I'd like to get the Jake Raby DVD on rebuilding a type4
The cheapest I've seen is around $40 USD
The kicker is that I'm in Canada and that is like $55 cdn
And they want another 40 usd to ship it to Canada. Yes, a dvd

Any cheaper alternatives out there?

I'm a believer in supporting Rick Higgens, the guy who did the Bug Me videos. A great resource before repair videos were commonly available, and it still is. They have endured over the years and been helpful to many of us. He also answers his phone and will help you out if you have questions while you are working on your car. Who does that? I know it's easy for me to spend your money, but I'll encourage you to buy it directly from him at his website. He also sells them on ebay (both US and Canada) under the seller name vwricken. Shipping to Canada is $18.95 US on ebay US. You can also rent them online, and if you want to buy the video you'll get a credit for the amount of the rental. Support the people who support us, especially the good guys.

https://www.bugmevideo.com/index.html

My life long bud Mark and I just rebuilt a 2270 with the Jake Raby DVD and went back and forth between Ian Karr’s YouTube vid in several parts. It is somewhat easier with YouTube but, we reviewed all sources including Factory Porsche manuals as well as looking at some repair books. That and answers from the machinist. The machinist is you best friend.


I think that you can get away from Jake’s DVD if you do not want to spend the money but be very carful on what you try to save money on. It is best to go with the best of what you can afford. Do not cheep out on your build in any way or you will have to revisit it when you don’t want to.

The Start of Ian Karr on line vid: Porsche 914 VW Type 4 2056 Engine Build Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edUCRiJhqCA


Best and good luck,

Bob B

I've been doing this stuff for 4 decades.
A single tip/change in process is worth $$$ to me.
I've spent $500 for a specific service manual that is out of print.

A couple of hundred dollars in reading material is nothing regarding a 10K plus engine job.

Real Factory service manuals are far better than aftermarket IMO.

I'm guessing I have a couple thousand pounds of service manuals.

They have all gone up in value!

I treat them the same as I treat my Snap-On tools...

Books, info are an investment.

A single tip or process can change the entire job.

The few videos I've seen from Jake Raby are excellent.

Ian Karr kicks ass as well.
Ian's stuff is free and is oriented towards a beginner enthusiast crowd.
It's still worth watching IMO.

A single tip/process is worth the price of admission.

This is from a long-term wrench that has more than 200K wrapped up in his tools.

Most of the info/manuals that I own have increased in value over the years.

If I was to sell off all my manuals, I bet I'd receive 3 times what I paid for them now.


Don't be a "cheap shit" when it comes to info.
A single tip can save your ass!

New stuff I get the factory service manuals through "Direct Connect" which costs my shop $200 per month.

$2400 a year and I don't get to keep any of it!

Info is NOT free...

On the 914, this is debatable. The Haynes manual literally has the words and images from about 85% of the factory 914 workshop manual. Word for word, image for image. They just put it in far fewer pages, and they only cover the four-cylinder cars.

I believe they skip transmission internals as well, or the equivalence would be even higher.

If you need anything in that ~15%, the Factory manuals are the best. Most of us don't, though, so Haynes is good enough.

.... Of course, you may need the Factory manuals just to make sure that what you need isn't in that 15% .... And a pro really does need to know as much as possible.

--DD

Thanks @burton73 and @technicalninja . Glad you find the videos helpful.

I agree with @fiacra . Please support those who support this amazizng community.

I must've watched Jake's DVD (Vol 8 of the bug me video series) dozens of times. Jake jokes that he was a kid when he made the videos, but the info is timeless.

I also agree with @Dave_Darling about the Haynes. It's got most of what's needed. I also like Tom Wilson's book "How to Rebuild Your Volkswagen Air Cooled Engine".

Economizing when building an engine isn't advisable. A dollar saved ends up costing you 10 down the road. If you're doing the work yourself, it's super important to reference the best information out there. If you study up and are careful, you can do itt. Definitely worth undertaking, and super satisfying in the end, but plan on encountering some issues. I look at those as "tuition". That's where communities like this one and the Type 4 group on FB are invaluable.

Good luck, be safe and enjoy!

Agree that we should support.

However, I have a DVD I bought from Bug just a few years ago that I'd be willing to let go cheap (I'll have to look for it), plus a spare copy of Wilson's book to boot. Not using 'em (I decided to pay to have someone rebuild) and it's time to start getting rid of stuff. PM me with a tasty offer so I can buy some beer and make that go away, too. - GA

This

Wilson’s book was like the Bible for VW rebuilds long before there were DVDs

And it’s carbon neutral recycling