A lot has been happening

Well since the highlight of the Detling show a lot has been happening. A few blogs will follow in short succession soon as I need to catch up a bit !

After Detling my focus was one or two simple little jobs - trim out rest of carpet, wire up stereo etc. And more importantly, enjoy driving Nena. I had been taking her out for a drive each evening for two key reasons - one, because I could, and two - to reassure myself about her intermittent starting problem. At Detling she started very sluggishly, despite a long run to charge the battery. However for the whole week after this I couldn't get her to do this again, so wasn't sure if it was a charging or starter issue.

Anyhow, around a week after Detling, with just a fortnight till Stoneleigh we got home after a quick evening drive to the smell of warm engine oil.

Not what you want to see on your new paint job !

A quick think prompted the decision to plump for a new 1641 lump from VW Heritage, as the detonated engine was from my second donor car and a bit of an unknown quantity. The oil cooler seal, and flywheel seal had let go at the same time, and I felt more would follow.

The new engine is, according to the manufacturers, Remtec, built to the same specification as their Premium units but with an increased capacity of 1641cc. They are also fitted with a Scat C25 mild sports cam (Valve lift 0.423” / Duration 275 degrees). This combination provides a reliable increase in power and torque at a reasonable price. Results are especially good if used in conjunction with a 4 into 1 sport exhaust and aftermarket carburettors. Customers typically report 94 BHP at the flywheel! A new 009 distributor is also fitted, and the engine is hot tested prior to shipping which should aid set up. A call was made on the Wednesday, and by Thursday I had a new engine in the garage. (Join a VW/Specialist club to get a discount)

Friday night saw the old lump removed, and all ancillaries removed. Saturday saw the new engine in, and fired up. I am skimming over the knuckle grazing process a little here, but if you are methodical it is a day's job. I also took the opportunity to change over to a Weber 32/36 progressive carb, which as you can see in the pictures necessitated the modification of the engine lid - more on this in later posts !

One positive to come out of the whole process was that I also took the opportunity to change the starter motor and bush. I figured they were also original parts, and would only let me down later. This revealed the cause of the intermittent starting - a damaged bush.

This is a cheap part (£1) but only easily changed with engine out (unless you buy a £40 tool) so well worth checking when you drop your engine.

So now Nena has a new engine we should be cruising nicely to all the shows ................