VW Transporter Engine

General description - Engine

1. The Transporter was modified in august  1971 to fit the 1.7 litre engine will all options except the pickup models. All vehicles sent to the USA were fitted with this engine. In effect the engine is the "suitcase" model as fitted to the 411/412 with some small modifications. It is sluppied with fuel by twin Solex 34 PDSIT carburetors.
The code letters CA or CB for engines with exthaust emission control are used for this version of the engine which is fitted with recessed prisons to give a compression ratio of 7.3 to 1.
In August 1973 a further increase in power was obtained by increasing the engine capacity to 1.8 liters. Whilst basically the same engine with an increase in cylinder diameter from 90 mm to 93mm the large engine, code letters AP, has a number of modifications to accommodate the increased power output. Twin Solex 34 PDSIT carborettors are still fitted, but the head and valves are modified, ignition timing altered and stronger clutch springs fitted. The exhaust muffer is also modified.
Details of the various modifications are discussed in the appropiate Chapters. Neither of these engines may be fitted to earlier models of the Transporter, which was fitted with the fan type  1600 engine.
2. The four cylinder air cooled engine is bolted to the transmission unit and the whole power pack is held in the van by eight bolts. When the two drive shafts have ben taken off and various air and petrol hoses disconnected and a number of electrical connections unplugged, the mounting bolts may be withdrawn and the whole unit lowered away from the rear of the van and taken underneath.
Alternatively the engine may be taken out without moving the gearbox and thus without having to remove the drive shafts, although it is more difficult to install by this method.
With the engine comes the exhaust system and all the cooling and heating arrangements. It is not possible to discuss engine overhaul and cooling/heating/exhaust system repair separately so the whole unit is covered in this Chapter.
The detalied overhaul of the gearboxes is discussed in other Capters, as is the fuel system, an the ignition system. These are therefore not included in this Chapter except for passing reference.
3. The engine is a flat horizontally opposed fourstroke. It is totally enclosed in sheet metal and aluminium castings in such a way that the cooling may be thermostatically controlled to small limits. The fan, mounted on the end of the crankshaft sucks air from a ducted system and blows it ower the engine in a guided and variable system of ducts allowing the engine to warm up quickly and then opening flaps to provide a cooling air stream with increases in volume as the speed of the engine increases.
4. The layout of the engine is normal VW style: a split crankcase containing the crankshaft, camshaft, and oil pump; camshaft, oil pump and distributor being driven by gearing off the end of the crankshaft.  The cylinders are finned castings arranged in pairs with one cylinder head for each pair. Overhead valves, are operated by pushrods bearing on followers activated by the camshaft, and the convertional rocker gear and valve springs.
5. Alloy pistons have steel inserts and are fitted with two compression and one spring loaded scraper ring. The gudgeon pings are fully floating and retained in place by circlips.
6. Split shell bearings are fitted to the big-ends, camshaft bearings and one of the main bearings. The other main bearings are circular shels in one piece.
7. Lubrication is by pressure feed from the pump, the pressure regulated by a relief valve at the end of the circulit. An oil cooler is fitted and a renewable filter with a baypass valve. The usual VW strainer is fitted to the pump suction. A warning light operates from a pressure switch which lights the lamp at pressures below 6 pounds/square inch.
8. The engine provides  a lift for which four men are reqied in its unit form, so if you are thinking of moving it by yourself, think again.
9. Very little work may be carried out on the engine itself, other than routine maintenance, without removing it from the van, but this does not include thoose items classed as ancillaries and formings part of the electrical, ignition or fuel systems. For details of these refer to the appropriate Chapter.