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Vanagon Syncro to Beetle Engine Conversion
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REHAKES
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 4:20 pm    Post subject: Vanagon Syncro to Beetle Engine Conversion Reply with quote

I have a 1990 Vanagon Syncro 2.1L with a dead engine, and a 1999 1.9L Beetle with major collision damage, but the engine is intact, and has only about 50K miles on an engine overhaul. Both are manual transmission.

Is it possible and how much of a hassle to convert the Syncro to the Beetle engine? Where can I get any necessary conversion parts or adapters? What needs to be removed from the donor vehicle? Once I'm finished with that process, the Beetle shell will go to the crusher.

I realize that the Bestig is probably the best conversion for the Syncro, but the primary consideration at this time is $$$.

Your reply will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Bob
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ALIKA T3
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My first question would be:what type 1.9 is the Beetle equipped with?

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MKIII and Sons
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

the only 1.9 offered in the beetle is the alh tdi.

and to answer the OPs question with time, money and patience its possible.
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ALIKA T3
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

send me the engine block over here if you don't do anything with it Cool
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REHAKES
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I see I made an error in my original post. According to the Vehicle Identification Label, the Beetle engine is a L285 2.0LS. The Eng. Code/ Trans.Code is AEG EBP. The Type/Engine/Transmission: is 1C15M4.
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Williamtaylor33
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check out the tdi vanagon yahoo group. It's alot of work but it can be done
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D Clymer
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

REHAKES wrote:
Well, I see I made an error in my original post. According to the Vehicle Identification Label, the Beetle engine is a L285 2.0LS. The Eng. Code/ Trans.Code is AEG EBP. The Type/Engine/Transmission: is 1C15M4.


Ah, so it's a 2.0 petrol engine. The AEG uses the later style internal water pump block. This means it can't be mounted into a Vanagon using the diesel Vanagon 50 degree hardware. You could mount it using an aftermarket 15 degree mount kit such as the one offered by Eurospec.
http://www.eurospecsport.com/products/Vanagon/Vanagon%20Page.html Or if you're handy, you could buy an adaptor and flywheel from Kennedy Engineered Products and fabricate your own crossmember.

The main drawback to mounting a VW inline 4 at 15 degrees in a Vanagon is that it will not fit under the rear access lid. A raised floor has to be used. The 1999 NB is a pre-immobilizer car, though, so the wiring interface would be reasonably straightforward.

It might be worth it since you already own the engine and all the needed accessories. To me, though, it seems like a lot of trouble for 115hp and 122 lb/ft of torque. If you're going to the expense and trouble of a conversion you might as well do one with more power. The Subaru 2.5, Ford Zetec from Bostig engineering, and (just for you Dredward Smile ) VW/Audi 1.8T would all be satisfying choices.

David[/url]
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MKIII and Sons
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

that makes a huge difference,
you could do it but as stated above it'd be more beneficial to install a 1.8t.
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dredward
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

REHAKES wrote:
Well, I see I made an error in my original post. According to the Vehicle Identification Label, the Beetle engine is a L285 2.0LS. The Eng. Code/ Trans.Code is AEG EBP. The Type/Engine/Transmission: is 1C15M4.

If you can pick up a super charger for this motor offered by neuspeed or bbm you may have something other wise as someone else mentioned yer in for a bit of work for a mere 115hp...
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Cars owned: 1979/89 scirraco, 1983 gti, 1984 gti, 1986 gti, 1990 gli, 1989 cabriolet(2.0,16v conversion), 1992 gti, 1982 Westy, 1987 syncro Westy(w/ 1.8t conversion stg1 chip), and finally 2004 r32....
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dredward
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dredward wrote:
REHAKES wrote:
Well, I see I made an error in my original post. According to the Vehicle Identification Label, the Beetle engine is a L285 2.0LS. The Eng. Code/ Trans.Code is AEG EBP. The Type/Engine/Transmission: is 1C15M4.

If you can pick up a super charger for this motor offered by neuspeed or bbm you may have something other wise as someone else mentioned yer in for a bit of work for a mere 115hp...

I was gona go this route(2.0 aba with a super charger) thing is the charger alone($5k) was what i paid for everything from a donar car + all the harware needed to do the 1.8t swap and i would have netted less horse power and torque then a non chipped 1.8t. I am soooooooo glad Stephan showed me the light, it save me tons of $ and time as well as giveing me better end results....
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Cars owned: 1979/89 scirraco, 1983 gti, 1984 gti, 1986 gti, 1990 gli, 1989 cabriolet(2.0,16v conversion), 1992 gti, 1982 Westy, 1987 syncro Westy(w/ 1.8t conversion stg1 chip), and finally 2004 r32....
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REHAKES
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks everybody!

You've given me the information that I needed to make an (hopefully) intelligent decision. Considering the $$ necessary to spend for the adapter kit and the work involved, I think the Vanagon Syncro will have to wait for a Suby 2.5 or a Bestig. Using the Beetle engine just wouldn't be worth it, even though I own the engine.

Bob
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insyncro
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

REHAKES wrote:
Thanks everybody!

You've given me the information that I needed to make an (hopefully) intelligent decision. Considering the $$ necessary to spend for the adapter kit and the work involved, I think the Vanagon Syncro will have to wait for a Suby 2.5 or a Bestig. Using the Beetle engine just wouldn't be worth it, even though I own the engine.

Bob


Not worth it....
That must have reduced dredward to tears....
Although I couldn't agree more.

Bostig offers a great kit for the dollars.

Watch for Subaru H6 3.0 build threads coming soon.
I feel it is far superior to the 2.5.

dylan
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dredward
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

insyncro wrote:
REHAKES wrote:


Bob


Not worth it....
That must have reduced dredward to tears....
Although I couldn't agree more.

Bostig offers a great kit for the dollars.

Watch for Subaru H6 3.0 build threads coming soon.
I feel it is far superior to the 2.5.

dylan

No i am not in tears. I only offer my humble opinion based on my experiences. The bostig kit in a nice package deal, however i was able to do my whole swap for not much more then a Bostig kit. It takes patience to source parts and services to do the 1.8t. I got alot of help and hardware from Stefans auto Haus as well. What i like most about the 1.8t is how easy it is to tune for more power. Just a chip bring it from 180 hp 200lbs of torque to 200+hp and 240/250lbs of torque. Torque peaks at just 1900 rpms!
The 3.0 is def real cool and offers great #'s however they are far more rare then the 2.5. However if you score one with lo miles for a great price why not.
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Cars owned: 1979/89 scirraco, 1983 gti, 1984 gti, 1986 gti, 1990 gli, 1989 cabriolet(2.0,16v conversion), 1992 gti, 1982 Westy, 1987 syncro Westy(w/ 1.8t conversion stg1 chip), and finally 2004 r32....
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crazyvwvanman
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What kind of chip are you talking about? The graph at APR show the torque peak at about 3200 rpms.

Mark




dredward wrote:
................What i like most about the 1.8t is how easy it is to tune for more power. Just a chip bring it from 180 hp 200lbs of torque to 200+hp and 240/250lbs of torque. Torque peaks at just 1900 rpms!
.............
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mtnwater
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 9:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

dredward wrote:
[ I only offer my humble opinion based on my experiences. The bostig kit in a nice package deal, however i was able to do my whole swap for not much more then a Bostig kit..


Your experience is the exception, not the rule. I've yet to hear any other reports of $5k 1.8T installations. My research suggests that a 1.8T costs the common man around $12k. That's a chunk more than most other coversions on the market.
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Dingchowping
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

crazyvwvanman wrote:
What kind of chip are you talking about? The graph at APR show the torque peak at about 3200 rpms.

Mark




dredward wrote:
................What i like most about the 1.8t is how easy it is to tune for more power. Just a chip bring it from 180 hp 200lbs of torque to 200+hp and 240/250lbs of torque. Torque peaks at just 1900 rpms!
.............


A stock 1.8t will hit peak torque at 1950rpm and maintain that output to about 4500 rpm. Its not so much a torque curve but a torque plateau. An aftermarket chip won't change what's happening at 1950 and 4500 rpm, but in between you get a nice, fat torque curve with a peak in the mid 3k rpm.

Also keep in mind there are many, many incarnations of the 1.8t. Some are good, some are dogs, none are particularly brilliant. Personally, if it were my van and I was stuck choosing between a 1.8t and a 2.slow w/ a supercharger, I'd go with the latter...but that's just me.
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crazyvwvanman
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am looking for the source of the CLAIMED chip only performance of 240/250 ft pounds at 1950 rpm.

What 1.8T chip does that?

The APR chip graphs show stock peak beginning at about 2500 and fairly flat from there as you say, quite nice. They show their chip peak at about 3200 NOT 1950. At 1950 their chip graph shows only 180 not 240+, a huge difference from the posted claim. What gives?

Mark


Dingchowping wrote:


A stock 1.8t will hit peak torque at 1950rpm and maintain that output to about 4500 rpm. Its not so much a torque curve but a torque plateau. An aftermarket chip won't change what's happening at 1950 and 4500 rpm, but in between you get a nice, fat torque curve with a peak in the mid 3k rpm.

Also keep in mind there are many, many incarnations of the 1.8t. Some are good, some are dogs, none are particularly brilliant. Personally, if it were my van and I was stuck choosing between a 1.8t and a 2.slow w/ a supercharger, I'd go with the latter...but that's just me.
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ajdenette
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Every time I see this topic I think of an ac 1.6 dual portengineandthinkthat will never work wrong size and not enough poeer then iopen it and rmember its about a new beetle. Laughing
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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