Restoration Wednesday, 2.0 Motor Will Get New Life

posted in: Restoration Wednesday | 1

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Well over a year ago, I got this lump of an engine running while it was still in a body. I replaced all the fuel lines, pulled out the fuel injectors and resealed them, put all new vacuum lines, changed oil, plugs, cap, rotor, yadda yadda. This summer I dropped it out of its carcass, cut chassis in half and threw it out. Now it’s time to get the motor into my ’72 914 chassis. That original 1.7 motor dropped a valve. The previous owner pulled it and never put the car or engine back together.

However, there has been one thing nagging me before I wrench it in place. The wire that operates the cold/hot air flaps was a dangling participle. I wasn’t sure if the expansion spring worked to pull it or what the problem was. Good thing I saw the rerun of Wheeler Dealers when Edd pulls apart a 914. Since my expansion spring valve doohickey is closed, I’m going to assume it opens when hot. Assumptions are good, right?

Feeling and pulling the cable around the block, I was able to eyeball some movement on the top side. It was no more than dirt moving. With my trusty blue pliers from my first tool kit as a child of like five years old, yes these are the same pliers I have kept all these years yet the only tool remaining, I clamped around dirt in a dark void and pulled up a wire. I left it disconnected though.The flaps are sticky and hardly turn which is why the wire let go in the first place. I’ll work on that later.

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