Is this engine worth picking up?

[ve7kilohertz]

HI Guys,

I am building a couple of dune buggies and one of them needs an engine. I found this one today, comes with the auto tranny and the whole rear end frame section of the car, as well as a rail type dune buggy, no engine, and pretty beat. I know nothing about 914 engines but this one is supposed to be 1.8L, it is stuck, rust, not oil starved and has a single weber which I have no idea what model it is.

Anyway, I can have it all for $175, and not sure if I should keep looking for a good running engine, type I to IV or anywhere in between, or grab this and work on it this winter.

So, can you tell from these crappy phone pics what engine and weber carb this is?

Thanks for any help, advice.

[thesatanicmechanic]

It is a 914 1.7 or 1.8, that's all I can tell. That price would be worth it to me for parts alone. If it's an 010 automatic, my total purchase would be made back selling a few parts out of it.

[MacLeod Willy]

For 175.00 cnd heck that's only 15.00 US

Buy it and fix it up. If the buggies are only ram around buggies it might work good for you. If your going to completely rebuild the motor, it will cost more than a type 1 and parts are not as common

[raygreenwood]

I love how each sub-group of car enthusiests thinks the type 4 engine only comes from their cars.

Its likely not from a 914 at .....or could be. From thr egr hoses its most probably a 1.7L. From the case part number position....blurred but still on the breather....its likely from a VW 411 or 412. It could be from a bus....but would likely not be if the egr breather hoses are any reliable indication.

If it came with an automatic attached.....its most likely from a 411 or 412. No automatic 914s. It could be from a bus....again..depends on type of automatic.

All of this is fine. The 1.7L and 1.8L (except Euro 1.8L).....are 100% identical internally in 411, 412 and 914.
Dump that worthless center mounted carb. Ray

[ve7kilohertz]

OKay some helpful info here, thanks!! Wish I had taken a pic of the automatic still in the frame. The frame was the width of the vehicle, and I think had 2 main cross members with a few support arms arms around the tranny mount. I will poke around the web and see if I can find a similar looking frame.

This will be a for a street buggy that I just picked up to restore. There is a 1600 SP in it, not seized, but not running. I may just get it going to see how it works. I just thought 70-80HP in a buggy would be fun.

As for the value, it sounds like I won't lose even if I don't use it. He said he had it running a few years ago, but it's sitting outside under a tarp and we all know how engines fare in those conditions. It may be just a matter of getting some ATF into the cylinders and she'll free up...but probably not. Would be nice to put a set of dual carbs on it, but that would be down the road. Is that a weber on there? I can't tell.

Cheers

[raygreenwood]

[MacLeod Willy]

The carb is a progressive 2 barrel. Commonly found on Ford Pinto back in the day. The biggest problem on your setup is the lack of heated intake. It causes a lag/hesitation on accel. They do work but there are better choices. I had one setup the same years ago so from experience, yeah change it out

Its a great motor, durable, good bottom end torque and people go crazy trying to figure out "what kinda motor you got in that thing"

If you really want to spend money, you can make it dance

[ve7kilohertz]

Ray, thank you for the diagrams. I think maybe the trailing arms were on it...man it was only yesterday and I can't remember.

Now that I think about it, he pointed to another transaxle on the ground and said he attached that to start it and run it, and also when I tried to turn it over, I grabbed the flywheel, pretty substantial flywheel, not a flex plate like would be on an automatic. Does VW use a flywheel with the automatic or is it the usual flex plate and torque converter for mass? The flywheel was probably 1.25-1.5" thick??

If I decide to go for it, I will then be able to get the numbers from it, and get much better pics from all angles, and we'll then be able to figure it out. The other big difference in the 914, is the exhaust points out the back of the engine, ie towards the firewall tin, but I didn't get any decent pics of underneath the head to see what pipes might be there.

I'll continue looking at web pics to see if I recognize anything. I may just go there again, with my trailer tomorrow and pick it up, just for the hell of it. Always like a new challenge. As mentioned, there is probably enough stuff there that I won't lose money, and I have 20 acres so why not another engine and buggy.

Thanks!

[ve7kilohertz]

[MacLeod Willy]

Well some have the weber stamp on them or motorcraft, but yeah its a weber

[ve7kilohertz]

Thanks Willy.

Another thing that is missing, the dipstick. Don't all the 914 engines have the dipstick out the top center of the engine, passenger sideish behind where the card would be?? I don't see it in my pictures.

Learning lots this morning.

cheers

[MacLeod Willy]

The dipstick would come out the the rear of the fan housing through a rubber tube in behind that will be leaking. ;-D

There is a flange on the right side, top rear that can be drilled for a stick.
OR
You can make a plate to replace the stick so it directs the stick straight up through a hole beside the thermostat cable

[ve7kilohertz]

Found another pic on my phone. Found something else, not sure if this is 2.0L specific or not, but 3 studs holding the intake manifold on and angled spark plugs were on the 914 2.0L. This pic shows more than 3 studs, but we're thinking this is 1.7/1.8L.

Anyway, just thought I would add the pic, it may help.

[raygreenwood]

[raygreenwood]

[Jacks]

I'm gonna guess that it's a 411 motor, at least the fan shroud anyways, as shown by the fresh air rubber bellows attached. Bus/914 did not use that.
_________________
Jack Staggs
Actual name

[raygreenwood]

[ve7kilohertz]

Well with all the help, I kind of feel obliged to go get it so we can solve the mystery. Think I'll go get it tomorrow, hopefully it stops snowing..real heavy wet here tonight. I'll then take some proper pics and post them here.

Thanks guys!!

Cheers

[ve7kilohertz]

After posting that last picture I did some more research, and looking at the picture, I can now see injectors still in there, so this at least was a fuel injected engine, and from what I have read, use different cams, and may not be as good with carbs....but we're getting closer to ID'ing it. More later.

[raygreenwood]