Hi 914 World,

I really need some help deciding what to do with my 2.0 engine. I bought the car a few years ago, and I didn't really get to enjoy it much before I started to run into trouble. The car would die at red lights, leaked more and more oil, and it had very high oil pressure at start up. I had a local Porsche shop do a leak down test and they said it needed to be rebuilt. I didn't want to hear that, so with the help of a neighbor(Bug guy) we removed the engine and tinkered. I replaced the oil pump, relocated the fuel pump, vented the valve cover to a catch can, replaced the distributor, and a few other items. I even replaced the old FI harness with a new one from a member here. I got the engine back in the car and it ran for about two miles before a nasty sort of boom. I was really proud of myself for the first mile and a half! I limped it home(still in the neighborhood), and it has been sitting for two years in my garage.

I am excited to finally have the funds to think about my options. I have considered all the swaps, but really would just like to have this engine torn down and rebuilt. I want to keep my costs under 10K. I would like to trailer the car to a shop and pick it up when completed. I really want to leave it all to an expert. I would certainly like more power than a stock engine, but I don't want to go crazy. Is my budget reasonable? Keep saving?

I live in northern Maryland so I am hoping to find a shop in the mid atlantic. I have contacted Air Cooled Racing online but have not gotten a reply yet. I know there is Tangerine Racing in Connecticut. It is a bit far, but not out of the question.
Should I contact some of the VW Bug shops I have found? I really am unclear on all the options of an engine build and how they relate to performance/reliability. Any recommendations on displacement, or engine configurations would sure give me a bit more confidence when I eventually talk to a mechanic. I did a lot of reading on here a few years ago when I first bought the car and then when I ran into trouble. However, I still feel a bit uneducated when discussing the mechanics of an engine. I own a car detailing business, and I love to talk about clay bars, polishes etc, but not so much the mechanics.

I would be happy to post a picture of the car because I love it, and I want to avoid the dudes with the signs. LOL
I could also list the details of the current engine if it is helpful. It was rebuilt around 2001, and only has about 15,000 miles on it.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to reply.

Black Forest Racing is in Denver, NC which is about 40 minutes north of Charlotte. Might be a 5-6 hour drive for you. John Forbes is very highly skilled at rebuilding 914 and 911 engines. A lot of members here can attest.
http://www.blackforestracing.com

If you don't mind shipping an engine, I'd consider Original Customs. Mark, the owner, goes by McMark here on the World. He has a 1911 and 2056 engine package that a lot of members here can attest to, and also won't break the bank. FWIW, he built my 2270 and it's a fantastic engine.
http://www.originalcustoms.com/engines.php

I think you are starting by doing the right thing. Soliciting information from others, and believe me there are plenty of very knowledgable people here.

I am not one of the experts by any stretch when it comes to motors. All I know is if it were mine, I would look at bumping it up to a 2056 at the most, and asking the shop about a cam that works well with the factory fuel injection. I think aside from the 2056 upgrade I would keep it as stock as possible, shooting for a small HP/torque bump with the trade off being reliability and longevity. I think your budget is very doable.

Please post pictures and read a bunch of the build threads, you will see the reputable builders on here all of the time. Hiring a shop to do the work is a challenge, you have to do your homework. Recommendations will come from others on this thread. The two above shops mentioned above are well respected and known in our community.

I had the 3.2 for my Six built by a great guy who is active on Pelican. I know he has been building 911 motors for about 40 years. I would assume he can and has built some Type 4 motor as well. He goes by Flat6Pak on Pelican and is regularly in the engine build section.

I was in almost exactly your situation and had Original Customs rebuild my original 2.0 engine. Building the engine up now and I can say the quality of effort on their part is superb. My problem now is I have to get everything else in the same kind of shape before the engine goes back in the car.

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And yes that did include repainting my 'clean room'...

I love getting my Fourteener Motoring. It keeps me motivated, and has some great resources in the articles and the ads. I know about Black Forrest Racing because of the magazine. I have not contacted them yet as they are a bit far, but not out of the question. I have been to the Original Customs webpage many times, and I know that is a possible option.

Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

I grew up in Severna Park and use to work for Joe Langlois of Best Foreign Car. He's ok, but a bit of a character, but has been doing this kind of work for 40 years or more. I'm guessing Peek Performance is gone as I can't seem to find them listed anywhere.

That being said, I think the $5K motor by Mark at Original Customs is the best you are gonna get outside of doing it yourself.

Thanks
I have read about him while searching for VW shops and he gets some mixed reviews. LOL

Nice looking car.

real Minilite's? 15 x 6?

on the engine, knowing how I have let my car sit for a long time, I would try to locate a cheap running engine and get your car on the road.
All the while looking for the shop that will build your fresh engine, once they have finished you can drive over let them do the swap and final tuning .
Then turn around and sell the motor you have been using for probably the same amount as it will still be a proven runner.

Thanks.

Yup. I love those wheels. My wife is a bit discomforted when the back rubs occasionally!

I had mixed reviews working for him! I think if you know what you are "working with" going into it he can do great work. Granted I stopped working for him probably in 1989...

-Aaron

Always nice to have options, so if you are willing to ship, in addition to the other good shops mentioned above, here is another worthy shop: Fat Performance - http://fatperformance.com/home/

Then throw an engine install party - plenty of us within an hour or three of you - a little beer and pizza, or is a it a lot of beer and pizza draws us out to help out...

Good luck, and BTW, nice looking car.

Thanks. The responses so far have made me really glad I finally decided to post about my predicament, and yours especially! I have visited the fat performance site a few times too. I think my concern here is the money spent on shipping both for the engine and the core parts could be utilized at a more local shop getting me more horsepower or a more comprehensive build(turnkey).

I must admit that corralling some local forces to install a new engine in my garage provides some comfort if I go that route.

What I've gathered over my relatively brief time with 914's, but listening to others with lots of experience, is that builder knowledge of air-cooled engines, particularly Type IV's, is critical. The few hundred bucks you may save in shipping won't make a difference in HP and could cost you big in the long run (or even short run). Spend the money necessary get it to a quality shop. It will give you peace of mind while you own it and also help with resell if/when you do sell.


I'd be up for a trip to Towson. My wife's from there and I know the area well. Glad to help if/when the party happens

Thanks for all of the good advice. It looks like I might be pulling the engine myself again.

I believe Chris from Tangerine still has a 2.0L for sale that's ready to go if you decide to go that route. Might be a good idea since you're not that far, to go up there and pick it up, install and then build out your original engine. This will buy you time and allow you to think about what your options are. Your car looks nice and should have a well thought out stroker.
My 2 cents...

Joe

Thanks Joe. What is involved in building a well thought out stroker? What are the costs? Does this mean building an engine of higher displacement combined with a longer stroke for the pistons? Are the Raby engines considered strokers?

That car is really hot!

LOL Thanks. It is all dusty sitting in the garage. Seeing those sunny pictures makes me want to get out there and clean it up a bit.

We just finished working on a '75 from VA, west of DC. It's still here until next Friday. While here it received rust repair, engine work, assorted electrical work, and a new muffler.
The owner is swapping it for his other 914, V8 powered, to have us do some work on that one too.
Another late model from Baltimore is supposed to be on the way here soon. Also for some rust repair and assorted mechanical work.
Last fall we assembled a 2056 (all parts supplied) and installed it in a car that went home to coastal NC.

I do still have the 2.0 which Joeproper mentioned.

I will contact you through your website Chris.

Thanks

Hi, I would recommend SSI Motorsports in Towson. Ask for Sloan, he has a crew of about 4 guys that are excellent. They do mostly Porsche both air and liquid cooled engines and race prep. Looks like they will be very close to you geographically and are fair with pricing and honest.

Thanks. SSI is just a mile away from me, and they did the leak down test. I want to go to a 914 specialist. They were great, and I would consider them if I were doing a six conversion. Sloan told me he used to own a 914 and had done a 6 conversion at the shop a few years prior.

I'm the customer from NC and I couldn't be happier with my decision to take my car to Chris. It runs great and is a blast to drive!

I concur with BeatNavy that it is money well spent shipping an engine which should only be a few hundred each way.

I too would be willing to drive up and lend a hand.

As for Fat Performance, I have about 600 miles on one of their 2258's so I haven't worked it hard yet. From what I have seen so far it is very nice improvement over my 2056, which also was a nice improvement over my stock 2.0. But I don't have a desire to do a six conversion, I think the 2258 is a great match for the car for spirited street driving w/o getting carried away, but I'd be interested in some gear swapping to make the tranny a better match for the added power.

So if you are going to spend the money, you might want to consider bumping up, especially a 2056 as they are reliable and doesn't add much to build cost.

Thanks for the input and all the offers to lend a hand. What a great resource. After two years of sitting, this car needs to get moving again.

It is funny how life works. I did contact Chris at Tangerine, and we talked about my options for getting the car back on the road. It just so happens that there is another, new, 914 owner in Baltimore wanting to get his car up to Chris for some work as well. This gentleman contacted me and to my surprise, he lives just a few miles from me. We are going to be shipping our cars together, at a nice savings, and getting them up to Connecticut this week! Now this is great news! I will be driving this summer and I have a new 914 buddy right around the corner!

The car arrived home after some time at Tangerine Racing! Chris found that my engine had broken rings, a broken lifter and a broken piston. We opted to swap the engine with a 2.0 unrebuilt engine he had at the shop. In addition to the engine replacement we replaced the starter, and fuel pump. New SS fuel lines were added as well as a parking break. Also, rust repair in the driver's side long and in the jamb. New tangerine silencer mated to my kerry hunter headers. Plus a bunch of smaller items. The car runs really well, and doesn't leak oil! It is great having this car work properly after nearly 5 years sitting in my garage.

Well THAT wasn't much of an install party

Seriously, congratulations. Just in time for fantastic Mid Atlantic driving weather (you know - not too hot, not too cold, not too wet, not too humid, not too, er, pollen-y...)

Wow - I didn't realize there were so many 914 owners in central Maryland (I'm in Howard county). We need to hook up for a drive! Any of you going to Hershey?

Just picked up mine today from Autotherapy for suspension rework and major service. It was my first experience with them and so far very good. Roger has significant aircoooled experience and I found him to be a great guy to work with. They're in Gaithersburg, MD.

I also intend to have my 2.0 rebuilt to 2056 along with a trans rebuild. Its not really necessary as the engine runs great but trans leaks badly so I'll likely address together.

Congrats on getting your car back together ChristopherB

Congratulations and enjoy driving your 914. You made a good decision.

Thanks! I am so glad I sent the car up to Chris as he did all types of repairs other than installing the new engine. My car was shifting poorly into 1st and second. I thought the trans would need service work, but that wasn't the case at all. A proper repair of the clutch tube with a new cable has my car shifting perfectly!

I will not be able to go to Hershey due to a cub scout event. We are spending the night on the Coast Guard ship USCGC Taney which should be pretty cool. It is good to know about Autotherapy.

Thanks

Thanks! I did indeed. It really was a matter of funds, but I really was hoping to find a local shop. However, I am glad I shipped my car up to Chris. It is running, shifting and driving really well. The weather is perfect and I am loving it.

Yeah no party except for that big smile on my face!