Which engine?

[jamesurwin]

Unfortunately my 1600tp has given up and will need a complete strip down and rebuild. It's not been bad since I have had the bus but always felt a little sluggish.

Question is, should I get a full rebuild on this engine in the hope that it will be 'back to normal' and reasonably powered, or upgrade to a bigger engine, but ideally without having to change loads of other bits at the same time? I will be keeping the same box etc.

As with most people, I don't have stacks of cash so options are probably limited, but any advice would be good.

My bus is a 1972 crossover if that makes any difference.

 

[GOM68]

Hi,

It will all come down to budget! Most people recommend not bothering with the 1641 as you will not see much difference. If you think about a 1776, for a bit more money you can get a 2007.

I spent a lot of time pondering which way to go and after a lot of conversations with a reputable engine builder I opted for the 2007cc. It cost me a few grand, however everytime I drive it it brings a big smile to my face!! It also depends on what you want from your bus, I hated hills in mine when it had the 1600cc as it use to struggle even on the smallest ones! However you may find by getting a good engine builder to build a new 1600 you will get back a few of those lost ponies....?

I am sure there are plenty of people out there with different experiences and ideas, however I am so glad I opted for a big engine build!!

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[jamesurwin]

Thanks for that, and I agree, hills can be a right PITA and takes the enjoyment out of going on longer distances. I'm not bothered at all about top end speed, I just want to be able to cruise consistently.

I was thinking along the lines of a 1776, but I was wondering if my current engine could be reconditioned in to a 1776, how much work would actually be involved and rough sort of costs. Not sure how possible it is, but my budget is probably around 2k

 

[GOM68]

I am not too sure about building a 1776 from your 1600, might also popping over Volkszone and having a read of stuff in there if you have found anything here.

 

[67westy]

I have just fitted a brand new 1641 from heritage, it also has an Engle 100 cam. Hills are much easier now although I'm not sure how much of that is down to fitting twin carbs at the same time. I think with the brand new engine and carbs it came in at a little over 2600 so depends how far you can stretch your budget, the 1600 option is slightly cheaper.

The upside is you know it is all brand new so years of life in it and it has a 2 year guarantee

 

[andymac70]

I had an engine built by Steve Strong a 1776 with Eagle cam. Now he is a bit of a PITA to deal with as he never answers his phone!!!
But in the end the motor has been a revelation, it has so much more power it really is night & day driving it compared to how it was.

In my opinion the extra outlay is more than worth it.
And so is the wait to get said engine.

If you can afford to upgrade do it you will be glad you did.

Andy.

 

[jamesurwin]

Doing some investigation, i think the machining of the engine will cost approx £300 and a 1776 engine rebuild kit will be about £800, plus my guy's time to strip it all down and put back together etc, so I may be able to keep in the £2k limit.

The only thing that i may need to do though is change my carb as currently running a 34 pict 3 and from what i have read, although this will still work, it will probably choke the engine quite a bit.

Ideally, i want to stay away from twin carbs as it will limit my DIY work on the vehicle and up my costs considerably. Does anyone have any recommendations? Plus, am I missing anything from my above costs that I should consider?

 

[GOM68]

I would say you need to look at twin carbs to get the best out of the engine, no point having that sort of power on tap to strangle it. The other thing you need to look at is an exhaust, again like the carb you can stick a standard one on there but it will only strangle the engine.

My engine builder recommended Weber or Dellorto and they will not hinder your DIY skills, once set up properly they should need little attention.

Good luck and keep us posted!

GOM

 

[Dave.P]

My old 77 bay had a gold recon 1600 stock engine that was so quick it surprised many people, it was well set up and well serviced and had 40k miles on it. It was a joy to drive that bus..
Now I've got a 2080 and it flies, but still cruises at 55 -60on the std box :roll:
The only probs I've had with twin drla's is blocked idle jets from the dirty fuel tank, ( easy fix) twin carbs set up well are no more hassle and better mpg than stock carb .
Do you know anyone else with a bus? Perhaps ask them if you can drive it to compare yours to it..
I would be as happy with my old 1600 stock engine as I am with my current lump for just cruising around tbh, it only gets me up hills quicker ! wit woo ! only matters in Devon not here in east anglia haha

 

[009]

If you have a 2k budget as you say, have you considered buying a cheap used reliable replacement 1600 to keep you on the road in the meantime so you can still enjoy your bus especially now summer's coming ? (I hate having no bus due to technical gremlins, I get all grumpy :x )
Then you can spend the rest of the money on rebuilding your current engine yourself to whatever size and standard you want - whether you do it yourself and learn as you go along or you get someone else to build you one as time and funds allow.
Good luck getting it sorted and getting back on the road anyway,
Cheers,
DON

 

[009]

I should have said, whatever engine you want is really down to your own driving style and preference. A standard well-built 1600 will sit at 55-60 all day long and then some (and confucious did once say that it was about the journey not the destination!)
If you want something bigger and quicker, and a crossover like yours will allow for something bigger, then as other people have said, the only limit really is your budget and technical skills.
Cheers,
DON

 

[Matt48]

I've got a great new vw heritage engine the old engine was a recon that a previous previous owner put in and it let me down big time snapped counter weight in crank shaft unlucky. See previous forum discussion.

New carburettor and had some problems in running in, sorted with new points.

 

[jamesurwin]

Thanks for all the advice guys. It is a matter of if I don't get it done now then I'm not sure when I will be able to, and I think I would rather try and upsize the engine now. In the middle of a house move and have a 1 year old, so money needs to go in all directions!! I think I can get what I need doing for the money, if not a tad more. Does anyone know what the dual solex 40 carb kits are like off of just kampers?

 

[Alex VW Heritage]

With your budget I would look at our recon unit:

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/211100033SPM/engine-t2-1641cc-twin-port-engle100cam-ssp/?crumbStartPage=1&crumbStartRow=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

£1995

(there is a core surcharge on this engine so would need your old unit in exchange)

plus a set of 34ICT's

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/AC129K1411/weber-34-ict-carb-kit-t1-2-tp-or-use-ac1297411/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

£395

It will need a jet kit and balance pipe:

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/AC129400/balance-pipe-and-jet-install-kit-weber-ict-empi-epc/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

£51.40

plus really a better flowing exhaust:

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/AC2513655/exhaust-system-single-quiet-pack-t2-with-bumper/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

£86.50

and fitting kit:

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/111298009A/exhaust-fitting-kit-t1-t2-63-79-1200-1600cc-hjs-german/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

£7.50

So retail £2535.40

so with your %5 EB discount comes to:

£2408.63

So this is over your budget by a little but I think the most cost effective and reliable route to go.

Will work out cheaper in the long run.

Good Luck which ever route you choose.

 

[jamesurwin]

Thanks for that info and prices...definitely food for thought

 

[Matt48]

talk to doug at vw werks