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1600 single port performance upgrade?

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jvans5434 Casual Dubber

31 posts · joined May 2010 ·

#783140
howdy all! I'm an aussie vee dubber virgin, so here goes...
my first time!


I bought an 1972 microbus - ex military that took me pretty much right the way around australia! Am restoring the bus, paint and panel etc. And now have come to the engine.

It is a 1600 upright single port with a dinky carb, non original, part numbers suggest it came from a karmann or a beetle.

It was very pokey... So i am just after your thoughts on what i can do to this engine to give it a bit of street cred. (although it is a kombi)

Of course I'm on a budget which is limiting, (if i wasn't I'd do one of those chirco or wolfburg west 2332 kits with the lot)

What do I do? Larger exhaust, dual port heads w/ dual carbs?

I saw a single port on youtube that was nuts! how do i do that?

I also have a set of triple su's, but i have never seen them on a vw engine - have you?

Also, a vee dub mechanice told me to have a millimeter taken off the heads, - what would that do? And what other adjustments would i have to make?

71-BEETLE-SEDAN AKA Josh

1,058 posts · joined Mar 2009 ·

#783145
Hey mate, a while back someone was talking bout sus on a bug. But sundays are slower days on here. Espescially this early in the morning.

But im sure someone will be on soon enought that can help you out.

Also where are you in the worldcause it might help to go speak to some vw shops near you.

jvans5434 Casual Dubber

31 posts · joined May 2010 ·

#783156
i'm 3 hrs north of adelaide. I know most vw shops in adelaide, but alot of them have stopped carrying aircooled parts 🙁 I'm pretty much reliant on mail order. I am a buyer of vwma, and know pretty much all of the australian suppliers online. You reckon they'd know best eh?

t1 time Slammed & Awesome Dubber

83 posts · joined Oct 2009 ·

#783164
do you have a link to that youtube vid of the singleport thats nuts.

bajachris88 The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 6

6,661 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#783223
Taking a mm off the heads will increase your compression ratio a little. That will help.

If you go from single port to dual port, you will loose bottom end torque.

But would have better top end if go dual port heads, polish the ports, with dual weber 36 IDFs or something. These carbs are overkill but can be jetted small enough. having such carbs will allow for future use on larger bore/stroke donks too so it allows upgrade flexibility in the future. however, they are exy though. what budget constraints are we talking?

for the very cheap alternative (talking less than $400 if you shop around):

better yet, stock bits wise you could get 2 x stock twin port heads, polish em, get a stock dual carb type 3 setup with hi-flow filters / velocity stacks (again, won't make much difference with stacks but helps where eva can right?) and do a wtb for a second hand extractor system (cheap, might need a wire wheel and some zorst paint for rust).

if i remember right, the single port 1600's pushed out 55hp? and the dual port twin carb 1600s did 65? with the zorst, might get extra 5%, like 2 or 3 hp. again, too large a zorst, the more you will loose your bottom end. If you got the head shaved a fraction, i rekon you could reach 70hp at the flywheel. You would want to run hi-octane / premium then though.
(ô_!_/ô) (ô_!_/ô)
69' baja: kombi box, thing spindles, irs, disc front, type 3 rear drums, 2 inch lift kit, 31x10 rears. 👍
New engine in process: 94mm p&bs, 74mm C/w chomol Crank, 35.5x39 SP heads, turbo. Wierd combo, hopeful torque monsta!

jsheppard64 Officially Full-On Dubber

323 posts · joined Mar 2008 ·

#783254
hey I have a single su on my beetle
very iffy to tune and finding the right needle

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#783269
Do you want to split the case or do top end??
Is it a reliable around Australia bus or a week end warrior??

A 1600 with dual webers on a set of twin port heads with a half decent exhaust and a mild cam will give it some poke

Something stockish (heavy walled pistons) with deep breaths (webers or Dellortos), decent innards (mild cam) and a big bum (fully merged exhaust)

But................

A 1972 MAY be a model that can take a Type 4 motor??
Adding a 2.0 L or a 1.8L will give it a BAG of torque which is what a bus needs

A "chirco or wolfburg west 2332" aint gunna be all that reliable in a heavy bus
What you are looking for is low down grunt
Futue te ipsum!!!

wiseoldub Fahrvergnugen

925 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·

#783416
last time I looked into this , I ended up with a 40 dcn weber on a custom made manifold for a single port motor. This cost me around $350 and matched with a good $50 set of second hand extractors, I ended up with a nice little growl in a reliable fuel efficient ride. I personally like single port motors as I find them maintenance friendly and torquey!
I can have a dig around my shed and see if I still have the manifold if you like?

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#783499
jsheppard64 wrote:hey I have a single su on my beetle
very iffy to tune and finding the right needle

Hi

Don't see many SU's about nowadays.. lol

and OK on the needle....

and tuning.... lol

probably the only reason they aren't used much on VWs is because they aren't German...
but the "dreaded" British... lol


cheers

LEE

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#783501
jvans5434 wrote:howdy all! I'm an aussie vee dubber virgin, so here goes...
my first time!

I bought an 1972 microbus - ex military that took me pretty much right the way around australia! Am restoring the bus, paint and panel etc. And now have come to the engine.

It is a 1600 upright single port with a dinky carb, non original, part numbers suggest it came from a karmann or a beetle.

It was very pokey... So i am just after your thoughts on what i can do to this engine to give it a bit of street cred. (although it is a kombi)

Of course I'm on a budget which is limiting, (if i wasn't I'd do one of those chirco or wolfburg west 2332 kits with the lot)

What do I do? Larger exhaust, dual port heads w/ dual carbs?

I saw a single port on youtube that was nuts! how do i do that?

I also have a set of triple su's, but i have never seen them on a vw engine - have you?

Also, a vee dub mechanice told me to have a millimeter taken off the heads, - what would that do? And what other adjustments would i have to make?
Twin SU's would be a slight gain...

not seen on many VWs because they were the opposition of the Beetles in the 60s... in the Minis.. lol
and Britisg NOT German.. lol

also extractor exhaust... another slight gain..

type 4 engines are VERY hard on Fuel and costly to repair..

better to go subaru if You are going to change engines IMHO

twin port gets You higher revs..

I prefer the single port engine in My beetle..

cheers

LEE

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- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#783527
I forgot to mention

that painting Your engine red and yellow etc..

adds no horsepower at all...

just keeps Me busy... lol

even silver or yellow bolts don't do anything.. lol

LEE

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- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---