Greetings,
I'm new to the 914's so please forgive my ignorance.
I have a 1972 1.7 with dual carbs (weber 34) that is slowly giving up the ghost. I'm going to keep driving it until it quits or I find a replacement motor. I'm trying to figure out what my best and cheapest option is to put a good and solid running engine in my 914. Yes, more power would be awesome, but just a working motor would be great too.
What I was thinking I would like to find is a decent and solid running engine that someone has removed from their car for whatever reason.
-What are my plain stock options? 1.7 1.8 2.0 ?
--Can all my 1.7 components switch over into a 1.8 or 2.0 or would I have to get some different items like bigger carbs or a different distributor?
-What kind of fair price can I expect to pay for a fairly complete and running motor?
-What could I expect to pay for a rebuild if I went with that option?
-Can I just use any type 4 engine (say from a VW whatever) and switch all my tins and components over, or are they set up differently for the 914?

I'm looking for all opinions or what you would think you would do so I can look at every angle here. Any guidance in the right direction or ideas would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Sam

1st... find out what's wrong with your 1.7... maybe you just need rings, or the heads freshened, or something simple as timing... what is it doing? low compression? back fire?


depends, but I have been in your shoes, and I can honestly say unless you hear it running and can do a compression test, a used motor is a CORE and should be priced and treated as such. for that reason, I recommend 1 of 2 routes... that you can be safe on... a raby kit(you build your own engine) IIRC the prices are starting around 4k. or get an original customs 2056 longblock and be done... 125hp for 5k and you are done. you aren't in Texas so I don't know who near you would be trustworthy to rebuild, as a 3rd option, but maybe someone here does know someone.



72+ BUS engines are a low-compression version, and will work, but not great.


depends on what's wrong with the 1.7, but yea, you can use the heads and even the 34icts on a 1.8, 34s are too small for a 2.0 the crank on a 1.7 is the same as the 1.8. distributor? depends on what you have, a stock djet or ljet carb will work fine, a 009 or 050 isn't optimum, but will work in a pinch (pm if you need a 009, I have 2 with pertronix installed) but basically all the dizzys will work. anything more than the 1.8 will probably want new carbs, or you will want it to have 100% of all the FI parts in working order to swap back to FI.



depends on the shop, but if you want to DIY, then raby's kit is a good deal if you aren't familiar with these engines. if you've rebuilt type 1s and type 4s before...

it's been my experience with these cars is it's usually cheaper in the long run to do it right the first time, that said, you might find a good running 1.7 or 1.8 that someone is ready to pull close to you for under 1000, and that would be a wise choice if you aren't ready to drop several grand...

good luck on the search!!

Thanks for the reply and all the info. My 1.7 has a few issues and has some internal knocking or clacking noises. Smokes real bad at 4K. I've checked everything I can and think the motor needs to come out to truly know what's wrong inside.

What do you think a 2.0 should run price wise if it's the situation is like you say?
Motor was removed and was supposedly running type thing. No info on compression and Complete minus the fuel injection.


I'd love to go the pro kit or rebuild route, but I just can't stomach those prices. I'm sure it's worth it though.
I'm going to try and keep this project under or around 1000$, if possible.

For under $1,000 your best bet is another 1.7. Getting a decent 2.0 for that price is a long shot. If you want to be a true 914 owner, you put that thing up on jack stands for a few years while you rebuild the 1.7 you got. You would be able to increase the displacement to 2.0 that way and keep the same heads and even carbs, maybe replace the cam while you are in there.

I know the Cali guys have a place called EASY that has verified running engines for your budget, but they are used... so they may last forever, or die soon.

smoking and knocking is NOT good... that sound could be a dropped valve clanking around... you'll have to tear it apart to see...

bare minumum, you might find a shop to re-seat the heads if they are in good shape, new rings if the pistons are good/ in spec, and you might be ok for a while with this top-end refresh...

if you have to split the case you could be in for a lot more...

if there are any places local to you that are like EASY, you might get a running engine for less, or EASY may even get you one there with shipping near 1000. I'm not sure.

if there's a local shop to you that specializes in these cars, they may have more options. I would want to buy local if possible, with a shipped engine/kit for a respected member being a close second

local you can hear an engine run and get a compression(and leakdown) test.

Yah, that is an option, but I don't want another lump of metal sitting in my garage while I struggle through bouts of laziness. I just did that with another car and I would like to drive this one. I would like to take the motor that's in it apart just to see what went wrong and to learn a bit more about rebuilding. I'd just like to have a working car while I do it.
I want to eat the whole cake.

haven't you heard? the cake is a lie!

I'll try and figure out if there's a place up here like the EASY one in CA. Maybe someone local can chime in and let me in on the knowledge.
There is a member selling a 2.0 and some carbs, but it's a long drive from where I'm at. Probably cheaper to ship it. But it again has the unknown factor to condition and it might have it's own issues. It would be nice to put a bigger motor in though.

Best option IMO would be to get your hands on an engine from A car you know is good (someone Doing a six conversion or having just completed a rebuild/upgrade) swap with your engine and put yours on the bench.

Take it apart, find out what was wrong and then rebuilt it into a 2270 monster. Dump those single barrel carbs and get a pair of 44s. By the time you have rebuilt this engine you'll be massively competant enough to do the swap again.

Sell the engine you bought as a stopgap, go by a crate of beer, pull up a chair in the garage and marvel at your new 160bhp fourteener.

I agree. It sure would be fun to have a monster engine in one of these cars.
If I do find a motor to hold me over, I'm going to definitely take this one apart and see what went wrong. For Science.

Well I have been reading your various posts and all the various suggestions others have given you (every day) for awhile now...IF you think you can balance your carbs with a piece of garden hose up to your ear...well ...you are deluding yourself. I recommended that you check your spark plugs. one was oil covered and fouled, pretty old I think. I recommended that you REPLACE the spark plug wires..(and gave reasons). YOU chose to "fix" the end that came loose., I suggested that you NOT DRIVE THE CAR..until the fouled plug was firing...YOU drove the car...making a POSSABLE.....easy and cost effective ,repair solution...slightly more complicated. There was a missing bolt of some sort in the Carburator linkage somewhere(stripped). That is still not fixed. So your not going to spend any money or a little time toward solving your present engine problem. So now your solution is to replace it ...for under 1000.00.?..The reality is that Porsches are just not the right car..for some car guys.

Hey, Thanks so much for the kind words!
If you read and see, I wrote that I checked the plugs and I bought new plugs and set the gap and replaced them. I checked to make sure the wires were making the spark. This was all done. I checked and made sure I had spark. I then checked it all again. The wire was my fault for pulling the end off of it. It was a simple fix.
I got the carbs as close as I could with the tools I have at the time. I actually have them running better than they were. The carbs should be rebuilt and repaired. I know this.
I've been trying to do all of the suggestions people have made. I also have other things going on in my life besides a 914.
I drove it after getting it running better because I can and it's my car. I don't really give a flying camel poop if my engine blows up, because I know I can get another motor and replace it. (Well, I care a little bit.)
I've come to the conclusion A couple little tune up items isn't going to fix this problem. If you were here with the car driving it and listening to it you would probably realize this too. I'm trying to be rational with the amount of money and time I spend working on a broken motor. If I thought a little time and money would fix this issue, I would not have a problem spending said time and money.
I could sit here and throw $50 dollar bills at my couple hundred dollar motor and just keep replacing working tune up parts hoping it would one day make the horrible noises inside go away and it would just decide to stop hemorrhaging oil everywhere and burning it too.
OR I could cut my losses right now and put that money into a better motor and realize this isn't going to be a simple little fix. And I could take this motor apart and learn a little more about it. Sometimes, it doesn't make sense to put more money into a car than that car is worth. I'm still going to come out fine because I didn't pay a lot for the car.

I'm so sorry to have offended you. Sorry to have bothered you. I will go sell my Porsche right now because I don't rate with you.
I'm not actually sorry, I was just saying that.

GO EAT SOME MORE POPCORN.

Your in the PNW right? An engine is a complicated system in which alot of things need to be close to make the engine run at least close to correct. I have been offline a bunch lately and if you have had prior troubleshooting posts, well I haven't read em. There is a wealth of knowledge near you in the PNW.
Rather than dropping in a new(used) engine and thinking that will fix the problem. Take a step away and take the advice that the rest of us have spent cumulative thousands to learn.
You need a thourough tune-up first. It won't cost you more than some simple parts. Say less than a hundred dollars and a weekend. Worst case reuse the tuneup parts on a rebuilt motor or whatever.
Until said thourough tuneup is complete noone is in a position to judge whether or not you even need a rebuild.
Still stuck, take it to a GOOD garage. Those of us from the area can pointyou to one.

Hi. I appreciate ALL the help and advice I've been given. I've only had a 914 for a couple of months and I know I'm green with these cars. I've had many cars over the years and I'm getting better with my skills and understanding of how they work. I have much to learn still for sure and many more tools to buy. I will however, stick up for myself when somebody wants to accuse me before they have all of their facts straight.

I agree, Tune ups are a good thing and necessary when it will help your situation. I'm in a situation of my ignition parts are working and I have other problems that I won't be able to fix with the engine in the car. I have compressions of #1=85 #2=90 #3=74 #4=92 and I have some internal noises that don't sound promising at all. Plus the engine likes a diet of oil. I believe it's time for the motor to come out and taken apart so I can try to figure out what went wrong inside to make the horrible noises. I'd like to Learn a bit about it and see if it's worth rebuilding or not. Maybe build it up to something better than stock specs.

I'm new to these cars and the market, and I was just trying to get a little more information and advice on my engine options/possibilities and try to see what I should expect to pay for a decent running motor so I don't get ripped off. Maybe upgrade while the time is right? I'd like to have a running car while this motor is out of the car. I'm not looking for a quick fix.
Thanks for your help, Sam