Carry on camping!
Ed gets to sample West German tech, for a change
The call came on a clement September day when it seemed that summer would last forever. ‘Would you have our camper engine for assessment and improvement?’ asked Matt Tomkins. Of course, I agreed. By the time it arrived, my barn had turned into a cold, damp, dungeon. The whole enterprise was saved by local VW trialling enthusiast and
PC reader, Pete Daniels, who offered not only his wisdom and experience, but also his well-lit and dry workshop. While he was at work, I could beaver away with spanners and camera, plus I could pester him for sage advice as required.
I’d already removed a few bits in the barn, so the exposed-for-action engine was attached to Pete’s VW engine repair stand. It bolts to one side of the crankcase – which splits down the middle – allowing for complete dismantling in situ. It is a boon for photography, too: look out for a series of articles on how to strip, assess, rectify and improve later this year. The engine was said to be ‘asthmatic’ – so it came with a twin carb kit, camshaft and 1641cc pistons and barrels from Heritage Parts Centre to effect improvements. Initial examination revealed the old twin-choke Weber carb and manifold to be only vaguely attached and the distributor vacuum advance was connected to a solid projection on the carb. The actual vacuum stub was blanked off.
Was that the asthma issue? Further mischief had been wrought after the fan belt broke on the A1, removing the forced air cooling. Although the camper was brought to a halt before anything bad happened, it’ll be interesting to see what state the pistons and cylinders are in.
We’ll assess every part of the engine. Although we have a new oil pump; barrels and pistons; carbs and camshaft, the condition of the old parts will dictate if any further detective work is needed prior to reassembly with new gaskets, seals and other consumables. Watch this space. ■ practicalclassics@bauermedia.co.uk