Welcome to the STF! Please Introduce Yourself and Your Ride

[Longtooth Jim]

The buggy will be primarily for the mountain roads and will not be a hot rod. Just a fairly stock 1600cc motor.

[Piledriver]

Hello from Montana!!!
My introduction to VW's was first in the 80's with my best friends Baja bug. Fast forward 40 years and my special needs son and I have started a dune buggy project. I have plenty of experience working motorcycles and trucks so I know my way around a torque wrench ,however I have to admit an ignorance where the transaxle are concerned. The dune buggy has an Type 1 IRS transaxle on it but no engine. I have access to a 1977 spra-coupe engine and transaxle which is a 3 rib type 2 I believe. I'm reading through the forum but am wanting to know if it would be a better tranny for the buggy then the type 1 and what is needed to convert it gear wise. Thanks

Welcome to the asylum!!!
Spra-coupes are quite cool, dont see too many any more. The diff may be flipped on the trans, but that's not a show stopper, there are probably specific forums for those, I have only eyeballed one a few times. It is a somewhat better trans for a buggy but it may have led a hard life... but probably not as hard as in a Bus.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... p?t=143138

Some info on the different VW trans.

I run 6-rib bus transmission but my buggy is used only on the sand dunes. They are stronger for the different sudden loads you can get when riding around on dirt, sand, or other rough places to ride.

work file 149 copy.jpg

The nose cone on the bus trans sits higher than a stock bug trans so it doesn't go through the tunnel. Some work involved but it can be done.

If you are going to ride off-road hard I do recommend building a body lift. The commercial ones I have seen are very light weight and were designed more for use in a Baja so the Bug body can handle the loading on the pan better. A glass bodied Dune Buggy body isn't that strong hence the advice to build a body lift or other different ways of getting the loading taken care of.

Lee

[Longtooth Jim]

I was planning on a lift of a couple of inches and there won't be any glass on the tube frame...the biggest issue for me on the trans is converting it to IRS because it is currently a swing.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Rear IRS pivot 01.jpg

This is the pivot for the rear trailing arms.

A close up of the pivot. There is a kit available to be installed for the trailing arm pivot.

There are some other things to do such as (maybe) notching the spring plates and adjusting the preload on the torsion bars.

There are other trans changes one can do but then price of them starts going up quickly plus, depending on what you choose to install. there could be changing the shifter and shift rod to on top of the tunnel.

Lee

[Munga]

Hi all, From Tasmania,
a little Island south off the Australian coast.

I got shoved into this project and was really uninterested, that was until I found out about the world that is VW buses and dude I’m IN.

So now I’ve ended up with a lowlight pannel van and a really worn out type 4 and it’s gearbox sitting on the floor right next to it.

At this point in time I have ended up with the most over square engine I’ve ever seen and can’t wait to Hot Rod it.

It’s now torn down and cases are cleaned and assembled for inspection, I haven’t measured the tunnel yet but I’ve checked for straightness , the big end tunnel looks great and the cylinder registers are concave by about 0.0055” on both sides.

I do have new 96mm Biral’s and hyperutectic flat tops fro AA and that’s it for the moment. I’m trying to concentrate on block prep and intend on using the factory forged crank and rods and so the lightening has not yet begun but already the piston set is about 100 grams lighter and the standard 5inch rods which weigh heaps and they have excess material all over and so when block prep is well on its way.

So about 12 oil gallery plugs are to be removed and threaded plugs screwed into replace them and the cylinder registers machined flat

[Piledriver]

Welcome!
Don't replace the oil gallery plug behind the flywheel by the fuel pump mount flange...
Particularly so if you have a fuel pump.

[Munga]

Welcome!
Don't replace the oil gallery plug behind the flywheel by the fuel pump mount flange...
Particularly so if you have a fuel pump.

Well , I was thinking of replacing the fuel pump with an electric fuel pump but for no other reason but to future proof fuel pump failures but no one anywhere made mention of not being able to use a manual fuel pump after this modification, may I ask as to why? Is it because the screw in plugs penetrate too far inside the casings and literally interferes with the operation of a manual pump?

Kind regards Steve

[Munga]

Welcome!
Don't replace the oil gallery plug behind the flywheel by the fuel pump mount flange...
Particularly so if you have a fuel pump.

Well , I was thinking of replacing the fuel pump with an electric fuel pump but for no other reason but to future proof fuel pump failures but no one anywhere made mention of not being able to use a manual fuel pump after this modification, may I ask as to why? Is it because the screw in plugs penetrate too far inside the casings and literally interferes with the operation of a manual pump?

Kind regards Steve

[Piledriver]

Go electric by all means, but that plug is trouble if replaced, only sees low oil pressure, and basically requires destroying the pump pushrod tube to install...and very shallow, likely to leak.
Re-plugging that one is simply not needed or recommended.

[BobbyC]

Thank you for the Add. I’m pretty new to VW’s I had a few back in the 80’s but that was a long time ago . I just purchased a nice 67’ it needs help but it’s fun to Drive
Bobby C was what I named my dads 51’ bug back when I was about 7 sounds like a good call sign . This car came with new DP heads in the box and 87mm jugs . The engine needs a rebuild but I’m learning don’t really want to use these parts . Any advice would be great . I live in Michigan . Anyone know of a place to have the current heads rebuilt?

[Piledriver]

The factory DP heads almost always crack between the valve seats or seat to plug by ~50K miles.
Aftermarket heads are not much better, unless they have the long reach plugs, preferably the 12mm variety so there is more meat/better cooling and far less prone to cracks.

The seat-seat crack helps them come out, the crack to plug helps plug loosen up and blow out.

It can be much cheaper just to buy new, better T1 heads as fixing those cracks involves pulling seats, a lot of grinding, rewelding and remachining for new seats.

If the car is a restore and has SP heads, this is not as frequent mostly because it makes less power, the 87mm P&L are not as bad as the 88 slip ins, I would use those if in spec.

Make sure to install the thermostat flaps at the bottom of the fan housing, they help send the air where needed.
If you aren't going to use a thermostat, tack weld open.
(There is a lister here that makes new bellows style thermostats, highly recommended over the non-fail-safe Mexican ones)

The thermostat and a proper full flow oil filter setup (not pump-filter, not on the oil cooler loop) may greatly extend the life of your new engine via reduced ring/bore wear and clean oil will allow much longer bearing life, also consider a well balanced counterweighted crank and balanced bottom end if you plan a lot of highway miles to eliminate the center main getting beaten out.

[Rickm1400]

Hello, I am new to STF. Closing in on retirement I purchased another air-cooled after a 40 year break. I have had 15 Dubs everything from Buggies to auto stick bugs with T2 campers and 70's and 80's Rabbit's and Sciroccos as well. I used to be the counter man at a repair shop the Rabbit Hutch in the Portland, Or area (Tualatin) in the early 80's before becoming a Snap On Dealer. I have just purchased a 2004 Intermeccanica 1959 Porsche Convertible "D". CB Performance VW 1776, dual Weber 40 IDF, 4speed hwy flyer trans, 4 wheel disc brakes on a tube steel frame.

I have been hunting everywhere for VDub enthusiasts that could share the fun, adventure and helpful tips. Air cooled guys are rare and after 62 motorized vehicles (cars, boats and planes) I want to finish out my days with a car that is fun and I can service myself. Back in my teens Webers and 40P11's were only a dream and now I own Weber's and I am clueless. Like why don't the 40IDF's have a real air horn std?

Looking forward to making friends and sharing stories,

Rick

[Piledriver]

Welcome to the asylum!

IDFs have a few issues, mostly due to design.
Biggest is the tend to funnel any debris that gets through the filters into the idle jets and fuel bowl.
(and gauze filters even in perfect condition allow visible junk through))

CB and others sell kits that contain idle jet and main jet extenders to reduce the clogging.
The best fix for the air cleaners is find a synthetic media filter that fits and clue the bottom to the air cleaner base..
Another is do the same with the gauze filters and add outerwears.
Also if you live anywhere it rains, if the air cleaners can get wet you need rain hats.
(I ran Bakers secret loaf pans on my 914, fit great)

I ran IDFs for ~10 years on my long distance DD but eventually went to CIS and then Megasquirt and have not looked back.
If I ever use the Webers again they will only be throttle bodies.