engine rebuild

[Drew_Dye]

I'm on active duty in the Navy and currently stationed in the northeast. My car (a '75 with a fuel-injected 1.8) is still in outside storage at my previous duty station... Oahu, Hawaii. I didn't properly layup the engine when I left in December '00. It wasn't running anyway. The last time it had run was in '92 (five years before I bought the car). I went back in '02 and did some work, but was unable to get it to a running condition. During the visit, I drained the oil and didn't put any back in. Making matters worse, the first quart or so that came out was water. The engine had been sitting next to the car during the two years that had elapsed. I also found a small amount of water in the intake ports. On the plus side, the crankshaft could still be turned by hand. I figure it's practically a given that the engine will need a rebuild, but will do a compression test and/or a leakdown test to verify my assumption. I have obtained a set of rods, a crankshaft, and a set of pistons and cylinders via ebay and will have them thoroughly inspected and properly prepared before I return to finish what I started. I also already have on hand a cooling fan, flywheel, clutch disk, and pressure plate that can be used in the rebuild, which will allow me to get the rotating assembly balanced before the trip. Unless I scrounge up a set of heads before hand, I'll have to rebuild those after I get there. Now the question: about how much time should I plan on allowing for the rebuild, if it is necessary. Also, how much time can I save by getting a set of heads and rebuilding them beforehand? I have a pretty decent amount of experience turning wrenches and I am plenty capable of following the directions in a book. My only engine building experience is the small block V-8 in my '69 Mustang, but I'm studying "How to Rebuild Your Volkswagen Air-Cooled engine" by Tom Wilson and am taking notes (mostly turning the text into a simplified step-by-step procedure so that I'm not slowed too much by having so much text to read while working). In closing, any practical advice that any of you may have regarding an engine rebuild would be appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this post.

[Bleyseng]

Get Jake Raby's type4 rebuild video as it step by step shows you how guide.

at the Type4store.com if PelicanParts doesn't carry it here. (they should)