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Sat Nov 19, 2022 4:31 pm

I’m looking into swapping an 07k 2.5 5 cylinder into a vanagon. Curious if anyones done the swap recently. I found a thread from 2007 saying a company called overland parts sold a kit. Unfortunately they are long gone. I know that the 07k uses the same bell housing as an inline 4 so I can use the Fast inline 4 cylinder kit, I’ll have to fabricate mounts to the engine itself that can bolt to the bar’s 2 hydraulic mounts. Im thinking spending on the angle I would need to modify the intake manifold to fit. Integrated engineering makes a short runner so that might help as well. I was told the syncro uses spacers to lower the engine down, can anyone confirm that? Hoping I can make this happen as the 5 cylinder has nice torque and hp numbers, decent fuel mileage, they’re cheap and abundant. Thanks in advance.

Sat Nov 19, 2022 4:44 pm

Sat Nov 19, 2022 5:20 pm

I'm not too familiar with the 07k, but I've heard good things about their robustness. When I installed my ALH, in order to get it to fit under the decklid, I dropped the drivetrain down to Syncro height. This entailed adding a spacer to the transmission mount and then custom extensions on the engine crossbar. I also cut out the "firewall", which wasn't necessary for my install, but it would help with a longer engine like the 07k.

Good luck and let us know what you find out during your swap.

Sun Nov 20, 2022 12:59 pm

For those in Europe who craved more power, there was the Ötinger 3•2 litre flat-six, water-cooled engine, developed from the VW flat-four, water-cooled engine, an example of which I saw in a VW Transporter T3 Syncro, at a VW show in Essex, England.

The Audi derived 2•3, 2•5 & 2•6 litre, in-line five-cylinder engine, was a factory-stock installation in the South African built, 1993~2003 VW Transporter T3 (i.e. Vanagon in USA parlance!) where they chose to further develop the Transporter T3 rather than manufacture the VW Transporter T4 (i.e. Eurovan in USA parlance!).

Production of the VW Transporter T3 ceased in South Africa when the VW Transporter T5 was introduced, which in turn was super ceded by the VW Transporter T6.

I recall there being at least one article, possibly two, featuring more than twenty years ago in the British published magazine, VW Motoring; one of which was entitled "Van with Vroom".

I think on those post-1992 South African vehicles, the engine compartment ceiling might have been raised and I think the engines were canted to give the necessary vertical clearance, so the engine would have had a different sump, similar to what was fitted to the 1•6 & 1•7 litre diesel & turbo-diesel engines, that were used in the 1982~92 VW Transporter T3; many of which had five-speed transaxles.

Sun Nov 20, 2022 5:35 pm

Yes the RSA engine lid is raised. Engine is slightly slanted but the intake and exhaust don't look close to the 07K anymore.

I think my buddy José in Costa Rica is about to install one on a Vanagon.

Mon Nov 21, 2022 11:01 pm

Coming from a long list of older Audis, I've come to love the 5 cyl, especially that sound!
ChillZombie, it looks like you've got a 3B 20vt pictured there with a 7a intake. In order to bolt one of those (7a/3b/Aan) you would need to find the elusive SA Bell housing. Great motors that pull like a freight train and no doubt an excellent match for a Vanagon but not really what this topic is about. An 07k shares very little with the older gen 5cyl aside from the number of cylinders.
That's quite the clean install in a Vanagon though and after seeing those pics it really makes me wish I still had my old '91 Avants!

I'd be curious to see what it would take to bolt an 07k up to a stock 6 rib 4spd. Any word from FAS if they can accommodate with the adapter and clutch/flywheel? After that, it's the same as any other motor swap, hanging the motor with a compromise between decklid and ground clearance.

I was curious if TDC-Shop made swap harnesses for the motor and of course he does!
https://www.tdc-shop.com/new-page-2

172hp/202tq at the wheels sounds pretty incredible if you ask me!

Wed Nov 23, 2022 8:13 am

We did a custom 5cyl to vanagon automatic adapter.

but iirc you can use a VR6 adapter plate to the 4spd from Kennedy
but do some due dilligence on that.

I had a SA bellhousing but sold it to a enthusiast in NH for his 5cyl project

it's a brave path to go 5cyl, as there are very few (in US) who've taken that path..

here's the Eurovan 2.5l 5cyl in Mom's 86 automatic..
driveline is lowered and forward as we wanted to fit under the lid if possible..
challenge was accepted and accomplished.

Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:52 pm

In my part of the World, automatic transmission is mainly for people who are principally involved in congested urban driving, the physically disabled, those unable to pass a driving test with manual transmission and wimps!

Wed Nov 23, 2022 3:26 pm

uberaudi wrote: Coming from a long list of older Audis, I've come to love the 5 cyl, especially that sound!
ChillZombie, it looks like you've got a 3B 20vt pictured there with a 7a intake. In order to bolt one of those (7a/3b/Aan) you would need to find the elusive SA Bell housing. Great motors that pull like a freight train and no doubt an excellent match for a Vanagon but not really what this topic is about. An 07k shares very little with the older gen 5cyl aside from the number of cylinders.
That's quite the clean install in a Vanagon though and after seeing those pics it really makes me wish I still had my old '91 Avants!

I'd be curious to see what it would take to bolt an 07k up to a stock 6 rib 4spd. Any word from FAS if they can accommodate with the adapter and clutch/flywheel? After that, it's the same as any other motor swap, hanging the motor with a compromise between decklid and ground clearance.

I was curious if TDC-Shop made swap harnesses for the motor and of course he does!
https://www.tdc-shop.com/new-page-2

172hp/202tq at the wheels sounds pretty incredible if you ask me!

TDC shop is run by a buddy of mine actually, Dave’s a good dude.
The 07k shares the same bell housing bolt pattern as a vw inline 4 cylinder, so the fast kit should work
Fine for that, engine mounts are the issue more than anything.

Wed Nov 23, 2022 6:27 pm

NASkeet wrote: In my part of the World, automatic transmission is mainly for people who are principally involved in congested urban driving, the physically disabled, those unable to pass a driving test with manual transmission and wimps!

You should try driving your stick during rush hour around Atlanta. :wink:

Thu Nov 24, 2022 2:11 pm

MarkWard wrote: NASkeet wrote: In my part of the World, automatic transmission is mainly for people who are principally involved in congested urban driving, the physically disabled, those unable to pass a driving test with manual transmission and wimps!

You should try driving your stick during rush hour around Atlanta. :wink:

I have all too often driven (with manual transmission) during the peak period (before 4:00 pm until after 8:00 pm) in and around the "North Thames Corridor" of southern Essex, east of London, England, where an average of 10 mph would be fast!

I suspect that Atlanta, Georgia is an afternoon picnic by comparison.

Try Cairo, Egypt during the rush hour, where it's been a good day when you don't incur any bumps or scrapes and one is deafened by the endless blowing of horns! The densely populated cities of India, where the standard of driving would probably make even the USA's drivers wince, is probably much the same!

My father's best car for driving in congested urban traffic, was his 1968 Daf 44 with 850 cc, two-cylinder air-cooled engine and constantly-variable-ratio, Van Doorne variomatic transmission, which would probably beat most American muscle-cars away from the traffic lights for the first 100 yards. :wink:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variomatic

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAF_44

For those who liked greater luxury as well as a water-cooled engine, there was the Daf 66 in disguise, rebadged as a Volvo 66 and available with the super-powerful 56•2 horsepower, 1289 cm³ displacement engine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAF_66

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_66

Forget all those over-engined 4, 5, 6 & 7 litre displacement, petrol-guzzling, overweight American cars, these light, nimble cars are what you really need for urban driving!

Fri Nov 25, 2022 6:50 am

in my part of life these condescending thoughts on what equipment other people have in their own cars are considered jerks..

seriously.. wth does it even matter to you regarding an other's van..

NASkeet wrote: In my part of the World, automatic transmission is mainly for people who are principally involved in congested urban driving, the physically disabled, those unable to pass a driving test with manual transmission and wimps!

Tue Dec 06, 2022 2:16 pm

I take comments like NASkeet's as a joke.

I live in the Atlanta area and all my cars are "sticks". While it makes one a better driver, it has no impact on making one a better person.

danfromsyr wrote: in my part of life these condescending thoughts on what equipment other people have in their own cars are considered jerks..

seriously.. wth does it even matter to you regarding an other's van..

NASkeet wrote: In my part of the World, automatic transmission is mainly for people who are principally involved in congested urban driving, the physically disabled, those unable to pass a driving test with manual transmission and wimps!

Tue Dec 06, 2022 10:43 pm

I have also been thinking of an 07K swap.
Thought about it so much that I even picked up a donor car.

This thing was pretty abused but it runs and drives.
The plan is to attempt a full Colorado emission legal swap by using all of the emission stuff from the stock car.
Anyway, that's a whole other topic.

Few things to note:
Yes, this technically will bolt up to all the VW inline 4cyl transmissions but you have to clearance the upper portion of the bell housing (or in van swap instances, the adapter) for the timing cover which is located on the rear of these engines.

As you can see the intake is pretty low on these engines so if one was feeling ambitious and wanted to fab an oil pan and pick up so you could do a 50-degree swap I would bet you could get really close to getting it under the deck lid.

other than the 50-degree arrangement you will definitely either need to drop the engine or raise the deck or some combo of both.

My 07K is part of a larger 4x4 swap so a lot of the things I am doing will not really apply to stock vanagons but I am thinking about a faster, lower, 2wd version that will use the same engine and be a relatively regular van.

All I need to do now is finish the 5 other projects I have going on an get started on a van.

Wed Dec 14, 2022 9:10 pm

Looks like its been done before. Might want to talk to these guys.
https://fb.watch/hqlUqn0U9A/

Sun Sep 08, 2024 2:45 pm

Thought I would bring this thread back from the past. Just wondering if anyone has completed a swap with the late model 07k engine? And wants to share! Other then the Panzer one, info is still pretty limited with reguard to a vanagon swap. Seems they fit and will bolt up to our transmissions. Parts for swapping into other chassis are available. They are really popular with mk2/3 groups and even the Porsche 944/24 guys are using them.

Tue Sep 24, 2024 9:11 pm

Kdj wrote: Thought I would bring this thread back from the past. Just wondering if anyone has completed a swap with the late model 07k engine? And wants to share! Other then the Panzer one, info is still pretty limited with reguard to a vanagon swap. Seems they fit and will bolt up to our transmissions. Parts for swapping into other chassis are available. They are really popular with mk2/3 groups and even the Porsche 944/24 guys are using them.

Albeit late, I am currently trying to buy a van finally. I had a stroke December 1st 2022 about a week after making this post. I had a guy coming from Oregon to buy my rabbit pick up and had a van lined up to purchase from Boston. I sold the truck and used the money to live until I went back to work. I now 2 years later am finally back to sorts where I’m gonna buy the van I wanted. And again I’m researching swaps and this thought pops into my head. I have no progress at the moment but I may take this route especially seeing that panzer did it.

Wed Sep 25, 2024 10:20 am

Been doing more research myself. Pretty close to pulling
the trigger. Messaged Panzer He said he used a kennedy adapter and mounted it straight up. They lowered it 1/2" to synco height also. In golfs and jetta they mount at 15 degrees which could help with the height. I have a Diesel bellhousing so it will bolt straight up to that, but at 50 degrees which is a potential can of worms also.

He also also recommended a different intake to help with clearance. There are a couple different styles available mostly from the Porsche community. Lastly he said go standalone management. As the wiring was a big hurdle. Somewhere around 2012 VW changed to a newer bosch system that doesn't seem as friendly to living in a chassis not designed for it. Most of the longitudinal swaps I've seen go that route, which does add to the cost but most of the Honda swaps do that also.

I'm mostly interested in this swap to keep it VW and the fact that not a lot have been done. But the Honda K24 is very appealing also and has a lot of fans for good reason. The easiest and probably smartest for me is to just upgrade to 2.0 8v from my 1.8 8v and add a power booster(low boost turbo) or go TDi. But I do like the idea of being different :roll:

Wed Sep 25, 2024 10:50 am

steering wheel holders.
l spent 11 years living in central London, l drive through LA from time to time, it's mostly been peak driving time, lucy and l do just fine.
T3's vanagons are 99% if not more manual, l'd never seen one until l came stateside, in fact l'd never ''driven'' anything with an automatic transmission until l came here.
l'm not sure RHD vanagons ever got power steering either, l've certainly NEVER seen one.

MarkWard wrote:

You should try driving your stick during rush hour around Atlanta. :wink:

Fri Nov 08, 2024 7:20 am

I’m moving forward on 07k swap. Sourced a low mileage 2010. Still have some details to sort out but should keep me busy over the winter!