DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

When I last had my engine out, I modified the top two engine to gearbox bolts by drilling the hexagon heads and soft soldering roll pins in place through them to create a captive bolt effect. Hopefully then next time I have to take them out, it will just be a case of undoing the nuts behind the fan ...

Hi Neil. You haven't mentioned what you are trying to drill a hole in? Mild Steel plate? Have you remembered that you need to centre punch first, then open the hole out in small increments? I usually start with something like 4mm, for a pilot hole, then follow up with 6mm then 8mm but it all depends...

Yay! Well done sir! I've only just seen this. I got back last night from the Motogiro D'Italia, where I've been riding my F B Mondial. That looks like a great little project with lots of fun per £. I love the look of that, so unusual in yellow, it really suits it, and the style of the front mudguard...

I'm making a long weekend of it and heading down in my SC on the Thursday afternoon.

I think that should be a pretty similar spec to mine. Are you happy with the performance charateristics? I too pondered which cam to go for. The current build is a proper bitsa. When I bought the car, it came from the USA with a SPG roller crank and rods, but a big end was obviously on the way out w...

Hi Rob,

Did you have a full flow oil filter fitted too? I've put one of Ron LaDow's Precision Matters full flow filter conversions onto my 3rd piece. Do you have a 86mm big bore kit and 912 heads?

Your A probably has the thinner stock anti roll bar on the front. Later cars used thicker ones. Some advocate going to 19mm thickness for the front bar. My C has the stock later front ARB, and seems pretty planted on 185s and 5.5 rims. I had been wondering about getting hold of one of the camber com...

Thanks Keith and Andrew for your replies. I'm similarly sceptical about fully synthetic oil, probably favouring a semi synthetic. I think that Keith's experience chimes with what I have read. I have ordered some of the Lucas Oil 20/50 break in oil which has the ZDDP content that I think I need. I re...

Thanks Neil.

I plan on using some Comma classic 20/50 mineral oil to begin with. I think that ought to do, but I wondered if anyone had any other thoughts?

Thanks for that, looks to be fairly comprehensive info. As part of the rebuild, I've lubed up all the parts on assembly, and I always crank an engine after installation and oil fill with the plugs out to build some oil pressure. No preferences about the type of oil to use when doing the break in? I'...

I'm just about to get my rebuilt 356 engine running once again after a long and protracted rebuild. For the first time ever, I have a new camshaft and refaced followers, so I'm looking for some practical advice and recommendations about breaking in the new cam. Is it necessary? If so, which oil? How...

Hi there Matthew. Does your VIN begin with a 2 or a 1 something? Usually Karmann built cars start with a 2 but I could be wrong! Mine is a Karmann. The coachbuilder should also be stated on the VIN plate affixed to the aluminium A pillar trim finisher on the driver's side. Of course the main VIN sta...

mrg3.6 wrote: Panic over and feeling like a complete twat.

Not at all. We've all done it at some point.

Hi Martin. Nope. All that the position of the distributor rotor arm tells you is that the engine is on the firing stroke at tdc on cylinder #1. Turn the crank round 360 deg again, and see where the rotor arm points now. Just for clarification, the OT mark on the crank pulley is straight up, aligned ...

Don't get too hung up on that detail. If the car ran properly before you started to take it apart, then of course, the cylinders are firing in the correct order. Sounds like the distributor drive dog inside the 3rd piece is aligned differently with the brass drive gear on the crank. I didn't say wro...