1970 vw bug 2.3 ford

[Stunna22]

I'm building a baja and I already got my 2.3 ford I'm planning on putting a turbo in I already know what's needed to hold the power in everything I just am un sure of what would be the best way to help hold up the heavier engine and compensate for the high hp

[joemama]

Depends on what you are doing with the suspension. If sticking with torsion bars, you can get some that are thicker than stock. Possibly 26mm. I believe stock are 22mm. If deleting the torsions and going with a thru rod and coil overs, then you would need to figure out what spring rate works for you.

[earthquake]

I would build a HD rear engine cage and make motor mounts off of it, make sure to tie it into the frame horns and through the fire wall preferability to a roll cage.

eQ
_________________
74 CLASS 11 LOOK-A-LIKE
69 DUNE BUGGY
79 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT II
05 SCION XB SERIES RELEASE 2[#437]
95 Chevy C3500 dually
98 Ford E150
Link to Kelly J. Nolte 3/20/53 - 11/6/08
https://time-zonelabs.blogspot.com/p/about-kelly.html
DEATH TO CHINGERS!
[From a military recruitment poster in the novel "The Stainless Steel Rat" By Harry Harrison]

[Stunna22]

My plan is to keep it as close to factory as I can get I. Bot a big fan of the full caged look

[dustymojave]

[Wulfthang]

I have a street legal rail that I built as a trail runner. I don't do jumps or anything like that but the old mining trails are pretty rough. Mine has a 2.8 V6 Ford engine in it. A VW engine weighs in at about 250 pounds. My engine weighs in at close to 400 pounds.

My transaxle is solid mounted but I still didn't want all that weight hanging off of four bolt points. The weight was enough to worry about but then add in sliding off of trail ridges, going over wash outs, etc. It slams around pretty hard.

I added two heavy steel mounts, one on either side of the engine to the oem mounting points. Then I added another steel mount to the rear end of the engine. The two on the side stop torque twisting and the one in the back is mostly for holding weight.

Even with the extra mounts and the heavier duty transaxle, I still baby it. No burnouts on pavement or hard surfaces, keep it under 120 mph, etc.

[earthquake]

It isn't just the weight, the 2.3 is longer so it is acting like a lever so with out any kind of mounts it will probably eat front trans mounts pretty regular.
You could run a solid front mount but then it will probably break the transaxle it self or it will twist the frame horns until they break.

eQ
_________________
74 CLASS 11 LOOK-A-LIKE
69 DUNE BUGGY
79 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT II
05 SCION XB SERIES RELEASE 2[#437]
95 Chevy C3500 dually
98 Ford E150
Link to Kelly J. Nolte 3/20/53 - 11/6/08
https://time-zonelabs.blogspot.com/p/about-kelly.html
DEATH TO CHINGERS!
[From a military recruitment poster in the novel "The Stainless Steel Rat" By Harry Harrison]

[BFB]

i love seeing buggys for sale that ppl put v8's in and you see a jack or jack stand holding up the rear end for the photos...
_________________
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]

If you think an engine cage is ugly, how are you going to hid a big old radiator and related plumbing?
_________________
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)

[dustymojave]

[Stunna22]

Okqy if I was to put in a caged back to support the engine what would it need to be attachment points for the cage and things like that

[dustymojave]

If you're not going to offroad it hard, it could be as simple as an EMPI Baja Bug rear bumper cage with mounts from the bottom of the engine cage. If ya want it to go offroad, the motor mount supports should be tied into a full roll cage,

Look through the Offroad Gallery. It may be a LOT of pages, but there are lots of Bajas with alternate engines in them in those pictures. Have you tried a search for "Pinto Engine"? Search the HBBOffroad forums as well as the Offroad gallery.

For an offroad going car, I prefer to mount such an engine with bars that come from the upper corners of the engine compartment where the fore-aft bars meet the cross member above the bellhousing and down to the motor mount points on the sides of the block. I find that supporting the engine with mounts from the bottom of the engine cage can result in pushing the engine up when the skidplate is hit on mother earth. Thing flex when they go bang.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Wulfthang]

Like oprn mentioned: Don't forget about the radiator. It's a water cooled engine so you're going to have to cram a radiator in there someplace. I saw one years back that had one of those Cady/Lincoln type noses. He installed the radiator there under the nose and it fit good.