I see all these posts about putting in different engines into 914s i.e. big 4's, 911s, Subarus, Chevy V8s, but why not something like a Honda VTEC 4-cyl from a Civic or Integra? High-revving, powerful (for a small car), and Honda reliable.

...just curious.

Honda's engines turn backwards...But hey you could kick rice butt in reverse.

Mark, you could mate it to a 930. and turbo charge it... with nos.

500hp vtec...

I like the sound of that! "Powered by honda"


(sticker was found on my car when I bought it. promptly removed)

lol

Or just use a 901 from a 911!

I keep hearing rumors of someone trying to slot in an S2000 engine, which spins the correct direction. KEP makes an adapter for it.

Most non-V8/Soob/911 swaps are one-offs someone took a lot of time and effort to engineer. If I were going to bother myself to do all that work, I'd use a V6 of some sort, which is going to have a lot more torque than any of Honda's fours, and will have a nicer sound, as well. A V6 would probably fit better, too.

Basically, beyond the problem of the engine spinning the wrong way, 200-ish hp is simply not enough to make up for the huge amount of work to engineer mounts, an exhaust, gearbox adapter, etc. Not when I can get 200hp by using a Subaru engine (plenty cheap and reliable) and buy the conversion parts off the shelf.

Thanks James. Which Subaru engine is typically used?

The EJ25 seems to be the most popular, but I know of others. They're all pretty similar in terms of swapping, as the mounts are more or less in the same place. The EJ25 is commonly available, and makes about 170hp with no turbo, and makes anywhere from 250-300hp with one, depending on the exact state of tune.

Another issue is oiling. Most of the Honda 4-bangers are designed to work in a transverse orientation. The others, V8's, 911 sixes, Scoobies, are all longitudinaly oriented. Probably not be a problem for casual driving around, but take a few turns too hard, for too long, and you could easilly starve the motor of oil, and well... I think you can figure out the rest...

Not that it's an insurmountable problem. Nothing the sufficient application of cash can't solve. Like a redesigned sump baffle or even a dry sump system.

The S2000 motor is a nice idea. But is a torqueless wonder at low rpms. Wicked once it spools up though.

-Josh2

I've been thinking a lot, these last weeks, about a diesel conversion. Anyone ever done one. I would think a TDI be nice, some are up aroun 120+hp with 170fp of torque, and 45mpg in a car that weights 3000lbs. Though you'd have the same transverse engine problems as the Honda plant.
Or maybe a turbo diesel from an old Benz.
That had 120 horses and got close to 30mpg in a 4000lbs tank. I would think this would be an easy(relative) swap, if it fits. Longitudinaly oriented, and all mechanicaly run, once mounted, you'd just have to wire up the starter, glowplug box, and the vacuum cutoff. Plus you could smoke out everyone at the track, literaly

You CAN simply swap over the complete transverse engine setup, transaxle and all, and keep the engine transverse. There's more than adequate width in the 914 engine bay for this. The difficulty will be getting it all to fit with the rear trunk intact and the engine not moved so far forward that the driveshafts are at an acute angle.

This also means even more work on designing mounts, as well as a new shift linkage, and adapting the donor halfshafts to the 914 outer CVs/hubs.

How about something from a diesel Pass-it (Passat)? I think that one has a longitudinal drivetrain.

--DD

There is a member here who put a honda v6 3.5L into his 914. If you figure out who he is (I don't remember the name) he may share pictures. When I talked to him he was planning on marketing a kit so I promised I wouldn't post the pictures he sent me of it.

it's a V6 engine, how novel or different could the mounting be compared to the chevy or buick v6's???

as for the Honda 4 bangers, their newest generation motors turn the "correct" direction....as for reasons you don't see them, is that like mentioned above for the cost to hp ratio a conversion does not favor the Honda motor...yes, I know you can get gobs of power out of them, but it's not cheap...there are also no kits for a direct bolt in and I'm guessing the 2 or 3 people out there that would consider such a swap would need a kit...if you don't need a kit, then you don't have to ask how to do it, you'd just do it....

Duh.......get it right would ya.....It's pronounced "Piss-ant"

I'm sure any of the TDI engies would fit, similar dimensions to the 1.8t or 2.0. They are very torquey at low rpms and surprisingly fun to drive. The newer ones that is. The older ones with 50 or so hp are pretty noisy, but still very economic with MPG around 50.

Early 80s MB diesels are 5 cylinders in-line and are long and heavy. I think you would have a very difficult time making it fit - I would even go as far to say that it flat out is too long.

I have already been looking to add another 914 to the garage. My first thought was swapping in the Audi 2.5L TDI they have over here.

Serious power and still over 35MPG. Could even work with the Audi 2WD transmission.