Questions on building an engine, 1776 or 1835

[Speedy]

Hello Everyone,

I am looking for some advice. I am going to upgrade the 1600 cc motor I built a few years ago, my first. I plan to build either a 1776 or an 1835 cc motor. I am a 68 year old grandmother, so I will not be racing, just want a little more power. The motor is for my 73 Ghia convertible, with a standard transmission and it will have AC.

I am using a fuel injection case, AJ 10294. I have an Empi W-110 camshaft I purchased to use in my first engine build, but decided to go stock. I need to purchase, a crankshaft, pistons, heads and carburetor(s). Along with new rockers, push rods, etc.

I have numerous questions, but I would like to start with the crankshaft and what should I consider purchasing. After I decide on the crankshaft, I will post questions for the remainder of the motor, pistons, carburetor(s), flywheel, oil pump and etc.

My questions are as follows:
Do I need a cast or a forged crankshaft? From what I have read, the forged are better, but not necessary for my application. Should I consider using an 8 doweled over 4 doweled crankshaft? I have also read about crankshafts that are drilled for extra oiling. Also are there any particular brands I should consider over others?

Sincerely,
Speedy

[Speedy]

Hello Everyone,

Sorry should have been 1776 in subject box.

Sincerely,
Speedy

[doc]

Subject fixed. Good luck!

[woodsbuggy1]

I would contact DPR machine for crankshaft, they can also provide rods, flywheel etc. It very tough to beat German crankshaft quality. I would stay with a forged crank and probably a smaller camshaft to have more usabale power, probably more like a w90 or w100. This advice is coming from a 50yr old papaw with 2 young buggy lovers.
Kenric

[Bad Bob]

A counter weighted 69MM crank from DPR will be tough to beat. It will have 8 dowel pin holes. If you are reusing your flywheel, get it resurfaced and drilled and reamed for the four other holes. One of the holes will be offset to orient the flywheel to the crank the same every time it’s assembled.

[Speedy]

Thanks for the reply. After I posted my original message, I did find the crankshaft you mentioned. All I have read points to this being one of the best crank shafts available. As for the cam, I can purchase another one. This is one that was still in the box. I am sure someone I know can use it.

My next topic will be pistons. Do I use the thick wall cylinder and piston set from AA for an 1835 or the Mahle for a 1776? I do not believe Mahle makes a thick wall piston and cylinder for the 1835. I live in Houston, TX. Our summers will occasionally get warm. I would like to be able to drive 300 to 400 miles in a day when going to shows in Texas or Louisiana. Outside of that range I will put it on a trailer. I tend to pack a lot. I have to look as good as my car.

Thanks,
Speedy

[Bad Bob]

Extra CC’s are good for more power and won’t hurt your mileage. I’d use the thick wall 92’s.

Depending on your choice of carbs/heads, your cam would work fine.

[Clatter]

You'll want to tell us more about the rest of the motor..
Stock carb? Duals?
Heater boxes?
There are a lot of differences to be had at any given motor size.

FWIW, I've hears some bad things about Empi cams.
You might consider going with one of the more established vendors.
Replacing a cam is a rather difficult job..

[Speedy]

My plan is to use dual carbs, heater boxes and AC. I am interested in building a good reliable engine. I have no pans to race, just normal driving. I am not sure what size valves I should use. Should I use single or dual springs? For carbs, I would like a set that perform well in town and on the highway.

I hope this info helps.

Thanks,
Speedy

[Bad Bob]

I would bump up the valve size up to 40 x 35.5. If you’re keeping the rpm’s down, you could get away with single springs. I used to have this same 1835 combo in my Baja Bug 40 years ago. I’m sure that I’m not the only one.

[Clatter]

I'd stick to stock 35 x 32 valves if running stock heater boxes.
Big valves on stock heaters can stack heat up in the heads.
It's also a waste of money to do big valves if the exhaust is going to restrict it anyway.

Some good gains can be had with a port job on stock-valved heads.
it's a win/win because there's no downside to drivability or reliability.
Even done yourself..

If you're going to run heater boxes, there's also little sense in going bigger than 1776.
Heaters set a lot of limits as to what is worth doing.

Here's a motor i built around a set of heater boxes FWIW..
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... ght=beater

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I pretty much agree with Clatter with one real exception.

Going 1776 does allow, at some other time, to go to 1836 if the block is still OK.

It is the porting of the heads does bother me as sometimes you can easily make mistakes with your porting tools. If you are going to go more than say 1/2" down, to match ports, then I would recommend a airflow system to check things out during the mods especially around the bends and around the valve pockets. You want the airflow to end up being pretty equal in all ports. Mistakes can decrease the airflow.

My two-bits worth!

Lee

[Speedy]

Thanks for the replies. When I decided to build a larger engine, my first choice was a 1776. A few friends tried to convince me to build an 1835, but as I will be using stock heater boxes I will stay with the 1776. As this is my second engine build, I think I will leave any porting to people with more experience. I am going to purchase new heads, either already ported or have someone do that for me. I will also purchase new pushrods and lifters.

Still not sure about carburetors, but I will decide soon.

Thanks,
Speedy

[chickensoup]

there are two types of thick wall 92's made by AA. K code and M code i think. You want K code. They have the 90.5mm case side bore registry(keeps the case stronger), and the 94 size on the heads. 92 thick walls have proven just as string as 90.5's.

your greatly limited by the stock heater boxes and heads so keeping things mostly stock really is the only way to go at this point. no high rpm's, however, having the rotating assembly balanced is sill a very smart move(improves longevity, smoother running, and picks up hp).
being conservative on the cam is good too. most importantly, make sure EVERY tolerance is within spec. i would much rather have a blue printed stock engine than a mystery grenade stroker. there are online calculators for determining intake manifold length, size, and carb throat size. too big on both the cam and carb and it will be a hog down low. smaller cam(less duration) puts the power band down low but tops out faster. that is unless you can come up with a combo that widens the power band. which many things can factory. like tunes exhaust, injection/carbs, cam lift and duration, heads, rod ratio, etc, many aspects to engine building. stay stockish or learn more.

Panchitos would be a great option. small port volume but high port velocity. and not too large on the valves. and the price aint bad. tims super stockers are an option too w/ the 37mm intake valve. or, you can read up on porting and rebuild your own dp heads.

oh, and dont forget that you can buy aftermarket heater boxes with larger exhaust. money tho

[Speedy]

Chickensoup, thanks for the information. I apologize for the delay in responding, but I took your advice, to learn more. The reason I started this thread was to obtain advice from the people on this forum with more knowledge than I have. What I was not prepared for was, all of the different possible combinations that I would have to choose from. I know there are many factors to consider when building an engine. The main one for me, I want a reliable engine, that performs well overall. whether I am driving around town or driving down the freeway. As I mentioned earlier, I am a 68 YO grandmother, so no racing. I will leave that to those who are more daring. With all that said, I picked up my case from the machine shop. It was bored to accept the lager cylinders, 90.5 or 92. One of the points we discussed was the exhaust. i was not aware the heater boxes were available as high performance in 1 1/2 in. I will purchase the high performance boxes. This will allow me to hopefully build a better motor. We discussed heads, he recommended 041 or 042 heads. He said the cam I have is OK. Still not sure if this is a cam is good for both in town and highway driving, or if there is a better option. Still have more to learn. The good thing is I have time to figure this out, as the engine in my Ghia is still running good.
I appreciate all of the information and I am looking forward to building this new motor.

Thanks,
Speedy