1957 VW Karmann Ghia Convertible Engine Parts

If you’ve got questions about your VW engine, we’ve got the answers. Check out our FAQs.

This page contains original Volkswagen Engine Serial number information to help you identify your air-cooled VW engine.

Installing the carburetor conversion kit is an involved process but we have put together a brief list of the steps and instructions to converting your VW from fuel injection to carburetor.

Follow along with our tech as he shows you how to remove your old air cleaner, carburetor and intake manifold and install new replacements. Our video covers the part numbers and tools we use along the way.

With the engine for our 1971 Super Beetle project started and through its initial break in run, we can take a quick look inside the valve covers, fix some minor issues and then continue breaking in the engine.

With our 1800cc Stroker Engine running and through its initial break in and tuning, we can get our carburetor dialed in. We'll replace the primary idle jet along with both the main jets to better tune the carburetor for our larger than stock displacement engine.

For this video we are going to address most all of the problems that can cause a VW to smell of fuel inside the car. Whether it be because of the ethanol in most of today's fuel or simple age and deterioration, the fuel filler hoses, breather & vent lines, sending unit seal, fuel lines and even the gas cap can allow the fuel vapors, or worse the fuel to escape.

Looking for some tips on replacing the worn out or rusted exhaust system on your VW? Follow along with our tech as he shows you how to remove your old muffler or header and install a new replacement exhaust. Our video covers the part numbers and tools we use along the way.

A common misconception is that heater boxes can't be run with aftermarket exhausts and that just isn't true. Follow along as we swap out a set of J-Tubes for a new set of heater boxes which are used with a ceramic coated header and Fat Boy muffler.

When installing most performance exhaust systems, your cabin heater and defroster will be disabled. This is because the connection between the fan shroud and the heater box is lost with the removal of the stock exhaust. To retain the use of your cabin heater and defroster, just follow these simple instructions.

If you are having problems with your starter only working occasionally or not working at all and have eliminated the possibility of the battery, ignition switch, battery cables and wiring being the cause it may be time to replace the starter. Our tech shows you how to remove and replace your starter in your VW.

Swapping over to an alternator is a great way to improve the electrical system of your VW. Follow along in this video as we install an alternator conversion kit in our 1967 VW Beetle.

Find the correct distributor parts including point, condensers, caps, and rotors.

The bearings in your classic VW engine can make all the difference to help your engine live a long and hassle-free life.

Regular valve adjustment will greatly increase the lifespan of your VW engine. Follow along as we break down the valve adjustment procedure for your VW Type 1, 2, or 3.

We continue the teardown of our 1971 VW Super Beetle engine, and prepare it for a complete disassembly and rebuild. Follow along in this video as we cover how to disassemble our VW engine’s long block.

Our 1971 Super Beetle’s engine case is back from the machine shop and ready to be built. In this video we assemble the crank and rods and test the fit and clearance in the engine case. Follow along with our tech as he starts our 1800cc engine build.

With the 1800cc stroker short block completed for our 1971 Super Beetle, we can start to mock up the top end with pistons and cylinders along with new cylinder heads. We'll clearance the pistons for the stroker crank, check the deck height, CC our heads and most importantly, set up the compression ratio for our engine.

We're almost done with the build of our 1800cc stroker engine and with our compression ratio and deck height set; we can set up the geometry for our 1.4 to 1 Ratio Rockers. Setting up rocker geometry is a specific task required when building a stroker engine or installing high ratio rockers, so follow along as we teach you how to do it right.

The top end of our 1971 Super Beetle's 1800cc stroker engine is ready to be completed, so we're going to prep the pistons and cylinders before installing them on the short block. Follow along as we prep our long block for completion.

Follow along as we walk you through how to replace all the components of the cylinder head. This is a simple DIY project that you can do in house if you find yourself having issues with your Type 3 engine.

Follow along as we continue the teardown of our 1971 VW Super Beetle engine. In this video our tech will split the engine case, pull out the crankshaft and all the internal parts, and remove the connecting rods from the crank before sending the parts out to a machine shop.

We continue our 1971 VW Super Beetle engine assembly by dropping the crankshaft, camshaft, bearings, and other engine internals into the case half on our stand. Then we'll drop the opposite case half in place and get the short block torqued together.

Join us as we walk you through a quick tech tip on how to install and adjust quick change push rod tubes in your VW engine. Two piece or adjustable push rods are intended as a quick fix for a damaged tube in a temporary capacity. We never recommend using two piece push rod tubes as a permanent fix for an oil leak.

Now that our engine case halves are bolted together, we can continue working on our 1971 Super Beetle's 1800cc stroker engine. In this video we'll drill, tap and plug our oil pump so it will work with our full flow system. Then we'll install the oil pump and the flywheel and set the crankshaft endplay to finish off the short block assembly.

Our 1800cc stroker engine longblock is complete and ready for all the accessories that will make it a running engine for placement in our 1971 Super Beetle. In this video we install a 2 barrel carburetor and a serpentine belt system along with the original engine tin and some new components. Follow along as we near the end of our engine build!

We're almost done bolting on all the accessories to the 1800cc stroker engine we’re putting in our 1971 Super Beetle. In this video we finish up installing the serpentine belt system, install flanged heater boxes and an exhaust, and bolt on all of the remaining engine tin and components. By the end of the video, our engine will be ready to start!

Our 1800cc stroker engine is ready to be started, but first we need to fill it up with oil. Our tech shows you how to unload all the internals so the engine can build oil pressure safely, then set the timing and run it for 15 minutes to get the camshaft and lifters worn in. Watch us get our new 1971 Super Beetle's engine started up here!

Our complete oil system diagram makes it easy to find the correct parts and fluids for your VW.

Follow along as we install the rebuilt, now 1800cc stroker engine back in place and see what hiccups we run into.

Find the correct Bosch tune up parts for your VW with our VW Tune Up Index. This index will help you identify the correct distributor, ignition points, condenser, distributor cap, and ignition rotor for your VW application.

The stock carburetor on this 1971 VW Super Beetle has just sprung a fuel leak. Follow along with our tech Sam as he goes through swapping out and then tuning a stock replacement carburetor.

In this video we walk you through how to check and set the timing on a 009 distributor.

In this video we install a SVDA (Single Vacuum, Dual Advance) distributor that comes with an electronic ignition.

Follow along and watch the steps Sam takes, and the mistakes he makes while building this all new, EMPI Unassembled Long Block 1600cc engine.

Sam picks up right where we left our short block and builds the top end of our unassembled 1600cc engine.

Sam covers the process of test fitting all of the aftermarket engine tin and what is needed to get the tin to fit tightly.

Sam finishes assembling the EMPI Long Block Kit by installing the fuel pump, alternator, and carburetor.