16th February 2009
The new year is here and its taken me a month to recover from the expense and Christmas fun and frivolities. I haven't done much in the garage over the last month as the snow, rain and generally crap weather has kept me inside.
My new engine is still in bits and is slowly taking up much more space in the corner of my living room in boxes. In January I picked up a new Crankshaft a Empi 78mm forged balanced crank. This came from Stateside Tuning along with the CB H-Beam 5.5 professional Rods . I wass not a great fan of Empi like most enthusiasts as they tend to have made some bad marketing choices. I came by the Empi Crankshaft after a great deal of discussion. It was pointed out to me that a good reason that some Crank suppliers used nitriding to put a hard coating on a crank when the material it was made from was not as hard as it could be. This in realiy seems very obvious and as the engine builder the information came from also balanced cranks I could see his reasoning as if the Nitride was only only a few micrions thick then it would be machined off very easily.
The CB H-Beam rods are just to good to be true they are exceptionally well made and seem to be well balanced from the box.
I have also been busy trying to track down other engine parts and have been doings some research on getting my Crankcase shuttle pinned.
Christmas 2008
12th December 2008.
Christmas and the bad weather that usually comes with it is arriving fast. This year I have managed to do a lot of work to my FibreFab SWB Rat. I have changed the rear suspension substantially to an IRS type that places the rear wheels firmly on the ground. This has improved the grip of the rear wheels and the buggy now feels like its running on rails. I have also managed to fit a rear disk conversion that has increased the stopping performance of the car. Unfortunately this year has brought a lot of engine problems that have made me fit a surrogate engine into the car whilst I build a new engine. This has been further troubled by finding someone who can line bore my new case ready for a new high performance crankshaft. I have now found a company that can line bore the case and they are based in Biggin Hill :
Baldyne Aviation Traders Engineer
Site 500, Biggin Hill Civil Airport, Biggin Hill,
Westerham, Kent TN16 3BN
Tel: 01959 540205
Classification: Car Engine Tuning & Conversion
They have assured me that they can still do the engine line boring and I am hoping to get the case to them in early January as I am committed to building my new engine next year after the Christmas and New Year fever has dissipated.
I want to finish wishing my readers a very happy Christmas and a happy New Year.
Christmas and the bad weather that usually comes with it is arriving fast. This year I have managed to do a lot of work to my FibreFab SWB Rat. I have changed the rear suspension substantially to an IRS type that places the rear wheels firmly on the ground. This has improved the grip of the rear wheels and the buggy now feels like its running on rails. I have also managed to fit a rear disk conversion that has increased the stopping performance of the car. Unfortunately this year has brought a lot of engine problems that have made me fit a surrogate engine into the car whilst I build a new engine. This has been further troubled by finding someone who can line bore my new case ready for a new high performance crankshaft. I have now found a company that can line bore the case and they are based in Biggin Hill :
Baldyne Aviation Traders Engineer
Site 500, Biggin Hill Civil Airport, Biggin Hill,
Westerham, Kent TN16 3BN
Tel: 01959 540205
Classification: Car Engine Tuning & Conversion
They have assured me that they can still do the engine line boring and I am hoping to get the case to them in early January as I am committed to building my new engine next year after the Christmas and New Year fever has dissipated.
I want to finish wishing my readers a very happy Christmas and a happy New Year.
Installing a CSP Torque bar
31st October 2008
After modifying the bodywork of the car during the installation of the IRS components in preparation for allowing the A-arms to rise and have enough clearance I had decided to cut the body work high enough for the CSP bars to fit. The main reason for this was I was trying to stiffen up the rear suspension. The IRS fitting process meant that the Frame Horns had to be heated an bent to accomodate the drive shafts. This took some strength out of the Frame Horns and the CSP Torque kit would imrove this ensuring the floating Frame horns where locked into the rest of the chassis.
I had detailed the body work that needed cutting in a previous article and will not cover it again in this article. The main reason for the body removal was to eliminate a portion of the tyre well that came into the area the CSB Torque bars will fit into. This problem is only associated with my style of fibreglass bodywork and is not neccessary if you are using the standard beetle body.
After cutting the body work down I found that it was very difficult to get hold of the CSP Torque Bar kit. I did not want to import a new one from CSP as this was quite expensive and had luckily found one on eBay only to find that the seller was not really interested in selling it and was wasting every ones time by shilling the bids at the last moment so unfortunately I had to let that one go. A month later I had been watching eBay and all of the usual sale sites for some time when I saw the CSP
kit above advertised. I secured it along with the rear gearbox mount. It was in excellent condition and all the welding work had been done and the mounting plates had been anodised in a gold zinc coating. This did not appear to be paint so I presumed it must have been plated.
The installation of this Torque bar kit is fairly straight forward the welding that is usually needed for this installation is detailed here: http://www.csp-shop.de/technik/pdf/deeng/20917.pdf You can see that the three bars triangulate the frame horns which support the gearbox cradle significantly reducing the flex that gets put into them from a high performance engine. The bars being made from Aircraft grade aluminium make the adjustable bars are very strong.
The rear cradle that supports the engine and gearbox is securely bolted to the frame horns by two large 36mm fine threaded bolts. They can really only be got at easily with the engine removed from the car. Considering this is a simple process of disconnecting the throttle cable and then undoing the four bolts, this is where we will start in my installation of the welded torque bar.
With the engine bolts removed and the throttle released the engine will sit on a jack above a plank of wood. This will hold the engine whilst it is still located on the final gearbox drive shaft. Be advised it safer for two people to help removing the engine. The engine can be slowly drawn and wiggled backwards off the final drive shaft in the gearbox until it becomes disengaged. The engine will then be solely supported by the jack and it should be slowly lowered to the ground with the engine nearer the ground. Ask your friend who has been helping you stabilise the engine on the way down to help you lift it from the jack onto another plank of wood. This should be easily accomplished but ensure if you are following this that you use the proper lifting techniques so not to strain your back. The engine long block should now be removed exposing the gearbox.
The gearbox is mounted between the rear frame horns inside the bell housing at the bottom where it meets the cradle there are two bolts that hold the gearbox rubber mounts to the gearbox. Undo these and secure the bolts and washers for later use.You will now need to place a jack under your gearbox to support it . Again place a piece of wood between the gearbox and jack to prevent damage. Ensure the jack is biased towards the rear of the gearbox near the bell housing . With the jack in position you will need to remove the lower rubber gearbox mounts on one side of the gearbox. This will allow the gearbox to be lifted out. Use the jack to raise the gearbox out of its cradle.
The gearbox should now be disconnected from the cradle and the cradle can be removed by undoing the two large 36mm bolts that hold it onto the frame horns. You will need considerable force to undo these bolts. Use penetrating fluid like plus gas to soak the bolts for a few hours before you proceed. If your lock the you will already have a long bar that you can use as an extension to your socket set . you will need at least three foot or a metre of something like scaffold pole or if tour lucky an air powered impact wrench. With the cradle free from the frame horns you can start re-assembly with the new cradle. Ensure that you re grease both the threads in the frame horns before you bolt on the cradle. If you had your torque kit bought as a kit that you can assemble You will have two holes on each side of the cradle that take the mounts for the diagonals. These bolt on with the Allen bolts supplied. If you are having to make your mounts follow the CSP article to locate them in the correct axis. Replacing the gearbox into the cradle is the reverse of the removal process. You can bolt one or both of the rubber gearbox mounts on the side(s) of the bell housing. Then lower the gearbox back onto the new cradle.
The top mounts for the Torque bar are located of the suspension damper arm. To fit them you must removed the top damper mount. To access this you will find it easier to remove the wheel on the side you are working on. With the first wheel removed you should easily be able to find the damper and the retaining bolt at the top. The suspension system is under load and although you can remove the nut from the bolt you will not be able to remove the bolt without remove in the load from the torsion bars that is applied to the swing arm. You can buy a tool from VW heritage to pull the spring plate upwards although this is fairly expensive and is not used very often. I have found that you can use good quality luggage straps to do the same job. The luggage straps have locks on them that allow you to wind up the strap under load. If you are buying these get ones bigger than an inch in size with metal buckles. Loop the strap over the arm and back around the spring plate you should be able to ratchet the strap up to pull the spring plate up. You only need to achieve a few mm as this will allow the top damper bolt to be able to be slid out and the new longer one slid in its place. The damper can then be slid back onto the new bolt. The top mount can then be slid onto the bolt and the whole assembly can be bolted up. If you are not using prewelded assemblies then you will have to just pop on the bushing and follow the CSP installation instructions to weld the mounting tabs in the correct axis. This can then be repeated for both sides. It is easier to hold the car on axle stands whilst you are removing the wheels this allows you to remove both wheels and work without having to put on a wheel and then jack up and remove the other. With the mounts in place the bars can be attached using the supplied Allen bolts . Beware if you have wound out the threads on the bars that these are handed and are not reversible.
After modifying the bodywork of the car during the installation of the IRS components in preparation for allowing the A-arms to rise and have enough clearance I had decided to cut the body work high enough for the CSP bars to fit. The main reason for this was I was trying to stiffen up the rear suspension. The IRS fitting process meant that the Frame Horns had to be heated an bent to accomodate the drive shafts. This took some strength out of the Frame Horns and the CSP Torque kit would imrove this ensuring the floating Frame horns where locked into the rest of the chassis.I had detailed the body work that needed cutting in a previous article and will not cover it again in this article. The main reason for the body removal was to eliminate a portion of the tyre well that came into the area the CSB Torque bars will fit into. This problem is only associated with my style of fibreglass bodywork and is not neccessary if you are using the standard beetle body.
After cutting the body work down I found that it was very difficult to get hold of the CSP Torque Bar kit. I did not want to import a new one from CSP as this was quite expensive and had luckily found one on eBay only to find that the seller was not really interested in selling it and was wasting every ones time by shilling the bids at the last moment so unfortunately I had to let that one go. A month later I had been watching eBay and all of the usual sale sites for some time when I saw the CSP
kit above advertised. I secured it along with the rear gearbox mount. It was in excellent condition and all the welding work had been done and the mounting plates had been anodised in a gold zinc coating. This did not appear to be paint so I presumed it must have been plated.The installation of this Torque bar kit is fairly straight forward the welding that is usually needed for this installation is detailed here: http://www.csp-shop.de/technik/pdf/deeng/20917.pdf You can see that the three bars triangulate the frame horns which support the gearbox cradle significantly reducing the flex that gets put into them from a high performance engine. The bars being made from Aircraft grade aluminium make the adjustable bars are very strong.
The rear cradle that supports the engine and gearbox is securely bolted to the frame horns by two large 36mm fine threaded bolts. They can really only be got at easily with the engine removed from the car. Considering this is a simple process of disconnecting the throttle cable and then undoing the four bolts, this is where we will start in my installation of the welded torque bar.With the engine bolts removed and the throttle released the engine will sit on a jack above a plank of wood. This will hold the engine whilst it is still located on the final gearbox drive shaft. Be advised it safer for two people to help removing the engine. The engine can be slowly drawn and wiggled backwards off the final drive shaft in the gearbox until it becomes disengaged. The engine will then be solely supported by the jack and it should be slowly lowered to the ground with the engine nearer the ground. Ask your friend who has been helping you stabilise the engine on the way down to help you lift it from the jack onto another plank of wood. This should be easily accomplished but ensure if you are following this that you use the proper lifting techniques so not to strain your back. The engine long block should now be removed exposing the gearbox.
The gearbox is mounted between the rear frame horns inside the bell housing at the bottom where it meets the cradle there are two bolts that hold the gearbox rubber mounts to the gearbox. Undo these and secure the bolts and washers for later use.You will now need to place a jack under your gearbox to support it . Again place a piece of wood between the gearbox and jack to prevent damage. Ensure the jack is biased towards the rear of the gearbox near the bell housing . With the jack in position you will need to remove the lower rubber gearbox mounts on one side of the gearbox. This will allow the gearbox to be lifted out. Use the jack to raise the gearbox out of its cradle.
The gearbox should now be disconnected from the cradle and the cradle can be removed by undoing the two large 36mm bolts that hold it onto the frame horns. You will need considerable force to undo these bolts. Use penetrating fluid like plus gas to soak the bolts for a few hours before you proceed. If your lock the you will already have a long bar that you can use as an extension to your socket set . you will need at least three foot or a metre of something like scaffold pole or if tour lucky an air powered impact wrench. With the cradle free from the frame horns you can start re-assembly with the new cradle. Ensure that you re grease both the threads in the frame horns before you bolt on the cradle. If you had your torque kit bought as a kit that you can assemble You will have two holes on each side of the cradle that take the mounts for the diagonals. These bolt on with the Allen bolts supplied. If you are having to make your mounts follow the CSP article to locate them in the correct axis. Replacing the gearbox into the cradle is the reverse of the removal process. You can bolt one or both of the rubber gearbox mounts on the side(s) of the bell housing. Then lower the gearbox back onto the new cradle.
The top mounts for the Torque bar are located of the suspension damper arm. To fit them you must removed the top damper mount. To access this you will find it easier to remove the wheel on the side you are working on. With the first wheel removed you should easily be able to find the damper and the retaining bolt at the top. The suspension system is under load and although you can remove the nut from the bolt you will not be able to remove the bolt without remove in the load from the torsion bars that is applied to the swing arm. You can buy a tool from VW heritage to pull the spring plate upwards although this is fairly expensive and is not used very often. I have found that you can use good quality luggage straps to do the same job. The luggage straps have locks on them that allow you to wind up the strap under load. If you are buying these get ones bigger than an inch in size with metal buckles. Loop the strap over the arm and back around the spring plate you should be able to ratchet the strap up to pull the spring plate up. You only need to achieve a few mm as this will allow the top damper bolt to be able to be slid out and the new longer one slid in its place. The damper can then be slid back onto the new bolt. The top mount can then be slid onto the bolt and the whole assembly can be bolted up. If you are not using prewelded assemblies then you will have to just pop on the bushing and follow the CSP installation instructions to weld the mounting tabs in the correct axis. This can then be repeated for both sides. It is easier to hold the car on axle stands whilst you are removing the wheels this allows you to remove both wheels and work without having to put on a wheel and then jack up and remove the other. With the mounts in place the bars can be attached using the supplied Allen bolts . Beware if you have wound out the threads on the bars that these are handed and are not reversible.
Engine Overhaul - replacement crank case
1st October 2008.
After reeling from my engine case problems which occured when I was overhauling the original engine crankcase. I soon realised that there really was no way that the existing case could have been bored out to 94mm to accept the new barrels and pistons I had purchased. The main reason for this was that the 1300 box used adapters to hold the 8mm heads into the crankcase These adapters are know as case savers and where fitted to the later engines. These would have not allowed the cylinders to be bored out without cutting into these threads. This would therefore have not worked. Fortunately my original case had developed problems when I taped the oil gantries out to take the brass plugs. One of the 1/8NPT plugs under the fly wheel had split the case rendering it unusable. I am presuming that there was a fracture in the case prior to me cutting the thread that had spit when I used the extracter to remove the brass plug.
I managed to find a replacement crankcase on VZi from a gentleman in the other side of Brighton. Luckily the new crank case had been bored out to 94mm already and was already machined for full flow oil. The full flow oil process requires that the outlet of the oil pump be threaded and a plug screwed in and the main oil return be taped with a 3/8NPT tap. Generally speaking the new case was in good condition and had never been line bored as it was 64mm on the main bearings.
I decided that as i did not know the condition of the oil gantries that i would have to tap them. I started by removing the pressure valves. These are located on the bottom of the case at the front and back of the engine. The pressure valves and springs are covered by a screw in plug that has a large screw driver slot in its top. The easiest way to get these undone is to tap the right side of the slot with a screw driver and hammer , so using them as a punch to knock the cap undone. With the caps removed the springs can be removed giving access to the pistons. These are usually pressed tight up into the engine. I use a piece of cane that I cut down to gain the correct width to just fit into the piston. Once you have the right diameter you can knock this into the piston so that you can twist the piston out and ease the cane and piston out.
The gantry caps could then be removed from the case. I used a 1/8 drill to drill the centre of the caps and a wood screw turned into the cap until it was firm enough to
allow a claw hammer to pull the screw and the cap out together. The exposed gantries could then be drilled and taped with their respective threads 1/8NPT, 1/4NPT and 3/8NPT. There are four 1/8NPT holes that need to be drilled out to 11/32". The two 1/4NPT threads can be taped straight into the gantry as the hole is already the correct size. The two 38NPT threads require the gantry hole to be drilled out to 9/16" before they can be taped. Generally speaking you need to drill the hole a bot longer than the length of your plug. I found that when taping the threads it was better to start the thread with a taper tap. I cut down a second taper tap to make a plug that was the same length of the screw plug that I was using. With the used together I was able to get the plugs to seat below the level of the casing.
Once I had taped and cleaned out the gantries I decided I would like to get the case media blasted to bring back its surface to look like new.
I also found out via a friend that as I was building a large engine I would probably be best to locate a new balanced forged crankshaft although I hadnt figured this into my budget I new that if my existing crank failed it would damage all the other components around it and so was really not worth the risk.
After reeling from my engine case problems which occured when I was overhauling the original engine crankcase. I soon realised that there really was no way that the existing case could have been bored out to 94mm to accept the new barrels and pistons I had purchased. The main reason for this was that the 1300 box used adapters to hold the 8mm heads into the crankcase These adapters are know as case savers and where fitted to the later engines. These would have not allowed the cylinders to be bored out without cutting into these threads. This would therefore have not worked. Fortunately my original case had developed problems when I taped the oil gantries out to take the brass plugs. One of the 1/8NPT plugs under the fly wheel had split the case rendering it unusable. I am presuming that there was a fracture in the case prior to me cutting the thread that had spit when I used the extracter to remove the brass plug.I managed to find a replacement crankcase on VZi from a gentleman in the other side of Brighton. Luckily the new crank case had been bored out to 94mm already and was already machined for full flow oil. The full flow oil process requires that the outlet of the oil pump be threaded and a plug screwed in and the main oil return be taped with a 3/8NPT tap. Generally speaking the new case was in good condition and had never been line bored as it was 64mm on the main bearings.
I decided that as i did not know the condition of the oil gantries that i would have to tap them. I started by removing the pressure valves. These are located on the bottom of the case at the front and back of the engine. The pressure valves and springs are covered by a screw in plug that has a large screw driver slot in its top. The easiest way to get these undone is to tap the right side of the slot with a screw driver and hammer , so using them as a punch to knock the cap undone. With the caps removed the springs can be removed giving access to the pistons. These are usually pressed tight up into the engine. I use a piece of cane that I cut down to gain the correct width to just fit into the piston. Once you have the right diameter you can knock this into the piston so that you can twist the piston out and ease the cane and piston out.
The gantry caps could then be removed from the case. I used a 1/8 drill to drill the centre of the caps and a wood screw turned into the cap until it was firm enough to
allow a claw hammer to pull the screw and the cap out together. The exposed gantries could then be drilled and taped with their respective threads 1/8NPT, 1/4NPT and 3/8NPT. There are four 1/8NPT holes that need to be drilled out to 11/32". The two 1/4NPT threads can be taped straight into the gantry as the hole is already the correct size. The two 38NPT threads require the gantry hole to be drilled out to 9/16" before they can be taped. Generally speaking you need to drill the hole a bot longer than the length of your plug. I found that when taping the threads it was better to start the thread with a taper tap. I cut down a second taper tap to make a plug that was the same length of the screw plug that I was using. With the used together I was able to get the plugs to seat below the level of the casing.Once I had taped and cleaned out the gantries I decided I would like to get the case media blasted to bring back its surface to look like new.
I also found out via a friend that as I was building a large engine I would probably be best to locate a new balanced forged crankshaft although I hadnt figured this into my budget I new that if my existing crank failed it would damage all the other components around it and so was really not worth the risk.
IRS vs Swing Axle...
17th August 2008.
There seems to be a huge amount of debate on the web forums from www.Volkszone.co.uk to theSamba.com and even to Beachbuggy.org.uk on whether the retro fitting of an IRS conversion would benefit an old swing axle designed chassis. Before I can give you my thoughts on this I would like to show you the two pictures that I have of my buggy with first the Swing Axle rear end and then the retro fitted IRS conversion.
Initially there appears not to be much difference between the two designs although the angle that the photographs where taken at are not ideal.
With this in mind I will show you the two designs situated in the air with the wheels removed so that a closer look at the two designs can be seen.
immediately you can see the difference between the two suspension types. The swing axle design places the wheels onto the ground at a slight angle causing only a partial part of the tyre to get the full weight of the vehicle in comparison the IRS suspension places the axle totally horizontal to the ground enabling all of the surface of the tyre to support the weight of the vehicle.
The main advantage of IRS here is that tyre wear is more even across the tyre. In addition because the full area of the tyre is carrying the weight of the vehicle the stability of the car is much improved when cornering and more traction is available at launch when starting from a stopped position. This all said the swing axle design also has some merits as its provides lower traction of the rear wheels making wheel spins easier and making the driver have more work to keep the rear from stepping out. These can also be seen as bad attributes but to be honest it really comes down to how you want the car to drive.
Personally I like a car to drive like its on rails as this means you can get the maximum amount of fun by traveling fast around corners.
My own IRS conversion is detailed here in six differant blogs starting from removal orf the swing axle gearbox and ending with fitting the A-Arms and spring plates. (Click on an image to goto that part please from one of the six shown below.)
Remember that the most important decision on your suspension depends on your engine performance and your driving style. With smaller wheels and tyres and narrower width there will be not so much tyre wear.
My engine rebuild has moved forward a little and it looks like I may have sourced a new crank case that has been pre bored out to 94mm. In the next episode find out if I managed to purchase it or if I am still looking for a replacement.
There seems to be a huge amount of debate on the web forums from www.Volkszone.co.uk to theSamba.com and even to Beachbuggy.org.uk on whether the retro fitting of an IRS conversion would benefit an old swing axle designed chassis. Before I can give you my thoughts on this I would like to show you the two pictures that I have of my buggy with first the Swing Axle rear end and then the retro fitted IRS conversion.
Initially there appears not to be much difference between the two designs although the angle that the photographs where taken at are not ideal.
With this in mind I will show you the two designs situated in the air with the wheels removed so that a closer look at the two designs can be seen.
immediately you can see the difference between the two suspension types. The swing axle design places the wheels onto the ground at a slight angle causing only a partial part of the tyre to get the full weight of the vehicle in comparison the IRS suspension places the axle totally horizontal to the ground enabling all of the surface of the tyre to support the weight of the vehicle.The main advantage of IRS here is that tyre wear is more even across the tyre. In addition because the full area of the tyre is carrying the weight of the vehicle the stability of the car is much improved when cornering and more traction is available at launch when starting from a stopped position. This all said the swing axle design also has some merits as its provides lower traction of the rear wheels making wheel spins easier and making the driver have more work to keep the rear from stepping out. These can also be seen as bad attributes but to be honest it really comes down to how you want the car to drive.
Personally I like a car to drive like its on rails as this means you can get the maximum amount of fun by traveling fast around corners.
My own IRS conversion is detailed here in six differant blogs starting from removal orf the swing axle gearbox and ending with fitting the A-Arms and spring plates. (Click on an image to goto that part please from one of the six shown below.)
Remember that the most important decision on your suspension depends on your engine performance and your driving style. With smaller wheels and tyres and narrower width there will be not so much tyre wear.
My engine rebuild has moved forward a little and it looks like I may have sourced a new crank case that has been pre bored out to 94mm. In the next episode find out if I managed to purchase it or if I am still looking for a replacement.
A new start and a true friendship
13th August 2008
"When things get bad and you wonder what on earth you are doing . Sometimes a saint appears and gives you a differant solution....!"
With my crankcase cracked and my engine re-build put on hold. I was lucky enough to have a good friend step out and offer me a tempory solution. My friend John knowing my dilema offered me one of his engines to put in my car until I had researched and purchased the parts I needed to build a new engine that I had propossed to do. This was a gladly accepted gift as I could test out the disk conversion and IRS conversion that I had been working on for the past few months. Obviously without this engine It would be some time before I could have the new engine built up and runnning in the car.
I needed to use the clutch and cover plate from my old engine along with my distributor, HT leads and rocker arms. The engine was fitted into my buggy in an afternoon.
With the engine fitted I new I would have to redesign the number plate fixing. I had previously wanted this 
to look good and to be made out of stainless steel , but as the buggy previously had a rear cage that still needed to be extended I felt it was a good time to redesign and make the mount i really wanted. The number plate body was made out of 5mm stainless. The holes where cut to help reduce the weight of the piece I made a mount that would take my existing stainless steel tube number plate lamp. The finished result looked very good and I was happy that I could still fabricate it after the problems I had had with the previous engine.
I had also been lucky enough to find a new crankcase on vzi and although it was a little expensive I was awaiting some photos.
"When things get bad and you wonder what on earth you are doing . Sometimes a saint appears and gives you a differant solution....!"With my crankcase cracked and my engine re-build put on hold. I was lucky enough to have a good friend step out and offer me a tempory solution. My friend John knowing my dilema offered me one of his engines to put in my car until I had researched and purchased the parts I needed to build a new engine that I had propossed to do. This was a gladly accepted gift as I could test out the disk conversion and IRS conversion that I had been working on for the past few months. Obviously without this engine It would be some time before I could have the new engine built up and runnning in the car.
I needed to use the clutch and cover plate from my old engine along with my distributor, HT leads and rocker arms. The engine was fitted into my buggy in an afternoon.
With the engine fitted I new I would have to redesign the number plate fixing. I had previously wanted this 
to look good and to be made out of stainless steel , but as the buggy previously had a rear cage that still needed to be extended I felt it was a good time to redesign and make the mount i really wanted. The number plate body was made out of 5mm stainless. The holes where cut to help reduce the weight of the piece I made a mount that would take my existing stainless steel tube number plate lamp. The finished result looked very good and I was happy that I could still fabricate it after the problems I had had with the previous engine.I had also been lucky enough to find a new crankcase on vzi and although it was a little expensive I was awaiting some photos.
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