Porsche engine in a bus

[VWBobby]

Dave,

You really should rebuild your stock 1500 engine or build a 1600 sp or dp(depending on what parts you already have). If you already have all the SP parts, stick with that. Its a reliable, economical ($$ and mpg), long lasting engine.

Try to source as many German parts as you can.

The things you can get away with are: Mahle p&c's are better than most other Brazilian sets. Some people have luck with Cofap, I'm not impressed. German (KS) sets are expensive, so thats out of your budget.
I always try to get German Kolbenschmidt bearings. Otherwise, Metal Leve, and some Austrialian sets are good.
Victor gasket sets or Sabro. Eagle or Engle cams are good, I use Web Cams but they are more expensive.


69doublecab,

I won't give out all the specs on the engine. Here is what I will give out from the questions you asked: 9.85:1 compression ratio. AMC round port castings, 44 x 36 SI ss valves, Ti retainers, chromo keepers, studs and pushrods. Sane porting. Cam specs are secret, but its 'close to' 250 Actual intake and 260 Actual exhaust duration, .500" lift, non-standard lobe centers. Dellorto 40 DRLA's, CB update kits. Hand built 1 5/8" exhaust, 44" secondaries, 3" stubs, 2 1/2" collector, Ultraflo muffler.
DTM fan shroud. Original from Joe's son, before Jake started making them.
Well under $4000.
Stock '74 stupidbeetle trans. Cruise at 70mph, white knuckle ride!

[davelarue]

Well, now i'm not sure what my engine will cost....
I believe in a good solid engine that lasts, and is reliable. If it has speed, thats cool, but not my priority.
So, i should go for german parts?
I'm going to do the engine work myself (not the machine work though). It'll probably cost more than $500, so i'll save up a couple hundred more.

[Alan Brase]

[VWBobby]

$500!!! Good luck! My last $500 rebuild was closer to $550 and I skimped out on everything except: line bore ($55), P&Cs ($83 Mahle), bearings (total $50), gaskets ($20), hardware, etc. That was back in 1999, by the way. Prices have gone up since then.

No offense, but how could you expect to do any type of conversion, or even a Good rebuild for $500? You can't even walk out of a junk yard with a running turn-key engine for less than $200 these days. Like Ronnie (splitpile) said, "I can't even rebuild a stock 1600 that will last for 1000 dollars."

Also the comments about big engines sucking tons of gas are way out of line. My engine is tuned for HP instead of economy and I still get around 24-26mpg hwy from a 2270cc T4 with a very healthy cam and nice flowing heads. Its about HOW you build it and what parts you use. Slapping together a 2L engine with monster carbs and shitty heads will give you bad gas millage. Not to mention that the engine doesn't even feel or produce power like it should.

"Good, cheap, fast", pick two.

[Alan Brase]

I know prices have gone up a bit recently, but I think it might be possible to to a $500 stock rebuild to a 1200, 1300, 1500 or 1600 type 1 engine yet. No magazine bling-bling, just good machine work and stock parts. With the price of gasoline these days, building up a hot rod motor is just the beginning of your expense. And I really question what the longevity would be, especially with larger bored versions. 87's or machine in 88's might be okay.
I once rescued a 70 bus from a junkyard. (Had to re-title it and everything!)
I drove it around town for a while and one day someone stopped me and said he was the 2nd previous owner (me being the 5th owner).
He had driven that same engine to Alaska 3 times! I later located and became friends with the engine builder. New Mexican case and slip in 87's. This in a stock 1600 single port. I think it had about 80k miles on it when end play got excessive. My brother then line bored it, re-ringed it and put in another car.
So, my point is, avoid the California-bolt-on stuff. Stock parts. German is usually better, but perhaps not worth the extra $. Ask your machinist.
If your engine is a known quantity, (you know it has not been run out of oil!), you can usually just rebuild the top end. Valve guides, exhaust valves, piston rings or p& c assemblies. A machinist you trust for the valve work, one that is familiar with VW heads. If the engine has a lot of end play, then the bottom end needs to come apart and get line bored, usually.
Practice years ago was to rebuild the top end once before splitiing the case.
I still think you can do it for $500!
Al
_________________
Al Brase
Projects: 67 sunroof bug, 67 Porsche 912 Targa, 70 Westy
Dec 1955 Single Cab pickup WANT 15" BUS RIMS dated 8/55, thru 12/55
To New owners: 1969 doublecab, 1971 Dormobile
Vanagons:
80 P27 Westy JUL 1979, 3rd oldest known US
83 1.6TD Vanagon, 87 Wolfie Westy daily driver, swap meet home

[davelarue]

[pyrOman]

[davelarue]

[pyrOman]

Just stumbled into a list I made to use as "reference" when buying my engine parts. The prices listed were taken from current magazine ads of various parts houses:

Case $450 SoCal Imp. Super Case

Crank $269 cpi1.com Scat Volkstroker 111

Crank Gear Kit $ 45 Pacific Customs

Jugs $180 Pacific Customs

Total Seal Rings $ 87 Pacific Customs

Heads $240 (pair) SoCal Imp. (Bore 90.5)

Copper Gaskets $ 12 Pacific Customs 0.060”

Rods $110 Pacific Customs Stroker Chromoly

Cam $ 71 SoCal Imp. W100

Bearings $ 40 SoCal Imp.

Lifters $ 80 cpi1.com Scat Lube-A-Lobe

Rockers $130 cpi1.com Scat 1.25

Flywheel $ 60 SoCal Imp. Stock 12v

Teflon buttons $ 10 Pacific Customs

Tin $135 SoCal Imp.

Total $1919

Just a rough estimate, your prices may vary!
_________________
Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise.

[pyrOman]

[davelarue]

You all have me convinced. I will stay away from a Porsche engine, and rebuild my 1500cc. I have some good manuals: Haynes, John Muirs, and others. Firsti'll strip the engine, and then take the case to the shop. Then i'll get some new studs, find a decent fan housing, and go from there. It's really just the machine work that will cost me. I will save up a little more, so i have a better budget
Thanks you all. Now i know what its all about....

D

[Flipseat]

A $500 budget? No offense, but Porsche power is out of the question just like others have said. Heck, just the exhaust on my 911 cost $1400. Stay with VW power, rebuild the 1500, read up, and do as much as you can yourself. Rebuilding my 40hp the last time cost me more than $500 though... Keep in mind, a manual is something that you can't afford not to buy.
_________________
Insert random important looking club initials here.

[Dave24]

[iowegian]

[quote="davelarue"]

[splitpile]

I'm putting a 64 356 SC engine in my 60 DC. The engine cost close to 4000 dollars to have rebuilt, years ago. By the time I have a turn key engine I will have close to 7000 into it.
I can't even rebuild a stock 1600 that will last for 1000 dollars.
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Stocking distributor of "The Funky Green Panels"
www.BUSTORATION.com metal and more for your bus
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[Dave24]

[Major Woody]

Let us know what kind of Porsche engine you "come across", please.

[davelarue]

[Dave24]

[Dave24]

So we've gone from what porsche engine will fit in your bus, to rebuilding your 1500 on a $500 budget?. I mean no offense, but thats a huge swing. You could not do a porsche engine conversion or type 4, of any type, for $500. So I'm not sure why you posed the orig. question, if the budget is truly $500 that you have to work with.
Even doing the work yourself, I think you'll go way outside that budget in short order on a complete rebuild of your 1500. I'd say you need to re-think either you're budget, or the type of rebuild/engine you can really afford to do. As suggested by the others, a rebuilt 1600 long block MAY fit your budget/needs. Again, no offense intended, just being realistic.