bono to be neighborly, and they just let it sit and seize up again.

This spring they decided they wanted to sell it, so I said I'd give it a going over first. I'm not going all-out, but I'd like to get it so someone could drive it up and down the road.

I've got the brakes all apart now and am also doing a bit of bodywork. However, the motor has me stumped. It runs like a top, but is burning oil once it's warmed up. If I give it a shot of gas, I get a noticeable puff of blue smoke. It didn't do this 3 years ago, and it wouldn't have covered 50 miles since then.

I'm thinking the oil rings may be seized, but would the engine still run normally? If the rings are seized, what can I do (short of pulling the engine) to free them? Any have success with canned miracle cures?

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

Just drive the damn thing and the rings will sort themselves out. I get this with my VW's from time to time if I don't drive them. Heck, I even get smoke from the 911 if it's been sitting too long.

It's not a bad idea to change the oil if it's been sitting quite a while.

id10t · 09-18-2006, 10:44 AM

There's a low-hours S90 engine from a 356 for sale over on the classifieds section... fix the smoke issue *and* let the new owners drive it up hill

notfarnow · 09-18-2006, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by widebody911
Just drive the damn thing and the rings will sort themselves out. I get this with my VW's from time to time if I don't drive them. Heck, I even get smoke from the 911 if it's been sitting too long.

It's not a bad idea to change the oil if it's been sitting quite a while.

I'd like to drive it to "shake it down", but they don't have it insured and I don't know that they will before selling it. I've told them it would be a lot easier to sell if it was registered & insured, but they don't seem to want to go through the hassle. I just don't want them to get hosed too badly when they sell it.

I've changed the oil, and noticed that they had 10w30 in it. I'm sure that didn't help.

notfarnow · 09-18-2006, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by id10t
There's a low-hours S90 engine from a 356 for sale over on the classifieds section... fix the smoke issue *and* let the new owners drive it up hill

I had a good 2.0 911 longblock that would've been a nice transplant if I had the carbs & electrical!