40 hp

[jimmy1]

whats a good way to "hot rod" a 40 hp engine? somthing I can drive 1k miles without any issues.

okrasa? judson? 010 dist? ported (stock) heads? sump?

I prefer somthing that looks stock. no headers.

this is for a 60 vw bus with straight axle (no reduction box)


and what gears works the best?
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1956 Kabrolett
"I'd rather be driving my VW thinking about God than sitting in church thinking about my VW."



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[glutamodo]

I've talked about performance 40HP many times here - Best way to build up a solid 40HP, in my opinion and experience - get a block thats been reworked for cam bearings and has case savers. Get a set of big bore 83mm pistons/cylinders (you likely have to clearance the block some to clear the piston skirts if you get a recent Mahle-brand big bore kit) Then get a set of 1965-only heads with the square boss (you can sometimes find Mexican heads that are similar, they are good heads, but they lack the groove for the copper sealing ring that stale air motors are supposed to use as a secondary combustion chamber seal) If it's not an engine that had those heads on it before, you'll need longer uppper cylinder head studs because that style head is beefier. Get a later 40HP larger size intake manifold that matches those later heads with the 34mm intake ports. This is an exact description of the motor I have in my 62 bug right now, and I trust it for long road trips no problem. (I have a Bocar 30PICT-1 carb on it, stock ERNST muffler)

For more on what I just said and to read other people's input on this subject, check out these previous topics:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=130453

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=123839

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=124701

As for gearing on your bus, that's out of my experience so I don't know what to recommend there.

-Andy

[Glenn]

Here's the engine in one of my customer's early 60's Bus.

It's got vintage dual carbs, a blue coil and one of my 010 distributors.

His friend was impressed with the improvement that he also bought a Bosch 010 for is Beetle.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

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[jimmy1]

[jimmy1]

[vwbrain]

hey Guys stroke it using a 1600 crank and spacing the clys. Used with the 83mm big bore gives you almost 1500cc . later Mark Dearing

[glutamodo]

If you use a longer stroke crank and space the cylinders, you'll have to deal with an engine that's 10mm wider. Then, the intake manifold won't fit. Not a problem if you use dual carbs- however since dual carbs that fit the 40HP heads are very hard to come up with, it seems more hassle than its worth. He'd have to use a later exhaust too. I'd just as soon build a Single Port motor with its larger valves and much more easly to find performance parts. (I even bought a set of NOS 1500 pistons/cylinders in case I decided to upgrade myself at some point)

I think the engine I described, the 1385 I have in my 62, is about as wild as I'd want to get with a 40HP. It's as strong as I think you can expect from such an engine, and hopefully it'll last a long time (I did balance it down pretty close to a gram on the rods and pistons) and it looks and sounds stock, and is reliable. That's what the original poster said he wanted.

-Andy

[buggnuttz]

Why not get a stock 1600 single port and save the 40hp for restoring
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owned 39 different VWs so far

[nsracing]