ShopTalk Forums | Aircooled VW Tech & Restoration Help

I am putting a 2.1 wasserboxer from a vanagon into a 71 Superbeetle, the transmission mounts up to the 210MM flywheel perfectly. All of the plumbing is from a 1.9 Wasserboxer. I ran the hoses under the car with a protective skid plate covering them. I used the vanagon radiator for water capacity, cost (came with donor vanagon), and working fan motor with thermostatically controlled switch. I mounted it up front by cutting louvres in the spare tire section of the bug. I looked at using a Standard bug for this project and found the radiator problem substantial.
Mid America Motor Works sells a grilled front standard beetle apron that can be weled in, then place the radiator in the spare tire holder, seal the radiator from behind and have the air flow out thru the steering box holes.
As for using the Suburu motor, yes thats an excellent choice, YOU MUST purchase the adapter kit, I would suggest carbs over fuel injection and placing the radiator in the front.
See pictures at www.thesamba.com search Gallery with WASSERBOXER

Myron wrote:As for using the Suburu motor, yes thats an excellent choice, YOU MUST purchase the adapter kit, I would suggest carbs over fuel injection and placing the radiator in the front.

Why would you suggest taking such a hudge step in the wrong direction? If you are willing to put the time into the swap, take a couple extra days for the wiring and do it right!

~Josh

double post....

The only watercooled engine I would put in a VW is a Wasserboxer. For a baja, however, I would choose the Subaru just because it has such a big offroad aftermarket. You could get decent performance from the wasser, without spending too much money on it. Personally, though, I like aircooled engines much better. I thought about putting a watercooled engine in my rail, but the disadvantages far outweighed the advantages. But since this is the engine conversions forum, I won't elaborate...


Daniel

railbuggyman03 wrote:The only watercooled engine I would put in a VW is a Wasserboxer. For a baja, however, I would choose the Subaru just because it has such a big offroad aftermarket. You could get decent performance from the wasser, without spending too much money on it. Personally, though, I like aircooled engines much better. I thought about putting a watercooled engine in my rail, but the disadvantages far outweighed the advantages. But since this is the engine conversions forum, I won't elaborate...


Daniel

Why do you bother posting something like this in the conversion pervserions section? They are asking about a Suby conversion...NOT FOR YOUR OPINION!!!! You can very easily make twice what a Wasser can put out with a turbo suby, and be more reliable!

if you go through the trouble of converting to watercooled, why not just get the adapter and misc for a subaru instead of spending hundreds on getting performance out of a watercooled type 1 engine? in the end, the heads are still going to limit you.

carbing a subaru is a bad idea, i agree with yllwveedub that if you are going through the hassle of this conversion, stick with fuel injection, it would be undoubtedly more efficient and more powerful.

I would think you could turbo a wasser as well...My main reasoning would be that you could put a wasser in a bug without cutting as much of the body. It also bolts right up to the tranny, so no adapter is needed. A lot of the parts are also Type 1, and so they wouldn't be really expensive.

Daniel

by the time you spend the money to turbo a wasser, youd have more into it than the cost of a subaru. the adapter is a one time buy thing.

railbuggyman03 wrote:I would think you could turbo a wasser as well...My main reasoning would be that you could put a wasser in a bug without cutting as much of the body. It also bolts right up to the tranny, so no adapter is needed. A lot of the parts are also Type 1, and so they wouldn't be really expensive.

If you go with the ej22t the only cutting in the back of the car that has to be done is a small amount of clearencing of the fire wall for the turbo (could be very minimal if you wished). that is nothing compaired to what you HAVE to do to the front og the car with either engine. If you think you could make the same power out of a wasser as a suby with the same money (including the adapter for the ost of the suby) you are very sadly mistaken. With investing <$1000 I am very confindent I can put 300 to the wheels, how do you plan on doing that with a wasser for < $1500??

So the ej22 is narrower than the ej25? That means easier fit, right? What do you have to cut? The firewall for the turbo, and side panels and fenders for the timing covers? I guess what Im asking is, what is the best fit of the Subys?

man the purists just need to let it go and accept that the newer engines are more powerful for less money and far far more reliable, thats why alot of people convert, they are tired of monkeying with the shizzel of carbed technology, I know I am. by the way there is no such thing as a performance wasserboxer, waterboxer, whatereverboxer, unless you got alot of cheese to spend, but then again you could have just turboed a 1915 type 1 engine. The reason for me doing my swap was for power and $$$, I am cheap that why I have a bug-baja. Now I am more concerned with NOT dealing with engine issues so I am going from rotary to nissan v6 power.

Urban,

Talk to Smallcar.com/checkout the website - they offer the conversion bits to put the Sube motor into the Vanagon - they also offer wiring instruction/info kits on what ECM wires to keep & which to ditch -

I'm slowly putting together a Manx-style dunebuggy (actually, it's a Safari buggy body) on a shortened Beetle pan & will be running a 6 rib Bus trans with a normally aspirated 1998 Subaru 2.5 DOHC engine. I purchased the engine adaptor plate/flywheel/header/engine mount/accelerator cable/etc from Brian @ Small Car - nice people!

FWIW,

Bryan in NC