mmm@weitek.UUCP (Mark Thorson) (12/01/85)
How similar are the current Vanagon power trains to the old VW air-cooled stuff. Can a Vanagon engine be put on a bug? How about a Vanagon diesel engine? Do the latest water-cooled cylinders fit on an old block? Can a Vanagon five-speed be installed in a bug? Are the cylinders of the diesel separate from the block like in an old engine? Could an old engine be turned into a diesel by installing new Vanagon parts? Please elaborate. Mark Thorson (...!cae780!weitek!mmm)
haapanen@watdcsu.UUCP (Tom Haapanen [DCS]) (12/03/85)
In article <331@weitek.UUCP> mmm@weitek.UUCP (Mark Thorson) writes: >How similar are the current Vanagon power trains to the old VW air-cooled >stuff? Can a Vanagon engine be put on a bug? Well, maybe. The older (up to '83 or '84) the Vanagon engine was air-cooled (these are in fact still available in other countries). This engine was the standard 'type IV' engine. It was used in: - Vanagon - Transporter/Microbus/Camper - 411 and 412 - Porsche 914 (except 914/6) It is similar in *design* to the 'type I' engine (Bug/Thing/Ghia/old Transporter/Microbus/Camper), but has a different block, fan housing, induction system, sheet metal, mounting etc. The type I engine is attached by four studs to the transmission, and that's it. The type IV engine actually has some engine mounts. However, the engine should mate to the transmission no problem, if you can solve the mounting problem. The type IV engine has larger capacity (up to 2 litres with stock crank and cylinders) and is of heavier construction than the type I. It came with either AFC fuel injection or dual Solex carbs. Incidentally, by buying a new crank & cylinders you can bore a type I engine up to about 2.3 litres as well... >How about a Vanagon diesel engine? The Vanagon Diesel is the standard VW inline 4-cylinder diesel, used in the Rabbit/Golf, Jetta, Dasher/Passat/Santana/Quantum and Audi 4000/80. It is possible to hook one of these to a Bug transmission usingan adapter. I'm not sure of whether the vanagon uses an adapter of if VW pulled some other neat tricks (different clutch etc. from the Rabbit?). >Do the latest water-cooled cylinders fit on an old block? No. >Do the latest water-cooled cylinders fit on an old block? No. >Can a Vanagon five-speed be installed in a bug? I doubt it. The transmissions would be more diffeent than the engines. Might be worth your while to crawl under a Vanagon to see what the transmission looks like though. The only five-speed for the Bug has been the Gene Berg transmission, which was in fact an excellent tranny. Alas, demand was too low and Gene is no longer building them. Might be able to find a used one though. Do you want the fifth gear for fuel economy or for acceleration? >Are the cylinders of the diesel separate from the block like in an >old engine? Could an old engine be turned into a diesel by installing >new Vanagon parts? Please elaborate. No and no. Like I said above, the diesel is a second-generation engine. It has fixed cylinders and a completely different design. If you want a diesel in your Bug, get a Rabbit diesel engine (which are plentiful in junkyards) and the adapter kit. If you are interested, I can dig up the name of the company from my old magazines, or you can call up Hot VWs or VW Trends and ask for the address (being that you are California...) I am not at all certain that either of the Wasserboxer (the new water-cooled Vanagon engine (which is still of the horizontally opposed design)) or the diesel would fit within the Bug bodywork though. This type of an engine swap is not a one-weeked project! \tom haapanen watmath!watdcsu!haapanen I'm all lost in the Supermarket I can no longer shop happily I came in here for that special offer Guaranteed personality (c) The Clash, 1979