914 1.7 to a 2.0 (VW), 914 1.7 to a 2.0 (VW) Options

[PTP]

Hello All!

I'm new to this forum as I have recently bought a 1970, 1.7L, 914. The engine needs quite a bit of work and I'm considering to replace it by a 2.0, from a vintage VW.

Would you say that such engine would work/fit in the 914? Are they visually alike? Would there be the need of a great adaption in the car?

Thank you in advance!

[Dave_Darling]

As far as I know, the only stock 2-liter aircooled VW motors were used in late Buses. They ran very low compression and aren't much fun in a 914. They also had heads with small valve sizes, suitable for low-RPM torque but not for power.

The Bus used a different oil filler and dipstick than the 914. You have to relocate, likely to the stock 914 location, and block off the hole where the funnel for the Bus parts go. Some of the later Bus cases need to have the top of the breather chimney opened up so that the 914-type oil filler can be fitted. The exhaust ports on some of the late Bus heads were a different shape ("square port"), so you would need to fabricate adaptors for the heat exchangers to fit at all.

That said, a Bus crankcase, together with the crankshaft and rods, can be a good basis for a 2-liter 914 engine. Probably easier to use the 2-liter crank and rods in the 914 case, though, if you have both.

--DD