Keeping up with the traffic for me means 2L minimum. The 1776 size is popular not because it's a corker but because it's cheap and simple to do. It's better than a 1600. If you do go that route do not be attracted to claims of high HP which will have been accomplished with a cam not suitable for a heavy bus.
You keep talking sense mate, have you done this before? It’s fairly easy to make an engine develop impressive amounts of bhp – but it’s not bhp you need for a bus; it’s torque that pushes it up hills. And there is no replacement for displacement, increase the capacity and the torque increases without doing anything else. If you want to cruise at 65 mph and climb motorway hills without changing down I’d be looking for more capacity than 1776cc and if you have to get someone to build an engine for you tell them what you want it to do – a 1776cc engine good for a bus isn’t the same 1776cc engine you’d build for a bug.
I would stick with a type 1, and go for a 1776. It's a nice size for a bus IMHO: not a ball of fire, but more than enough - if it's sorted - to keep up with the traffic. Mine will romp along at 65 - 70mph quite happily, and feels completely unstressed. On a good day, you can overtake slow-moving BMWs - always satisfying. You will need twin carbs on it tho' - ICTs are fine, Dellortos if you want to push the boat out. Don't go for big valve heads: you need fast-flowing gas for a van, so strangle everything. Stock heads are fine. You could take a chance and buy a ready-built one, but find a good supplier if you can. Some recommendations on here. Having one custom built is tricky, as there aren't many folk doing it these days. Nothing stopping you buying an off the shelf one, and pepping it up later (if you want to forgo your warranty). I'd recommend one
PS Keep your transmission. A 3-rib CE box works just fine. No point in going for a higher ratio diff. You'll still have delivery van ratios - 1st and second are useless - but with a bit of extra grunt, 3rd becomes your universal gear. If you're losing gears, I'd suggest you take a look at the gear linkage first, mind.
That's what I had built last year low end grunt is better that high revs. All new parts apart from the crank and flywheel and they where balanced to each other before they got bolted in.
You don't really want to rev a type 1 anyway. There are no counterweights on the crank, so anything above about 5,000RPM your crank is doing The Twist in its bearings
I like smoooooothhhh less vibration happy engine and it was only a small % cost compared to the overall cost. I did think about scoobie but only for the fuel benefits then realized it's a brick on wheels full of camping tat
My point was based on the fact that the T4 cases are no longer made, cranks are not so common . But T4 prices are higher and choice is lower because of general lower demand. The T1 engine benefits from being basically shared with the Beetle, and if you already have a T1 engine in your bus, its an easier swap.
I appreciate what was said earlier in the thread, that I may be expecting to much from an extra 200cc. Ideally I would have to have tried what a 1776 is like to drive so my expectations are set according, hate to spend the money and then be disappointed. I think my expectations of the performance were probably higher than would be the case, If I do down the 1776 root then I don’t want to be disappointed when I finally drive it. That said I’m encouraged by your experience Snooty, I’d be really interest in a detailed spec of your engine so that I could then ask someone what it would cost to build, much rather go for a tried an tested spec that performs well.
I suspect a 2L would be beyond my budget, but out of interest what is the spec of your engine and approx parts cost? Having previously read lots of other posts for 1776 builds the Engle 100 seems to come up a lot and seems to be the cam quite a few off the shelf engines use. I understand this cam gives more torque at the lower revs so is more suited to a bay? Also the Engle 110 also gets mentioned as a both a poor choice and occasionally a good choice as cam.
@KezBoy I'll try and dig out a link to my old post about engines with specs. I Also did a thread about gearboxes. I've had two 1776ccs first one was amazing built by Paul Miller @Harry Harpics in Essex. 2nd 1776 was rubbish in comparison, this was an off the shelf. I replaced that with a 2110cc built by Paul Miller. 2110cc needed different gearbox ratios. 1776s were fine with standard box. All based on 15" wheels 185/65R 15 tyres. Where in the country are you?
Mine's a 2413 Type-4, kind of a type-4 equivalent of a type-1 1776 - big barrels and pistons, stock crank and cam. The cost is a grey area of swapped parts and favours, it couldn't be repeated. I don't know about Engle cams, I think the 110 is ok if you have some cc's. Paul's 2110cc is a good size for a type-1 stroker - about as big as will fit in the case without lots of trouble and cost.
