[DK Bug]

I am building a stock looking 1776 cc engine for my 1303.

Any comments suggestions and specially experience with a similar setup, on the specks below, are most appreciated?

What i want is a civilized easy driven engine that pulls from low down.
Of course I want as much power as I can get, but not on the great expense of low down power and torque.
Going from 1300 to 1776 will naturally give a great deal of what I want, but maybe there are more easy apples to pick?

I will use:

Cast AA pistons and cylinders.

AB 1300 engine case – AS41- With Hover mods.

Full flow oil pump / filter.

Stock crank, con – rods.

Stock TP heads, and do a little flow work on them

34pict carburetor – MAYBE a progressive Weber.......

Probably stock valve train with bolted rocker axles.
Depends on whats needed for the cam I am going to use.

CR 8 – 8.5

Stock looking exhaust with CSP High Flow tailpipes and either I will mess the internals up in the stock exhaust, or maybe buy the CSP stock looking one.

As I don’t want a screamer and as I rarely will see over 4000 rpm, I am a little I doubt about if I just should stick with the stock cam or go for a mild upgrade.
Have tried to order a CB 2280 cheater cam but the order were canceled because it is not available any more.
That leaves me with stock cam,
or maybe an Engel W90,
or maybe 1:25 rockers with stock cam is just what I need,
or if some of you folks have a better suggestion?

Recommendations to the rest of the setup is of course also most welcome.



Have been looking a little towards this setup CSP has posted, using a W90 cam, in conjunction with their High Flow tailpipes.

 

[DK Bug]

Thanks.

Usable and affordable AT gearboxes is hard to come by in my parts, has constantly my eyes out for one.
Not many 1600 cars sold over here.

For some reasons I would like to stick with a center mount carb.

About my plan to flow the heads a little. Do you think it is a bad idea for my setup?

 

[DK Bug]

I appreciate all inputs, and I know twin carbs is a better solution, and have also anticipated suggestions going that route, but I have my reasons for sticking to the center carb for now.

It is something about economy in the build as I have already used far - far to much money on the car, but it is also something about I like the “stock” look, and further more, I could maybe run into trouble with the MOT as we, over here, is not allowed to modify heavenly on the engine from stock!

Some people over here actually have two engines. One they put in for the mot and the one they usually use....

 

[DK Bug]

Thank you all very much for sharing all your experiences and suggestions.
There is definitely a lot of food for thoughts.

The 1776 cc is chosen because of longevity and reliability, and because I don’t think an extra 176 cc is going over the fence regarding using an original 34pict carb, but on the other hand is an noticeable upgrade over a 1600, and significantly more than my current 1300 cc engine.
I have though considered to up the cc and have also had my eyes on a set of thick wall 92 mm 1835 cc. The machining is then 101 mm it the top and 97 in the engine case, same as for 1914 cc.

Regarding maybe using a progressive Weber.
If I go that route I will not buy a dedicated carb for the purpose.
I will just pull one of a Ford at the junkyard, adapt it to suit, with manual choker and self made manifold with a tube in a tube preheat etc.

Have been looking into the 37 – 39pict solution, but most of them is Chinese ones and cant find anyone had experience with them!
There are some German made ones, made on the basis on original Solex, but they are fairly expensive!

As I have written before, I has to keep the cost down, at least for the moment, as the money going into my 1303 project, happens faster than I can collect it....
I could just wait a year or more to get the car on the road and collect more funds, but would really like to drive it sometimes next summer, so the expense of a set of duals is out of the question.
Although a set of 34 mm ict Webers singles looks tempting.

About the cam.
I am a little surprised people gets away with using a W100 or 110 and a single carb.
Reading suggestions from proclaimed “experts” deems mostly this solution undriveable!
But maybe it is the same as in many other cases. One thing is theory and another thing is real life.
For cost and simplicity, the idea of getting a little more out of the standard cam with more lift rocker arms, is something I find tempting, and as I diffidently don’t want a race like engine, could probably turn out be the best solution for my needs.
Only thing is.
What is the pros and cons, for my needs, over a W90 or even a W100, now I am going to split the case anyway..!?

 

[DK Bug]

Oversized pict carbs?

This guy has a few videos on the carbs, such as:

Thanks.
The guy has a lot of usable information on using the standard carb, and he also have made a newer video, where he uses a 39pict Chinese carb on a 2234 cc engine and gets 141 HP!



And yes I am going to balance everything in the engine.
Will balance the con-rods using both the VW recommended method and the one various others uses.

 

[DK Bug]

Compromises – compromises - compromises!
After listening to your folks and studying what else I could find.
I have decided upon thick wall 1835 cc and a W100 cam.
More on the subject and why, in my latest post in my build tread in Readers Rides.

 

[DK Bug]

Milling the engine case for 1835 cc / 1914 cc.

97 mm gets extremely close to the cylinder studs.

My AB AS41 case has 10 mm studs.
Should I keep them or should I fit case savers and 8 mm studs??

As I sees it, the larger 12 X 1.5 mm treads for the case savers can be a problem with a 97 mm drilling in the case!

Measuring my other AS21 engine case, with case savers already installed, there will only be around 0.5 mm material left if it were milled up to accept 97 mm barrels!

Th AS 41 case with 10 mm studs are going to have around 1.5 mm material left between the studs holes and barrel bore, when it is opened up to 97 mm.

As it is we will only mill down as long as the barrel skirt goes and thereafter only a fraction larger than the 92 mm piston. It gives some more material between the studs and the bore in the case, for the deepest 10 - 15 mm part of the studs holes anyway.

 

[DK Bug]

As it is 1835 cc thick wall I will aim at, it is 97 mm in the case and 101 in the heads, same as 1914cc.

Have already checked the studs, with nearly twice the torque. All treads are fine.

Yes the case is fine with nearly no corrosion and no cracks to find.
Only thing is the lifter bores is to their max.
Think it is as good as it can get for a 50 year old engine case.
Have already got it linebored ,by someone else with the right tooling, who knows how.

My oldest son is a toolmaker, therefore the machine work is for free. 😁

But should I leave it with the 10 mm studs?

On the other hand. If money were no issue. I would just have bought a brand new alu. engine case.

 

[DK Bug]

Case savers and 8 mm studs it will be then.

For the rest. Pretty much what I had in mind. Exept have also considered a W100 or even a W110, if I later down the line upgraded should decide to upgrade on the carburator.
But think to be on the safe side it should be a W90 with bolted rocker shafts and a little harder springs.

For the tuning. I have planed to get it on a roling road.

 

[DK Bug]

Everything Beetle related has been on halt for a while, but now I am back on the track again...



The guy who have line bored my engine case is a dedicated air cooled mechanic with several hundred rebuilt air cooled engines below his belt, and beside that he is a machine engineer with his own workshop.

He has developed his own system and tools where the engine block is fixed to a lathe.

A lot of people have, with great success, bought rebuilt engines from him and have also used him for just line boring.

I have no doubt that the work he has done for me is top class!



But said that, if money were no concern I would just have bought a new engine block.



Question

Planing the last things in the configuration of the engine, and have been thinking a little about the oil cooling system.

I am going to use an external oil filter using the fancy ”EasyFlow with Pressure Valve” oil pump

from CSP.

Considering a larger external oil cooler instead of the original one.

If I do that, the question I have been thinking about is, if I remove the original oil cooler, remove the doghouse and block off the exit to it, will the extra air giver a better cooling of the engine, especially to the left side of the engine?

 

[DK Bug]

Thanks all.

Have bought a new standard oil cooler and will monitor the oil temp. If it is getting to high for my liking, I can always later ad a oil cooler more in conjunction with the oil filter installation.

 

[DK Bug]

Thanks all for your considerations and advises.

I appreciate it all, and have taken it all into consideration and weighted it up into a cost benefit analyze.

Regarding the engine case.
With a new case at 1.600 to 1.800 Eur, and a toughly examination of my old case.
I have no hesitation in using it.

Further more I have actually worked on old cars and engines for the last 35 – 40 years, and have always been able to produce a usable result.
Even though I have a long mechanical experience I don’t consider myself to know everything and have the only right solution to everything, therefor I in most cases try to get some second opinions and talk to people who have been handling the same kind of task I am about to perform.
And there are always someone else out there who has an even better solution, than you can come up with.

Line bore.
Just to clarify.
The person who line bored my case is not just some-random-backyard-mechanic, but he has a excellent reputation, and my reason for letting him do the job were not because he said he could do it, but because I know of, and have talked to different people, in person, who have used him, who, among others, have been driving around most of Europe on holidays in there Bus for several years, and their engines runs still just fine.

Besides that I don’t buy that, that all old cases are scrap. Many are, but some are also reusable.

Not saying a new case not could have been the best premium outset, but at around 1700 Eur. and all the examination there have been done on my old case.
I am ready to take the risk.
After all.
It is not rocket science , but only an engine, and if something goes wrong, I will just take it apart and rectify it.

Parts have already been bought:

Thick wall 1835 cc PC.

Engle W90 cam and Engle lifters.

New cam gear.

Harder valve springs.

New valves.

Bolted rocker shafts.

Swivel feet adjusters.

200 mm. flywheel and clutch to go with it.

CSP full flow oil pump with build in pressure regulation.

Used 34 pict 3 carburetor. The venturi is going to be bored up to 28 mm. and the manifold centerpiece is going to be fabricated with an internal diameter of 34 mm.

Plus a heap of other small items.

Still need to decide / get the exhaust, but leaning against the stock style CSP one.

Flywheel, pressure plate, crank and pulley are going out to be balanced individual and together.

Pistons will be matched and conrods end to end balanced.

Heads have already been machined to 101 mm. and also for bushings for 12 mm. long reach spark-plugs.
Still have to install new valve guides and cc them to 53 cc to get around 8.7:1 compression, with a deck height of 1 mm. or 0,04 in your parts.

Still waiting for a vacant milling machine to mill out the engine casting for the 1835 cylinders.
If it takes to long I will pay for the job elsewhere.