where are all of the performance engine guys?

Jake Raby type 4...........

 

I've had a 2.0 type 4 with minimal mods and holy crap does it half shift along. 

Recommend. CB Performance in CA.  I have a 1915 that has been stroked to 2054.  The extra piston travel gives more torque which means better acceleration.  I drive mostly around town between 0 & 45 and enjoy the acceleration off the line.  My engine is 145hp, which is bigger than the biggest original (The Carrera) on a car that ways 300 lbs less.  It's not a monster engine, but it makes if feel like a sports car.  The power to rate ratio is close to that of a Boxter with the bigger engine.

x2 on CB Performance.

kirk and roland would be putting the engine in. i want to make sure something quality and fun which will perform well and stably will go into the car.

 

 

read of this set up in a JPS which my dad thinks sounds good.

 

 

race bred 2332cc dual port engine ready to push the 6500 redline! All heavy duty engine internals, full flow oil system with external oil filter, dual Weber 44IDF carburetors, and ceramic coated performance tuned exhaust conservatively produce 150+ horsepower! It delivers this massive power & torque through a 3.88 ring & pinion 4-speed Pro Street transmission

Just remember one thing..........with a high performance engine, you're going to have to keep an even closer eye on it, than with a stock motor.

 

 

Bigger engines generate more heat and require additional cooling aids.

As Gary said above, a bigger engine does require keeping a closer eye on it.

A later model type IV is a great choice since it is a larger displacement in it's stock form and the cooling issues are worked out.

A superbly-built 1776 with proper transaxle gearing can scatch the itch and result in many trouble-free miles.

Keep in mind - a quality built big displacement engine costs $$$$.

Regarding the JPS description: you need to do your research on the engine builder. When I got my JPS in 2004, the 2110 was nothing like the description and not a single quality part had been used in the build.

i have a 1915 in my car currently and kirk has offered me an engine upgrade. i want quality parts and something fun. maintenance isn't a problem. i don't have any issue with paying a good mechanic to take care of a soundly built, quality car if i am keeping this speedster.

Get a Type IV. Start with a later model 2000cc and increase the displacement to achieve your ultimate performance level. You start at 1600 with a type I. 

After 2 rebuilds in 40,000 miles, my next engine will definitely be a type IV.

I've messed with and hot rodded VW aircooled motors in one form or another for almost 40 years. My first foray into the wonderful world of VW high performance was at the tender age of 17; we put a Holley 2 barrel carb, header and 009 distributor on the 1300 cc motor in my '66. It was 1974. For several years in the late '70's- early 80's my street car had a 1750 (that I built) that revved to over 6500rpm and was faster than a new Mustang or Camaro (and way faster than the Vette...). I've been involved in several friends' offroad race efforts over the years and even when I haven't been actively involved, kept in touch with reading and seeing what other friends were doing. I tell you this not to toot my own horn, but to let you know where this advice is from....

 

For something more powerful, yet relatively reliable and trouble free, a 2165 (78x94) with Porshce length rods (better bottom end/midrange and less cylinder shims so the cylinder covers are easier to fit properly), some properly ported 40x35 heads and a cam (Engle W110 or W120 with 1.25 rockers, Steve Long Racing XR284 with 1.5 rockers, XR294 with 1.4's or something similar), 8.5-9:1 compression, 44IDF's and 1 5/8" merged exhaust (A1 sidewinder) will rev to 5500 or 6000 rpm with power, produce 140-150 horsepower (or a little more!) and be a blast to drive. It will need an extended oil sump and full flow oil filter, and an extra oil cooler/fan unit (with thermostat for faster warmups) mounted above the transaxle would be a very good idea as well.

 

You could go bigger; an 82mm crank with a 94mm piston/cylinder kit gives 2276cc's and 84mm crank gives 2332 cc's, but now (for internal clearance purposes) a smaller rod journal should be used. That creates less overlap with the main bearing journals (and the potential for crank flex) and to correct it a type 4 center main is the answer, which costs more $$$.

 

A motor that screams to 6500 or7000rpm will make 15-20 or more hp, but with that extra 500 or so rpms comes more head maintenance; at the very least they'll need new dual springs and valve seats recut (and possibly new guides) every 10,000-15,000 miles, vs 30 or 40,000 mile intervals. Also, with the added camshaft duration and power up top comes a little less "smoothness" at lower rpms; there are always trade offs in the horsepower game and the reason for the 2 peak rpm point choices above. 

 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask, either on this thread or by dialogue. And I hope this helps. Al

 

Edit- The reliability thing isn't just a question of increased maintenance; what I'm proposing is something that won't break and leave you stranded somewhere.

I'm very happy with the Subaru engine I have. It's the EJ22 so a very simple fuel injected engine. If left stock it makes like 135hp so plenty for a tub. It would be a bit more work to add the radiator etc to your existing car.

roland built my 2110, perfect engine. Runs great. No problems with it. No leaks. Plenty of cruising power.

 

Do you know the specs? How long has it been running and what mileage do you have on it now?

TA, I have a 2332 that was built here in Torrance by John at Powerhaus....

I even added a 911 shroud, which everyone will tell you not to do....

I have had no problems, the engine you spec'd in the above post should be

just fine.....

Roland should be able to build you a nice motor go with either 2110 or 2332

Kirk will not do a suby or a type 4, so these guys who suggest that are way

out of line here....

stick with a type 1 air cooled ......Kirk & Roland know those well

 

 

Peter V has a gorgeous IM with a Subaru engine, as does David Stroud and Mart G. All SAS cars has Subaru engines as well. A lot of builders are now offering Subaru engines as an option. The additional weight is well compensated for stock engines producing 135 to 175 hp based on displacement. SAS is even offering turbo versions of the flat four and now is able to install the Subaru six cylinder (stock 256hp) engine in a speedster. However, unless you are prepared to wait a small eternity for a SAS built car that can be equipped with power windows, power brakes, power top, full security system, automatic transmission, cruise control and what ever else Steve Lawing can come up with then I would recommend Kirk, Carey or Henry. 

OK, perhaps some of you chowder heads didn't get it, TA is having Kirk & Roland do a new motor for her. I assume it is some sort of deal due to all the problems she has been having, that said, Kirk does basic air cooled motors of varying sizes, not Suby motors & not type 4 motors...Geees, don't you get it.....

 

Annaliese, I had a 1915 and it was sensational. Plenty of power and I understand that the higher you go (like 2110 and higher) the less the reliability will be.  Aniliese I'd say for you, get the 1915---  highly rated and if built with quality parts and race balanced like Lane Anderson's, will run with anything out there. 

 

 Sounds like you are resolving the car issues and you will be lucky to stay in a Speedster!

 

Great news.

1776 cc or 2110 are the ticket; plenty of pep and nice wall thickness on 90.5 mm cylinders which help with durability and heat dissipation. I've read 94 mm cylinders have thick walls as well but you lose block area as it needs a larger bore.

Size doesn't dictate reliability; where it's powerband is and how it's taken care of are the important things. A 1600 with a 7500 rpm redline isn't going to last as long as a 2386 with a 5500 rpm redline. A bigger mild motor develops the same power as a smaller high strung motor; you just don't have to wind it as high. There's no reason why a mild over 2 liter motor shouldn't last in a light car such as a speedster.

 

Jack, if you think your 1915 is fun, you need to drive a car with a stroked motor sometime...

Annaliese,  from reading your posts I get the impression you like power.  If that's true I'd recommend at least a 2110cc engine.

No matter what some members on this forum say, converting to a water cooled engine is not an easy task, when compared to having a larger air cooled engine installed in your car.  Is the water cooled engine better?  Absolutely, but if you can't do all the fabricating yourself it will cost you a bundle.

So, listen to forum members like ALB.  They know their stuff.

Two engine builders I would recommend are Art at ACE and CB Performance.

Second that; 2110 would be my choice; to those two builders (Art Thraen and Pat Downs at CB Performance) I've also heard good things about Anibal Chico at Chico Performance but I've also heard good things about Roland Rascon (who's working with you now) so I guess you are covered and will be taken care of in a satisfactory way.

As much as I like CB Perf., you might want to stick with Roland.  He did a great job for Marty on his first Speedster, and everything I hear about him is positive.  Because of his relationship with Kirk, he may have a special interest in getting you where you want to be.

What Lane said times two.  My car ran like a top and was dry.  The only issue was the big Weber carbs. I would use the least finicky carb that will work with whatver application you choose.  Vintage standard turkey 1915 uses average quality parts(at best).  If you get Roland alone he will admit that there are better quality parts avaiable and thats what you get if he builds you a custom engine.  If Nick is running a 2110 with a Widebody and is happy you will be too.  The widebody is much heavier that your standard car.  My 2275 had a racing cam by Steve (cant remember his last name).  It was awseome, but it made a lot of noise. 

 

Annaliese, I am sure you know this already but you need to be careful with all that power in a light plastic car.     

Like they used to say here years ago: "The only thing between you and eternity is 1/4" of fiberglass"....

ALB, I dont remember the Grind but I may have notes at my office file.

roland will be doing the engine for my car.

 

and yep i am aware that i need to be careful. =) thought i think i would probably die in the speedster if i hit something going 30 mph. at least i'd want to die after my face was all smashed up from the steering wheel.

Please don't say that! You'll be fine. The engine in my car is the basic 1915 cc and it came with dual Kadron carbs. I pulled the motor out and did a top end job that included the following: swapped the stock valve sized cylinder heads with ported and polished CB 044's with 40 by 35.5 stainless steel valves, Gene Berg chromoly pushrods, Gene Berg rigid rocker shafts with CB Performance genuine VW 1.25 ratio rockers sporting Gene Berg swivel feet adjusters, Gene Berg breather system as well as Gene Berg crankshaft pulley. We also swapped the distributor with a vacuum advance unit from Aircooled.net and to top it all off a set of rebuilt Dellorto 40 DRLA carburetors with match ported intake manifolds, linkage and air cleaners from CB Performance. Finally we put on high performance heater boxes with a modified Tri-mil exhaust by Vintage Speedsters. When we installed all that equipment and installed the engine in the car the difference in torque  was like night and day. Since the motor basically had 6,000 miles I didn't want to split the case so we optimized what was there and it works.

maybe roland will respond and indulge us all by telling us the plans he has for my car.

A 1915 would be strangled by stock heads and the 28mm vents in kadrons. Not only would the ported 40x35 heads, carbs and modified exhaust let it breathe better, but the 1.25 rockers will add 4-5 degrees of duration measured at .050" lift (extends peak rpm 2-300 rpm) and the added valve lift gives more all around power. That would make a difference you could feel! And the svda distributor will give better gas mileage. Excellent!

 

Do you know what cam is in it? Do you remember at what rpm it stopped making power before the mods? And now?

 

Annaliese- Love to hear what Roland is going to build for you.

THATS WHAT I AHD IN MY CAR FOR 6 YEARS AND I LOVED IT

Impala--I had a 1915 cc Type I that was a fine engine that came in my VS--bulletproof Solex-Kadrons and never a problem.

 

Now I have a Stroked Jake Raby Type IV that dynoed at 142 MPH.  We commonly do 500-600 mile days seeing 28 mpg. I made the switch for anvil-like reliability and crazy power when I want to tap it. Still in keeping with the air cooled origionality of the Speredster (although I do lust for Ruby with a Suby.)

 

Still, for normal driving that 1915 is fine and reliable.  There ae 1915s and there are 1915s.

Lane Anderson's Beck  has a 1915 that is pro built and race balanced and will run with anything---and is reliable to boot. Marty G's Type I that Roland built was sensational too.

 

Good luck with whichever way you decide to go.  It's all good and you will never look better or have more fun than in a Speedster!  Plus the knucklehead component is a hoot, as you already know! 

"The only thing between you and eternity is 1/4" of fiberglass"....

That's not exactly true...there's also a gas tank!

I've got a VS from 2007 with the 1776, but with CB heads and a balanced crank.  Maybe ask Kirk what he was doing back then.  It goes quite nicely, but is not a dragster.  I can press the pedal at 70 on the freeway and it pulls nicely up to 90 which is as fast as I have taken it.

2180-- 82mm crank, 92 mm AA thick walls. CB 044 wedgeports. Installed with .060 deck, you'll run about 8.2:1. Put an FK43, and a 1-5/8" header on that, and you'll be in high cotton. I'd run Dellorto 40s, and never look back.

Stan, that rolled right off the tongue. My guess is that is someone's IM is getting that same treatment?

Nah, Marty, the IM is getting a little "more". But I've got a '64 panel bus that will get about the same thing I'm recommending here. The parts are all off-the-shelf, and nothing special, but they work well together. Something like this would meet the needs of both Kirk and the customer.

 

My speedster engine is a whole 'nuther animal, trending towards 911 in purpose and away from VW in simplicity. It'll be a 2276 (82 x 94) with a custom FK8-esque cam ground on 105* lobe centers. The cam does not have super-steep ramps, and we're using helical cut cam gears. This stuff should reduce valve-train noise, and make the engine live a happier life over the long-haul. I'm reusing my fully shuffle-pinned case and 44 x 38 mm heads (VW castings, welded and wedge-ported). I'm using stock-length rods. Compression is going to be in the 9.5:1 neighborhood.

 

To combat detonation, we're coating the pistons and heads, and installing 911 oil squirters. The VW heads help with cooling, and I've got a DTM and remote 96 plate cooler. The dry-sump system I did last year has about 10 quarts of capacity. If I need more oil cooling, I'll install a Setrab set-up like Ron's. The compression worries me, but I worry for a living.

 

All this stuff takes time. The engine has been mocked up, but the case is going to Rimco for the oil squirter mod. I'm anticipating being ready to go back together after the first of the year. I could talk about this for several paragraphs, but that's not what this thread is about.