TheSamba.com :: View topic - 79 westy 2.0L/87 scirocco 16V motor swap?

Mon Feb 08, 2010 2:49 pm

Can an 87 scirocco 16V DOHC engine bolt up to a my 79 westys original transmission? Just would like to know... it may be a future project if its possible cuz I would love for my bay to have a lot more get up and go.... Thanks for any info or does anyone know what year and size porche motor would fit cuz my grandpa told me about the swap he did when he was stationed in Panama during Vietnam... he tells me his bus could pop wheelies and he thinks it was a '58 porche he got the motor outta so if I can get any info thanks

Mon Feb 08, 2010 6:25 pm

look up green bus pilot? I think that's his user name. He has a watercooled vw conversion. It takes an adaptor plate unless you have the vanagon diesel bell housing. I've seen them both ways and the kennedy adaptor plate looks way more proffessional than the vw cobbled stock parts. The vw diesel parts lay the engine at an odd angle (like the old dodge slant 6) The starter also interferes with the transmission hanging crossmember. That's the scary part that made me abort all hopes of doing a vw swap. I didn't want to do any major structural changes that a future owner couldn't put back stock.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:15 am

Well, glad you asked. I have a 1984 Golf - Jetta 1.8 engine, from a GLi, and although it is not a 16 valve, the block is identical. I do not think the distributor will fit in the engine compartment with the 16 valve, although I hear you could relocate the distributor to the normal (8 valve) location.
The Kennedy adapter works very well, and lets you select straight up or 15 degree angle mounting, 15 degrees being what the Golf - Jetta is stock. Fits under the lid pretty well, although I had to swap the intake manifold to a later one to get the throttle body to the rear of the Bus. I used the stock CIS injection from the Jetta, with the stock Jetta fuel pump. Radiator is now under the floor, having moved it from the rear ,in the engine door location, where I had it for about ten years, because the fan ran too much. i now have zero issues with cooling, using a large GM pickup truck radiator and 2 fans. The stock Bus starter and clutch are used, with NO interference anywhere. The engine does fit under the lid pretty easily, using the stock Bus lower engine bar- holder thing as is.
This Bus has worked well for me in this current state for about 12 years now, and I really dig the funkyness of the setup, cuz you cannot tell it is altered from ten feet away. 8) I would have no problems jumping in right now and driving cross country anywhere ( but I only have so much vacation time). That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :wink:

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BTW- I seriously doubt a 1958 Porsche engine will pull a wheelie on a Bus..... :?

Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:06 am

That's a nice sized radiator you have there. I'm stuck using a 30x18 inch single core radiator. It's new and I think it's from a saturn, it was free so I'm rolling with it. I have a 30x48 peice of 3/16 stainless that I'm using as a skidplate with this rad mounted on top with two fans blowing down. The forward edge of my skidplate will be bent down 3 inches to form a scoop so hopefully the added air ducting will make up for the dinky radiator. I'm hoping the engineering will overcome common sense. Eh..time will tell. I'll post pics soon enough in my own thread to show more of what I'm talking about.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:26 am

I think you'll find the 16v has the wrong characteristics for a bus. It's meant for tossing around Sciroccos and Golfs, not big steel boxes.

Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:31 am

greenbus pilot wrote: Well, glad you asked. I have a 1984 Golf - Jetta 1.8 engine, from a GLi,

What's your gas mileage like with that setup?

Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:27 pm

I prefer the way these guys mount the radiator underneath as it looks more resistant to damage.

http://www.customveedub.com.au/Uploads/EJ22Overview.pdf

(look through for the picture near the end)

Tue Feb 09, 2010 7:22 pm

2VWs1BMW wrote: I think you'll find the 16v has the wrong characteristics for a bus. It's meant for tossing around Sciroccos and Golfs, not big steel boxes.

Well stated...the 16v is mostly top end and the 8v would be a better combo as more low end....

I have both an 8v & 16V sciroccos....

Wed Feb 10, 2010 2:11 am

elstrom wrote: greenbus pilot wrote: Well, glad you asked. I have a 1984 Golf - Jetta 1.8 engine, from a GLi,

What's your gas mileage like with that setup?

I guess I get about 22 mpg at reasonable speeds- faster freeway driving really cuts into that.

I also agree on the 16V engines' suitability for higher RPM's, as my old 16V Jetta needed to spin up to keep the horsepower up. Its obviously a lot lighter car, also. I think the 8V I have, along with my Techtonics G- grind cam, puts out a great powerband useful in the shorter gearing and wide spaces of the Bus' transmission. A closer ratio 5 speed would really rock.
That said, i did meet a guy who put a 16V in his Vanagon, i think it had a 4 speed in it. He said it worked well, and he knew what he was doing.

I know my radiator setup cuts the ground clearance a bit, but it really does not hang down too far, maybe an inch below the frame crossmember. I have no gravel roads around here, but I realize it needs a little more attention to the terrain while driving. That is the only downfall to this setup, but so far I have no fears at all driving it wherever a "normal" vehicle would tread. I was going to devise a scoop of sorts to direct air, but it does not seem necessary now, with my monster sized radiator.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:36 pm

I think as long as my bay gets more horse power and better gas mileage then either 8V or 16V would be an improvement by far as well as the fact that I have only a 16V donar scirocco settles it for me and performance parts for the converted motor wouldn't bring maintenance costs up or cause them to be more frequent. my vans no show car so the upgraded motor wouldn't bring down her value in my eyes so once I get pictures I'll get up a post and keep it updated till the completion

Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:45 am

Most of the air cooled Porsche engines will bolt up to the VW trans. You would need to modify the clutch package on some, possibly. BUT, a Porsche engine is expensive and not really made for a bus. It would be kind of a waste, IMHO. Neat, but a waste.

Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:57 am

2VWs1BMW wrote: I think you'll find the 16v has the wrong characteristics for a bus. It's meant for tossing around Sciroccos and Golfs, not big steel boxes.

Some truth in that. 1.8 16V is a high revving peaky engine with a redline at ove 7k. If we were talking 2.0 16v, things would be different as VW itself put it in a Passat which is as heavy as bus, in fact heavier.

When it comes to watercooled, I think the AEG engine I have in my GTI would be a killer Bus swap. It's the mk4 8V, mine is out of a 2000 so throttle is cable operated. It is very torquey and down low too, it runs out of breath at about 5500. Dead reliable with coil packs and easy to work on with only one belt to run all the accessories.

However, I'd hate not having the flat 4 sound.

Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:35 am

[quote="Batan"] 2VWs1BMW wrote:

However, I'd hate not having the flat 4 sound.

Funny you say that- my Bus still sounds just like the air cooled engine while driving..... Really. Hard to believe, but true!

Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:21 am

[quote="greenbus pilot"] Batan wrote: 2VWs1BMW wrote:

However, I'd hate not having the flat 4 sound.

Funny you say that- my Bus still sounds just like the air cooled engine while driving..... Really. Hard to believe, but true!
Actually, this crossflow 2.0 in my car has that rahrahrah Subaru sound sometime. I think it's the intake.

POST A CLIP!!!

Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:16 am

To the OP...you can put an 8v head on the 2.0 to get more CI and the torquer power range too.....never mind on that idea as with the 16v pistons that would serious raise the compression ratio....you could change the pistons then.

Even if you do use the 16v, change the timing belt, crank pulley key way and the crank bolt....or risk a blown engine.

Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:58 pm

appreciate the warning hoss :wink:

Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:11 pm

^ That'd be aweomse. A bus with like 13.5:1 CR or so! :lol:

Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:49 am

[quote="Batan"] greenbus pilot wrote: Batan wrote: 2VWs1BMW wrote:

However, I'd hate not having the flat 4 sound.

Funny you say that- my Bus still sounds just like the air cooled engine while driving..... Really. Hard to believe, but true!
Actually, this crossflow 2.0 in my car has that rahrahrah Subaru sound sometime. I think it's the intake.

POST A CLIP!!!

Great idea. But , it will have to wait.... Bus is under 2 feet of snow right now, and I gotta wait for the salt to wash off the roads.... maybe another 2-3 months, thats all! Gettin closer every day.....

Fri Feb 12, 2010 6:49 am

Cross flow 2.0 is an ABA engine .....great engine and you can bolt on the standard 8v counter flow head to have an lower engine height (ABA has the intake up and over the valve cover)....no compression problems either! :wink:

Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:38 am

I have a few questions about the wiring in this project... I kno the ecu from my westy is gonna be taken outta the picture and the new one from my scirocco is gonna be replacing it but I do not kno the extent of the procedure, does the whole harness need to be installed or just ran into the existing one? will the vaccum line to the brake servo be an issue? And can I get some pictures of a conversion for a guide to the wiring harness question? I haven't had luck with search engines or the forums on how to proceed with the installment and would love for the clarification on the matter. Thanks much, cody.