Bus into bus trans swap...searched, found little

Jadewombat · Post by **Jadewombat** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 3:37 pm

melville wrote:
Jadewombat wrote: I'm very interested to see what that looks like installed in a Bus engine compartment. Can you use the stock oil bath air filter with it? Do keep us updated.

I'm not sure I quite follow you, the L-jet system I'm adapting came of a '78 bus and they had square paper air filters. Everything should fit though, my bus was CIS injected at one point in time a few years ago and everything fit.

melville · Post by **melville** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:54 pm

Jadewombat wrote:
melville wrote:
Jadewombat wrote: I'm very interested to see what that looks like installed in a Bus engine compartment. Can you use the stock oil bath air filter with it? Do keep us updated.
I'm not sure I quite follow you, the L-jet system I'm adapting came of a '78 bus and they had square paper air filters. Everything should fit though, my bus was CIS injected at one point in time a few years ago and everything fit.

That's not MexiBeetle hardware in your pic? I'm asking about the hardware. It kinda looks like the TB occupies the same space as a 34 PICT 3, but I'm making some assumptions about where each part goes.

I actually have a 78 Bus with L-Jet right now and the manifolds, plenum, and TB sure don't fit an upright motor.

Simon · Post by **Simon** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:22 pm

[quote="Jadewombat"]Still chugging away. Got the wiring cleaned up a little and found two more air leaks. I originally went with airbags on the rear of my bus about seven years ago. Well, these push-on fittings haven't stood the test of time. I've switched to normal, compression fittings, a lot cheaper to replace just the compression bushing from now on. I don't recommend these push on connectors that come with so many airride kits, etc.

Im glad I came across this thread!!...first off everythig your doing is looking good keep us posted!!..I've got a completre airide kit sitting here that came with push on connectors so good to know I won't be using them..I too am doing an airide on my 64 Bus w/ 944 IRS/axle...just about finished the front suspension...soon to start on the rear

Jadewombat · Post by **Jadewombat** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:27 pm

Got the engine in and working on fitting the rest of the stuff. I set the airbox off to the side to show roughly how it will be mounted. Looks like everything will work so far. The elbow boot will be cut down a little though. I need to mount a WOT switch on the throttle body for the ECU.

Jadewombat · Post by **Jadewombat** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:09 pm

I got the brackets for the airbox/AFM made, just working on getting the booster line fitted and the wiring hooked up. Mostly little things at this point, which take the longest.

Jadewombat · Post by **Jadewombat** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:14 pm

Got it started today, I know it's crowded in there.

Running rough so I'm going to keep at it until it idles normally.

Jadewombat · Post by **Jadewombat** » Sat May 16, 2009 4:46 pm

Still going pretty well. I've tweaked the injection to running good now. I love the gear ratio now, it's so tall! Those shift marks on the speedo have jumped up one to the new shifts points, what I mean is I go from first to second at 25, second to third at 40-45, and 60 is fourth. It's nice now as I can just leave it in gear if I want and not have to downshift.

The shifter is still poo-poo, but I've always had problems with it, even with the old S/A trans. I've replaced the front bushing I can't tell you how many times. Tried a Berg shifter which was worse than the stock one in a lot of ways(very, very stiff). It may be the rear bushing, but it's a little late for that now(I forgot about it actually when the motor and trans were out). I did replace the shift coupler when I had the trans. out with a new poly. one, but well...adjustments, etc. The IRS swap rides sooo nice too.

I get so many compliments on the bus now, always did, but now I can't go to a gas station without someone flagging me down. I'm going for the Rally style look here. This bus was actually a Pro-Rally support vehicle for a team out of Phoenix. No kidding! That was back in the winter of 2001 at the Laughlin, NV rally. Over dirt roads and rocky ones going to the next pit area, in the dead of winter with 3 ft. of snow, cold as crap out, keeping up with all the other 'new' support trucks and vehicles, our bus with tools and two dogs and a kerosene heater made it all day long.

Getting ready for a paint job at some point here.

Post by **Piledriver** » Sat May 23, 2009 7:27 pm

Awesome build, I need to get over to the bus forum more often!

I'm kinda surprised getting a 091 bus trans in proved to be a major project in its own right, took me ~ 2 hours to slam one in an (admitteldly already IRS) bug. No shifter adapter, I hacked the SCAT shifter up ~ 1/2" rather than modifying the car much.

I made my own mounts, a mid mount and no nose cone mount would provide the required room to move the trans up ~ 1" if required, and is probably a better high HP setup if needed.

Don't buy everything some people sell.. It's frequently only required if you MUST have something that bolts together. (No shop//fab skills)

Jadewombat · Post by **Jadewombat** » Sun May 24, 2009 9:08 am

Thanks for the comments. It wasn't a total loss with the 002 box thing. I was in a position though having two more learning curves, taking the box apart and all sorts of fitting in the car that I just simply didn't have the time to deal with on the bus I was still paying insurance on. Getting it back on the road was more important to me, but I think it'll actually work out.

I plan to use the 002 in the super bug with the 911 motor, which is a pretty good match, the single side cover trans would've worked with a 150hp six I'm sure, but well here we are...The bug will be my autocross car so I'll be shifting and going through the gears pretty hard. You have some photos of your setup, modifying the shifter and whatnot?

Post by **Piledriver** » Mon May 25, 2009 6:38 am

It was my sons car, he still has it apart for paint...

Some of the pics are on Tunas site in the "kafer brace" how-to...

I basically used some 1/4" mild steel plate to make the bell housing end solid mount/wrap around style, picks up the engine bolts on the bottom, long studded the lower starter bolt (it more or less lines up) and made up a bolt down plate for the other side of the bell housing... 2 bolts IIRC, stole that idea from a 10 degree mount I tried that didn't actually fit. (trans hit the body hard, and the motor was far too high to fit in anything but a Baja)

It bolted on the frame horns directly, kafer brace mounts to it.

For the front, I made a solid mount, but in retrospect a mid mount is easier, I had one fabbed up to go in the car if he ever actually paints it...

I'll try and get more pics if there is anything in particular you need to see like the shifter, but all I did was enlongate the holes it bolts down through in the shifter base, gave me enough adjustment. (About 1/2" more is needed, at least how I did it, with a mid mount, the trans could move up another ~inch, which would probably require shortening the shift rod nad doing the rear plate a tad different)

The only hacking i had to do on the car itself was a tad of hammer "clearancing" for the nosecone under the back seat, and some grinding of the frame horn inner area where it was spot welded. (seam welded when done)

Oh, and beating the hell out of the top of the frame horns for CV joint clearance.

It actually fit far easier/better than I figured it would.