Type 3 engine in beetle?

Con Learner Dubber

8 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 4 Sep 2002, 11:14 pm

#1685

hello...

once again, ill start by mentioning i am new with vee dubs, so excuse any stupid comments on my behalf.... im learning...

im fixing up a 74 L bug, and am trying to find a way to give the car abit more power than the stock engine.... (currently a 1600) i have many thoughts that pop into my head, and here is the latest, what i want to know is if it is possible....

a type 3 engine, possibly fuel injected, into a 74 L bug??? i know it can preobably be done, but has anybody out there done it....? what's required?? do i need to modify my shell?, is the type 3 engine too long?? am i wasting my time??

if anyone can help on this topic it would be much appreciated... thanks

Con

con__jones@hotmail.com

(there are two underscores between con and jones.... 😉 )

SKEWtYpe3 Custom Title Time!

1,859 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 4 Sep 2002, 11:43 pm

#1694

Type 1 engine is uprite and the type 3 is flat (as you know) so its wider. You may as well bore out you current engine as FI aint that good. (stop listening to the americans 🙂 ) too wide in the wrong places would be my guess. Plus FI is a b1tch if something breaks as parts are as rare as hens teeth. plus nobody will want to tune it for u and if they do they are guessing 'cos the computers are so old !

hhhhmmmmm the moer i think of the idea the worst it sounds. sound like saying eggs come from cows, just cant get my head around it.

Con Learner Dubber

8 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 5 Sep 2002, 12:02 am

#1700

thanks for that....lol, even though not the answer im looking for 🙁 but hey, at least i can cross that idea off my list... now to get my mind ticking again.,....

SKEWtYpe3 Custom Title Time!

1,859 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 5 Sep 2002, 12:14 am

#1704

yeah you would need a bit of fabricating, lots of cutting. mod the cable set up from the foot cluster for the lower carbs most probably and a miriod of other things.
sorry but it'll save you enough to get a big bore motor 🙂

karmannghia60 Karmann Ghia Sucker

1,459 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 5 Sep 2002, 11:50 am

#1746

Con, I have a T3 engine in my KG. As Skewy said, it will need to be converted from flat to upright, basically swaping the tin from T3 to T1 tin which obviously include the alternator/fan/shroud. If I were you, I would just cut my loses and get rid of the FI, not worth it. You won't get any performance improvement out of it and extremely difficult to find someone who's interested in maintaining/repairing it

aussiebug Officially Full-On Dubber

246 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 5 Sep 2002, 2:40 pm

#1782

Con,

SKEW has it a bit cockeyed.

The type 1(beetle) and type 3 (fastback/squareback) have almost identical cases and use the same cylinders/pistons/heads as the type1 engine.

So they are exactly the same width, but because the type3 has the fan on the crank at the back of the engine, it's longer. But it's easy to convert enough a type3 case to a type1 engine by using the type1 coolling shroud and a few other minor mods.

But since the type3 engine comes in either 1500 or 1600 versions - there is no power gain in using one as a straight swap for the typ1 engine.

BUT - if you were really asking about the type4 engines used in 1972+ bus/Kombis.... Yes - these 1700/1800/2000 engines can also be converted to upright cooling (using either the type1 1600 doghouse shroud or a Porsche style fan shroud) and will provide a performance boost for the bug.

They weigh about 40-50lbs more than the type1 engine though, and so need a rear crossmember support to take some of the weight off the bug's gearbox.

Joe Cali ( http://home.att.net/~nextgen/index.html ) wrote the conversion manual for this.

Sharpbuilt in Towoomba QLD make kits for converting the cooling system.

Regards
Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
hhtp:/www.geocities.com/aussiebug1970/

70AutoStik Insano Dub Head

730 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 5 Sep 2002, 10:57 pm

#1853

Aussie, thanks for pointing out that the Type 3 and Type 1 are essentially the same long block and that the old FI is so out of date that it will actually be outperformed by the stock carbs (a common conversion in the US in the early 80's.) But I think someone should point out the cost of a type 4 conversion - in Australia, it is almost always cheaper to build a hot type 1 per given horsepower requirement (for street-legal use,) unless you find a good 1800 at the right price (and were going for dual Webers anyway.)

SKEWtYpe3 Custom Title Time!

1,859 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 6 Sep 2002, 11:24 am

#1903

what i was replying to was the fact he wanted a FI type 3 in his bug and they cant be converted to upright can they !/?
thast what i was getting at but i do know a type 3 can have an uprite conversio done, jus tthat con mentioned the FI in a beetle.

[Edited on 6-9-2002 by SKEWtYpe3]