Neil
That's great you are keeping the engine a 'full' 2.0.
A common trick is to put a 1.8 gas head on a 2.0 gas block - that's for
clearance at 50 degrees on the left side of the engine bay.
 I think it's great you're doing a 15 degree- and I wanna do one of those
one of these days too - all my inline 4's have been at 50 degrees, and I
feel there are real advantages to leaving it like it is, and standing it up
in there.

And........whatever your cross bar deal is, and that you are happy with it,
that's all that matters...........BUT, ......I mean AND........regarding
ground clearance.
  I was thinking about it the other night, and I realized in ALL car and van
installations by manufacturers......the pan is always the lowest part. All
support bars and gross members go around the pan.  You don't have a cut out
in your pan since it's from a sideways front engine car........but, since
getting the engine as low as is practical is always desired.......you look
under any car ......volvo, subaru, american front engine V-8, ......and the
pan is always the lowest part - just to get the engine low as is practical
and still have decent ground clearance. 
  I think if it was my installation I'd be temped to make a cut out at one
end of the pan, flywheel end probably, and run my cross bar through there. 
   On Subaru engine conversions, whatever support bar is used, it always
goes around the end of the pan, either forward or at the rear, and the pan
is the lowest part.
   Anyway ! you having fun is the most important part.
Oh......last thought, on 2WD I fudge the whole engine up as much as 2 solid
inches - as long as the shift linkage angle doesn't get too extreme or
weird, there's room to raise the engine quite a bit compared to stock.
Scott
www.turbovans.com 
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
neil N
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:43 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Neil's motor..

Thanks for the tips Don.

It's a different set up than a "diesel" type of install. It's a stock
Jetta ABA 2.0 mounted at 15 degrees. Much more upright. Plus it keeps
the stock 2.0 head and Motronic FI. This changes things a lot over a
given VW I4 using a 1.8 head. But, it presents similar needs. Just
different locations. That I can see........ so far!

Appreciate you telling me what's in your rig. The ducting from air
intake plenum to air box may end up being a combination of hard and
flexible materials. This would enable me to use the stock air intake
boot..... if my plan works that is!

I've never seen brake ducting before, but I'll bet there's some kind
of residential HVAC ducting I could use for both the air box snorkel
and the ducting to the throttle body.

Here's a couple of low res pics (less than 50kb each). In one, you can
see how I've placed the stock air intake boot.

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/Aircleanertestfitsmall.jpg/Aircleanertestfit
small-full;init:.jpg

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/Engineroughedin1small.jpg/Engineroughedin1sm
all-full;init:.jpg

Thanks,

Neil.

On Wed, Mar 26, 2008 at 5:46 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson@gorge.net> wrote:
>   Hey Neil,
>
>   I haven't been bringing up your pics of the engine mounts, etc. because
I
>  have this *glacial* dial-up internet connection here at my house out in
the
>  sticks, but it sounds like you are well on the way.
>    A suggestion, as I see you mentioned connecting your air cleaner
somehow.
>  In my inline four, the conversion was done when I got it, but the
convertor
>  used thin-wall aluminum  irrigation sprinkler pipe to fabricate the
intake
>  runner from the airbox over to the plenum and it looks like it might have
>  been fairly simple for him.  The end result is quite sturdy to work with
>  when you must dink around with it.  My air cleaner is in the stock
>  position(?) and the 'duct work' crosses the engine compartment at the
front
>  right along the edge of the access hatch, with another snorkel out of the
>  aircleaner, made of brake ducting,  going up into the right side rear
body
>  vent for cool fresh air.
>   If your install is similar to the I-4/Diesel one that I have, don't
>  neglect to connect the engine mounts across under the motor.  I came very
>  close to having a huge headache when my right side (the longer one) motor
>  mount sheered off the bolts at the engine block, due to it's propensity
to
>  twist without the cross brace to defer some of that force..
>
>   Don Hanson
>

--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia - "Jaco"

http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

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