Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 09:17:07 -0800
Reply-To: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Watercooled Mexican Microbusses, again
In-Reply-To: <s1deb096.031@gwia201.syr.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
At the annual Busses By the Bridge event last weekend, there was a nice
loaf bus that had been converted to a watercooled inline VW 4 cyl. The
owner did it using the bell housing, starter, and flywheel from a
Mexican watercooled bus. The cooling system was his own design, using a
front radiator from some American made vehicle. The bus is done in a
Baja style, with huge tires, custom interior, custom rack, etc. The work
was all very professional looking. It was love at first sight for me.
The Mexican conversion setup has what the owner considered to be 2 main
drawbacks compared to the KEP setup that he has used in other conversions
1. a special version starter, used only on the Mexican buses
2. a very long bell housing, forcing the engine farther back 1.5 inches
more than the KEP plate does.
The bell and flywheel do have the typical timing hole and mark as found
in VW inline 4 vehicles. In the loaf it is difficult to make use of it
and the owner made pulley timing marks to use instead. Perhaps the
Mexican bus has a larger access hole above the engine so you can see the
timing hole better. The Mexican bell housing has a cable actuated clutch
setup, not the hydraulic arrangement used in Vanagons.
Mark
Daniel Stevens wrote:
>KEP adapters are $600 +/- (2003 price sheet)
>The KEP flywheel is not a replacement part.. you ruin it you need to
>get another one from KEP.
>also the KEP adapter ( I own one) is a PITA to time the engine.. there
>is NO timing mark pulley for a gas I4, KEP times thru a small peep hole
>into the back of the flywheel. factory VW would have some other set up.
>
>
>What I need to make is a pulley for an I4 I can use a timing light on.
>
>I'm quite sure factory VW wouldn't use a specialty starter.. then again
>they do for the Diesel vanagon (again own one of those too)
>......................
>
>=====================================================
>
>
>>>>mark drillock <drillock@earthlink.net> 1/7/2005 2:36:37 PM >>>
>>>>
>>>>
>Why not just use a KEP setup? They make and sell the adapter/flywheel
>setup that works with your stock clutch and starter in your application.
>
>About $500 I think. Then the wear parts, i.e. clutch and starter are
>standard parts you can get anywhere.
>
>The Mexican buses mount the engine at 15 degrees. KEP offers a 15
>degree setup.
> The Mexican buses use a larger capacity cast alloy oil pan with the
>filler tube attached to it but you can use stock USA market parts and
>modify as needed.
>
>I'd be curious to see what was done for cooling system stuff, for sure.
>Maybe I will try to get a closer look sometime.
>
>Mark
>
>
>
| 
