I’ve owned this car since 1994 and shortly after buying it I needed to do a head gasket replacement (quite common) at 60,000 km. Now the car has around 150,000 km and it looks like another head gasket is needed. I anticipated this so over 5 years ago I began building the replacement motor from a spare block I had bern saving. The build took 2 years in the machine shop and has been sitting in my garage for three years waiting for the swap. Well I think it’s time since my bike projects have been completed and the beetle is on vacation in storage for the winter.
I’ve posted pics before but will start this thread with a few more.
The stock engine is Toyota’s 7MGTE, straight 6, 3.0L, turbocharged. From the factory it only had about 232 hp @ the crankshaft. Rather inadequate for a 3,500+ lb car. In its current state with some upgrades, the car puts down about 375 rwhp and over 400 lb ft torque. If it put this power down consistently that would be fine but it quite often succumbs to heat soak and the efficiency of the engine drops dramatically.
The new motor was built with the best parts I could get at the time (I’d been collecting parts for 15+ years). All forged internals, ARP fasteners, higher lift cams, balanced all rotating members; metal head gasket (to never need replacement again - in my lifetime anyway), stand alone ecu, big injectors (stock 440cc, new 1050cc) and the list goes on.
I knew that before I put the motor in, there were some things that needed attention. First of all, I recently learned that one bolt for the front timing cover, passes in to part of the crankcase. If that bolt wasn’t sealed, there’s potential for an oil leak into the timing belt cavity. The builder didn’t know about this and now that I know about it, I need to seal it. Trouble is the bolt is fairly deep down behind the lower belt cover, that is behind the press fit harmonic damper, that needs a special puller…
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I decide that I’d try to remove the bolt with the lower cover in place. Many said it couldn’t be done but I managed to do it. Getting the bolt out wasn’t too bad bur starting the bolt (now with sealant) wasn’t so easy. I needed to locate the bolt in the hole, push it back to engage the threads and start turning it in. To do that I got a piece of 14ga copper wire anddid one wrap around the bolt shank. I lowered it into the cavity and got it in the hole. I put a box end wrench over the bolt head and through the wrench opening, pushed the head of the bolt towards the block. Then 1/12th of a turn at a time I got the first thread to engage. Then I got my overpriced 14 mm ratcheting wrench on the bolt head and yanked on the copper wire to disconnect it from the bolt. Then I worked the wrench to drive the bolt home while putting pressure on the bolts head with a screwdriver so the ratchet on the wrench could work..
That’s all for today. More to come. I think repainting the block might be next.
I’ve posted pics before but will start this thread with a few more.
The stock engine is Toyota’s 7MGTE, straight 6, 3.0L, turbocharged. From the factory it only had about 232 hp @ the crankshaft. Rather inadequate for a 3,500+ lb car. In its current state with some upgrades, the car puts down about 375 rwhp and over 400 lb ft torque. If it put this power down consistently that would be fine but it quite often succumbs to heat soak and the efficiency of the engine drops dramatically.
The new motor was built with the best parts I could get at the time (I’d been collecting parts for 15+ years). All forged internals, ARP fasteners, higher lift cams, balanced all rotating members; metal head gasket (to never need replacement again - in my lifetime anyway), stand alone ecu, big injectors (stock 440cc, new 1050cc) and the list goes on.
I knew that before I put the motor in, there were some things that needed attention. First of all, I recently learned that one bolt for the front timing cover, passes in to part of the crankcase. If that bolt wasn’t sealed, there’s potential for an oil leak into the timing belt cavity. The builder didn’t know about this and now that I know about it, I need to seal it. Trouble is the bolt is fairly deep down behind the lower belt cover, that is behind the press fit harmonic damper, that needs a special puller…
. I decide that I’d try to remove the bolt with the lower cover in place. Many said it couldn’t be done but I managed to do it. Getting the bolt out wasn’t too bad bur starting the bolt (now with sealant) wasn’t so easy. I needed to locate the bolt in the hole, push it back to engage the threads and start turning it in. To do that I got a piece of 14ga copper wire anddid one wrap around the bolt shank. I lowered it into the cavity and got it in the hole. I put a box end wrench over the bolt head and through the wrench opening, pushed the head of the bolt towards the block. Then 1/12th of a turn at a time I got the first thread to engage. Then I got my overpriced 14 mm ratcheting wrench on the bolt head and yanked on the copper wire to disconnect it from the bolt. Then I worked the wrench to drive the bolt home while putting pressure on the bolts head with a screwdriver so the ratchet on the wrench could work..
That’s all for today. More to come. I think repainting the block might be next.
