your motor: how when and why?

[Jim Ratto]

Kind of influenced by SOB's post......

The motor or motors in your hot-rod Volkswagen....how did you come upon the combination (s), when did it get screwed together, and why did you build it? (racing, keep up with traffic, keep up with your buddies....etc?)

[Zach Gomulka]

I first built my 1600 because the top end rebuild/upgrade on my single port didnt take, I was pulling headstuds! So my dad offered me a well seasoned DPR case (.060" line bore!), and we "screwed" it together with a 110 cam, dual ports and crappy old dual single barrel carbs from Claudes Buggies. It ran a 18.78 first time out, and I was hooked!!! Over the next three years of tuning the drivetrain and the car, I whittled that down to a 14.87 Still 1600cc.

My 1776 for my Fastback was better thought out. Concieved originally as a 1600, my only rule was that it must retain stock heater boxes! I thought that would help keep the engine mild and the cost down. It became a 1776 when my dad offered a spare set of 90.5's. It became a very expensive engine when I added straight cut gears, 1.4 rockers, ported stock valve heads, Berg 42's, and powdercoated and ceramic coated everything in sight!! And would you know it, the heaterboxes were dumped after a few short months for j-tubes

The next 1835 will be a work of art!

[sheep]

All of my motors have been sweep the floor motors from Jim Rattos garage.
My favorite of course was the 1914 that turned out to be way faster than we expected.
the case came out of his 1971 bus.
I dont remember what the crank came out of,but I think it was a Rimco as well as the rods.
I actually bought the cam new. It was an  engle k8. I used an old crown aluminum 6 lb flywheel.
I picked up a set of 48 idas from some guy up near San Fransisco for about $400 bucks. That was by far the most expensive item, and man that was alot of money for me back then.I am pretty sure everything else was used from Jims floor, including a pair of Pauter Machine ported heads. This combo revd well past 8 grand, and blew us all away on how smooth it ran.We raced the crap out of it and the only car I ever lost a race to was Jim in his real expensive 2275. LOL

[SOB/RFH]

I do have motor in my car...it is a type 4....so I will probably start something about heavy boat anchors and tuna boats etc.....but if you, like me, thinks out of the box.....here is the game plan. My first car was a Volkswagen with a few engines in it and then I basicly got to a street race set up 69 Chevelle with big Block, Nitrous, 10" converter, 4,56 rear end and 12" slicks.........Perfect daily driver!! So when I got back in to Volkswagens I was thinking the same way as i did with the Chevelle....big Block as in type 4 and Nitrous and HD drivetrain like a Bus gearbox (091) back in 1990.....So after a few years with a 2 litre mild engine with a 120 HP shot of N2O I steppped up to a 78*103 (that is 4.055" for all the 4" guys) and thats 2600 cc of big block engine, not with a revvy high tension camshaft but a low rpm mule cam and all topped with a 75 HP shot of N2O.......It all went 11,89 in full street trim back in 1993...........I sort of stuck with the combo but left the nitrous out becuse it would require a rollbar in the car to be leagal and roll bars don't fit in to the sleeper look I wanted!!   

[Jordy/DVK]

All of my motors have been sweep the floor motors from Jim Rattos garage.
My favorite of course was the 1914 that turned out to be way faster than we expected.

 Zach, is that the engine you gave me the specs of?  Sounds great fun for value...

[Zach Gomulka]

All of my motors have been sweep the floor motors from Jim Rattos garage.
My favorite of course was the 1914 that turned out to be way faster than we expected.

 Zach, is that the engine you gave me the specs of?  Sounds great fun for value...

The 1915 is in my friend Chris' 67. I dont believe I have ever met Sheep yet...

[Rick Meredith]

All of my motors have been sweep the floor motors from Jim Rattos garage.
My favorite of course was the 1914 that turned out to be way faster than we expected.

 Zach, is that the engine you gave me the specs of?  Sounds great fun for value...

The 1915 is in my friend Chris' 67. I dont believe I have ever met Sheep yet...

Yeah, we took sheep's motor out of his Bug and detuned it and put it in the '65 Bus that was in our club. In 1 week the guy had chopped the trans case in two.

Was there a picture of that in the stack that you gave me to scan? I ran across it and wondered what happened.

[cedorUSA]

maybe time for sheep and his honey bee to say hello to some new parts insted of begging for handme downs. im worried about a guy named sheep that drive a honey bee. he prolly didnt have idas. he prolly never had the bug. to busy being a busy bee or a begging sheep

you run street eliminater heads and it will be all good. even dollorto would be beeter than begging for JR's junk on trash day

C

[cedorUSA]

69m forged scat crank
87 sima pistons
mickey tompsen race rods
flow factor street emlimnater heads big valved
angle 110 cam
and of course idas

turn the key and wheelies are instent

was built for raceing and was in race bug for 5 years until it was outlawed.
now in my very fine 69

ready to kick ass and take names. whos gonna go first?

[j-f]

I'm building my first "hot" engine. An impressive 1600cc  Why a 1600? Its the very first time I build an engine. So I will keep the maximum of vw parts and don't make machining to keep a low cost and an easy to make engine.

Stock vw crankshaft but balanced with flywheel and the clutch.  8 dowels and the Flywheel was reduced of 500G.
I've also take time to put rods (311B) at the same weight.
I've had problem to find pistons that make the same weight. I had a brand new set of "brazilian" Mahle wich was blue printed but with 15g of difference between the heavier and the lighter piston    I finally exchange the new against a set of used Germany Mahle. All problems I had was the poor quality of some parts 
A traditional Engle 110.
Kadrons carb. Venturis will be machined at 32mm. Modification of the aircleaner support like low bugget make.
Dual port VW heads. Ported manifolds and polished. That's the first time I do this. God, it take a lots of time to do and it's not very necessary on a such motor, but why not
HD springs and rocker shaft.
1 1/2 Merged exhaust. Dual T-bird.

Hope it will work correctly  I'm wonder how fast I'll could go with this engine?

[Shubee2 (DSK)]

69m forged scat crank
87 sima pistons
mickey tompsen race rods
flow factor street emlimnater heads big valved
angle 110 cam
and of course idas

turn the key and wheelies are instent

was built for raceing and was in race bug for 5 years until it was outlawed.
now in my very fine 69

ready to kick ass and take names. whos gonna go first?

WOW!!!  I Dont Think Anyone in here Stands A Chance Against Your Killer 69 I Would Like To See Some Photo's Of Your Ride And Motor  It Just Sounds SO Neat?? LMAO   But I Would Like To See the That Killer Motor you Listed Above                     

69m forged scat crank
87 sima pistons
mickey tompsen race rods
flow factor street emlimnater heads big valved
angle 110 cam
and of course idas

turn the key and wheelies are instent

was built for raceing and was in race bug for 5 years until it was outlawed.
now in my very fine 69

ready to kick ass and take names. whos gonna go first?

[sheep]

Maybe cedorUSA should sale his bug and buy a speak n spell, hahhaha

[Roman]

The current engine/tranny combo I am is based on the two engines and trannies I built the previous two years.
My 2332 was more or less a carbon copy of the SSB engine. I ran it for a month or so but the trans kept kicking out the gears so there was no way I could drag race it. I felt I needed more HP and a more dependable tranny so I called JPM and asked about some porting work. I was hooked!!! Three weeks later I had a pair of ported Wedgeports with 46 mm intake valves. The rest of the engine was updated as well, all that remained from the 2332 was the sump and the distributor.
The new engine was a 2387 with all the fancy stuff but still very streetable. I ordered a new trans from KCR to replace the broken one as well.
At the end of the summer I started to get used to the power and the calculator said I had reached the limit for the car. In theory it would go 11.37 with 1700 lbs and 228 hp and I went 11.29.
So, for the third year in a row I am building a new engine/tranny combo. The first time we discussed it was while we had a couple of beers at SCC. Would it be possible to go 10.50 with a pump gas street car? What would it need? It all came clear during dyno day at JPM. A couple of days before he had told me he had a prototype 4" head and it flowed 276 cfm with a 50 mm intake after only three hours of R/D. I was hooked at that moment... The thoughts in my mind where spinning, add a couple of hours of R/D, slightly bigger valves and...
In a few weeks the new heads will be on my shop table.
Just like before I kept my old  distributor and sump and everything else is new. 4" bore and 86 mm stroke, flat tappet cam, pump gas and 58 mm terminators.

[Steve D.]

I built mine to be a haul ass daily driver with a tall gearbox in a heavy '69.  I've put over forty thousand miles on it since I built it four years ago and has been nothing but beautiful.  2276 FK45 Performance Workshop 42x37 non-welded heads 9.5cr in a heavy late model with a 4.12- 3.78 2.06 1.26 0.82 = 8.22 1/8mile on a 205/65 $50 Falken RADIAL.

Seems to work for me.

[ESH]

I need my motor to be a daily spec but want to get as much kick as I can on the strip so it's a lazy 2332. Last year it was torn down simply to see how it was going and in the process a couple of components got switched over since it was all out. At the point it was stripped it had over 30k (miles) on it and all looked lovely so I guess I'll leave it a few more miles this time round. It's done 13.56 @ 100 on three gears (on a bolt up and go tune) and takes me any place I wan't to go so I'm pretty happy with it. Horsepower courtesy of friends. This year we may actually put a tune into to it and see what it'll do with that.

 

[Tim C]

I wanted a big motor for some time, but wanted drivability/reliability and the ability to cruise as much as rip of the line. I was told of a good used 2165cc motor that had a good spec for sale and went ahead and bought it (86C, Street Eliminator heads, 44’s etc…), the engine had already been in one of Paul Hamilton’s race cars (ran a low 13) and in my car it has run a 14.2 @ 94 hooked up to a Rancho Pro Street trans (3.78/2.06/1.26 and tall 0.82), it will cruise all day at 80+ mph without overheating and in my procession has covered nearly 16,000 miles in 2 years. The motor has been great, been over to DDD in Germany twice and in 2005 took me to DDD3 and home, then back over the following week to Spa and back (some 1,300 miles in a week) and didn’t miss a beat. I put it down to being well maintained/looked after by Pete at Funkenblitz and cannot thank him enough for putting it all together and keeping it together.

[Sarge]

I built my current 2017 in 2000 and have maybe 16,000 miles with no problems.  It was built with reliability in mind as the crank is a bit of an antique (Tony Mance welded 78.4) that was gifted to me by Doug Mische.  I selected an Engle 125 cam as it's the one I based a lot of my prior motors on and it has always served me well.  The heads were ported by Fumio Fukaya and use 40X35.5 valves and dual springs...rockers are 1.1:1 with OEM 911 swivel feet adjusters.  The 48IDA's came courtesy of Ron Fleming who salvaged them off an alchohol burning sand rail (every jet, tube and orfice had to be replaced...all had been bored out to the max for alchohol) and use 40mm venturies.  My plan is to build a 2332 / K8 combo this year...we'll see what happens.

[Type1/DVK]

wow, nice lineup!

[sheep]

Jim R you better make that one to two weeks, you got to get going on my motor buddy

[Sarge]

Jim R you better make that one to two weeks, you got to get going on my motor buddy

Hey Sheep...I think Jim started this thread just to wind your clock!  A guy who's had as many cool motors as he's had would surely be able to get your 1700 done right away, ya THINK???   

[sheep]

Hey Jim, Sarge is right , put down the beer or lipstick or what ever you do at night and pick up a wrench.You need to finish my motor

[Sarge]

Hey Jim, Sarge is right , put down the beer or lipstick or what ever you do at night and pick up a wrench.You need to finish my motor

Hey, you never mentioned Jim doing a "tranny", too 

[Cheesepanzer]

Before I had my license to drive a friend of my brother came by with a '68 sedan with a brand spanking new 1776cc in it.  He poped the decklid and I was in awe.  Dual 44 IDF's, an original Fourtuned Merged exhaust with dual quiet packs tucked up under the fenders.  Man, I thought it was so cool!   When he left he reved the snot out of it and laid down a patch of skids that absolutely got me hooked!!!

My first performance engine:
1641cc
Eagle cam 280x.421
My own ported stock-valved dual ports with HD single springs and inner dampners
Kadrons (later swapped out for 48 IDA's with 32mm venturis)

I later built a gearbox for the car (a '70 Beetle) with 4.125 R&P, stock 1st/2nd, 1.48 3rd, 1.125 4th.

I ran 14.78 with this combo.

Engine #2
Drinking the Gene Berg Koolaid...
82x90.5 2110cc, Genuine Porsche 912 rods 5.32 length
Used 90.5 A pistons clearanced on the bottom to clear the crankshaft.
Welded 44x37.5 heads.  10 to 1 compression (broke the rules here! )
Engle 140 cam
IDA's and a Berg Stinger Ignition system
Berg/Phoenix 1 5/8 merged

I strayed from the Berg Koolaid further, and changed the cam to an FK89 (this was a daily driven 365-day driver), and later still upgraded to 94mm pistons.

Several engines later....

I run a nice street 2054cc engine in Ghia now, and I'm assembling a 2332cc mill for it soon.

[Harry/FDK]

Hi Jim, i would like your opinion on the fact that you switched fron Denham to Heads Up Heads. Are you satisfied on the Heads Up work ? I'm running a pair of Stateside Tuning UK messed up 044's. Pls let me know.

[Chuck Fryer]

Years ago I started out with some prety typical engines, 1776, 110 cam, dual 30 carbs in a notchback. That was a great running engine. Next was an 1835 in a 54 t-1 that necer ran right. On to the engines for my ragtop. In 2000 I wanted more than the 40hp engine was giving me and was going to replicate the 1776 of years past. Well, one thing led to another and I ended up with a 2007

78x90.5
scat C-45 cam
Headflow master 40 x 37 heads
8.5:1 cr
1-1/2 bas header
This engine ran smooth and made cross country drives with easy, 5000+ miles at a time. But the flywheel cam loose and took out the crank and flywheel so on to the next one.

2110
82 demello 6 circle crank with the old 90.5's from the old engine
engle FK-8 cam
same heads
9:1 CR, if I rememeber that right?
1-5/8 header, single muffler
Ran good and with stock gears went 13.50's
But I needed more and went ...

2276
Same crank, add 94's but........
They were the super squish pistons
web 86b cam
13:1 cr
I had a hard time with this combo, just never got it right.
It did run 12.70's, but made some very bad noises!
On to the next one

2276
CB wedgeport heads
fk-87 cam
11:1 c
This went 11.80's

And then
Sent the crank to dms and had it cut for chevy journals and 84 stroke.
2332
CB 2296 cam
13:1 cr
1-7/8 header
yep, pretty much a race engine.

For my street car project I plan a much more drivable combo
2276
wedgeports
fk-8
1-3/4 header
10:1 cr
should be a solid 200hp engine and very streetable.
MAJOR power difference!!!

[Lids]

My first engine was a stock 1600 rebuild, that only had new bearings, when it actually needed a regrind and line bore.  Well a few thousand miles later, bang at 80mph.

Built my second proper engine, still a 1600 but done properly with an Engle 110, ported and polished stock heads, 34pict carb.  Ran this for 3 years doing 300-350 miles per week.  In the end decided that driving a beetle in the winter with no heat exchangers was not pleasant, so decided upon the current engine.

its a 1914 with Engle 120, running 9:1 CR and 44 x 37 wedgeport heads.  Fully match ported to twin 40 dells.  Have run this for about 5 years, before I upgraded to 48 IDA's.  A good strong motor, so good in fact that the missus is too scared to get in the car.

Sat in my front room are all the parts for a new 2274 running 86c, with the same heads that I have on the 1914.  It has Oberg oil filter, will use MSD ignition etc and 10:1 CR, should be good for 200bhp, may change my mind and run 2332 with 5700 rods.

[Zach Gomulka]

2276
Same crank, add 94's but........
They were the super squish pistons
web 86b cam
13:1 cr
I had a hard time with this combo, just never got it right.
It did run 12.70's, but made some very bad noises!

I remember hearing that motor when you took it over for the Classic weekend a few years ago. I dont know if it was the pistons, but that thing just didnt sound right.

[Chuck Fryer]

I remember hearing that motor when you took it over for the Classic weekend a few years ago. I dont know if it was the pistons, but that thing just didnt sound right.
[/quote]

It sounded like someone dropped bb's down the intakes, it just NEVER ran like it should have! I am not sure if I messed up on the heads fitting the special shape piston in or what.

[Frank LUX]

I wanted Horsepower for my Bug, that's why the Big Motors...

The First one:

2180cc

Okrasa 82mm Crank
5.352 Carrillo Rods
Engle FK-10
Autocraft 1.4 Rockers
Ex-Stephan Szantai Heads 40x35.5
92mm P/c with Total Seals
48 IDA's
10.5CR
A-1 1 5/8 Header...
etc...

Motor was super Smooth, best ET was 13.00...

2276cc

Okrasa 82mm Crank
5.352 Carrillo Rods
40Gr Lifters...
Pauter 1.4 Rockers
Web 251 Cam
Racing Heads by Steve's VW Shop, Welded and Heavily Ported 044 Maganums 44x37.5
94mm P/Cs with Total Seal rings
12.5CR
48IDA's
A-1 1 3/4 Header with 3' Muffler
Etc...

Motor was really strong, but i missed a shift and one of the Rather Fragile Lifters Broke...

The New 2276cc In Da Works...

Okrasa 82mm Crank
Carrillo 5.500 Rods
Custom Grind Web Cam for Nitrous Applications
Pauter 1.4 Rockers
Udo Becker 60Gr Lifters, best Lifters in Da World!!!
Racing Heads by Steve's VW Shop, modified for Nitrous, 44x37.5, Special Racing Spring...
48 IDA's om Welded Skat Traks
Nitrous Sportsman Fogger System
MSD 6Al, Multi Step Retard, MSD Billet Distributor, Blaster Coil...
A-1 1 3/4 Exhaust with 3' Muffler
10.5CR...

Can Wait to get it Back from Steve's...

Frank
 

[rebel]

Hi, dudes

First thing I gotta mention, that I'm kinda new here. Another thing is that hot bugs and california look is not a big tradition in a place whwrea I live. To be honset fast bugs are just starting to come out of shade.

My first engine was a 1300 AB ( as I thought then - it turned out to be a 1300 F  with fake numbers :/ )
With 1600 (1585) cyliders and singleport heads ( kinda stock)
the rest was stock.

When I sterted to be interested with somthing more than stock I was thinking of somthing like a 1300 AB on DRLAs or
1600 with bigger cam, but I finally decided to collect parts for longer time ad come up with something more serious. 

Finally Chris Burns from UK designed me a combo like this:

AB Case drilled for 94mm barrels
Pistons/cylinders Mahle 94mm
Crankshaft - Stock 1600
Heads: VW reworked for 40x37,5
Scat C35 cam
1.1:1 rockers ( for now)
1 5/8 merged Header witth ceramic SQP
DRLAs 40
KEP stage 1 Pressure Plate, stoch disk + a stock superbeetle IRS 'box.

Runs nice, but last summer was really hot And it was runnig a lil' to hot.
besides it killed 2 stoch fuel pumps causin hell lotta trouble with fuel down the case

Now I thinkig it over again before the season.
I can see that a full flow is a Must.
Stock Rods will be replaced for Scat I-beams...
Dunno what more... Maybe an external oil cooler...

I'm dramatically inexpirienced ina the subject, so hope You won't ban me for constant asking questions