I just did a compression test
 

The results are:
Cyl #1 dry/wet 117/127
Cyl #2 dry/wet 105/115
Cyl #3 dry/wet 115/125
Cyl#4 dry/wet 35/55 :eek:

I tested #4 twice. Same read. I could hear/feel alot of air bypassing the cyl through the open intake port when it was cranking.

I was really jazzed up until the last one. Does this mean a bad ring? or valve? if so, can one ring/valve be replace without disrupting the rest?

Most likely an intake valve if you hear the air at the intake port. Do the heads on both sides. Take them to Rimco in Santa Ana for a stock valve job. You can also take your cylinders there for honing or boring. They must be at least honed for new rings.

I would, just for grins, adjust #4's valves (I'll bet they are tight). Then I would re-do that comp. check on #4. If it gets better I would just monitor and neglect... in other words, keep an eye on it...

-Kevin

I am with Kevin adjust the valves on 4...better yet. back the adjust way off and do the test....eliminate the valve train from the equation...Then adjust and redo the test.

Small problem--if the intake valve doesn't open, the air can't get in.

I'd suggest adjusting the valves to spec and tre-trying the test. If the readings don't change, I'd say that you have an intake valve problem.

--DD

I have a similar situation. I like the idea of addressing it in the least intrusive fashion and then get more complex (read $$) as necessary.

How difficult is it to adjust valves? I am a novice. I replaced the starter.......removed and cleaned the injectors.......cleaned the FI points in the distributor.........all of which was OK, but I was fairly nervous. On a scale of 1 - 10 (1=simple), how would you rate the skills and effort necessary to adjust valves??

I'd say about a 5. It can be tough getting to the valves, and there is some "feel" to how tight the rocker should be on the feeler gauge. If you've got a buddy in your area who works on cars, you might have them check one for you. You can then see how the feeler gauge feels on that one and use it for reference.

My first valve adjust, on an old Honda Accord, I set the valves way too loose. A friend of mine stopped by and said, "Yup, they're way too loose. Here, let me do this one." And that's how I learned.

--DD

Adjusting 914 valves is a very easy job. On a 1 to 10, probably a 2 to 3. The most important part is making sure you start with your #1 piston at TDC (Top Dead Center) Print the tech article at the Pelican site and read it twice before you start. Then when you go to your car, it will all make sence a lot easier.

I should have specified "way off" dave is right. When I was trouble shooting a valve seat problem I set them @ .010 for the test and got good numbers. 150psi

OK. I'll make the adjustment tonight. I too need to re-read the article. I havent adjusted valves before. But I hope it's easier since the motor is out. I did not see any TDC marks, so I'll try the follow up method inserted at the end of the article.

If this is your first adjustment I would recommend using the size up and down of .06 to check your work. The .07 would be tight, the .05 would be loose (DUH), and the .06 would be just right... That would probably help give you a feeling of what the correct adjustment is...

If an adjustment shows that the valves were tight I would re-adjust/check them in a couple hundred miles to make sure they didn't get tight again...

Also remember when adjusting; that although too loose can be problem, a little loose is better then a little (or alot) tight...

-Kevin

And now we get back to the old why is the valve tight issue. (If in fact the valve lash is what is causing the low readings on #4).
It has been said that if you have one tight valve and all the rest are in adjustment, that there may be an indication that the valve is stretching or the seat is moving, both bad signs. Let's not put this gentleman back on the road so soon if he may have a big failure comming.

I stand by my first advice. Motor is out of the car. Do the heads. A simple valve job is not expensive. And you know everything is good to go.

If teh valve is tight, it may be starting to stretch on its way to dropping......especially if its the exhaust.

Rookie question: what is done in a complete quality valve job?
With a higher mileage motor, I don't want to risk fatal damage. And what a good price be for both heads?

I'm with the other guys speculating that you have an out of adjustment valve. The first time I did a valve adjustment on my 911 I ended up with zero compression on one cylinder! I had adjusted both intake and exhaust valves too tight and neither was closing all the way. Made for some cool backfiring thru the MFI stacks though.

double / triple check every thing. you might have a chunk of popo holding the intake open.

where you driving the car before? did it feel like it was running on 3 out of 4 cylinders?if so drop the motor and fix it.

the go no go method is the best way to learn the drag of a correct adjustment. ( kevins isn't that the three bears story? ha ) .

if you do have a problem , it is way better to fix it now ( a few hundred vs thousands if the valve drops, zekes therory)

yes , i have dropped a seat before. an ugly sight.

One more perspective on valve adjustments. I don't remember where I got them, but I have two feeler gauges, a 0.006 and a 0.008, that are about a foot long. The long gauge makes it very easy to do the adjustment. I set them so that there is very light drag on the gauge when I pull it out. With the gauge inserted, I also grab the rocker and push and tug on it a bit, to make certain that everything is in contact. If it isn't, you can feel the slop. Tighten the lock nut, re-check, re-set if it's too tight or loose.

Concerning a correct valve job:

These engines are old now,and even if they have been rebuilt recently doing a valve job is a tricky thing.

I refuse to do valve jobs anymore, as I have set myself up for disaster too many times. It is very easy to blow a bottom end of an engine by tightening up the top end with some new rings and valve work......
Do it all the way or not at all in my opinion,plus if the engine is in decent shape itsonly gonna cost a few more bucks to split the case and do it right.......

Most engines I see have cams that are hating life so bad that alone they call for a complete teardown. Once long ago valve jobs weren't so risky,but that was before crappy parts and chevy mechanics had a chance to destroy the internal workings of our simple but complex engines..

I will second Jake's assertion (I know he doesn't need seconding) but I had a motor that was getting tired, low compression. So, I thought the best thing to do was to fix the symptom. Redo the top end. The problem with that is that you are now putting fresh motor compression stress on the main and rod bearings that had just as many miles on them as my tired heads did. Result = end of #3 rod sticking through top of case in the middle of Iowa. It took less than 500 miles after the top end rebuild for that to happen.

Of course, check, recheck your valve adjustment on #4. If your motor is out of the car, this is cake.

good luck.

vroom.

Johnboy,
I appreciate your back up there, as you have experienced it as well. The way you worded it was spot on!

Sorry that you had to be a statistic to realize the fact as well,a good education in this world costs thousands in exploded parts. I'm still paying my tuition!!!LOL

I hear you guys. I've read many accounts here about performing a partial overhaul and the risk involved.

I'm at somewhat of a critical path here. I know for a fact that my uncle took very good care of this car and motor in particular. He did, however, clock over 200K miles, all at about 1800 rpm commuting on the freeway. I have run the engine but with the vaccum leaks it ran pretty rough.

If one ends up splitting the case, do you generally go with all new internal parts? Cam, crank, bearings, rods, p&c's heads, valves pushrods & tubes etc.? Is anything re-used if it is still in spec?

Rods and crank generally get re-used, though some work may need to be done on them. Often the pistons and cylinders can be re-used if they are re-worked.

Bearings, cam, lifters, and all the other wear parts get replaced. New oil cooler is not a bad idea, but cleaning the old one can be OK if the engine didn't spin a bearing or ventilate something. The oil pump can be cleaned up and re-used if it's in spec.

For the most part, the only "must-replace" items are the bearings and seals. I'd probably include the cam and lifters in there because they are well-known Type IV wear points. Most of the rest of the engine should be measured and the parts can be reused or reconditioned if in spec.

A complete valve job would include new guides, cutting the seats, cleaning up the valves, new retainers, possibly new springs. Any parts that are out of spec would get replaced. (Valves would be a real possibility on that.) The heads should be checked for cracks around the plug holes and in the ports; fixing those is "above and beyond". Usually not included, but often a good idea, are new valve seats. There's sure to be stuff I'm leaving out...

--DD

There's a complete 2.0 on Recycler.com still in the car somewhere in area code 323. Search "Porsche" under auto parts. Asking $900. It's been there awile, so he might take less.

If you split the case, buy the cam, lifters, gaskets, p&c's, do heads, etc., this might be a bargin. Not many engines you can drive before you buy. Of course, do a compression check on that one too. If the engine comes complete with induction (I didn't call), it's a bargin.

would the stock L-Jet FI work on a 2.0 set up?

I'm not sure which way to go. It basically comes down to a case split, measure the stock components, and come up with a laundry list of parts and their prices + machining. $$ talks.

Out of curiosity, is the Web Cam stock grind the way to go in this case? and what brand p&c's are recommended?

I'm not in a terrible rush, so I can afford the time to plan it and do it right.

The stock cam is the fastest way to keep the heads hot......it was designed for fast warm ups.

I like a web 73 with stock FI,works well. cools off the heads.

Mueller ran unmodified L-jet from his old 1.8 motor on his new 2.0 motor. He said there was no problem at all. I'd try to be cautious, as I would think there's a possibility of the thing going lean at high loads and high RPMs (max fuel demand) but he didn't report any problems at all.

Raby and others like the Web 73 grind for stock-type FI. Other people (Kap'n Krusty from the 914 Rennlist for one) say that it won't work right without some real tweaking. Especially the D-jet EFI; the L-jet might be more tolerant, I'm not really sure.

--DD

Jake, could you elaborate as to how the the webcam can make your heads stay cooler, and make more power too? How is a cam designed for fast warmup? Are you talking valves or heads or both. I'm intrigued.

PD

It has alot to do with valve timing and the duration of the events in the engine.

for instance:
One of my test engines for my "powerstroke" series of bus powerplants used a stock cam,it was in a 2109cc (76x94) engine. and it utilized a stock 914 cam profile. The engine ran great but had a short powerband,shorter than I wanted. The head temps would want to run 365-380 sometimes unless I dropped the A/F ratio to around 11.8:1 and ran it rich,even with retarded timing(7.6:1CR static ). The engine ran 18,000 miles before I decided to swap cams, and try to increase the powerband and cool it down a bit.

I tore the engine down and swapped to a web 73 on a tightened lobe center for some added torque. I bolted the engine back tgether and RAISED the static CR to meet the cam change a bit better (8.1:1) The engine was dynoed on both synthetic and cnventional oils and then the CIS injection system was installed and the engine installed. I was worried that the engine may still run warm with the CIS installation as it was keeping me to 13.6;1 almost all the time, a little lean for an aircooled engine worked with a heavy load for hours at a time. I was amazed on my first long trip with 2500 pounds of engines,crossing the smoky mountains that it would not get above 350 on the temps until I dropped out of the powerband. I was also able to remove the external oil cooler that was a requirement before with the lower CR,Carbed(rich too) with the stock cam.

I have seen it way more times than this, I never use a stock cam any longer, as it has crappy open and closing rates and duration. More VWs were sold in col climates than hot cluimates,so they made the cam accordingly. It is not uncommon for me to build a 2270cc engine that runs 15-40 degrees cooler head temps than the stock engine that was previously installed....More than a few of those customers are here maybe they'll chime in and back me up. Making a SLIGHT cam change even on a stock engine can be a wonderful thing.

i think the manifold stud patterns are different from a 1.8 to a 2.0?
raby,you are expanding our knowledge base. good info. let me know the next smokey mountain trip/circle the wagens. i'm in the burg

I'd never have thunk a different cam would make my engine run cooler (and i presume last longer too). Will that cam require a new set of webcam lifters too ( I have rimco reconditioned one's to go in)

PD

I'm gonna back Jake up on this one.

2270cc, 163/86b Webcam, 9.5:1, stock oil cooler.

This thing runs cooler than the 1600DP that was in my early car (63 Bug). When Grant and I shot some outside videos of it, I absolutely BEAT on that motor (broke 'er in real good ;) )

We're talkin repeated launches from a stop up to 90-100mph, drive by's at 100+ and just general screwing around. Plus, we drove it all around town and I generally lug the motor since it has so much torque.

After I did multiple launches, I just popped the decklid to take a looksee at the motor and look it over (I don't have a head temp gauge installed yet) and I could TOUCH the top of the engine block and assorted bits.

It's all about the volumetric efficiency of a motor, the better you can get the air/fuel in AND out, the better that motor will run; not only power-wise but heat-wise. If you can get the heat out, it's going to run cooler.

Later,
Tom

FYI, thats one of the wonderful things about most TIV split duration cams.....they really blow the heat out the exhaust port! The 163/86B is a prime example of that.

I'll back Tom up on this one. We ran the hell out of his car one day, and while it was cooler out (about 60 degrees), it should have at least gotten somewhat hot. We get back, open the decklid, and I said, "Check the dipstick for temp" to see if we could touch it and how hot it would be. He pulls it out, hands it to me, and says "here". It was luke warm at best. So, we start touching case, barrels, heads, etc. Warm but nowhere near hot.

Now we are worried it is overcooling in cool temps. We'll see how summer and the track treats it. :)

Oh, and that's supposedly "ungodly" compression for a street driven aircooled motor (according to old logic).

I agree with Jake, he is on the money with this one, it's all about the combo.

Later,

G