Hi Stewart.

You need a diesel Vanagon clutch housing, or a KEP kit to adapt the
engine. You can't bolt it to a WBX or air cooled tranny. The
tranny/clutch housing itself does not determine the "height" of the
engine. The "height" of the engine is determined largely by the mount
angle and to a lesser degree, by the design of the carrier. (for the
15* or 0* mount) and of course the engine itself. If engine installed
at 50*, (stock diesel Vanagon angle) no engine lid mod required. The
KEP kit can be set up for a 0*, 15* or 50* angle.

AFAIK,  the 3A is shorter, but would likely still require an engine
lid mod IF installed at 0 or 15*. Plus you would need to build a
carrier for it. With a carrier built for that setup you would likely
lose some ground clearance when compared to the more common 50*
install. I'm not sure if you could keep the 3A engine "as is" if
installed at 50*.

The common engine combination for the I4 gas install, is either a 1.8
using Digifant 1 or 2 or a 2.0 (ABA) with the same 1.8 head installed
at 50* (stock diesel Vanagon) angle. The 1.8 head, and manifolds,
clears the driver side of the engine bay better.

A 50* install allows you to have better ground clearance, and will
allow you to keep the engine lid stock.

A 0* or 15* install, means you have to build a carrier, (most likely a
loss of ground clearance resulting) and you will have to modify the
engine lid.

I'm doing a 15* install. If you want I can pmail a link to a Google
group I started for VW I4 gas engine conversions.

To do a 50* install, you would need the Diesel Vanagon parts. Clutch
(bell) housing, flywheel, carriers, (support bars), mount brackets and
mounts, diesel oil pan/oil pump, starter, etc., Or....

.... a KEP (Kennedy Engineered Products) adaptor kit. This should
include an adaptor plate, and Vanagon type flywheel that would bolt up
to the I4 engine. With this kit you could do a 0*,15*, (or 50* if you
ask to have the extra holes drilled) install. But you would still need
some of the remaining diesel Vanagon parts to do the 50* with the KEP
plates.

Cheers,

Neil.

On Sun, May 25, 2008 at 4:34 PM, Cullen Stewart <cullberly@vermontel.net> wrote:
> I am considering an engine swap in my van and do not understand what the clearance issues are. I would like to install an Audi 3A 2.0L into it and don't want to cut the engine cover. Is this possible with the stock waterboxer tranny or do I need to switch to the diesel tranny ? I know the 3A has a shorter deck height than an ABA 2.0L so should this allow it to fit without hassle. My waterboxer needs heads, clutch and exhaust which adds up to a lot of $ just to have the same weak motor and poor gas mileage.
>

--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Jetta-fied Westfalia - "Jaco"

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