How to Rebuild VW Air-Cooled Engines

Book excerpt: Covers rebuilding the VW Type 1, 2, and 3 engines beginning in the year 1961, when a significant redesign improved the reliability, durability, and horsepower of the basic initial design. For more than 70 years, automotive enthusiasts and the public in general have embraced the VW air-cooled engine for its simplicity, its capacity to be modified, and its bulletproof reliability. Offering beautiful color photos and insightful step-by-step captions for expertly rebuilding Volkswagen air-cooled engines, this book will provide in-depth hands-on information for disassembly, inspection, machining, parts selection, preassembly, final assembly, installation, and tuning. Not only are the procedures for rebuilding covered in depth but engine model types, identification codes, specifications, and details are also covered in a manner that allows the user to source a good later-model candidate for rebuilding and helps retrofit the modern engine designs into earlier chassis. One of the most widely used and versatile internal combustion engines in the world, this engine has powered VW Beetles, Buses, Porsche 914s, off-road buggies and rails, formula race cars, and many other machines both on and off-road. If you have any interest in reviving your old VW, or perhaps are researching purchasing one, this handy guide will cover all the bases in bringing that old air-cooled powerplant back to life.