Engine Build Quote

[Clementine79]

Looking for advice from the forum:

Our bus has a converted watercooled engine and we dropped off at a shop for a quote on removing the engine, then building an aircooled and converting to type 1.

Undo watercooled conversion and remove v6 engine ~$800

2110CC Engine
Duel 40 MM Weber
Type1 conversion tins
$10,932 total

091 Trans Rebuild
New Clutch Kit 200mm
Bosch 12V Starter
Conversion Bell Housing
$2,819 total

We have no issues with the pricing but the shop has no warranty after it leaves their location, is this typical? They said the vendors wont honor parts warranty if the vehicle is converted from type 4 to type 1. They did say they break in and test drive for about 300 miles to make sure there's no issues.

This is a big investment for us and there's no other shops located close enough to us, is this a risk worth taking? I believe all the engine parts would be brand new and the builder seems to have a good reputation.

[tommu]

That's a big investment. What's wrong with the current engine?
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[Clementine79]

[airkooledchris]

You want to take a non-stock engine out of your bus and spend that much money to put a different non-stock engine into the bus?

that just doesn't make any sense, to me.

your gallery seems to show a few type 4 engines. is this a different bus from the one in your gallery pics with the stock aircooled type 4?

what V6 is in there now?

what shop is this?



If your trans needs work, contact https://www.germantransaxle.com/ out of Bend, OR. Fantastic work.

[Glenn]

[RalphWiggam]

Seems maybe around $800 too steep on the transmission.

Seems about $3-4000 too steep for a Type1.

No warranty at all is bullshit.

Go to a different shop or order a Type1 turnkey from a respected builder on here.

[Clementine79]

[SGKent]

I think you are in a pickle. The fact it has an 091 makes me think that it was a type IV motor originally. So you are considering building a large bore type 1 engine and putting it in an air cooled bus. The reason the water cooled engine is there is because the last guy figured out that when he used an air cooled engine on long trips it was prone to overheating and being under powered. These engines are a little like that. The engine case on the type 1 motor is not as strong as the engine case on the type IV motor so right there is the first issue with your plan. Buses are by their nature nothing more than utility vehicles with a lite passenger car motor stuck in them. Fix the cooling problems and use what you have. Or find someone who will let you drive a stock air cooled engine, a 1970 or 1971 and see what that is like. Type IV motors are a lot of headache because parts are not easily available these days.

I long for the days of a simple 1971 dog house cooled twin port bus when factory parts were plentiful, and the speed limit was 55 mph.

You need to add your year bus to your signature line.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[Clementine79]

[buckswilde]

You could always go the route of a turnkey type 4.

https://www.mofoco.com/item/Type_4_Complete_2000cc_With_Hydraulic_Cam_CE2000H/4073/c163

[Glenn]

[anon emous]

this topic will make you chase tour tail...

lets say you get the work done and its bad... they will say “get a lawyer!”
a lawyer will want $500 to send a letter. the letter will be ignored because it is meaningless.. an attorney will want $3000 just to to start. they make on average $350 an hour. are you in the same state? if not you will not collect even if you go to trial and they rule unanimously in your favor.

they will tell you to find a reputable mechanic... that is an elusive creature... there is a place near me that works on these cars. the waitlist is 6 months
dont like it? call someone else

i for one am very dis-illusioned with the idea of owning a beetle.

there is a lot of snake oil for sale

[SGKent]

So again, you are in a pickle. First question will be how much did the prior owner(s) cut up the engine bay sheet metal to install the V6. If there is a problem there, you will have to fix that too. Next issue is the engine. Type 1 motors aren't as strong as Type IV motors. When you build the bore and stroke up to match the 091 then that T1 will not last as long as you think it will. So your reliability goes out the window. If you build or buy a Type IV motor for that 1979 and do everything right, it is still a pain because you have to chase down small parts you don't even know now you will yet. The day of going to a wrecking yard, finding a good core 1979 and taking everything from it are gone. Frankly the least costly path right now is to figure why the V6 is not reliable and fix those issues. I will warn you that 091 transmissions get hot, very hot inside even with the stock 2L motor. When pushed hard the heat melts the 4th gear plastic needle bearing retainers and those cause damage to the transmission mainshaft which are NLA now, and even the reproduction mainshafts are out of stock. Owning a VW bus is a journey and not a destination.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[nemobuscaptain]

[nemobuscaptain]

[richparker]

[Glenn]

[Clementine79]

[airschooled]

If you're building an engine from scratch, the prices sound about right. Here come my "broken record" talking points!

In what order are your priorities for the new engine? Feel free to add to the list, but I generally ask my clients to rank these topics, displayed in no particular order:

- purchase cost
- operating cost
- lifespan
- noise level/style
- weather versatility
- acceleration ability
- top speed
- hill climbing ability
- smoothness/polite road manners


I could type paragraphs about each of those, but it comes down to what YOU want from your bus, and how best to make it happen. (Obviously, most of them are fairly important!) If you can give us more details about your travel style, the ways your best enjoy your bus, and how much/when you drive the bus, we can better assist.

See you on the road,
Robbie
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Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
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[Glenn]