Type IV into Beetle conversion

Probably been covered a billion times, but does anyone have any good links to some info on what is involved in such a conversion?

http://www.tunacan.net/t4/ 😉

sharpbuilt is the only one doing the kit in oz at the moment to my knowledge. try there website

IF you are in Sydney V Force have done heaps of them

www.shoptalkforums.com in both the aircooledtechnology forum and type4rum

also germanlook.com go into the forums section and look under engines

I know Jake Raby from aircooledtechnology.com sells a DTM (Down the Middle) kit to convert it to upright. Although in my opinion a little ugly, I'd probably go this way if I had my time again (I have used the sharpbuilt kit).

Dasdubber

just out of interest why would you use the DTM????

im curious as well cause i got the sharpbuilt one in my baby chaos

The kit I used had pretty basic instructions that were hard to understand without misinterpreting them. The holes I drilled (using the exact dimensions in the instructions) in the fanshroud to route the oil lines were about half inch out from where they needed to be. I had to spend quite a bit of time trimming and sanding the cylinder head covers (fibreglass) so the fanshroud would sit completely down where it should. I had to trim three out of the four fibreglass air deflector pieces that go around the side/bottom of the cylinders. I had to fiddle around grinding the lower edge of the fan shroud so it wouldn't hit the top of the case until if fit properly. I had to return the alternator stand because it was too low and my alternator was sitting on a big angle (to credit of supplier it was replaced immediately). Had to stuff around with alternator pulley so it lines up with crank pulley.

Apart from that it is great.
🙂

These are all fairly minor problems in the grand scheme of things and didn't take that long to sort out, but for a kit I thought I would have far less problems. I've never used the DTM but at least it has gone through extensive dyno testing to ensure it flows and cools well...and from reports from people who have used it sounds like it goes on a lot easier than what I went through. Don't get me wrong the kit I used had great quality fibreglass (very strong) and good finished products.....maybe I just got some dud bits? But as I said if I had my time again (hindsight is a wonderful thing), I would try another conversion kit. All will probably be forgotten once I am tearing up the bitumen with the torque of this type IV machine!

Alan

Getting back to the original question, here are a few of the things that have to be done to get a type IV engine into a beetle (from my experience):

- Need a 210 or 215mm type IV flywheel (228 won't fit unless you clearance the crap out of the gearbox bellhousing).
- Need a brass bushing pressed into flywheel centre so it mates to the beetle box input shaft (sharpbuilt does sell these)
- Obviously need to convert to upright cooling as discussed above (which entails a new crank pulley, dipstick relocation, alternator stand etc) - if you wanted to do it on the cheap there is a Cali-conversion that uses modified cooling tin to achieve the same end result (typeIVrum will have more info on this).
- My mind is now numb, I am sure there are more things but have temporary amnesia so thats all I can come up with at the moment.

alan
:beer

yeah i agree with his instructions and the fact that they dont even mention that you need a different bush for the fly wheel but mine went together quite easily but i had a generator not alternator. ill be changing over to an alternator soon so i might just make my own stand. it pissed me off a little that its not a complete kit as it does not include everything. p.s im still waiting for the bush as he promised to send it to me 2 years ago this christmas:cussing

[Edited on 10-9-2004 by barls]

Thanks people, I didn't expect quite as good a response. But once again I am overwhelmed with new knowledge. Thanks again!

not a problem mate if you are going down this route do a search on the net cause there is a website that in a t4 conversion manual

Just for reference's sake, is anyone able to tell me roughly how much one of these kits I'm seeing on the Sharpbuilt website would set me back?

barls wrote:not a problem mate if you are going down this route do a search on the net cause there is a website that in a t4 conversion manual

Just found the link to this on the Sharpbuilt website, thanks 🙂

it ended up costing me a total of 2grand to do the whole conversion with engineers

barls wrote:it ended up costing me a total of 2grand to do the whole conversion with engineers

Whoa, that's a lot better than what i was expecting! 😎

my old man and i did all the work though.where are you any way mate

barls wrote:my old man and i did all the work though.where are you any way mate

Yeah, mine and I would probably be doing the majority of the work too. I'm out in the west of Sydney, near Blacktown.

Probably a question I should have asked earlier too, if my car is of the swingaxle variety, this will need to change?

No - ish

BUT - if you are doing all that work you would be better off changing to an IRS set up.

You would be better off STARTING with an IRS set up.

That said - Brad (Dasdubber) is doing it to a swinger.

blue74l wrote:No - ish

BUT - if you are doing all that work you would be better off changing to an IRS set up.

You would be better off STARTING with an IRS set up.

That said - Brad (Dasdubber) is doing it to a swinger.

Thanks. 🙂

Yep I am using a swing axle setup. My name is Alan by the way....a good mate (soon to be brother in law) is Brad - so no dramas about the mix-up! 😉

I originally was going for a cal-look quarter miler with fat and skinnies etc( before it changed to euro/german look). I brought in a super diff and heavy duty side plate from the US for a swinger and after outlaying that much I wasn't going to sell it for a loss and go IRS. Thats another thing I'd change if I had my time over...I'd go IRS/ball joint from the start. Nonetheless the s/a set up will work okay with camber compensator but I won't push it too hard around corners (well maybe not...)

I think the total kit from sharpbuilt was around $700ish. Then your fanshroud and engine etc is on top of that. I am probably up to around $4-5K but that includes dual dells, mallory dissy and coil etc etc etc. More than I expected but live and learn I guess. Not many corners were cut so you can certainly do it for cheaper than that.

Alan

Alan-just to confuse the issue-2 weeks ago I was in Adelaide and dropped into a VW repair place of a friend of mine to pick up all the stuff I need for my auto trans gearshift, and he had a 2.6 Type4 sitting in his car with a 36hp type shroud on it and he had cut and shut Type4 tinware for the cylinder covers(I assume like the Cali stuff) and from memory he made his own alt.stand.It looked really neat and all it cost was his time and some old tinware.He was quite surprised how simple it was to make up.Best part is we will have another big block on the streets.

Yeah Gary I am sure it wouldn't be too tough to fab up the cooling tin, the alternator stand would have been the hardest part but certainly not impossible. Will be great to see another type IV powered dub on the road...see this post for some interesting (amusing) debate on the type I vs IV saga...mainly pertaining to head flow numbers.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=84102&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

I am planning to head down to Adelaide for the show in early November (flying not driving!!) if all goes to plan, so I am looking forward to seeing some of these nice dubs I have been hearing about!

Alan

Thats a good read.I have come across that person before on that old debate.Keep me posted about the trip to Adelaide.I go down each year for a look.

edit 6/11/12 - helbus