Hey folks.

I am thinking about taking the well tuned EFI 2056 out of my 914 and putting it into the '72 bay-window Westy bus I bought a few weeks ago.

A bigger TIV will go into the 914.

Though I have not mentioned my plan at the Samba - the few people that post in the bay window forum there seem to have a dim view of the TIV in a bus.

My engine has 1.7 heads with 2.0 valves, a compression ratio just a smidge tighter then stock (8.6:1 IIRC), Raby cam based off the Web494 grind, and is running on Microsquirt injection. This engine is putting down 127 at the wheels of my 914, according to a dyno run a few years ago - but there have been changes since in exhaust and LOTS of tuning. In my car it will run at 80+ all day long with the heads staying around 350 on the freeway pulling hills. On very hot days pulling the long PA hills it will approach 370 after the engine heat soaks, and I have to back it down to somewhat more legal speeds.

Will a bus kill this engine? IIRC the camper special had a good bit less power then my engine, but I don't recall what that combo was - or even if it was a 2056.

The bus needs to stay air cooled, so putting a suby in it is not an option at this time. Corviar is an option, but I want to retain the manual so I'd need the reverse rotation cam for the corvair. And keeping the stock 1700 is an option too.

Zach

Many moons ago back in a land called Germany, i put a 2.0L D-Jet T4 into a '74 bus.
That thing was so much fun to drive!

Now granted, i never used the bus to actually haul around much, nor did i keep the engine in there for more than about a year, so i can't speak to any long-term issues. But while it was in there it was a blast.


PS: I moved that engine into my '74 super beetle, where it was even more funner to drive.

It will be fine, I would suggest a head temp gauge and if you're planning to drive it hard I would full flow it and add a T-stat and cooler. Make sure all the tinware and seal is in place.

I ran my '78 2.0 Westy hard for years, often 12+ hours at a time. I had a 12' trailer and would bring home a southern VW bug and parts home to Canada on it a couple times a year.

Who cares what those fossils on the Samba think! Sounds like a perfect application to me.

I have a Camper Special in my 77 Westy and CHT's are in the 350-400 F range even on hot 100F days. Finally added a Seatrab 12x12" oil cooler w/fan under the aux battery tray to beat high oil temps on those long mountain passes. Now I am at 180-220F all the damn time so driving is a breeze. CR is only 7.6 to 1.

But I am going to sell it as I picked up a 87 Vanagon Syncro to replace it.

Whoa ..what?

Also put a 914 motor in a '72 Westfalia a long time ago. It was a carburated 1.7 liter.

IIRC the difference was about 20+% on the horsepower, can't remember or didn't know the torque difference. Even with the same displacement it was noticeable. Did not have heating problems even in Arizona summers. A different cam might be better, but if you're not tearing the motor apart, just put it in and drive it.

Had to check and add oil through the hatch which wasn't so bad. I believe the clutch on the bus is slightly smaller, so you might want the 914 clutch if it fits inside the transmission. The pilot bearing goes in the flywheel versus the crank on the bus so make sure it's where it belongs depending on which way you go.

Cool project and best wishes!

I would replace the engine to body rubber seals to aid with cooling. Probably wouldn’t hurt to add a supplemental oil cooler too. Heat is a huge enemy of bus engines.

Great idea,should go really well,as mentioned keep it well sealed from lower engine heat and fit a temp gauge, I used to drive my 72 by my oil temp gauge when living in Australia,did 15,000kms in that van ,I used to check/reset the valves fairly often and do plenty of oil changes really think that helped engine life .
If a T4 engine in a van is well looked after it will out live a T1 motor hands down due to not working so hard hauling all that weight.
I don't know if the OP had an engine in it when purchased if not you need the correct tinware for the T4 bus powered bus which will need to be fitted to the 914 T4 motor.

the engine in the bus right now is the 1700 stock motor. So it has a TIV as stock. I'd need to pull the motor out of the 914, put all the tins on it and put it back in the bus.

I'm considering one of Eric's turnkey fuel injected engines for the 914, so my 2056 would be surplus. It would get setrab aux oil coolers with a fan pack, and a dakota digital head temp for sure in the bus (just like I have in the 914). Depending on the needs of Erics engine, I'd probably just take the Setrab coolers I have out of my 914 with the engine and put them right on to the bus.

And then drive around in my microsquirt fuel injected bus.

@Eric_Shea

Zach

I have plans to do the same to my bus.

Busses were all TIV from '72 to '83. Lots of T4 guys in the Baywindow forums over there.

I have a FAT Performance 2056 in my '73 Westfalia. It runs and drives great, runs out of 4th gear though. That will keep you from running a bus at 80mph all day. You probably shouldn't go that fast in a bus anyway...

Engine was originally built for a Sebring Kit Car on VW chassis by it's PO. I wasn't really sure how it would work out in the much heavier bus but it's been just fine going on two years now. Running dual Weber 40idf, I have an oil cooler kit sitting in the garage, just haven't gotten around to installing it yet.

Pics of the remote oil cooler setup

How I ran the lines behind the fan housing with the sandwich adapter

Those are really nice oil line! What size and where did you get them?!

Sorry Zach, Thread HIGHJACK

I place in Seattle that used to be called “Fittings NW” but they got bought and changed their name. They are 13mm inside diameter high heat lines with SS ends. $50 each to have made,ouch!

looks like some sort of AN banjo fitting. I like it. I have the same sandwich adapter on my engine now using AN fittings and lines I made. Would not be too much to change to some sort of AN banjo assuming I could find them. That looks very doable.

Zach