[DarkWave]

The time has come when I'm after a bit more from my Beetle. I'm looking mostly at bolt-ons however I may split the case and put in a new cam and/or lightened flywheel. Currently the engine is a 1500TP - and I'm not looking to increase this. There's a bloke down the road from me that I believe has a pair of fish carbs but if he doesn't anymore what would be the best set of twins? - nothing too costly mind!

The exhaust is staying stock; I have only recently replaced the whole lot.

I was thinking perhaps 1.4:1 rockers with the stock cam, or stock rockers with a Scat C45 or Engle 120 or something?

I might increase the valve size and give the heads a port and polish too. My budget is roughly a grand which seems like enough to give myself a bit more power to play with?

Thoughts? Opinions? Ideas?
Cheers

 

[DarkWave]

I've read a thread similar to this where the guy had £1000 as well but I'm after information on Cam/rocker ratio combinations - does anyone know anything about this?

 

[Metalflakedave]

What do you actually want from the motor when it is done? The reason I ask is that I think you may spend £1k and not receive much of a difference from a stock 1500. If you want a noticeable difference in performance I'd be tempted to keep your 1500 and source a good case from which to build a mild 1776 (to have something worth having) You'll spend more than £1k obviously but you'd end up with a 100hp engine that would freely rev past 5k. All you'll get from your intended changes is a bit smoother / quicker build up to 4500k.

 

[DarkWave]

I'm looking for a few extra horses, maybe 30-50, just a medium fast road engine, nothing over the top, I'm not really looking to take it down a strip an awful lot just have something a bit faster for the road. I would like to keep it a 1500, but maybe raise the compression ratio a little to somewhere around the 9:1 mark? How can I make it rev past 5k?

 

[dannyboy]

keep saving for a bit longer and get a decent motor built as said a 1776 can be a real handfull if built right

 

[DarkWave]

I want to know the possibilities of what I have, I think it will be harder to insure for me if it's a bigger engine, I want to keep the 1500.

 

[1303gt4]

for a mild budget build with what you have this is how i would go. its not going to give you 30/50bhp improvement. your budget needs to be at least 3 times that to do it right.
3 angle the valve seats and a good port job along with ccing the chambers.
ratio rockers but not 1.4's and swivel foot adjusters
set of kadron carbs with the manifolds port matched.
cut to length push rods so you can get the rocker geometry right
balanced bottom end and a light flywheel.
match weight the rods and pistons
that lot will soon eat up your grand budget but will give you a usefull boost in power that you will feel.
speed costs money, how fast can you afford to go?

 

[DarkWave]

what do you mean a useful boost in power, how much are we talking if you could put a number on it? Any other suggestions on which way you would go if you were going to keep a 1500 with a grand to spend; what would you do with it?

 

[Metalflakedave]

what do you mean a useful boost in power, how much are we talking if you could put a number on it? Any other suggestions on which way you would go if you were going to keep a 1500 with a grand to spend; what would you do with it?

You've got 45bhp now. With the mods Rob is suggesting you'd maybe achieve 70bhp, but more like 65. You will feel the difference and it will rev to 5000rpm. Won't be fast, will be nippy and smoother.

That's why I asked what you wanted from the motor in the first post. If you want more than 65/70hp then you should save your budget again, or three times even and build a 1776. That way you can achieve a reliable 100+hp that will rev to around 6k and keep up with modern warm hatches.

 

[DarkWave]

Okay, so in your experience what is the most you've got or you know is achievable from a 1500? Do you think there is a way to achieve what I'm after; what would be the cost of it?

Cheers for the advice so far.

 

[Metalflakedave]

Okay, so in your experience what is the most you've got or you know is achievable from a 1500? Do you think there is a way to achieve what I'm after; what would be the cost of it?

Cheers for the advice so far.

I can't comment from experience for a 1500. I would have said my 1600 had about 55hp, relatively standard, exhaust, weber carb, full flow oiling, etc. It wasn't fast though, had the stock rev range, wasn't balanced or anything.

At the other end of the spectrum my 2276 turn key cost around £6,000.00 but that is fast and has 160odd bhp.

I'm sure if you were to spend £5k on a 1500 you could achieve 120-150bhp, but it would be relatively pointless and its power delivery would be rather limited, low torque and needing to be revved all the time to go fast.

To get 100bhp (seems that is your goal) it would cost more to get that from a 1500 than a 1776, plus the 1776 would deliver the power in a more user friendly and reliable way.

In terms of power gains, you would gain more from just balancing your bottom end, putting 90.5 barrels and pistons on and an engle 110 cam with stock heads, than you would trying to balance the 1500 and modify the heads and rockers etc.

I think you could be well on the way to having a mild 1776 if you saved a bit longer for parts (saving another £800 say) and then you'd at least have an engine worth having. I don't think you want to hear this though....

 

[dannyboy]

/\/\/\ that pretty much sums it up mate save up and do it right the first time. my old looker had a low 15 second ticket in the glovebox from when it ran a 1776

 

[AndyK]

As you have twin port heads, you could use a pair of 36 IDF carbs which can be bought second hand for a reasonable price, you could use a set of 1.25:1 ratio rockers, bolt up shafts and single valve springs, with the stock cam. Port the heads a little

In my old 1641 with the above spec I had 70 bhp, a nice upgrade over a stock engine.

If you want it to rev higher you will have to change the cam, maybe an Engle 110, although I have not used one in a 1500, you may lose some low end power due to the small cc. If you change the cam budget for new lifters, valve springs and bolt together rocker shafts.

And fit a 4 into 1 exhaust, a single quiet pack should do the job.
I think carbs, cam and exhaust will take most of your £1k, If you have anything left get the engine balanced, lighten the flywheel. Set the compression ratio to work with the cam and fuel you want to use.

Have a read here. http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,13877.0.html

 

[1303gt4]

A good stock exhaust will work ok till around 75/80bhp if you keep stock exhaust valve size. The works rally cars made 120bhp on modded stock style exhaust.
A 4/1 header and decent sized silencer will make you a few more h/p. A 4/2/1 header would be even better but as no one makes one you would have to make that yourself.

 

[DarkWave]

Thanks all for your feedback, I can see that my money will be best spent on a larger capacity engine, so I'll start saving and planning, maybe I'll slowly start building it this summer as I get the funds.

 

[62 deluxe]

Just remember, if you are upping the power of your motor, it is worthwhile making sure your brakes, suspension and drivetrain are all capable of dealing with the extra hp. No point in having 100bhp, if your braking system is set up for 45!!!! Your box is one of the best vw made, so if in good nick, will be fine. Depending on engine power, you may need a performance clutch as well. Not trying to scare you off, but it's not all about the engine!

 

[DarkWave]

I know, I always make sure they're in good nick and function properly. Thanks for the advice.

 

[dannyboy]

Just remember, if you are upping the power of your motor, it is worthwhile making sure your brakes, suspension and drivetrain are all capable of dealing with the extra hp. No point in having 100bhp, if your braking system is set up for 45!!!! Your box is one of the best vw made, so if in good nick, will be fine. Depending on engine power, you may need a performance clutch as well. Not trying to scare you off, but it's not all about the engine!

disc brakes are for pussys :lol:

 

[lukej]

3 angle the valve seats and a good port job along with ccing the chambers.
ratio rockers but not 1.4's and swivel foot adjusters
set of kadron carbs with the manifolds port matched.
cut to length push rods so you can get the rocker geometry right
balanced bottom end and a light flywheel.
match weight the rods and pistons

That's exactly my engine except I used a Scat cam instead of RR's to gain more lift/duration. Has done me fine whilst Iv'e been collection parts for a >2L engine