The start of my 2.0 build, and also the start of my questions Options

[MrKona]

I talked about building up a 2.0 last winter, and now I'm finally going to do it. This is my first engine build, hence it'll be conservative and relatively stock. My only plan with the car is to have a nice, reliable, well constructed engine. I thought about a 2056, but I finally decided to stay with 94mm cylinders. I really don't want to have to tweak with FI or fiddle with cam selection right now. I've read that Jake's 9550 cam is excellent, but also that it produced dirty emissions. I'd like to keep this engine as clean as a type 4 can be. I'm also a little confused if Jake is even selling cams at the moment, so I've just decided to go with a stock grind.

My current engine is a PO rebuilt 1.8 with hydraulic lifters (with one that won't prime, sounds horrible, I can't wait to be done with them).

Highlights:

GA case
Stock displacement (with new Euro spec pistons)
Stock grind Webcam and with solid lifters (both new)
For now, I'm going to cannibalize the rebuilt 1.8 heads from my current engine, unless I find a deal on decent rebuild 2.0 heads during the build. I would love to buy a pair of Raby heads, just can't swallow the extra two grand at the moment.
L-jet fuel injection from my 1.8. (I have some issues to work out here, running really rich. No vacuum leaks that I can find. I have to check the fuel pressure - I'm thinking either AFM or pressure regulator as next areas to check). From what I've read on many threads here and other sites, the L-jet can handle up to a 2056 displacement.

I'll keep this thread updated this winter as I work through this rebuild. I don't know how long a project this will be or how quickly I may get it done.

Current progress: Jake Raby rebuild DVD - Check. Tom Wilson's book - Check. I've split the case and and planning on bringing the case, crank, and rods for reconditioning to Dan Hall's Machine Shop here in Portland. After reading various forums, this appears to be the Type IV specialist in this area. Brand new Euro-spec P/C set - Check! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

So now for my first question: Regarding the existing cylinder studs, Tom Wilson writes, "Unless you're installing case savers, don't remove the cylinder studs from the case. Doing so has no purpose, but does wear the potentially troublesome case threads, takes time, and stresses the studs" (p. 76).

In the assembly section, he states "If the cylinder studs were removed for some reason, install them now. Apply Permatex 3H to their threads to stop oil leaks" (p. 120).

I don't know the history of this case. I don't know if there was leakage at the head studs. Should I remove the studs, and reinstall with Permatex (after the case comes back from the machine shop, obviously) as a precaution to prevent potential leakage? Or should I just leave them be as is? Does it really put that much stress on the case to remove them, or is Wilson referring primarily to the Type I-III magnesium cases? I am leaning to toward remove and reinstall, as I strongly intend for this engine to be leak-free.

Lastly, as I work through this process, I welcome and encourage comments. Please, if you see something I'm doing wrong, or have advice for me, give it to me! I can probably use it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[MrKona]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that I bought the case without heads, as is pictured.

[toon1]

Where did you hear the 9550 cam put out "dirty emissions"?

You would be doing yourself a great injustace NOT putting in a 9550 or any of Jakes other grinds. They are all known to outperform the stock cam.

Guy's have claimed their engins ran 20* cooler with the 9550 installed.

Good luck with your build, rethink the cam. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Just my .02

[DanT]

I built a 2056 last winter.

Mahle 94 MM barrels punched out to 96mm
96mm KB aluminum pistons
9550 cam
adjusted MPS by Blyseng....

put it all together and it runs very nicely...

won the improved class of the 914CUP this season as well as my AX class in my local PCA AX series (GGR)
running against BoxsterSs and 996s and 993s on sticky tires. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

if you are going to do a build you might as well build something that gives you a little more kick...the cost really isnt prohibitive.
I built my 2056 for ~$2K including parts and machining
Rebuilt 2.0L heads with new valves, springs, guides and cracks welded
machined crank
machined (align bored) original 2.0L case
lightened and balanced flywheel/pressure plate
it isn't tough to do it right and give yourself a bit more hp....~115 now instead of ~90 stock.

I am running stock D-jet.

[MrKona]

Where did you hear the 9550 cam put out "dirty emissions"?

You would be doing yourself a great injustace NOT putting in a 9550 or any of Jakes other grinds. They are all known to outperform the stock cam.

Guy's have claimed their engins ran 20* cooler with the 9550 installed.

Good luck with your build, rethink the cam. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Just my .02

Good question - I could have sworn I read it in a post somewhere by a very reputable member of this club. Now I can't find it. Unless I find that post, I retract this statement. Jake - If you're reading this, I did not mean to slander your cam... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[MrKona]

I built a 2056 last winter.

Mahle 94 MM barrels punched out to 96mm
96mm KB aluminum pistons
9550 cam
adjusted MPS by Blyseng....

put it all together and it runs very nicely...

won the improved class of the 914CUP this season as well as my AX class in my local PCA AX series (GGR)
running against BoxsterSs and 996s and 993s on sticky tires. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

if you are going to do a build you might as well build something that gives you a little more kick...the cost really isnt prohibitive.
I built my 2056 for ~$2K including parts and machining
Rebuilt 2.0L heads with new valves, springs, guides and cracks welded
machined crank
machined (align bored) original 2.0L case
lightened and balanced flywheel/pressure plate
it isn't tough to do it right and give yourself a bit more hp....~115 now instead of ~90 stock.

I am running stock D-jet.

Very, very nice... I've already got my Euro-spec Mahles, so no turning back now, I'm going to use them. I'm committed to the Mahles, but feel good about it... Part of me says "Keep it German". I know that's not rational, but I'm admittedly a bit strange in some respects.

[Jake Raby]

I talked about building up a 2.0 last winter, and now I'm finally going to do it. This is my first engine build, hence it'll be conservative and relatively stock.

Cool.. But the stock combo certainly isn't the most optimum for today's driving and fuels.

My only plan with the car is to have a nice, reliable, well constructed engine.

Call me.

I thought about a 2056, but I finally decided to stay with 94mm cylinders. I really don't want to have to tweak with FI or fiddle with cam selection right now.

It's all in the combo. Many times trying to avoid problems (that don't really exist) only creates compromises, spends more money and still creates problems that you must overcome. Trying to avoid issues creates a mind set that breeds issues, it is mechanical and you must have the desire to whip it's ass and that must begin right now if you intend to get your money's worth and not be under the decklid every weekend....

I've read that Jake's 9550 cam is excellent, but also that it produced dirty emissions.

NO!!!! Who said it ran dirty? Who failed an emissions test with it? Send me a link!
The 9550 manipulates the stock FI system very well and the results people have gotten with it prove this. Cooler running, more MPG, broader power and an extended RPM range are it'c characteristics- Dirty emissions is not!

I'd like to keep this engine as clean as a type 4 can be.

OK. No p[roblem, add some CR, couple that to a 9550 and the engine will run cleaner than it was designed to 35 years ago.

I'm also a little confused if Jake is even selling cams at the moment,

Yes, but only with complete valve train kits of compatible parts.
See this comprehensive presentation I created to go over the selection oc components. Here is the link to the version that can be viewed with IE7
http://rdtlabs.com/Presentations/t4engcam.mht

And here is the much better version for Poer Point users.
http://rdtlabs.com/Presentations/t4engcam.pps
There should be no questions remaining after viewing the presentation with it's illustrations.

See this thread on my forum for specifics on the program that we have created for 2008
http://forums.aircooledtechnology.com/showthread.php?t=1929

so I've just decided to go with a stock grind.

Since at least one of the 11 variables dictating the necessity of valve train geometry being reset will be encountered sticking with the stock cam isn't going to make the engine any easier to build. The cams cost the same as well, so there won't be any money saved either..

The stock cam is the first thing I throw away....

My current engine is a PO rebuilt 1.8 with hydraulic lifters (with one that won't prime, sounds horrible, I can't wait to be done with them).

Can't blame you there...

Highlights:

GA case

Better check those case decks! the GA case is the worst!

Stock displacement (with new Euro spec pistons)

If you haven't bought those yet, the 96s give so much more with no negative aspects.

Stock grind Webcam and with solid lifters (both new)

The stock web grind isn't a 914 spec :"stock grind"

For now, I'm going to cannibalize the rebuilt 1.8 heads from my current engine, unless I find a deal on decent rebuild 2.0 heads during the build.

According to who rebuilt them you might buy a nightmare.

I would love to buy a pair of Raby heads, just can't swallow the extra two grand at the moment.

I have one pair of my personal 2.0 heads that I'll be selling soon, these are not our new castings but are built to our specs and done Len's way back to stock specs with new valve train and upgraded parts.

L-jet fuel injection from my 1.8. (I have some issues to work out here, running really rich. No vacuum leaks that I can find. I have to check the fuel pressure - I'm thinking either AFM or pressure regulator as next areas to check). From what I've read on many threads here and other sites, the L-jet can handle up to a 2056 displacement.

Yes, L jet seems to like a 2056 better than a stock displacement engine.

I'll keep this thread updated this winter as I work through this rebuild. I don't know how long a project this will be or how quickly I may get it done.

Current progress: Jake Raby rebuild DVD -

Cool.. Feel free to seek assistance on my forums as well, if you do go the more efficient route.

So now for my first question: Regarding the existing cylinder studs, Tom Wilson writes, "Unless you're installing case savers, don't remove the cylinder studs from the case. Doing so has no purpose, but does wear the potentially troublesome case threads, takes time, and stresses the studs" (p. 76).

I concur.

In the assembly section, he states "If the cylinder studs were removed for some reason, install them now. Apply Permatex 3H to their threads to stop oil leaks" (p. 120).

I concur. But I use loctite 565

I don't know the history of this case. I don't know if there was leakage at the head studs. Should I remove the studs, and reinstall with Permatex (after the case comes back from the machine shop, obviously) as a precaution to prevent potential leakage? Or should I just leave them be as is? Does it really put that much stress on the case to remove them, or is Wilson referring primarily to the Type I-III magnesium cases? I am leaning to toward remove and reinstall, as I strongly intend for this engine to be leak-free.

This is really a non issue and you have much bigger things to worry about. I haven't had a stud leak in about 12 years-

Lastly, as I work through this process, I welcome and encourage comments. Please, if you see something I'm doing wrong, or have advice for me, give it to me! I can probably use it!

Good mind set.

I'd like to see you get the most for your money and what we are doing just plain works.

[blitZ]

I did my first engine rebuild the summer of 76 with a budget project using Jake's 96mm cylinder and piston kit and the 9550 cam. Tweaking the Djet to fit these mods is simple and the results are quite worthwhile. It's a totally different car with the extra hp and torque, the engine is very solid and reliable. I don't think you will regret making these minor upgrades on your first rebuild.

[Bleyseng]

I did my first engine rebuild the summer of 76 with a budget project using Jake's 96mm cylinder and piston kit and the 9550 cam. Tweaking the Djet to fit these mods is simple and the results are quite worthwhile. It's a totally different car with the extra hp and torque, the engine is very solid and reliable. I don't think you will regret making these minor upgrades on your first rebuild.

I have put the 9550 cam in three engines now and the cooler CHTs alone are worth it!

20-50F cooler than stock is a hellva deal when these stock engines hit 400F easy.

[MrKona]

Small progress update.

Parts - I'm buying a rebuilt set of 2.0 heads from Jake. Also will be going with Jake's valvetrain upgrade kit (with cam) and cam gear and new oil pump. Right now, I plan on sticking with my already acquired 94mm Euro-spec Mahle P/Cs. Since I don't have to decide for a while whether to bore them out to 96mm with KB pistons, I'm keeping that option on the back burner. If anyone knows of a good machine shop they would trust not to mess up a new set of Mahle cylinders, please let me know (just in case).

I took the case to the local self-serve car wash to clean it up enough to work on it. This afternoon, I removed the recommended five factory galley plugs. They came out quite easily. Pretty scary to think of not changing these out! Next, off to the machine shop!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/santa_smiley.gif)

[hydroliftin]

I plan on sticking with my already acquired 94mm Euro-spec Mahle P/Cs. Since I don't have to decide for a while whether to bore them out to 96mm with KB pistons...

You are probably better off buying a set of used cylinders if you plan to bore them out and buy new KB pistons. The used cylinders have already been heat cycled so you avoid stability issues, and you have a new set of mahle P/Cs that you could sell for a lot more than you would pay for the used cylinders. Using the new Euro-specs is also not a bad idea either. You miss out on a few cc's and compression might be lower than you would get with the 2056, but it still makes a nice engine.

[MrKona]

I plan on sticking with my already acquired 94mm Euro-spec Mahle P/Cs. Since I don't have to decide for a while whether to bore them out to 96mm with KB pistons...

You are probably better off buying a set of used cylinders if you plan to bore them out and buy new KB pistons. The used cylinders have already been heat cycled so you avoid stability issues, and you have a new set of mahle P/Cs that you could sell for a lot more than you would pay for the used cylinders. Using the new Euro-specs is also not a bad idea either. You miss out on a few cc's and compression might be lower than you would get with the 2056, but it still makes a nice engine.

Thanks. That's very good food for thought. I'm going to keep my eyes and ears open for used Mahle cylinders...

[MrKona]

Update on my engine build... The case, crank, and rods have all come back from the machine shop and everything checked out OK for standard bearings. Case deck registers were OK. Crank was polished, and rods were rebushed.

I drilled and tapped the oil galleys.

I spent a lot of time carefully removing rust from the crank and rods.

Last night I Plastigaged the rod to crank clearance (although I read on the boards that some people think plastigaging isn't optimum to measure clearance, I'm in this to learn. Clearance measured .0015" at each journal, within spec.

Tonight I installed the timing and distributor gears back on the crank. My wife was my assistant in getting the snap ring back on and seated. I had her watch that section of Jake's video so she knew exactly what we needed to do. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I'd like to install the rods now, but I need to find a 14mm socket with a little better clearance between the rod and rod nut. My Craftsman socket is a little too fat and I can't get a good grip on the nut.

Parts update: I picked up a few items from Jake, including a 9550 cam and valvetrain upgrade kit, and a pair of low mileage refreshed heads. I also found 1.7 rockers for the 911 swivel head adjusters. The rockers cleaned up nicely.

[MrKona]

More...

[MrKona]

More...

[craig downs]

Looks like your on the way to have a good running engine with all the right parts.
Those are some pretty heads and the case is so clean nice work.

[PBritain]

what did you use to clean the case?

looks incredible!

[MrKona]

what did you use to clean the case?

looks incredible!

Thanks. I first cleaned the case at my local self-serve car wash so that I could work on it enough to pull the galley plugs. But then I took it to a local metal cleaner here. Best $50 I could have spent.

They got almost all the old crud off it. I've since gone over it again with carb cleaner, Simple Green, and fresh water with a tooth brush after it came back from the machine shop. It's clean, the flash on the camera makes it look very clean.

I also had the grimy through bolts professionally cleaned, as well as the sheet metal pieces that mount under the cylinders. They were rusty, but came back clean metal, which I have since painted.

[Jake Raby]

Lookin good!

I like the cleaned threads on the case fasteners. Clean threads are a necessity for proper torque values as "run on torque" will hamper the net torque the fastener sees.

An engine build is never clean enough. Surgical cleanliness and practices are mandatory!

[MrKona]

Lookin good!

I like the cleaned threads on the case fasteners. Clean threads are a necessity for proper torque values as "run on torque" will hamper the net torque the fastener sees.

An engine build is never clean enough. Surgical cleanliness and practices are mandatory!

Thanks Jake! Yes, I'm trying to keep this whole assembly and my work area as clean as possible.