Subaru Conversion Build and partial how-to

notchboy · Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 10:34 am Post subject:

Awesome work brother!

Im happy to know someone that will help me with my conversion when and if that day comes.

Keep up the work and hurry up! This shits taking like what 3 years now? More?
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Sloride · Samba Member Joined: February 09, 2002 Posts: 926

Keep at it and keep posting pictures.

It seemed like it took me an eternity to do the conversion in my bus but since then I have been driving and loving it.

What are your plans for the rad?
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1972 Westfalia - 1.8 VW in-line h2o conversion
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Link to the engine swap:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=565304&highlight=

1964 Ruby Red Beetle

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=705757&highlight=ruby+red

JSMskater · Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 2:29 pm Post subject:

JSMskater · Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 3:52 pm Post subject:

another update Cool

got my fuel return elbow back!

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

I need to shorten the ends so it'll fit right, but it's got the bend and the fuel return nipple for the EFI so I'm happy. Cool

someone asked about rads:

here is the steel I'm making into a mounting bracket/ bypass air dam for the rads. There will be a twin/mirror on the other side.

the rad, 1 of 2 (the other will be mounted similarly on the other side) it's a single pass scirocco/ VW mk1 radiator. I wanted to do all aluminum dual pass, but the thickness and weight wasn't going to work in the confined space.

stock subie fan

I have to rig up a mounting system for these. or maybe find some mk1 vw fan shrouds.
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71 Squareback-FI -- 73 Bay (subaru powered)
TOOB Member #3
I make D-jet FI connectors

Fodder · Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 6:14 pm Post subject:

Very inspiring!

Sorry if I missed it - have you decided on what starter to use with the KEP adapter?

Lionhart94010 · Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 6:40 pm Post subject:

With a twin rad on the other side it looks like you will have plenty of cooling :0)

Someday I may want to have a Subie option, I saw a couple on YouTube they seem to accelerated extremely well…
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Current VWs 71 T2 Westy SO-72/6(Miami), 71 Crew Cab, 2015 GSW TDI
Other owned VW’s 59, 68 1500s, 69 & 71 Bug’s; 72 & 73 S-Bug’s; 67 Westy, 67 Deluxe, Other 71 DC, 72 KG GT that now lives in Australia, 12 JSW TDI, 2015 GSW TDI, 2023 Tiguan
VW technical information sights
thesamba - www.ratwell.com - www.shoptalkforums.com/ - www.vw-resource.com - http://www.type2.com/
http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/ - www.aircooled.net/gnrlsite/resource/articles.htm

JSMskater · Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:06 pm Post subject:

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 7:57 am Post subject:

JSMskater · Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:23 am Post subject:

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 9:05 am Post subject:

JSMskater · Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2013 12:34 pm Post subject:

progress

the rad fan modified -- had to cut off the stock tabs and weld on longer ones. I plan to eventually shroud the exposed parts of the rad on the right, top, and bottom with ABS plastic I can form with my heat gun.

pardon my heinous welds -- I'm out of practice and the steel I was using for the tabs/extensions was considerably thicker than the fan shroud steel, so I had problems with blow-through and getting the right setting on the welder.

this is when it was just tacked in

fully mounted Cool

its still a little ugly, but with some paint and grinding it'll look damn near professional.

as you can see, it blocks air from escaping except through the rad. this is the key. There will be sealing foam around the edges to prevent air from leaking past where it meets the body.

profile to get an idea for thickness

mocked in the car, not attached. I will be using riv-nuts where the stock insulation rivets used to be, with a tab welded onto the rad bracket so I can pass a bolt through to mount it. There will also be a tab on the bottom where it meets the body.

it's at an angle here so it wouldn't fall over, but you get the idea.

this gap will be filled with some abs plastic and/or foam seal.

another overall shot

what I plan to do for the intake manifold clearance problem...

I'm having the "U" pipe made up as I type... Cool

moving on to the fuel pump and lines today! more to come!
_________________
71 Squareback-FI -- 73 Bay (subaru powered)
TOOB Member #3
I make D-jet FI connectors

tootype2crazy · Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2013 12:58 pm Post subject:

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2013 12:59 pm Post subject:

wow. that engine is CLEAN, and nicely uncluttered without all the rigamarole and wires attached. Must be nice to work on like that!
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a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

Follow my adventures in the GoWAND'RLoST bus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gowandrlost/

BumbleBus · Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2013 2:54 pm Post subject:

Sourced your u-pipe locally I assume? Exact specs would be nice for future converters who don't want to reverse the intake manifold. Thx.

Popcorn

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'72 L11H Campmobile in various stages of disrepair. Just bumbling along...

surfinbusslover · Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:42 pm Post subject:

man... THIS IS AWESOME! Im sitting down and watching this thread! Keep it up man, your the man!

JSMskater · Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:35 am Post subject:

update!

so day before yesterday, I tried to install my fuel tank filler neck elbow replacement. I discovered that the alignment isn't perfect, but close enough to work without issues. Just wish I could kink the tip a tad. Anyways, I fought for 4 hours trying to get this thing in, and failed. I discovered what the problem was:

some bozo, probably the same bozo who cut the hole in my rear deck to get access to the gas gauge sender, replaced the filler neck hose with one that is 2" diameter. the pipe is 2.25". While at the time the rubber might have been soft enough to stretch, the hacked out straight sections I was using were NOT. So it wasn't sliding on the hard tubes in any appreciable way other than banging on it with a ring and a mallet.

SO I went to NAPA after discovering with my calipers the erroneous hose diameter, and got the correct 2.25" filler neck hose....

I was done in 20 min. Rolling Eyes

with new hoses:

old on left, new on the right.

installed.

you'll notice theres a slight kink- I ended up using my manly muscles to push these into a better alignment after I took the photos, but even so the misalignment isn't terrible. Not enough to cause leaks, and I used extra long hose length so it would seat perpendicular to the surface of the pipes, the "bend" in it is taken up by the flex in the rubber. we're good to go Cool

sorry the photo is blurry, it was dark by the time I got to finishing this:

that, is a rivnut or rivet nut. Basically a rivet that has a threaded inner hole. I was able to re-use the existing insulation holes with these rivnuts, so I can re-install insulation and the radiator brackets with removable screws. I plan to use a few more, since they're rather small/wimpy screws. I could go larger on the rivnuts, but they get harder to install with a hand riveter the bigger you go and I'm almost out of funds for new tools. Laughing

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71 Squareback-FI -- 73 Bay (subaru powered)
TOOB Member #3
I make D-jet FI connectors

vwnutt6969 · Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 11:17 am Post subject:

Awesome job!
I'm getting my ducks in order to do the same to my 71 westy.
Only issue I'm having is, who makes the engine mount for this swap?
I have searched and searched and read but it seems to be the one thing no one talks about.
Could you post a photo of the mustache bar adapted to the EJ22?
Thanks!
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www.dubsontheboards.com

JSMskater · Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:10 pm Post subject:

phew. another update!!

radiator frame drivers side, final fitting before I weld it all up legit.

you can see here how it mounts -- tabs, with bolt head screws into the rivnuts. it is a TIGHT squeeze in there to get em in, but it is not difficult and can be done quickly. holds it tight too. the bottom has a bracket that follows the curve of the body, and is supported by a pair of studs.

this is how you mount the rad:

already attached to the frame/bracket with screws/washers from the other side, you swing this into place and it's supported from underneath by the studs and lower curved bracket. this way, you can easily install the upper bolts while still having some wiggle to get them in straight and without binding.

largest gap, this will be filled with a panel of plastic or foam seal.

upper bolts

the clearance in the back near the firewall -- pics tomorrow of it all fitting together but trust me it all fits!

with the rad mounted. this one is larger than the other, and the subaru had these asymetrical size fans. why? I don't know. But I'm repurposing what I have for now, but down the line I'll get the smaller from a junk yard and mount that instead for a cleaner look and better fit.

(dont mind the missing screw in the corner, I was just mocking it up)

annnd now the other side Twisted Evil

same process for installation as the other side. mount rad to frame/bracket, swing into place, and bolt up. I haven't made the tabs for the top yet in these shots, but I'll do em up tomorrow.

fan for that side isn't done yet, but this is what it'll look like, but with the modified tabs and some extensions to the other side like the first rad fan.

(1st fan for reference:)

believe it or not (since it's still stained as hell) I scrubbed for over an hour with a blue pan sponge to get the engine bay clean. I think I may shoot it in black undercoat or something down the line. I didn't bother with the areas that will be hidden, just the engine bay aft of the firewall.

so, this part is ridiculously expensive (250!) but it did take time to make and I needed it fast so I can't really b*tch too much. this was the first attempt by the shop I contracted to make the throttle reverser:

and it was obviously a tad too tall.

so....
we fixed it. Cool

with the engine lid shut (don't mind the disintegrating plastic)

sooo I'm exhausted but I have to keep pounding away at this. tomorrow I should have the engine hanger bar sorted out, and maybe get around to plumbing up the cooling and fuel systems. BTW the intake pipe is fully welded cleaned up and finished now, just haven't shot any pictures.

more to come!
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71 Squareback-FI -- 73 Bay (subaru powered)
TOOB Member #3
I make D-jet FI connectors

notchboy · Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 8:06 am Post subject:

Nice, clean install. Cool

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guanella74 · Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 2:25 pm Post subject:

Yeah! Keep this going! Inspired over here!
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- Travis

1974 Westy CampMobile - the OG!
1979 Transporter
1979 Transporter
1977 Transporter
1974 Transporter
1973 Transporter
1971 Westy


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Subaru Conversion Build and partial how-to
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