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Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:18 pm

can a 944 1982 engine go into a 84 vanagon and what changes must be done? thanx troy

Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:06 am

I wonder if a 944 turbo will work as well.

Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:34 am

Hell, why not a 928? Go for broke. :twisted:

With enough time, money and determination, pretty much any engine swap can be accomplished (within reason, of course). The question is: is it worth the trouble and expense? Will the engine that propels a lightweight Porsche to Ludicrous Speed be happy pushing an overweight box around? Will the engine's powerband be a good match for the Vanagon's gearbox ratios? Will the engine stick up through the hatch and require a custom box to cover it?

Whatever. It doesn't look like Kennedy makes an adapter for the 944 engine, so you're looking at building your own adapter, for starters. I'd expect that it would just get more complicated from there.

Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:30 am

The 944 is a tuned LT, I thought. I would guess, maybe, that the I4 adapator might work. Give them a call.

Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:44 am

I believe that the 944 belhousing will work on a vanagon...

Wed Feb 15, 2006 8:46 pm

Hi, there....

I have wondered the same thing, since I have an 83 944 parts car and a 1984 Vanagon Westfalia......

but didn't Porsche introduce the 944 into the US in 93?

It probably can be done, but you would have to take the van and the Porsche engine parts to someone who specializes in van engine conversions.....

myself, I went for a 93 Maxima V6 in the Westy....

works great and a nice clean install.....

best.....

James

Wed Feb 15, 2006 11:42 pm

Okay, I've never worked on a Porsche of any description, not even a 914, but I slavishly followed Porsche development in the early '80s timeframe.
The 924 (introduced in the mid-late 70's), on which the 944 (introduced in the early 80's) was based, had an Audi in-line 4 banger. With the popularity of the platform (which some say saved Porsche from financial ruin), they decided to get serious with it and created a Porsche-designed engine based on the 928. Among other things, the 944 engine had dual counterbalance shafts which Porsche had to license from some Japanese company (Mitsubishi?). I saw a picture of the beast once. The serpentine timing belts looked to be a royal PITA to replace.

They might have designed the new engine to bolt up to the existing drivetrain, so it's possible that the Audi I4 adapter will work. This is just conjecture, though. I don't know for sure.

Wikipedia has a pretty extensive writeup of the 944. Worth a look.

Nissan Maxima, eh? Have any photos to share?

Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:52 am

http://www.vwmaxiwesty.com/

Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:34 pm

Ya Maxi, I also would like to see some pics of your set up!

Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:51 pm

I reviewed the Maxi site too. What is the milage you get? The ground clearance seened to be an issue; so it looked via the pictures. CA smog legal is a very good thing.

But, my, oh my, it sure hurts my Teutonic heart to see that. The Suby was bad, the Ford worse, but now, somehow, gee.....that sure is a stretch for me now, I admit.

Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:48 pm

Yikes! I looked at the site and that engine is practically dragging. Not for me.

Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:58 pm

I did a 914 engine into an 81 westy, and besides the crossmember it fit right in. The only thing about doing a 944 into an 84 is the height...that's why it sits so low in that pic probably...
Maxi, do you have any pics of that V6 swap? I would love to know how you did that. I saw a GM 2.8 V6 in a 75 westy and thought it was outrageous!!

Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:15 pm

Deep_Blue wrote: I did a 914 engine into an 81 westy, and besides the crossmember it fit right in.
Why did you do that?

Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:27 pm

I helped a friend install a 911 2.7liter in a 86 GL about 7 years ago. Wasnt too difficult. Biggest problem was the heater conversion and the transaxle adaptor I believe. Also had to cut up into the cabin through the access door for the exploding airbox to fit. I drove it once, before he had upgraded the suspension and brakes. Not the best powerband for its weight, but when the revs started to climb, it was a whole lotta fun. He had planned a complete "Vanagon S" makeover, including color keyed Fuchs and mirrors, 911S seats, headlight wipers and SC bumpers.

He moved to NY and I dont know if it ever got finished, but it certainly had the right amount of power and would have looked awesome.

art

Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:05 am

I did the 914 swap cause the original 81 westy motor leaked a quart a mile....and some jacka$$ spot welded a spark plug into number 3, and when it popped loose there was no way to get another one to stay in. The weld melted the screwhole.

The 914 wasn't much better...a month later I had to put in a 78 bus motor. Then that one overheated and blew up.

Waterboxers are so much better. I'll never go back to aircooled.

Side question...does Subaru still put H4 motors into the new cars? I think that they had them in the old Legacys, but don't have a clue on new ones.

Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:45 am

Yep. The h4 boxer is the mainstay of Subaru. The new Tribeca uses a 6 cylinder boxer, but all the other models use the h4 in various displacements and asperations. The old Legacy used a 1.8 and the new standard is 2.5l.

art

Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:22 pm

I hear subi is working on an H4 diesel. Anybody see anything on this? Car show?

Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:10 pm

If they do, that's my next engine.

Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:21 pm

H4 TDI. I am there on that one! Wonder if they would sell a kit?

"Hey Mr Suby dealer, can I buy an H4 TDi and you keep the body?"

Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:22 pm

Then again, you just never know when the new car you just bought was found stripped......