The newest conversion

[fastback]

cool project!

[Joe vw]

Thanks guys,
Ill print that picture out for refrence, it doesn't look too bad.
Eventually there will be upgrades and the 228mm will be needed, maybe even a Kennedy 228.
The buggy makes a good testbed so it makes sense to have the option of the large clutch.

[tencentlife]

Pretty cool, Joe, pretty cool.

[Matt Keene]

I really like the idea of a radiator inside a fanhousing. It looks super trick! Great thinking outside the box! It sure will turn a lot of heads!!!

[Joe vw]

It's been a while, so here's an update.
Heres my conversion installed in my buggy. I drove it from Vermont to southern Connecticut 2 days after getting it installed. I attended the Terryville VW show in August plus various local car shows.
Most people don't even know what it is, and It's fun to quiz others who are into V-Dubs .
As far as temps go it's stable as a rock. The coolent sender is located directly in a coolent tube that comes out of the heads.
For a while I took a chance and ran it at 90mph for about 20 minutes and the temp didn't budge. Anyone who owns a buggy knows it takes a lot of HP to go fast due to very poor aerodynamics.
It is not as fast as my FAT2.6 type 4 , but for a stock longblock with over 150,000 miles it goes pretty good. The cam and compression ratio are holding it back, Evidence: the lexus smooth idle and very flat power band.
Over the winter I plan on replacing the longblock with a upgaded high compression version wiith solid lifters, some headwork and a K8 cam with 1.4 rockers ect.
Another cool factor is the flex fan sound is identical to the porsche fan on my type 4.
Oh yea I fit the 228mm vanagon flywheel and clutch in the stock swingaxle trans with a little clearancing from the suggestions I read on these forums (thanks Mood)- works fine.
I will be using a new 200mm adapter flywheel and old kennedy stage 2 on the new engine though.

[buildabiggerboxer]

Excellent project Joe, original thinking at its best, this shouldl help convert others to the wasser.
do be carefull with the valve spring heights with 1.4 rockers, one of the wassers limitations,
you could cut the spring seats 1mm, but only with stock inlet ports, they may break through
if its ported anytime. exhausts are o.k.

[Joe vw]

I understand the spring issue with wasserboxers, using AMC cores I plan on sinking valves (new seats), cutting spring seats down slightly and running Berg raised retainers and whatever it takes to get the correct geometry.
My only hesitation is compression ratio. I will likely turbo the engine in the future. I was thinking higher compression to see what a N/A stock displacement wasser will do.

[buildabiggerboxer]

Yes, exactly the exercise i've just had, i had to go 5.5 rod to get back to 10.5 compression
after sinking the valves and my chamber work etc and unshrouding the inlets (44mm) lots of work and it got very tight, the valve pockets were clearanced by hand, thanks to fastbacks info , but just kiss the piston crowns at the safe limit on overlap. a 5.6 rod would need special pistons made, at least for atmo, i would have liked 12.1, its a race only motor. maybe on the next one.. turbo solves a lot of wasser problems!! good luck with it all, please keep posting.

[fusername]

you have to bring this thing to transporter fest, although I would lvoe to have the only glass buggy there this year, or put my work in progress next to the perfect factory fresh authentic manx that showed up last year, but to park next to your bastard child would be just the greatest. I really want to see this thing in person, I showed this to a vanagon friend of mine, and after his dialup chewed on your photos for a few days his jaw hit the floor. superb work, next year I'll be T4 powered, we can see who sounds cooler then.

[surfbeetle]

Last post was quite a while ago, any updates on this? That's a very trick setup.

[Dugada Dugada]

nice job!

[eserv]

I don't see how this works good at all. The coolant flow through the BMW thermostat and , ultimately the radiator appears backwards to me! What am I not seeing?

[eserv]

I intend to do a similar conversion into a MGTD kitcar. It currently has a 1600 single port and I'm going to install a WBX 1.9 with a rear rad over the engine. I'll probably attach the rad to the body though.

[surfbeetle]

The advantage of this was that the fan was powered by the engine and not an electric fan. This meant that the airflow could be higher, potentially more cooling power than if it was an electric fan and the entire setup was compact.

[eserv]

I get that part, I just don't understand the way he has the coolant flowing through the thermostat and rad. seems backwards to me! maybe a picture of the piping under the thermostat would make it more clear?