what kinds of motor

[rob-stone]

been driving a friends bay today...great fun!
its a crossover with a 1600 lump, but its a bit lifeless.
Im planning on getting a bay soon, but not sure if i could live with an engine like this one everyday.

i know its a big topic but what motor would be good to drop into a van that could give a bit more pep up hills but remain relativly reliable?

any links to shops/prices/tech stuff would be great.

 

[easy]

All depends.

I have a 1600 twin port with 34icts and it gives great fuel economy and gives you that extra umpf up hills, plus is very reliable. Not a powerhouse but does cruise at 65 - 70 if you wish without any probs.
Cost for this is about 1500 ish. New/Recon

A good engine to go for if you have a bit more cash is a 1776 as this will have great amounts of bean and torque, but fuel economy is not as good as say a 1600 or 1641. Fitted with twin carbs you could expect to pay about 2000 ish. New/Recon

There are allot of variables as you can have different carbs etc but I think there is a great deal of people on here who run 1641 with twins carbs of some description and they is an excellent starting point.

You can pick up very good second hand engines aswell, often you can view then in the van, so you can see them running.

Good luck 8) 8)

 

[pete nice]

Pretty much what Easy said, kep with a mild cam though.

2007cc is great if you have the dollars!

 

[richbaker78]

there is another way......
http://www.vwkd.co.uk
convert to more reliable, economical, petrol or even diesel....vwkd tells you how.

 

[Scampi]

A lot of it is down to personal choice in my opinion as well?

But what easy said has covered it all![/code]

 

[pete nice]

If you ask me, if you don't want an aircooled motor, then sell it & buy a transit!

You can get an air cooled to be strong & reliable, it's all part of owning the van...

 

[CHR]

2007cc is great if you have the dollars!

if i should have ones enought money, this were my engine

i was running for a moment a stock 1600 with doubelintake heads and 36 dell'ortos. it was allready nice and didn't spend much more benzin.

the 1776 engine i have now is realy nice, but the moment you start to put biger engines, you never get enought.

it can be cheeper to spend more money to go directly to the big motor, then to do it in two steps...

 

[Scampi]

If you ask me, if you don't want an aircooled motor, then sell it & buy a transit!

You can get an air cooled to be strong & reliable, it's all part of owning the van...

I agree! :lol:

 

[maddog]

If you ask me, if you don't want an aircooled motor, then sell it & buy a transit!

You can get an air cooled to be strong & reliable, it's all part of owning the van...

Here here!!

 

[Anonymous]

there is another way......
http://www.vwkd.co.uk
convert to more reliable, economical, petrol or even diesel....vwkd tells you how.

Excuse me while I throw up!!

 

[Anonymous]

If you ask me, if you don't want an aircooled motor, then sell it & buy a transit!

You can get an air cooled to be strong & reliable, it's all part of owning the van...

Amen!! Buy an LT VW if you want an old watercooled VW van!! :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

Or you can choose a Type 4 engine used after 1972 - sizes range from 1.7 to 2.0 liters from the factory. Parts cost more, but it's an improved design.

Or heck, even a Porsche 911 engine!!

 

[Anonymous]

there is another way......
http://www.vwkd.co.uk
convert to more reliable, economical, petrol or even diesel....vwkd tells you how.

Excuse me while I throw up!!

 

[Genchy]

I have a 1600sp engine in mine, it will sit at 60 all day and when it requires a service does feel less powerful however i love it. It's aircooled and thats what i wanted, i didn't buy my Bay so i could charge around at Mach 10 as that's not the point.

As Pete said "they can be strong and reliable and it's all part of owning the van".

Buy one own one and then decide what is best for you, be it a 1641 or other you will be better placed to decide.

Good luck with it,

Kev

 

[richbaker78]

well ive been there and done that with aircooled and am broad minded enough to consider other alternatives - im not here to criticise your choices of aircooled - I was simply offering an option to RobS.

before you all scoff anymore i just thought I would correct a few of your comments......

Ive heard all these 'transit' comments before - I dont like transits either, but ive had a vw t4. Great van - but no character IMo - for me fitting alternative power helped achieve T4 economy and reliability in the shape of an old van - why is that so ridiculous?

Altho I have WRX turbo power - if you actually looked on vwkd - youll see a whole range of vw projects with all sorts of engines. im not trying to achieve Mach anything and not many people are...i (and they) just want realiable power....i can see i will never drag race my van...more like cruise up and down the west coast of Europe. (which incidently i have done aircooled as well)

I have built strong and reliable aircooled engines.....but there is a cost implication even home building....I started to build a turbo system and had a reality check.....for the cost of just parts for the turbo set up i could buy a ready turboed 2002, FI EJ20 turbo with 245bhp as standard. I sold my 1776 for 3k and bought the wrx for £1500. still stupid?

i dont for a minute think im going to convert anyone here - but I do get a bit fed up of the small minded attitude of some whilst offering constructive advice. I have no worries with aircooled and dont go about criticising that, if I thought for a minute i wasnt wasting my time, id be happy to explain any reasons to perform an engine swop or take part in intelligent discussion about its pros and cons (there are some)of conversions. I do think dismissing things on the basis of them being transit like, or making childish references to throwing up is pathetic and small minded.....

vanagonman - what is so acceptable about a porsche engine? - ill be interested to hear your no doubt well informed argument detailing all your experience gleaned from magazines.

 

[rob-stone]

kinda forgot i posted this.

Recenty i have been researching all i can about vans. Trying to figure out roughly what things cost, and arranging how much money i can play with.

I know the debate about engine swaps happens in all all the car 'scenes'
Ztech lumps in Mk1 escorts, V-techs in minis. personaly my passions lie in other subjects.

anyway cheers for the info, im starting to get my head round this VW game.

 

[Justin & Muttley]

Whoa!
I think it's important to remember that we all love our buses and like to do to them what we will - that's one of the things that makes owning a VW so much fun! I wouldn't dream of criticising anyone for their personal choices be it engine, colour, ride height, wheels (or any of the other miriad of ways to custom your ride) or (heaven forbid) leaving it stock.
I can appreciate that someone might get upset if their preferred option is dissed on the forum - but it is an outlet for people to express their views and they should feel free to do so...
VW's have been customised from the word go, and if an owner wants to make their ride faster, lower, brake better, stay warmer - then let them; who's to say your opinion is any better than theirs???
Make love, not war guys - it's much more in keeping with the forum and 'chilled-out' feeling one gets from owning an old VW.

 

[slammedkustom]

i think rich has as much right to express his views as anyone else, i dont think he should be attacked for them.

alternate engines arent everyones cup of tea but then if we all get stuck in this rut of early bays with 1600s then the site will not grow to its full potential. we would end up like the splitty owners, they are the reason i sold my split many moons ago
ive been on the site rich mentions and although ive never posted on it or spoke to rich ive seen that he is a very talented knowledgable person.
his bus looks to be an awesome piece of work

currently im running a twin carb 1600, im in the middle of building a 1776 and there is a subaru sitting in the garage which im probably gonna stick in my bus to see what it does.
i love my bus, i love my v dubs but i love cars in general so to see the stick that rich got was childish. looking outside the v dub scene is the reason i have such an unusual bus.
just my views

 

[easy]

I got a 1600 with twin 34icts, the only reason for this is I am not knowledgeable enough to fit or have the money to fit anything else, that is of a different ilk.

One day maybe I will crowbar a different motor in, hopefully it will be a 400 bhp engine that runs on water! until then I will stick with what i know. 8)

We should all play nicely and enjoy all peoples views on what they have done or are doing. Thats what makes the VW scene so much fun as there is millions of different ideas from all over the globe, all on about the same thing. weird looking buses and cars that dont always start :wink:

 

[Genchy]

It seems my Mach 10 comment has gone down badly, if you read my comments you will see that i have said that "I didn't buy my bay to charge around at Mach 10" as in that's not what i bought my bay for.

Sorry if it has caused any misunderstanding, wasn't my intention That said i am a fan of the original aircooled engines

Nuff said,

Kev