Date:         Wed, 21 Sep 1994 14:41:14 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         tar3@po.cwru.edu (Timothy A. Rinehart)
Subject:      Engine Swapping...

[74 type 1 in a 78 bus]

>>   I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that -- having the upright
>> fan, etc, makes it very difficult to even get the engine in and out in
>> the first place. The older bus w/TYPE I engines had a removeable rear
>> panel so you could just slide the engine out. 

	I can and have pulled the engine out upright by jacking up both
back sides of the bus.  While it takes about ten more minutes to do so i
can't see that having any particular disadvantage when looking to buy it.
 
>I think that the type I engine is fine for a bus, as long as you aren't
>in a hurry.
	In my experience the larger engine only really comes into play when
driving high grade hills or heavy loads.  If these are in your
everyday/weekly schedule then i think i bigger engine is definitely in
order.  For city, highway and normal driving i can't find fault with
an upright.   
	More important that upright or pancake is engine
condition/compression/ etc.. A well maintained type 1 can be an asset not a
liabilty as its slightly smaller size might suggest.  Unless you are
looking to restore to fully stock (78?) then i'd pay more attention to 
how it runs.  I have yet to hear about a problem resulting from an engine
type swap (clutch, etc) so the act of switching is IMHO harmless. 
	When comparing other busses with a type III or IV think about
the dual carbs, fuel injection and such... If you want something very easy
to maintain, adjust and repair it doesn't get much simpler than a beetle
engine and parts are usually easy to find. 
	CHUCK


--

		"under my hat, under my hat, under my stinking hat...
		gotta live chicken and it's under my hat"
					The live chicken song by CHUCK