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ILMEX77BUS
Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2025
Posts: 7
Location: Tinley Park, IL
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 Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2025 7:48 pm Post subject: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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I recently acquired a 1977 Bus that was originally from Mexico, its my first bus, firs VW. I've had a soft spot for them since a roommate of mine in collage had a T2 bus back in college. So I finally got one. All is good, but the starter is going and I'm having trouble finding a replacement. I pulled the old one out and its a Bosch, I found some numbers on it but they don't seem to cross reference to anything.
00012080550
EF 12V08PS
Of course looking for parts for a 1977 Bus is not leading my in the right direction as all the mexico buses had the 1.6L and by 1977, I believe those sold in the US were 1.8 or 2.0.
That said I did pick up a starter that ended up not working. The shaft was too short so the gear did not engage the flywheel. Anyone have and advice to identify this starter so I can acquire a new one.
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SGKent 
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 42807
Location: at the beach
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| Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2025 7:52 pm Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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welcome. If it is a Mexican bus, does it have a type 1 engine in it? North American buses in 1977 would have had a type 4 engine in them.
_________________
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Skills@EuroCarsPlus:
"never time to do it right but always time to do it twice"  |
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ILMEX77BUS
Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2025
Posts: 7
Location: Tinley Park, IL
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| Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2025 7:56 pm Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| I believe it would be considered a Type 1 engine as its 1600CC. |
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Manfred58sc
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2009
Posts: 3466
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| Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2025 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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send it out for rebuild
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SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 42807
Location: at the beach
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ILMEX77BUS
Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2025
Posts: 7
Location: Tinley Park, IL
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| Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2025 8:10 pm Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| We do have a place nearby in Arlington Heights IL, that does rebuilds on older, rare stuff so that is a option that I might have to go down. Thanks for the info on looking more towards the type 1. I'll see what I can dig up with that. |
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lil-jinx
Samba Member
Joined: August 14, 2013
Posts: 1666
Location: New Brunswick,Canada
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| Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2025 10:13 pm Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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when it comes to starters isn,t the transmission and fly wheel what
determines the starter type,
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=409455&highlight=starter
Wildthings wrote:
aeromech wrote:
I believe all the manual starters are interchangable up until around 1975ish when the 091 transmission was born. Starters used on 091's have a longer reach because the bell housing is deeper. If you install the earlier starter it will just spin and never engage the flywheel. I believe that auto starters will work on manuals but not the other way around.
Wildthings wrote
The auto starter will only work on the earlier manual transmissions. Once they used the deeper bellhousing one needs a longer starter drive so the automatic will not work.
_________________
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620186
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668799
1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy sold dec 2024
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes. |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 52511
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| Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2025 11:24 pm Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| lil-jinx wrote: |
when it comes to starters isn,t the transmission and fly wheel what
determines the starter type,
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=409455&highlight=starter
Wildthings wrote:
aeromech wrote:
I believe all the manual starters are interchangable up until around 1975ish when the 091 transmission was born. Starters used on 091's have a longer reach because the bell housing is deeper. If you install the earlier starter it will just spin and never engage the flywheel. I believe that auto starters will work on manuals but not the other way around.
Wildthings wrote
The auto starter will only work on the earlier manual transmissions. Once they used the deeper bellhousing one needs a longer starter drive so the automatic will not work. |
Not sure any of this applies to a Mexican built Kombi. |
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Xevin
Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2014
Posts: 8781
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 12:12 am Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| SGKent wrote: |
| welcome. If it is a Mexican bus, does it have a type 1 engine in it? North American buses in 1977 would have had a type 4 engine in them. |
Is Mexico no longer considered part of North America? 
_________________
Keep on Busin'
| 67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!  |
| Clatter wrote: |
| Damn that Xevin... |
| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
I respect Xevin and he's a turd  |
| SGKent wrote: |
My God! Xevin and I 100% agree  |
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SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 42807
Location: at the beach
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 1:48 am Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| Xevin wrote: |
| SGKent wrote: |
| welcome. If it is a Mexican bus, does it have a type 1 engine in it? North American buses in 1977 would have had a type 4 engine in them. |
Is Mexico no longer considered part of North America? |
Xevin - Take your pick. It will mostly depend upon what you want to believe about yourself politically and how you were raised. I am just toying with you Xevin because you toyed with me. 
North American Geologically
Central American Statistically and per the UN
Latin America historically
_________________
George Carlin:
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it."
Skills@EuroCarsPlus:
"never time to do it right but always time to do it twice"
Last edited by SGKent on Sun Aug 31, 2025 12:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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wagen19
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2007
Posts: 773
Location: germany
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 4:44 am Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| ILMEX77BUS wrote: |
I recently acquired a 1977 Bus that was originally from Mexico, its my first bus, firs VW. I've had a soft spot for them since a roommate of mine in collage had a T2 bus back in college. So I finally got one. All is good, but the starter is going and I'm having trouble finding a replacement. I pulled the old one out and its a Bosch, I found some numbers on it but they don't seem to cross reference to anything.
00012080550
EF 12V08PS
Of course looking for parts for a 1977 Bus is not leading my in the right direction as all the mexico buses had the 1.6L and by 1977, I believe those sold in the US were 1.8 or 2.0.
That said I did pick up a starter that ended up not working. The shaft was too short so the gear did not engage the flywheel. Anyone have and advice to identify this starter so I can acquire a new one.
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When your starter makes trouble, check the ground strap from frame to trans and replace the connector of terminal 50 at solenoid (often inner corrosion).
Your starter looks, it has the "long gear" as all (not only german) bays from 8´75 onwards. In 8´75 also the 1,6 l engines and small trans had got the new starter 091 911 023
There are also aftermarket parts around.
Just for reference only, for all types of starters:
https://www.csp-shop.de/elektrik/anlasser-und-batt...U2JGwwJGgw |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 52511
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 8:26 am Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| ILMEX77BUS wrote: |
a starter that ended up not working. The shaft was too short so the gear did not engage the flywheel. Anyone have and advice to identify this starter so I can acquire a new one.
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The '76 and later Bay starter has a longer gear than the one pictured, so maybe changing the starter drive might make it work? I would suggest finding someone local who might have the '76 and later Bay starter and comparing them. That said it would help if you put your location in your signature line.
FWIW I don't know that the Mexican or Brazilian buses used either the 002 or 091 transmissions or bellhousings, with VW instead choosing to use a bell housing that would take a starter that was already in use in those countries on some other VW vehicle. |
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lil-jinx
Samba Member
Joined: August 14, 2013
Posts: 1666
Location: New Brunswick,Canada
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 8:36 am Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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check the starter bushing in the trans also,if you run those starters without the support of that bushing,it can/will damage the starter.
in the sticky Tcash pics there is a good starter ID tread.
_________________
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620186
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668799
1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy sold dec 2024
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes. |
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wagen19
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2007
Posts: 773
Location: germany
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 9:02 am Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| Suggest to post a pic of your not fitting new starter and the original one to compare. You can measure the distance from attaching face to trans to gear. |
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wagen19
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2007
Posts: 773
Location: germany
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 9:13 am Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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FWIW I don't know that the Mexican or Brazilian buses used either the 002 or 091 transmissions or bellhousings, with VW instead choosing to use a bell housing that would take a starter that was already in use in those countries on some other VW vehicle.[/quote]
The old bellhousings till 7´75 were rather weak around the shorter engine studs and tended to crack. |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 52511
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 1:07 pm Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| wagen19 wrote: |
| FWIW I don't know that the Mexican or Brazilian buses used either the 002 or 091 transmissions or bellhousings, with VW instead choosing to use a bell housing that would take a starter that was already in use in those countries on some other VW vehicle. |
The old bellhousings till 7´75 were rather weak around the shorter engine studs and tended to crack.[/quote]
I don't think that Mexican and Brazilian transmissions have separate bellhousings, but have trannys more like bug transmissions. I am far from an expert on these rigs though, so could be full of it. |
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Bnanwel
Samba Member
Joined: November 10, 2022
Posts: 321
Location: Ft Lauderdale
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 5:00 pm Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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FWIW, old time starter/generator shops still exist; have it rebuilt. It won’t take them long, and it will look and work like new. I had a big diesel starter rebuilt in Ft Lauderdale 6 months ago for $70.
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lil-jinx
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Joined: August 14, 2013
Posts: 1666
Location: New Brunswick,Canada
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ILMEX77BUS
Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2025
Posts: 7
Location: Tinley Park, IL
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 7:40 pm Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| lil-jinx wrote: |
| the starter is going out? what led you to that conclusion,there are several reason that can cause the starter to not crank the engine, |
Thanks everyone for the info so far. You've given me a lot to look at and helped me narrow down my search. The reason we are thinking the starting is that if the bus is cool, (hasn't been run in a while) she starts up just fine. Alternator has tested good, battery has tested good. We (me and my collective garage mechanics) are thinking the starter is not handling the heat well. Even on a cooler day you can run the bus, get it nice and warmed up and it will start repetitively. But a couple weeks back we had steady 90 degree and over days and that's when we noticed problems. Starting it for the first time in the day and it starts just fine. Take it out and run it around for 20 minutes and shut it off and try and start it, and we are getting slow crank. So we think the starter is overheating and won't crank well till it cools down. We've drove it around for a half hour and experienced the slow crank, but let it cool down a half hour or so and it fires right up again.
Plus when I took the old one out, I noticed a bit of play in the shaft. It's a bit wiggley, so even if this doesn't end up being the issue, replacing the starter is going to be a good investment. |
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ILMEX77BUS
Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2025
Posts: 7
Location: Tinley Park, IL
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 8:00 pm Post subject: Re: MEXICO VW BUS Engine - Starter |
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| lil-jinx wrote: |
check the starter bushing in the trans also,if you run those starters without the support of that bushing,it can/will damage the starter.
in the sticky Tcash pics there is a good starter ID tread. |
Thank you for pointing me towards that thread. That is really helping me narrow it down. I believe my bus has the 091 bell housing after spending a couple hours under it yesterday, which would make it the Bosch SR87 starter with the longer pinion gear. what I pulled out looks a little different but the longer gear would hopefully engage the fly wheel. I've got one on order and will see if it lines up. Although I am contemplating just taking it to a shop in Arlington Heights IL that is known around here for rebuilding starters, alternators, etc.
Oh and as for the bushing, its a PITA to see but getting a camera up there, there is a existing bushing in the bell housing and it looks in good shape. Not entirely sure how to fish that out of there without dropping it into the bell housing.....which would not be good.
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