Re-building VW engines, Any help and advice Required!

James Wilshaw · Post by **James Wilshaw** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 4:45 pm

Hi, i have a VW (ROLLASON) engine that has been split down and is now in boxes of bits, and also a Stammo (another project one day to get round to) and want to re-build them myself to put in LAA aircraft that i intend to finish building one day!

Can i re-build them myself?

Do i need someone to perform stage inspections along the way?

Are there any mandatory inspections / pressure / crack tests which have to be done?

Anyone recommend a manual for the engine??

Further more, since i have had the bits, i cannot seem to find the log books for the engines. (i get the feeling that this means its now a pile of spares!) Is this correct?

Any help and advice would be appreciated!

Please excuse the questions, it's just that i work as an engineer in a 145 organisation, and this LAA stuff is my own hobby, as a fairly newbe pilot / homebuilder, this is a whole new world to me!

ivanmanley · Post by **ivanmanley** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:51 pm

It really rather depends on your inspector. The more pragmatic ones take the view that if you rebuild the engine and it performs OK for the five hours required ground running, that's good enough. Others seem to want you to be a fully qualified auto engineer and evey part of the engine tested!

Sensible things to check are ....

Magnaflux the crank for any cracks,
Big end and main bearing tolerances,
Prop hub integrity,
Cam shaft wear,
Oil pump wear.

Often worth renewing and regrinding in the valves too.

The rest is common sense, and a Haynes manual is as good as any for a manual.

Ivan
________
Caodaism advice

Brian Hope · Post by **Brian Hope** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:32 am

Hi James, you will not buy a better book than the Great Plains Type 1 Assembly manual if you want advice on assembling a VW for aircraft use. Written by Great Plains Aircraft Supply proprietor Steve Bennett and based on his twenty plus years of experience in the aviation VW field, it takes you through the complete build, step by step. $14.95 plus shipping. Check out the GPAS website at www.greatplainsas.com

Rod1 · Post by **Rod1** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:50 am

Have a look at the LAA inspectors listing on the LAA main site. Find a local man with “engines approval” (self explanatory on the site). Give them a ring and explain what you have and ask what he would want you to do. He may well want to see the bits, and he can advise on all aspects of the job. I know several in the Midlands but that is not much help to you!

Rod1

James Wilshaw · Post by **James Wilshaw** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:44 am

Thanks for that. Any particular haynes manual that are any good?? The great plain one looks very good, just a shame about the exchange rates!

Bill McCarthy · Post by **Bill McCarthy** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:05 am

If you "google" VW engine books, there are a couple on the Amazon website - "How to Rebuild Your Volkswagon Air-Cooled Engine" and if you want to beef up the power output there is - "Aircooled Vw Engine Interchange Manual". First one is £12 and the second £11.21.

Brian Hope · Post by **Brian Hope** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:59 am

Hi James, Steve Bennett recommends the How to rebuild book, in fact he also sells it, but a VW for an aircraft and a VW for a car are two different animals. The Steve Bennet book contains a great deal of information you will not find in a general VW engine book.

Bill McCarthy · Post by **Bill McCarthy** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:13 am

If and when we get around to doing a VW course through the LAA it would be a good idea to have a few on hand to sell to attendees or have some on the "Books" section of the LAA shop for future reference. There could well be increasing interest in the old VW again with the current financial situation. I don't have a VW powered aircraft but I would go on a course "just in case".

Nigel Ramsay · Post by **Nigel Ramsay** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:01 pm

Hi James,
I too have a Rollason supplied 1600 sitting partially stripped on my bench! From what I can gather it's actually a French built Ardem engine which Rollason's supplied. Single port heads with an inlet which doubles as an oil cooler - ring any bells? It was fitted with a Peacock Mag system which I've sold on (when it's collected

) as I was fortunate to buy a Leburg system direct from the late Dave Mickleburgh.

All good advice above, especially check the cam and followers, and of course the oil pump gears. A new cam and followers wouldn't be too expensive to buy. Forged Mahle pistons and new barrels seem to be available for around £200.00. It all depends how far you want to go!

phil brookman · Post by **phil brookman** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:44 am

if rebuilding
keep 9in mind many things
crankshaft endfloat
chq tappets every 10hrs mandatory
tappets make them a bit looser because these engines may run hotteer

10 though exhaust

4 cht
4 egt a good idea
oil temp and pressure guage too
phill

SAW · Post by **SAW** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:45 pm

Can anyone point me in the direction of a LAA Inspector or engineer based in the South West who knows what they are doing with VW Aero Conversions? I want to strip mine down to inspect and check the bearings and repair an oil leak.

Many thanks.

Mike Mold · Post by **Mike Mold** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:56 pm

Give Dave Silsbury a call on 01752-690358

Rob Swain · Post by **Rob Swain** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:48 am

Bill McCarthy wrote:If you "google" VW engine books, there are a couple on the Amazon website - "How to Rebuild Your Volkswagon Air-Cooled Engine"

What I found is that several books are useful to get an all round feel for rebuilding the engine. I know this sounds vague, but anyone who's tinkered with converted / adapted / modified engines will know what I mean.

I read the above quoted book and found it very good, allowing for the fact that it is aimed at car use.
The Great Plains one is good too, but the copy I've got is based around the GP conversion with the machined out extra large bearing, their own prop boss etc. Not sure if they do a more generic one.

A Haynes manual is a good bet too, although they can be surprisingly vague in places. Get one for a vehicle that matches the general capacity and vintage of the engine you have. For our 1834cc (big bore 1600) in the VP1 I had a copy of a late (bay windowed) van as it included the extra oil valves in the cases and the twin port heads.

If you contact LAA Engineering and let them know what you are doing then they can advise you a little bit. They sent me a checklist that they like to see filled in with any renewal / mod paperwork you might need to supply them with. It includes details like sizes, clearances etc that you've checked during build up.

The late, great, Dave Mickleburgh's Leburg ignition is brilliant. If you can find a kit then grab it with both paws. The paperwork that goes with it is essential, but there should be a fair bit of it available from LAA members if you need any.

Finally, if rebuilding a VW, then change almost everything. The prices for bits are so small it's daft not to. We changed all bearings, cylinders, valves and springs as a matter of course, but cranks, conrods, camshafts, followers and even cases are all easily available too, although there are varying opinions about new (Brazilian) cases.

The above is mainly about home converted VWs. How much of it applies to 'factory supplied' VW conversions (Rollason?) I couldn't say.

Light Aircraft Association

Re-building VW engines, Any help and advice Required!

Re-building VW engines, Any help and advice Required!

vw