Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (February 2005, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Wed, 2 Feb 2005 15:39:35 -0800
Reply-To:     "Chris S." <mrpolak@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
Comments:     DomainKeys? See http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys
From:         "Chris S." <mrpolak@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Various Upgrades for Lilleyed WBX - here you go
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I saved this email from Robert a long time ago. Enjoy!

************************************************************

The accessories become the limiting factor when going past the WBX 6000 red line anyway. I do not take it that high and "MOST" Vanagon owners do not want power where they do not drive. I find I do not have to take it past ~4000 in daily driving, except to get on a freeway, otherwise I would be running into the rear of many cars in front during traffic. Plus how are the other engines during SLOW traffic? I can take my engine down to smooth ~1500 with no lugging and pull up to smooth 5000 rpms. Lets not get caught up in the "my engine is bigger than your engine" and look for real solutions to the problem. While converting is for some, others just want to make what they have better. The whole point of what I did, along with others, was to take the engine that came in the U.S. (and others that are similar) Vanagons and address the problems to make it better, to focus on fixing the problems making it better, fixing common problems to the engine long block, in order to make it stronger and last longer...For those that do not want to swap read on...

Adding various parts to increase the power/economy/relability in the WBX depends on your budget and desired power increase. BOLT ON:

Air filter Upgrade:

K&N Source for K&N air filter: Performance International 696 West 18th Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 1-800-522-1672 <http://www.performanceintl.com/> Email: performanceintl@virtualrep.comParts List E-2475 K&N Air Filter 1 $27.42 (I think it is a few dollars more now) 99-5050 K&N Service Kit 1 $8.95

Spark Plug upgrade: Use the Bosch Quad tip plugs I am using the platinum quad tip plugs. They do not make a plug specifically for the WBX engine, but plug #4477 is the # to get. The direction of the flame kernel is directed towards the piston top more than with the single and similar to the triple electrode. I have a set and my engine starts with just a bump of the starter.

ROCKER ARM: 1.25 ratio IF you DO NOT PLANT TO ADD THE AUSSIE POWER CHIP: I would use the 1.25 ratio IF you are not going to add the Aussie ECU upgrade chip. The chip allows the ECU to better handle the changes in airflow that the higher ratio rockers add. 1.25 ratio parts:

CB Performance upgrade from stock parts: 1628 Chromoly Push Rods 90,000 PSI $44.95 : lighter than stock, reduces the weight stock valves push eliminates the need for heavier springs 1665 Rhino 1.25 Ratio Rockers $119.95 1642 Rhino Feet (Porsche 911 style valve adjusting screws) $32.95 1643 High Performance Rocker Shafts $31.95 1534 Rocker Arm pads $4.95 1644 Rocker Arm Spacer kit $10.95 1691 Clip On Valve Covers $16.95--- YOU WILL NEED a bigger rocker cover if you use ratios rockers!! **You might have to persuade them, talk to Baya and mention my name, she is aware of T1 parts I have used with the WBX engine.

ECU UPGRADE: Contact: David at: david@clubvw.org.au He sells the chip. Cost is @$260 without a group discount.

**If you are adding the chip then 1.3 or 1.4 ratio depends if you plan to rebuild in the future AND change the cam profile to increase the lift. IF you are NOT going to change the cam use 1.4 If you are going to change the cam us 1.3. There are several different brands to choose from: Berg, CB Performance, Autocrat, Pauter. There are two different styles the slider and roller tip. Pauter is the only one I know that has the roller tip. This has a roller that contacts the valve tip and rolls across the tip rather than sliding across the tip. I like the roller tip because it reduces the friction on the valve tip that leads to the stem wearing out the guide. I also like the fact that these rockers are light weight aluminum billets that reduce the rocker weight and eliminates the need for heavier valve springs. When you increase lift you also need to increase valve spring pressure to keep from going into valve float, but when you do, you increase cam and lifter wear and reduce HP. Reducing the valve train weight that the spring has to push, increases the working spring pressure and keeps you from having to go to heavier springs, so you get the benefit of ratio rockers without the penalty of heavier springs. Costs are @300 ~330 for a set of rockers. Look in VW mags for the best prices. I think that the Berg set ($400) includes push rods. The other sets you need to add cut to fit Chromoly push rods. These are stronger and lighter than stock the steel. Cost ~$40 to $60. Make sure all FI parts are operating correctly, intakes are tight and gaskets do not leak. Air runner

Ratio Rockers increase the bottom end torque better than having ported intakes or bigger valves. To increase the bottom end power, the valves need to open quick, the problem is that the ramp on the cam needs to be steep to open the valves, this then causes wear on the cam, ratio rockers allow for milder ramps on the cam to minimize wear Another factor is port velocity. Porting and bigger valves decrease port velocity at lower speeds. While more air can pass through, it does it at a slower rate and does not fill the chamber as full, hence less power. Ratio rocker open the valve sooner and higher and maintain a higher port velocity in the stock, slightly ported port. The higher velocity air fills the chamber better at low speeds to get better low end power.

The port walls also come into play for low speed operation. The walls need to be slightly rough to cause the air/fuel mixture to tumble at low speeds to emulsify and maintain its mix. Smooth walls can cause the fuel to puddle and fall out of suspension and low speeds.

Synthetic oil: use a quality synthetic. Redline, Mobil, etc.

Doing a HEAD JOB:

Polish the exhaust port, increase port size slightly. Clean up the castings on the intakes and increase the port size but do not polish the ports too much. Low speed operation needs the castings slightly rough to tumble the air to keep it mixed with fuel.

Coat the sealing surface with an aluminum sealant. I chose to coat the surface with a thermal barrier ceramic coatings, to add the benefits of heat protection to the rubber gaskets.

I chose new AMC heads and had the sealing surface ceramic coated to protect the surface from corrosion.

1520 HIGH PERF. VALVE LOCKS $10.95 decrease or eliminate valve stem groove wear 1503 Chromoly Valve Spring Retainers, set of 8 $17.95 Stronger than stock.

VW steel valves with the sodium filled valves @50 each. Stainless steel while light are softer and do not last as long as steel

Add 95 mm bigger bore pistons. This gives you a little more displacement and the barrel width is still safe.

http://www.aaautoproducts.com/ (look at the shiny WBX pistons) Aaautoproducts@aol.com

95 mm WBX has the same compression ratio as the standard 94 mm. We supply our barrels or bore out the used German barrels in our machine shop. We charge $16 to bore and hone each barrel. Piston is $139.95 per set."

CLUTCH: Racing clutch bolts CB Performance

SEALANT: Curil sealant (German sealant the WBX was made with originally)

http://www.bus-boys.com/bbzvc.htm

K2 and T

www.bus-boys.com

Full rebuild:

Add Counterweights to the crank- adds life to main bearings and reduces vibrations

Demello Machine Shop 15902 Manufacture Lane Hunting Beach, CA 92649

714-898-7405 Contact- Bob

Counterweighted Crank/Engine Balance/Rod rebuild Balance all the rotating parts: Crank, pulley, flywheel, pressure plate and the rods balanced end for end.

Lighten flywheel ONLY IF ADDING COUNTERWEIGHT TO CRANK. This improves acceleration off the line.

CAM CHANGE:

WebCam:

Stock Cam Stock With 1.1:1 1.25 1.3 1.4 Intake .330 .363 .423 .429 .462 Exhaust .317 .349 .396 .412 .444 Duration* 255° 255° 255° 255° 255° *Approxmite figure

Modified #91 Grind HYD With 1.1:1 1.25 1.3 Intake .363 .399 .454 .472 Exhaust .363 .399 .454 .472 Duration 265 ° 265 ° 265° 265°

The number you want is #91 grind. You might get some resistance from them, but talk about what you plan to change.

Adjustable fuel pressure regulator, get an adjustable single diaphragm regulator. CB Performance, You might have to persuade them, talk to Baya and mention my name, she is aware of T1 parts I have used with the WBX engine. This would allow you to set the fuel pressure. The vacuum is different from stock due to the cam change and a new stock might not read exactly correct.

I would not use synthetic oil until after around 5000 miles to allow for the rings to seat. Then use a quality synthetic. Redline, Mobil, etc.

OTHER:

Throttle body: sand the inside to make it smoother and less restrictive to air flow (small amount but all changes add to bigger change)? Match port: air runners to the intake port on the heads? The air runners have about a @2 mm smaller opening. This allows for slightly more air flow to the pistons. It can be done by using the gasket as a template and matching to the intake port, then grind the air runners out to match.

Match port the exhaust system: The elbow on stock systems seem to have a mismatch on one of the two pipes coming into it is 4 mm off-center. I ground one edge of the port at an angle to remove the restriction.

Wrap the exhaust pipes with heat wrapping: Gene Berg has this. It keeps the heat in the exhaust and reduces heat radiation from the pipes into the engine compartment. This keeps the exhaust gases hotter and helps to maintains a high exhaust gas velocity throughout the pipe. This allows the exhaust to have better a scavenging effect on the gases. With the increased duration you can give the intake a better head start towards the piston by the exhaust gases exiting pulling the intake charge in sooner. The air flow meter measures the amount and the ECU knows the amount and provide the correct amount of fuel based on the engines sensors. When you wrap the exhaust (I used ceramic coatings) the exhaust gases stay hotter and therefore travel faster, providing a higher vacuum pressure (scavenging effect) as they exit and pulling more fuel into the chamber, providing more power at ALL rpms, and when you make more power at all rpms you need to use less pedal to make the same speed. Another benefit is that all the rubber parts in the engine compartment will last longer, especially the rubber coolant hoses, due to the trapped heat the parts face during running. I can take a two hour cruise and the engine compartment is warm, I can put my hand on the alternator and it is warm.

Match port the oil pump to the case. The outlet is smaller then the case inlet. Improves oil flow and reduces oil cavitation. Sand the top of the oil pump to .000 clearance between the gears and the top WITHOUT THE GASKET (the gasket gives it the needed gap)

===== Chris S.

'84 Westy -> http://www.knology.net/~vwghost/hershey/ '01 NB TDI -> http://www.knology.net/~vw/Beetle.jpg


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.