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Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:20 pm

I have a 1973 VW Westy and of course it is carborated. I am wondering if anyone knows where I might be able to upgrade to a fuel injected engine? I am talking about one where I can take out the old carborated and put in the fuel injected...or something kinda close. thanks in advance.

Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:23 pm

Is the Westy in Diego Garcia with you?

Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:25 pm

No I am just back in the states, in Washington, D.C....it stayed in a friends backyard while I was gone.

Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:31 pm

Best chances are to find someone selling a running rusted out bus with fuel injection and move the parts over... it's more than just adding the FI parts. Pretty sure you'll have to switch out the gas tank and probably other unexpected parts as well.

Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:33 pm

IMHO FI is great but what the bus engine came with originally is the best solution from an engineering standpoint or a resell value. I think whatever you are most comfortable working one would be best. I've worked on both. The disadvantage of FI now is that the AFM (air to fuel meter) is no longer produced new. It took us several used ones being rebuilt to get a good one.

Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:08 pm

True but the stock carbs aren't available new either and most need a complete rebuild with throttle shaft bushing installed to make em useable.
Or for carbs you could go to dual webbers...no chokes.

FI can be swapped over if you find all the parts including the air cleaner support. Folks have just used a "tee" at the fuel tank for the needed return line.

Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:03 pm

Quote: Folks have just used a "tee" at the fuel tank for the needed return line.

Is this a generally viable solution? I am just looking into the possibilities for swapping my carbs for FI as I came across an affordable complete FI setup, however being a '74 I have a non-FI gas tank.

Thanks for your input, I've been a searching fool.

Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:35 pm

A tee works, a small tank or making the tee out of oversized pipe fittings with reducers to attach the lines would be even better.

Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:04 pm

i used a tee instead of changing tanks- worked perfectly.

Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:32 pm

dansvans wrote: i used a tee instead of changing tanks- worked perfectly.

Ever vigilant to proffer the factory engineering reasons from a vantage point of having no idea of what I am talking about, the reason that the fuel-injected buses have an inlet and an outlet in the tank is that the factory wanted to have a good-sized "cool sink" for the fuel to cool down in after its hot lap around the engine. Now, you might never drive in the extreme heat for which this design element exists, and a tee will work fine, but if you do find yourself on a hot interstate in the middle of the summer, be prepared for a possible hot starting issue. Just sayin' . . . . .
Colin

Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:53 pm

Amskeptic wrote: dansvans wrote: i used a tee instead of changing tanks- worked perfectly.

Ever vigilant to proffer the factory engineering reasons from a vantage point of having no idea of what I am talking about, the reason that the fuel-injected buses have an inlet and an outlet in the tank is that the factory wanted to have a good-sized "cool sink" for the fuel to cool down in after its hot lap around the engine. Now, you might never drive in the extreme heat for which this design element exists, and a tee will work fine, but if you do find yourself on a hot interstate in the middle of the summer, be prepared for a possible hot starting issue. Just sayin' . . . . .
Colin

I agree with Colin on this one. Keeping the fuel in a loop around the engine might overheat the fuel pump too as it uses the fuel to lubricate and cool it.

Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:12 am

i would still look at the gas tank for a return line maybe by chance there is one there.the return would be on the passenger side of the tank

Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:00 pm

Amskeptic wrote: dansvans wrote: i used a tee instead of changing tanks- worked perfectly.

Ever vigilant to proffer the factory engineering reasons from a vantage point of having no idea of what I am talking about, the reason that the fuel-injected buses have an inlet and an outlet in the tank is that the factory wanted to have a good-sized "cool sink" for the fuel to cool down in after its hot lap around the engine. Colin

good point. i hadnt though of that when i installed the tee. how hot would fuel have to get on FI to cause trouble?

i do have hot start issues on the carbed 1600, and i am convinced that the fuel line routed by the heater box is what causes that.

Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:53 pm

dansvans wrote: Amskeptic wrote: dansvans wrote: i used a tee instead of changing tanks- worked perfectly.

Ever vigilant to proffer the factory engineering reasons from a vantage point of having no idea of what I am talking about, the reason that the fuel-injected buses have an inlet and an outlet in the tank is that the factory wanted to have a good-sized "cool sink" for the fuel to cool down in after its hot lap around the engine. Colin

good point. i hadnt though of that when i installed the tee. how hot would fuel have to get on FI to cause trouble?

i do have hot start issues on the carbed 1600, and i am convinced that the fuel line routed by the heater box is what causes that.

to where it boiled. Different fuels have different boiling points. It is called vapor lock. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vapor_lock

Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:30 pm

heres another question about this same situation, will the 2.0 fi system work well on a 1.8? or will it be to much for it?

Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:07 pm

No significant difference between 1.8 and 2.0, it's relative to how much air the engine uses so it adjusts accordingly.

Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:46 pm

SGKent wrote: Amskeptic wrote: dansvans wrote: i used a tee instead of changing tanks- worked perfectly.

Ever vigilant to proffer the factory engineering reasons from a vantage point of having no idea of what I am talking about, the reason that the fuel-injected buses have an inlet and an outlet in the tank is that the factory wanted to have a good-sized "cool sink" for the fuel to cool down in after its hot lap around the engine. Now, you might never drive in the extreme heat for which this design element exists, and a tee will work fine, but if you do find yourself on a hot interstate in the middle of the summer, be prepared for a possible hot starting issue. Just sayin' . . . . .
Colin

I agree with Colin on this one. Keeping the fuel in a loop around the engine might overheat the fuel pump too as it uses the fuel to lubricate and cool it.

I have had good luck using surge tanks when converting non-FI vehicles to FI.

Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:16 pm

After looking more into it, I think I've decided to keep the carbs I've got and not go with FI. The main reason being is that while I'd love the ease of fuel injection (after the learning curve, that is), I can't bring myself to hack my bus's metal to install it. I'd rather not hack a hole for the ECU, weld a mount for the Air Box on, etc.

I guess there is still a tinge of desire to still go FI, however anyone out there that has done it - how much did you have to 'hack' into your bus to install it?

Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:14 am

all of the so-called hacking would only be in the engine bay and your motor isn't stock to the bus anyway, so why not?

if you can pull a complete (and ideally working) setup from another bus for the swap, id do it. if your buying a complete, but been sitting on a shelf for a while, setup, id have second thoughts.

Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:45 am

OK, after looking into it more I'm thinking maybe I can mount the computer and airbox with only drilling a few holes - nothing too crazy. I can use the same fuel tank, so that's alright...As a non-original FI bus are there any other mods I'll need to do to that require more than just plugging and playing?

Thanks,