Offroad Buggy engine conversion

[GeorgeB]

Hi all

I have a pipecar with a 2l aircooled kombi motor in it. The motor is not running well and is very slow on speeed in the dunes. I am looking to upgrade or change engines soon maybe. What do you guys think is best. I want more power but with the torque and also reliability/ I can fit a radiator quite easily.I have thought of a 1400 nissan motor or something simalar.

It has a beetle 4 speed gearbox and i have thought of a good beetle engine but its not strong enough, i think, o keep going up the dunes

My budget is around R3500 max.

Thanks,

[RICKY-R69]

1400 Nissan will be fine, but 1800 golf will be better. Don't know about your budget though!

[sean]

A Nissan 1400 has 5 kw less and 46nm less torque than the 2.0 ACVW. That's 32%. Doing this conversion would in actual fact be substantially downgrading then.

Is your 2.0l running how it should be? I would suggest a thorough once over diagnoses on the engine to see why you feel it is down on power.

[Tony Z]

You have no idea of the power potential of the aircooled engines.
With your budget, I'd open up the 2 lt engine, cut the heads for a slightly higher compression and get twin carbs and have it dynoed properly.

Are you sure your power problem doesnt lie in the fact you have a late long ratio gearbox? Might be an option to go for lower gear ratios (lower diff ratio)

But yea, is your engine running properly?

[Golfmad]

I have seen Baja's with 2l Aircooled engines, running like stink on sand dunes, so I think maybe you engine is sick, or needs a recon or something.

Forget about a 1400 datsun engine.... they have little torque, and not all that much kw either, if you want to do a waterpumper, go for a 2L golf engine - strong, lowdown torque, lotsa kw, easy to maintain, parts are everywhere.

Just doubt that 3500 will get you anywhere near a watercooler convertion of any kind.

[GeorgeB]

Great advice thanks, my engine is not happy- it is running unsmoothly and very loudly. It has new rings in it. I have a beetle gearbox, not sure which one? When its going, it goes well until u try to change into 3rd on the plate-then it nearly stalls out. I would much prefer this engine as it is aircooled and therefore better. One problem i had on the weekend is the engine cutting out when i bounced around alot? What could this be? it will only star after say, 10-15 mins. Thanks

[GeorgeB]

"Are you sure your power problem doesnt lie in the fact you have a late long ratio gearbox? Might be an option to go for lower gear ratios (lower diff ratio)"

how do i change this if it is long ratio gears?

[Tony Z]

you could get a 1300 gearbox and fit that, those ratios are lower (final is the same). Or otherwise swap the diff for a 1300 diff, assuming yours is a long ratio diff. You would have to check the markings on the gearbox, look for a code like "AS" (AS is the long ratio box). Bugger will have more input.

As for bouncing and cutting out then working after 15 minutes.... electrical, possibly your coil or condensor. The aircooled engines do not have safety over-rides, it will cut out on the tar in just the same time. Maybe you were getting air into your fuel pipes and pump and you needed to let it bubble out before the car would start?? Surge tank or more fuel in the tank will help this.

[GeorgeB]

Whats a surge tank?

[Bugger]

HI Check under the transmission opposite the side where you fil oil below the 113 casting number there you will find letter codes stamped
Give me the letter codes before and after the numbers then i can tell you what ratios you got

A surge tank is just a smaller tank filled from your main tank to prevent fuel surges when you pull hevy G`s as a result then the pick up of the fuel pump
will always have fuel to supply the motor
When you get fuel surge that is what Tony is talking about the pump is fed Air and not Fuel

Sounds maybe you got a valve seat comming out
Whan last have you set tappets ?
Run it hot and pull the plugs and do a Compression test then you will easier see if you got something wrong there

But you are using your Buggy in the sand so have you got propper air filtration so you do not get shit in to the carbs and that could also be a posibility that it is runnign bad

[vader]

I is also advicable to run a single card on offroad buggies because twins have serge problems on inclines. A oil bath is always a good idea for sand.
But I think you need to save a bit more cause R3500 aint gonna do much to a 2l. Is this a T4 or T1 engine?
If you do like TonyZ said a increase the compression have some porting done to the heads at the same time. There is huge gains to be made in the head department.

[GeorgeB]

thanks all of you.

First i have decided to just get the heads redone for now. Ok, also going to just use the carb i have for now. Also, how do i fit a surge tank ? i have a beetle standard tank in my buggy and an electric fuel pump...

BUGGER- will look for those numbers in the light

[GeorgeB]

Bugger- here are the letters i coulkd find(hope they right ones)

SFA then a G or a C

Hope this is right, it was beow the long number on a tilted piece of gearbox