Chenowth Engine Options

[SpeedyGringo]

A Chenowth V2RL1W followed me home a few months ago for nearly nothing. Prior owner said it ran great when parked. It's a H serialed case (1500/1600?) single port with dual ICTs, Melling oil pump, external oil cooler, good tins. Someone spent some time on it at some point. Swing axle trans, probably from the same late 60s bug. Most importantly, it has a VIN and was previously titled. Probably did run great when last ran 5-8 years ago. Water likely got into the carbs and into the cylinders/head when it was left outside and it is now locked up tight. Needs rewriting and some brakes r&r'ed, but everything is there and it appeared cared for a long time in its life.

I have been working on freeing the seized H series and pulled valve covers last night to find the valve springs rusted and things not looking much better inside the cylinders. I am hesitant to put any money into a single relief H case. This leaves me with a couple of choices:

1. Keep the H and repair/replace the springs, cylinders, pistons, rights and whatever ever else, run it till it breaks, rinse/repeat. If it spun and had compression, I would leave it alone and run the thing until it died and build something in the meantime.
Cost: Can of worms and may end up in rebuilding the H series in a round about way, which doesn't excite me.

2. Tear the H case down for parts, get a dual relief case and build something from there, reusing what I could from the H.
Cost: ~$1,000?

3. Buy a 1600 variant long block locally, slap it in and do some wheelies and annoy the neighbors.
Cost: ~$2,000. Most expensive option.

4. A neighbor has a Type 4 1.8 from a 75 bus that dropped a valve and is complete. He offered to me for less than scrap value and comes with tins, flywheel, clutch, exhaust, etc.. Engine spins free. I thought about tearing it down to a short block, replacing gaskets, checking things and having the heads re-done. From what I have read here and elsewhere, the 1.8 will bolt up with a minimal amount of modification to the swing axle, with small machining to the flywheel and a throwout bearing. I think I have enough parts to between my seized H series and the Type 4 for an upright cooling conversion (I have the book).
Cost: I think I could do this for around $600-$750 worst case scenario.

4. Something else - Honda swap?
Cost: Unknown.

Eventual plans include an IRS conversion and something better in the long run, but for now, having a running buggy would go a long way with my wife knowing that it goes faster than 2 mph when I am pushing around the backyard.

Any suggestions on where to go from here?

[Dusty1]

"H" case? Be interesting to see what the title says. It would be more interesting if the transaxle was a '67. You can bolt anything up to a '67.

I have freed wet stuck engines in or from buggies more times than I care to count. Cylinders and heads are probably junk. You need to get the cylinders and heads off to get a better look inside. Except...

If you drain the oil and a whole buncha water comes out chances are you have a rusty crank and maybe case rot. There might not be much left to rebuild.

Single relief cores are inexpensive. Seems many of not most VW enthusiasts prefer dual relief cases or maybe they're shying away from DIY rebuilds in general.

It's relatively easy to do a hone it, re- ring it and whack it back together Third World rebuild especially if you have hand me down cylinders that aren't rusty.. You can buy a lot of single relief cores within your budget. It only takes a few minutes to swap the engine in a buggy.

You might even find a good deal on a dual port.

I wouldn't mess with Type 4 unless it's going into a Bus.

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[BFB]

Just rebuild the H , nothing wrong with a single relief case, hell its made it all these years already. Ive built several single relief H case engines to 1835’s and 1915’s , might have even made a 2L or two i don’t remember.
I’d go through the whole thing but like Dusty1 said, nothing wrong with just replacing P&C and heads if the internals look good.
Sounds like you want quick cheap & easy, which the type4 isn’t. And you dont really know what your getting with a used engine ( unless the 1600 you mentioned is rebuilt). So id say buy some 87’s or 88 slip in’s , new heads and have it
_________________
Forced induction can overcome a lot of obsticles that gets in it's way
"You are the Engineer and the Mechanic.  
Build it your way not the way someone else does it. Their way might not work for you." - clonebug
An interesting thing happens in forums where everyone starts parroting the same thing and "common knowledge" takes over.
“ The monkey see monkey do mentality seems to run deep in VW people. "Gene Berg said it was so 30 years ago so thats the way it is" “ - bdkw1

[oprn]

Personally if you can store it out of the weather I would grab that type 4 engine even if you did not use it right away. They are getting rare and at the very least it would give you some bartering power. At best all it needs is a couple of rebuilt heads and a good used piston and will make as much or more usable power in stock form than a tricked up type 1 engine of the same size.

As for the present engine you are out guessing yourself by trying to make plans before it is completely apart, cleaned and measured. Do that first. Depending on what you are going to use the car for you might find as I did that a good 1600SP in an 800 pound rail has all the balls you really need for trail riding in the back country. If you are a "I need to rip up the sod wherever I go" kind of guy then you can never get enough power.

P.S. Your dollar figures for a rebuild are 30 or more years old. My last 1600 single port refresh cost me $2500 with mostly good used parts.
_________________
We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[BFB]

how did a SP 1600 refresh cost you $2500??
_________________
Forced induction can overcome a lot of obsticles that gets in it's way
"You are the Engineer and the Mechanic.  
Build it your way not the way someone else does it. Their way might not work for you." - clonebug
An interesting thing happens in forums where everyone starts parroting the same thing and "common knowledge" takes over.
“ The monkey see monkey do mentality seems to run deep in VW people. "Gene Berg said it was so 30 years ago so thats the way it is" “ - bdkw1

[SpeedyGringo]

[ORANGECRUSHer]

[Stinky123]

#4....(you have 2 #4s), Hondas often turn the wrong way. They are light, rev like crazy and durable....except when overheated.

Do you want to fool with wiring in a ECM and TBI/FI. If not, there are a ton of older motors that will work. This is probably what I'd do if I were you. I'm putting a Nissan Z24 in my buggy now.

I may have missed it....what suspension do you have? IRS or SA?

How fast do yo want to go? Where are you going to run it? 75HP is plenty in the dsert and mountains. Heck, 75 is enough (barely) in the dunes. They used to dune w/50HP.

Toyota Camry 3fe motor...125 HP. I just saw the 2.2 version on Marketplace for $200. They are a 300K mile motor. I just took my Camry block to the machinist. I lifted it outa the back of my PU by myself....#50-75#. I can carry the head with one hand.

The Ecoboost motor is pretty common.

Subarus are common, but I'm not really sold on them. But, they seem to last.

Nissan K24 (actually any Nissan). Some of the Sentra motors are killer.

Where are you? I am in Junction. I have a Nissan 3.0 V6. It ran fine until my son turned in front of a GVT bus.

https://www.kennedyeng.com/4-cylinder-engine-list

[oprn]

[SpeedyGringo]

[SpeedyGringo]

[Stinky123]

100HP is sorta the limit on a VW transaxle. They say that it will handle more....BUT. A lot of it depends on how much torque you have AND the size of your tires.

I had a 2000cc Pinto in mine and 2 problems w/it. I tore the center out of a clutch and the other time broke an axle (I was on it hard and hit a hole in the ground, that was covered by grass). It broke the duck-bill end off the SA-Axle.

I wouldn't put a high HP motor in it. 125 is more than enough. My Pinto was stock at 100, and I put headers and a BIG Autolite on it. I used to say that it had about 125.

If I was gonna switch transaxles....it would be to a bus box.

[oprn]

[Dusty1]

[ORANGECRUSHer]