Out of an interest in this subject I've gathered a bit of information on making my own install happen. Other responsibilities keep me from pursuing it, but now that I have an end in sight I've started this group.

http://914megasquirt.ning.com/


Ning networks work kinda like facebook, but are centered around specialized interests. Nothing may come of it, but you never know.

recieved the pistons and valves back from coating. Very interesting stuff, I've seen it and seen motors running with it in it, but this is a first for my own car. It is slow going on my own motor. The Beetle has required a bit of attention.


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ever feel like your car might not ever see the light of day again?
I moved past that today... for a few minutes.

(dont mind the front ride height, its just until I finish the bottom of the pans )

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I'm getting excited.

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moving and other work has kept me from progressing.
The past few weekends have yeilded a bit of success.

After a bout of bad paint (or maybe mixed the wrong active ingredient) stripping several times, degreasing and then watching as a big rainstorm kicked my sparking metal work into a large patch light surface oxidation I finally got it coated.

2 weekends of stripping and treating and addressing small rust holes and welds I got it primed with white epoxy and then coated with UPOL Gravitex. It seems like a good product, in england they use it directly to bare metal and it still keeps stuff from rusting in the rain over there.

I had planned to spray the underside of the spare tire well green, but not this time.
Its going together and thats that. Maybe later on the green.



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moving and organizing took quite a bit of time. Nice thing is now that its in and I've got an air compressor going things are happening. Engine is here now as well, so thats got to start moving forward. Stripped most of the undercoating off the front wheel wells and trunk pan. Under the coating on the drivers side I uncovered a crayon mark, kind of nice. Reminded me of when I pulled the original radio out of my 60 beetle and it had the original owners last name written on it in crayon.

Classic Car Archeology.

A bit of how's yur father and she'll get green there as well.

Suspension is ready for install, old shock covers were found to be stamped 25.3.73 which I'll take as the Frogs Bday. 2 days before Kelly as well, so I suppose I'm an Aries guy.

Installed the muffler heat sheild with SS screws and speed nuts like an early car. Put some sealant on the legs to help it out.

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pictures for progress! someone keyed the hood the evening after painting, had to leave it out for wet suspension mounts, but nothing that isn't fixable.

rear end is done and reassembly has begun.
Now where did I put all those little bits and pieces?


Gas tank is out for the install of SS Fool Lines.

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I have switched out the pistons below for a new set from the most recent batch, cryogenically treated. Its the first batch we've had treated and they look... well... the same.



I cant wait to get it running again. Block is together with the Raby 9550 cam, 71 stroke with completely balanced assembly. Next is to fit the jugs, deck height and bolt those suckers on! geometry too.

painting the rest of the engine compartment this weekend.

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I had the inside of the firewall all painted and looking nice, painted with zero rust gray. Went to reinstall the asphalt sound liner with 3M industrial spray adhesive, sprayed it on, waited 3 minutes, went to put the asphalt on and after pressing it in place found that the glue had dissolved the paint!

Now I have a not stuck sound pad and a gluey sticky mess all over the firewall.

Recieved the new pistons. I've bought these QSC's to test them out as I may (gulp) be carrying them in my measley online store. Yes, I know its kind of lame to have an online store, but I'm kind of lame that way. And I've been having fun playing with parts lately, lots of parts. So many fing parts I had to set up another rack in my garage!

Anyway, to the pistons.

measure out good, about .02mm out of round which is just under .001" , and within acceptable tolerance. The bottom 1/5th of the cylinders are actually tighter by a couple thou, which i've been told is to cut down on piston slap. Do I believe the sales pitch? I'll believe it when the motor is together I suppose. Another source tells me there is another individual that specs his this way.

I have to gripe about the dinged fin though. When will people learn that you have to put packing materials IN the box to keep stuff from breaking. A handful of packing peanuts does not do it.

Pistons were within 5 grams of each other when matched to the correct pins, you can see piston weight on the tops of them, approx 610g with pin . My pal agreed they looked like a nice set of pistons, but the cylinders made lately from all sources have had mixed reviews so I am taking these in for the cold treatment.

I also shot the diagrams of my measurements if you are interested in how they checked out. I used a mitutoyo bore guage that measures to .01mm and was calibrated. Piston measurements were done with a caliper so not quite as accurate, but close enough to see clearances, well actually I did them super quick so not as accurate at all. They had a tight fell in the bore though, tighter than my new KS 1700's feel for sure.

Let me know what you think!

Motor goes in for cryo treatment tomorrow. Maybe.

first draft: ------> http://kabventure.ecrater.com/

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