[2002-08-08 15:11 -0500] Stan Wilder (wilden1@JUNO.COM) wrote:

> If someone has never had a Type IV or other engine laid out across their
> garage floor they don't know how gruesome that one little picture is.
> It just screams ........... "check everything again", at me.
> After about six of these type IV rebuilds I never gave much thought to
> the way that case just snapped together. I know now that initial snap
> without force is the sign of OK.
> This could have happened to the best rebuilder in the world if he were
> distracted or worrying about his aching back.
> The owner of this burnt van was very disappointed and after working for
> five hours getting the engine and transmission out, there was another
> four hours of stripping off the curled sheet metal and scraping off
> melted plastic and rubber debris, I think you could say I was
> disappointed too.
> After several hours of checking the rods, crank, bearings with
> micrometers and cleaning various parts for a better inspection I just
> decided that this whole engine had to go into the dumpster. I reached the
> point that I was about to use a cutting torch to melt off the 2&4 pistons
> to get the case separated.
> There just wasn't anything left in the engine that I'd consider running
> myself and I wanted the temptation to use any of these parts gone from my
> thinking.
>
> Stan Wilder

Hi Stan --

I'm wondering if you could give a bit more detailed description of what
the rebuilder did wrong?  I've rebuilt my air-cooled Type IV, and hope
never to do it again (I've gone diesel ;), but I'm still interested!

I get that the case is somehow snapped together wrong, but in what way,
and how did you detect it on disassembly?

Thanks!

        Gary