Neil, I have a spare bell housing if you want to go all out and do a
compression test as well.

On 8/30/07, Matt Roberds <mattroberds@cox.net> wrote:
>
> > From:    neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
> > Date:    Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:57:31 -0700
> >
> > Aside from a compression test, measuring end play, (and of course
> > installing and running!) are there ways to tell if there's anything
> > totally wrong with a given 2.0 air cooled engine? (like spun bearing
> > etc.)
>
> If you can do a compression test, you must have a bellhousing or the
> little cast piece that lets you put a starter on it.  Depending on how
> dressed up it is (does it have its FI computer+harness, or is that stuff
> still in the van?) you're not too far away from being able to start and
> run it.
>
> It might be worth taking the heads off to take a look at the insides of
> the cylinders, the valves and seats, etc.  If you pull a cylinder, you
> can see inside the engine a little... maybe not enough to see a spun
> bearing, though.
>
> Oil analysis has been mentioned.  The small airplane people (who, by and
> large, are running flat-four and flat-six air-cooled engines) often do
> this, but the opinion there seems to be that it's more of a trend
> monitoring thing rather than a one-shot.  One idea I've heard is that it
> takes three oil changes and analyses to establish a baseline, *then*
> further tests can reliably tell you if something is starting to wear at
> a high rate.
>
> Matt Roberds
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com