Which Engine Do I Order?

Doug,
You will hear many opinions on this subject, most will say go with a big motor, I say it depends on what you want.....If you want a reliable car that won't overheat and give you problems when you take it out for a sunday cruise, get a medium size.. 1776, 1915, anything
larger and it seems to compromise the reliability thing......
The more you push a motor the more problems you can plan on having...
Just my opinion, but I never have a problem and I'll take my 1915 anywhere, anytime without worry....some of these guys think its a great day if they don't break down......

Where's Jake? D-man

Vince has good advice. I would only add that like all engines, a stroker really depends on good parts. I drove a 1776 for 3 years and had a great experience with it.. But, I went with a 2110 this time. My decision was based on the great reputation this combo has for power/torque and reliability.

Jim

I am actively shopping for my first speedster/roadster, and have been doing as much research as I can on the various makers. I will likely order one from IM or VS.

Can anyone offer advice on engine selection? I'll be 75% open road/hwy, 25% around town. Want enough power to "slightly" exceed the speed limit, and just don't want to feel underpowered during normal driving.

Any advice is welcome. Thx.

2110 or 1915 the reasons are numerous, but I like these two engines and would probably opt for the 1915 unless you plan to drive it 3000 miles are less a year then I would go to the 2110.

I won't let anyone down if I say SUBY it!!!! Where do you live?

Whoa Steven, where do you get the comment "....opt for the 1915 unless you plan to drive it 3000 miles are less a year then I would go to the 2110." I have the 2165 and have driven double your milage limit since having the car. Lots of the Cal Look guys drive far more than that. Most of the miles is highspeed freeway in an area of California that is routinely over 95 degrees in the summer, and the trips have been to LA, over the Sierra (several passes over 9500ft) and a couple of highspeed weekend runs to the coast with the cobra club. A person may need to have a bit more mechanical talent or know someone to do the mechanical work to keep it in top shape, but with todays quality parts and expert builders, I personally believe engine size at this level will not be an issue.

Rex, I think it is important to match your Transaxle gearing to your driving... just as important as getting your engine right. If you search the archives you will see some good info under 3:88, What gearing? and Freeway Flyers.

Is your name Doug or Rex? I'm confused enough without you changing your frigging name...Find one name and stick with it...at least for one whole thread.....

With an aircooled engine, a lot has to do with how you treat it. Operating temperature is real important- go easy until it's warmed up. (I don't poke mine until the oil-pressure drops at idle.)Keep up with the oil changes- it's responsible for 75-80% of your cooling.
Overall a flat-4 is naturally ballanced and made to rev. I like to cruise at 3700-4000 rpms, keeps the oil pressure up and moves plenty of air across the heads.

You know something that gets aluded (sp?) to often when this question arises, "which engine, what size, etc, then blah,blah,blah reliability, more blah,blah..." is how much drive style compensating do little engine guys do to offset their lack of reserve, and then, what does that do to the 'reliability' factor?

I just don't get these breakdowns bantied about..."OK with a 1915 from now until the end of time" then a guy has to continually stick his foot in it or be perpetually downshifting and upshifting to drive with the pack. He's wearing the shit out of a little engine, why not just get a bit bigger engine and relax... I know I would have if I had done my homework in the beginning!

What I have seen in my association with clubmembers and car owners here is that the median engine size is likely to be a 2110. The bottom end of the food chain is likely to be a stock 1776 that winds up being modified in its first two or three years of existence so that it is both reliable AND able to do 65-70 all day long, no worries.

Having experienced the view from the beginner platform, a lot of guys jump to 2110 and 2165 because those engines are both reliable, relatively powerful, dollar per horsepower, and true to the nature of our look-a-like Porschees origins. The cost to do a good 2110 or 2165 isn't a wallet buster.

There is a little grey area where straight up type4s, built for logevity and power exist, but they seem to remain in the minority despite their virtues.

The outer limits category is shared amongst experimental, one-of-kind, maybe some day real production combos like Steve's Subaru,that guy's in-line Golf or a freak-a-zoid NASA-modified 911 6 into 4 Porsche engine AND those of us who go large CC with either the type1 or type4 or an all out six cylinder 911 engine...

While I got off to a less than satisfactory start with my big engine, once the oversights and blemishes were cured, the car has been very reliable (famous kiss-of-death words with a 1000 mile road trip ahead!)...

I'll keep my Suby's Suby in my Forrester, I can't see anything less than a 2110 for the trees!

Paul:

Well said......

To summarize: Go with the 2110 or 2165. You'll end up with one eventually anyway, so why not pony up for it in the beginning and get it over with??

At the risk of trying to over-simplify a complex and very subjective decision, when you DO pick the engine that's "just right for you" (whatever displacement that is), go up one size.

Wow. For someone new to this site (the thread starter), I am blown away by how much you're all willing to help. Thanks to everyone who took a moment to offer their two cents. It's all good info. I'll try to do it justice by offering advice when the day comes that I'm able to.
Much appreciated......

What you all just expressed was true on my part. I started with a manufacturer supplied 1776 with my VS. If I had known a little more at the time, I would have at least opted for a good case, balanced crank and legit cam. As it was, I sheared the cam gear at 3,000 miles at 3700 rpm, with zero abuse and max TLC. It was a Mexicrate Hydraulic Valve 1776.... so when valve train stuff went flying I was faced with a complete top end and also had to split the case. So, I opted for a new AS41, CB044 heads, E110, Scat Crank and the works. Then I played with carbs and ended up sticking with the ICTs for that build.

My point here is: it is worth your time & money to do your homework (as the thread opener is doing) before buying anything.

We all have our ideal engine. For me, it appears to be a 2110. That comes after mucho private mails, reading the archives, and learning from others, including talking to builders, especially CB. I am not a master mechanic, nor do I claim to have the total picture on all of this. I can turn a wrench and do most of the basic stuff though.... but overall I am just a driver/consumer. So, my choice was based with that in mind... I wanted a good solid driver engine. For the extra bucks I went with a stroked 2110 engine this time... in a solid, but not radical CB build. I was tempted to go with a 2165 as I know Dale has driven his a bunch.. (as have Vince, Paulie, and others on this thread.) and I think it is a very smooth stroker. I settled for a 2110 as it fit my overall car build and planned use.

There are very few wrong choices... as long as you know what your driving needs are, use good parts, stay with a standard CC Combo and use a good reputable builder.

Again, I think once you get your engine selected you should look strong at your gearing. Some use a 3:88 or 3:44 R/P, and others swear by a stock R/P and going with a freeway flyer 4th. Again, we all have opinions there, but it is essential that you choose something that works for your 75% highway driving. You might check last month's issue of either HOT VWs or Trends on the interview with Tranny builders. They address your need for a highway car...(they all have a different approach).

Paul is right... getting an engine geared and also built to be running at 60-70% at highway speeds is a trick. Having that extra horsepower and torque was the reason I jumped to a 2110.

Paulie also mentioned a T-4 and they are a good option from what I read (never owned one, Paul has!). I looked into FAT and others. They have some neat options for what you are seeking. As with all TIV builders, get out your checkbook. They are not too expensive, but they are definitely higher $$.

I am not an expert... just another owner sharing an opinion. I would call some builders and also watch who drives a bunch. There are a quite a few out west... Eddie, Bruce, Stan, Vince, Scott, Paul, Dale, Troy, Ray, Rick, John's H & L, and a bunch I haven't mentioned. Check with these guys privately and see what they recommend. The cool thing about the list of names? There are 1776, 1915, 2110, 2165, 2332, and T-4 plus Suby owners in that line up. There are others.. I just mention these as there is a variety in engines used, but all of these cars get driven.

Jim

Dales, right I didn't really communicate very well....I think anything from the 1915 up to the 2210 is a good start. I asked where he lives because if your in hilly country you may want a different engine then a flatlander. Out on the plain, here on highway driving there is no real difference between the smallest to the largest engine other then the 1915 should get better gas mileage, but won't necessarily. Of course if your doing mainly cruising who cares about gas mileage, it all about the torque. Hey I love everything about the 2165...in fact for me it would have been the best choice.

Hey Rex,
Just another observation... When I started asking questions and over-reacting to a certain owner/poster on this site, I was able to ferrot out good information. Most of the fellows here are pretty straight shooters with what they know having lived it. Some of our posters live a little more' vicariously' through what they have read and fantasized about.

One thing is for sure, they won't intentionally blow smoke up your ass. I was asking a lot of engine/TypeII questions on the SAMBA as I had just bought an odd (interesting typo, I meant old, I think I'll leave it!) singlecab pick-em-up truck and was trying to figure out the best way to civilize it and make it more road-worthy (maybe that's a fantasy I have to deal with?).

Anyway, someone posted something about the 'red' coil being so much better than all the 'blue' coils...(I think now it was a 'snipe hunt' and I brought me own bag!) I bit and asked why and how and where and boy did I get taken on a bullshit expedition!

I like John's post...
Been there, done that!

Paul(ie?where'd that come from Jim?)

Which engine do I choose???? a long time ago i had the same decision to make., this is how i went about it. i narrowed the field to three;
1. type one, increased cc's=good life, good gas mileage
2.type four, 2.0 litre, fuel injection, great torque, a little more $$
3. Subby, modern, trouble free, high h.p., low maintenance

which one did i choose? the one with the nice boobs of course.

Non sequitur. Does not compute. Error....error....error.

Which engine do I choose???? a long time ago i had the same decision to make., this is how i went about it. i narrowed the field to three; with my girlfriends (3) help
1.my first girlfriend had a type one, increased cc's=good life, good gas mileage
2.my 2nd girlfriend had a type four, 2.0 litre, fuel injection, great torque, a little more $$
3.my third gitlfriend had a Subby,== modern, trouble free, high h.p., low maintenance

which one did i choose? the one with the nice boobs of course.

johnny, better??

Ya shore.

Paul, Bosch "red" coil has higher secondary voltage output than the Bosch "blue" coil; I've seen turbo'd VW engines that didn't run well with a good "blue" coil perk up and run fine with a "red" because the "red" handled the increased combustion pressures involved with boost.

Note that a "red coil needs a ballast resistor with a Pertronix, but doesn't require the ballast resistor with a Pertronix II.

blue? red? i'll use this, mount the coil pack on rear of fan shroud
in order to "clean-up" the front (back) of the engine compartment.
advertised volt 60k++. i wanted to go without a distributor altogether and use a crank trigger. but this "deal" came along and
i couldn't pass it up.

Bruce, on the back of the shroud? Hmmmm... coils get hot (heaqting air inlet to the fan), and they also could impede air flow into the fan housing...

yes george but not in this case. engine fan has its own ducted firewall fan inlet. coil pack
will be mounted where the oil coller would have been. they don't share air.

i found this a week too late. i would have loved to eliminate my distributor.
for all who don't know how this works. it converts your ignition to a modern
style (power, reliability) solid state type using off the shelf (read:junkyard)
parts. and if you wanted to go the extra step of tuneable fuel injection
via laptop this is for you. no more distributor, points or weak spark.

home.earthlink.net/~beanbooger/boost_engineering/

take a look, knowledge doesn't hurt

A basic rule of thumb is that the more hp you pump out of these motors the less reliable they will be. Somewhere, you'll find a happy medium...performance vs longevity/maintenance. Some are happy with a near stock 1776, which will last for a long time, when built with quality pieces. Others are willing to sacrifice longevity/maintenance for more power. Just remember, nothing in this world is free....including hp.
Ron

Okay, how about this; a 2 liter motor, built with high quality parts. Small valve heads with a turbo cam (keep the lift low). Add to that a turbo with a single fuel injection system...programmable via a laptop computer. Forget those high lift, high compression motors!!
Ron

ron, have you been peaking at my notes?