Yet another watercooled question....

The Sickness · Post by **The Sickness** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 3:56 pm

Okay, I've spent all day at work (today and yesterday) searching around for somebody that has water-cooled a standard (68) beetle but I'm coming up with squat so I'm going ask you guys some questions but first I'll give you the details of the car. It's a 68 Sunroof Beetle that I had bought back from my bro. I'm going to put either a 2.0L ABA block with solid-lifter head or a late-model 1.8 8V from a GTI and bolt it up via a KEP kit. The front end has been narrowed 3" with CB Cast disc kit and dropped spindles and Bug-crap adjusters. Rear (IRS) will be the usual 2-3 notch lowering job.

Here's where I'm running into some issues that I'd like to sort out before I end up spending all summer ironing out the kinks:

Running the coolant lines underneath the car may not be a reality as it will be very low. I'm thinking heater channels with some flexible hose fed into the rear (under the back seat) and out the front of the channel just passed the door pillar, up and through the firewall. Having said that is there such a hose that you can run through the heater channel that would have a big enough ID to flow properly and stand up to everyday use, or do I actually have to open up the channels and remove the heater duct and use hard-lines?

Another issue:
The radiator... Where in the hell could I mount it without completely hacking up the front of the car?
Does anybody have a good quality pic of a non-Super radiator install that works well?

I've got a master-welder and master-plumber on the build team so I'm laughing there. I just want to make sure that I line up all of my ducks before I get in over my head.

Hopefully this isn't too many questions for you guys. I have faith!

By the way: I am going to fully document this build and will be taking many pictures and posting them for anybody that does this in the future so I can do my part in helping out.

Phew... that's about enough of my blabbering.
Thanks in advance.
Mike

junkyardoval · Post by **junkyardoval** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 5:01 am

Check out this site.
http://frost.bbboy.net/vwengineconversions

Lots of good info on there. On mine I used a radiator from a v6 Fiero and mounted it where the spare tire should be. Put a small scoop under the front and covered the radiator so the air has to go through it.

Ernie

ecdez · Post by **ecdez** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 6:56 am

I'm doing the same to mine, 1.8 that is. I will be running the water lines inside the car under a false floor on the passanger side. You can get rubber hose big enough but it will not be cheap or very flexible. I did the same conversion on my 914 and the hoses were over $100.

I believe the hose is 2.25". I read somewhere that using smaller water lines is actually better because it creates pressue in the line and forces the water to the radiator faster. I have never tried it, but I guess it sounds logical

. If you were to do that, you could use copper lines and that would be very easy to mold to the right shape of the heater channels.

Don't forget that the WCVW engine has a water outlet on the back of the head for the heater and it will interfere with the firewall unless you plan ahead. I cut my firewall out and moved the whole thing forward 4" to eliminate any problems. Also, if you plan on using a stock decklid, the cam gear, alternater pully, and carb/FI will be in the way so you'll have to cut holes for them to stick out or box them in. The rear apron will have to be clearanced as well.

I will be mounting the radiator where the spare tire should be. I havn't worked out the details out yet, but I believe I can get it to fit without looking too nasty.

Good luck, I would love to follow your project as it goes along.

The Sickness · Post by **The Sickness** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 4:07 pm

thanks for the help guys. appreciate it!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 5:03 pm

Another good site.

http://www.geocities.com/zenjoe/vw.html

Ernie

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 10:31 pm

have you looked into using the stock fiero ss tubing for the radiator? i am using then on my ghia. i am putting in a subaru ej20t with a 911 porsche 5-speed a fiero 6 cyl. radiator and after market cooling fan with a aluminum radiator enclosure.

vwrallycar · Post by **vwrallycar** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 4:45 am

hi i have a 1.8 GTI engine in the back of my beetle, and its a standard bug.
the radiator is mounted in the spare wheel well and i use 1 1/4" aluminium tube through the inside of the car
for some pics have a look here
http://www.aussieveedubbers.com/forum/v ... ?tid=20684
for any info just ask

The Sickness · Post by **The Sickness** » Mon Apr 19, 2004 10:55 am

Thanks a ton for the help everyone. That gives me a lot to work with. I'll be heading out to work on the 'ol girl this weekend and I'll see if I can snap some pic's of her.

vwrally car:
Do you notice the heat coming from those hoses inside the car?
I don't want to be baking my ass off ya know!
Those are some good pics too! Thanks

vwrallycar · Post by **vwrallycar** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 5:28 am

the water pipes through the car are insulated with foam which u buy from aircon or hot water places. they actually dont give off much heat. the biggest trouble i had was directing the hot air off the radiator away from the inside of the car

The Sickness · Post by **The Sickness** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 4:06 pm

vwrallycar wrote:the water pipes through the car are insulated with foam which u buy from aircon or hot water places. they actually dont give off much heat. the biggest trouble i had was directing the hot air off the radiator away from the inside of the car

have you got any pic's of the tubes running through the car?

how about pic's of the rad under the shroud?

If not don't worry about it.
Thanks again.....
Mike

vwrallycar · Post by **vwrallycar** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 4:02 am

there is a pic of the tubes in the car at the site posted above. sorry i dont have any pics of just the radiator without the covers. i just bought a radiator big enough to fit with the outlets where i thought they would be best situtated and added a 14" thermo fan to the rear of the radiator.
the tube i used for the water pipes is 1&1/4" aluminium tube which is 3/16" thick. both tubes are one piece through the car for safety and had them bent by the local exhaust shop

VRSICK · Post by **VRSICK** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 1:31 pm

vwrallycar: I like your setup!! A buddy of mine and I were just talking about the possibilities of fitting an 8vturbo in my 70 bug, and how possible it would be, and evenb found some pix of it being done, and looking VERY sweet! We then read on to see that in order for you to install this engine, and still close the deck lid, you have to cut into the firewall, and make all sorts of room for the alternator, etc. How much prep work did you personally go through to fit this engine in? Does that deck lid provide more room for the alt, pulleys, etc or is it more for looks? I'm stuck right now, between doing a wbx, or an 8v from a gti, and souping it up a bit (turbo work). Could you please give me some insight on what it would take to fit an 8v in my 70 bug?

The Sickness · Post by **The Sickness** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:33 pm

vwrallycar:
I could use some info as well.

I started in on my conversion this weekend. I drilled out the rear apron and inner metal inside the engine compartment but I had to stop there because of time restraints. Anyways, I'm going back to work on her this weekend and was hoping I could get the measurements of the cuts you made to the firewall. The body is off the pan so I have no idea where to start or stop with the cuts.
Thanks in advance!

Oh yeah...
To anybody wondering what rad to put in their car, I just happened to have a rad from an '83 Corolla 1.8 Auto laying around. Dropped it in the front apron and VOILA - fit PERFECTLY. It has a 90 degree upright elbow for the filler neck (passenger side) and a hose for the over-flow, electric fan (which I flipped over to force air through not pull it through) and 1.25 inch inlet and outlet both on the drivers side. A little bit of tin-work for the shroud and it'll be perfectly functional!
That's just my 2 cents.... Cheers

VRSICK · Post by **VRSICK** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 10:47 pm

BTW, how did, or how do, you support the engine? I think this engine may be hevier than the reagular 1600, I hipe not too much more!!! anyways, do you have the engine hanging from the tranny like the 1600, or is it re-enforced somehow? Thanx.

vwrallycar · Post by **vwrallycar** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:38 am

ok 1st of all VRSICK you do not have to remove any of the firewall in order to fit an 8v to a beetle, u will need to remove the rear apron and make it bolt on for later removal. i use the fiberglass tail on my car which was only slightly modified to clear the throttle body. the 8v golf motor is the way to go over the WBX as it produces more horsepower and is far cheaper for parts and rebuilds.
i did beat the firewall in a little to clear some temp sensors but depending on what u use there may b no need.
let me know ur email addresses guys and i will send some pics
cheers
Andrew