1973 Deluxe Sunroof - Slow Burn - Engine Questions

[rcowan]

This is going to be a VERY slow project thread..... like I'm going for the record of slowest build.... you are going to wonder if I died at times. I'll reply quickly but I have a few irons in the fire and I can't spend a lot of time on this bus right now.
A little history: I have a 1958 bug I bought when I was 13. I'm 42 now. I told my wife when we got married that I wanted to buy a bus for fun trips with the kids when we have some. Well, bus prices have went crazy and I didn't pick one up when I should have. Anyway, I saw one on craigslist a while back and ended up taking it home. Here's a picture with it and the kids on the way home.

As you can see, it's a project. It's pretty solid though. My plan is to clean it up, fix all the mechanical, and have a few fun trips with it. I am going to keep it stock mechanically, I'm on the fence for suspension. Every day seems to bring a new idea for suspension. Some days it's lowered, others it's stock, and sometimes it's even lifted. Not sure where that will end up.
Anyway, what prompted me to start this thread is that I'm trying to piece an engine together and need guidance. The bus didn't come with one. I asked a local VW shop if they had a core I could build one from and their reply was "Yes, we can probably scrape one together." I'm getting a CB code 1.7 piece by piece and never messing with a bay, I'm not sure what is correct. The guys at the shop are very helpful, but I'd appreciate a little more guidance along the way. First up is the exhaust.

This is what they gave me. Is this correct for a 1973? If it's not correct, will it fit? Again, I'm building a CB code 1.7. Thanks!

[Wasted youth]

No, I don't think so. Looks more like 1976-1978 model for 2.0 Type 4
Engine. Catalytic converter bolts to the J tube thingy, with an impossible to find correctly fitting donut clamp to the muffler.

1.7 liter heater boxes bolt directly to the muffler; one flange on each end of the muffler for each heater box. Non-catalyst.


Regardless, you're looking at a few hundred dollars in parts right there.

Really like your Ford! 1975? 302 CID? Bet it's 4WD, too!

[rcowan]

It looked too new to me also. However, doesn't the 2.0 have different shaped ports? I haven't tried yet but it looked like this would fit my 1.7 heads.

Thanks for noticing the Ford. It's a good VW hauler. It's a 1979. 460 and yes, 4WD.

[busdaddy]

Only the 79 2.0 has odd ports, that will fit your 1.7 but you'll need all the 75-78 lower tin and heat plumbing to make it work. It's also got a crapload of joints and parts, the 1.7/1.8 72-74 exhaust is simple (3 parts) and makes better heat in the cab.
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[TDCTDI]

Anything VW & "slowburn" really isn't a good combination of words.
Good luck & "break a leg".
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[skills@eurocarsplus]

screw the bus....

more pic's of the truck
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[Wasted youth]

[Spike0180]

[Wildthings]

You can easily and cheaply build a 1.7L engine up to a 1.8L engine.

You can also easily use the heat exchangers you have with an aftermarket header system. Don't cheap out the the headers though as the cheap ones have a very short life.

[tootype2crazy]

Here is what a 72-74 exhaust is supposed to look like sans the muffler:

Notice how yours is different with a whole bunch of joints that could possibly (and probably will) leak?

79 bus exhaust looks just like 72-74 above except the ports are a different shape. Those are typically called 'square port' exhaust. Yours would be 'oval port'.

Here's square port:

If you are gonna rebuild the engine with new heads (I would) get square port heads as they seal up much better. Do not reuse old square port heads though, as that extra bit of aluminum used to make the square port on the heads has a tendency to crack and that crack leads right up to the exhaust valve and then bad things happen. Of course if you do switch to square ports, you'll have to get different exhaust, which I would do anyway because 75-78 exhaust is just bad and leaks a lot and has poor heat output as Busdaddy said.
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air-cooled or nothing for me
1978 Sunroof Deluxe Bus (daily driver)
1978 Transporter (mom's, making into a camper)
1970 Single Cab 2.1 turbo/EFI 6 Rib, 78 front beam, vanagon backing plates on rear (project)
2001 GTI VR6 (wife's)

[lil-jinx]

Also consider which transmission you're going to need with whatever engine you choose.
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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
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes.

[rcowan]

Thanks for all the comments.

Pictures of the correct exhaust helps a lot. I'll go looking for them in their piles of stuff.

I've modified everything I've ever owned. I'm trying really hard to go stock with this one, right down to the 1.7 with correct heads.... If I can find everything.

For those that asked, here is another picture of the Ford.

[Wasted youth]

Sweet! ^^^

[Wildthings]

[rcowan]

Well, I think I found the correct heater boxes. They are just attached to an engine. This engine was in a car though. Are they the same heater boxes as a bus? I'm guessing that the boxes are and the exhaust is not. Is that correct?

Also, This is the only fan housing they had (also car version). it is missing the hole/tube for dipstick. Can I drill and add a tube for the dipstick? Or is it better to find another one? Thanks again everyone!

[busdaddy]

That's a 411/412 engine, the heater boxes will bolt up if you get all the tin to go with them, but they make terrible heat, the 411/412 had a gas powered heat booster between the engine and cabin and the exhaust heat exchangers were just preheaters for that.
The bus fan shroud isn't hard to find, I wouldn't want to try drilling a dipstick hole myself, it's a really odd angle with no reference points for where to take a stab at it.
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.

Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

Слава Україні!

[Jeff Geisen]

That's a really cool pick-up you towed the bus with.
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I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[rcowan]

FINALLY spent a little time on this again. I started scrubbing back down to the original paint. I still have a LONG way to go but it's coming out good.

[rcowan]

I decoded the mplate for fun. I mainly wanted to know which middle seat is was supposed to have.

According to this tool, it should be a 3/4 seat. I don't know where that information actually comes from though. Any other way to tell?

[SGKent]

there is a page of codes in technical