Comparison of 2.0L engines

[RichMason]

I've got a 1.7 and, although Raby's "Massive Type IV" is appealing, baby always needs new shoes. I'm looking around for a 2.0L project engine to work on for a year or so (polish this, balance that) and I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations on what block/engine configuration to start with. I saw a 75 2.0 engine with FI FS on the list but I was concerned that the later FI would be a disadvantage in my 73. Any thoughts?

[paulhagedorn]

My understanding is that the FI itself isn't the problem. All the emissions stuff is what takes away the power. Backdate the exhaust and take out the smog pump and I think it should have the same power as an earlier one.

If you want, you can take your 1.7 and make it a 2.0 by just swapping crank, P/C's, cam and heads. I think the cam is different, but not sure. Someone will know for sure.

There is a little bit of difference in some of the cases where one won't accept a windage tray to keep the oil from sloshing up onto the crank, I think.

Other than that, the cases are essentially the same as far as 914 cases go.

[Bleyseng]

The 2.0l heads are the biggest difference besides the displacement increase. I think the cams are the same for all Djet motors.
The 75 2.0l have the smog pumps which can be taken off and the holes filled with a special bolt. The change in the exhaust system robbed the rest of the hp.
If the 75 2.0l is at a good price I would go with it as finding decent 2.0l heads is getting expensive. Plus then are the other costs of upgrading your 1.7l to a 2.0l.
Geoff

[Joe Bob]

the 2.0 heads may be expensive but they are fragile....sell them off and build some 1.8 heads....

[Jim Smolka]

From what I remember, the '75 and '76 cases (with serial #'s starting with GC) are not as "desirable " as the '73 and '74 cases starting with GA.

[kuch]

The cases are typically the same for all type 4's, the minor difference is the serial number location and oil dip stick location. The windage tray slides into all cases and bolts to the oil pickup.
All type 4 solid lifter cams are ground with minimal variations. Check out HP books "How to Rebuild Your Volkswagen" by Tom Wilson, along with VW engines he explains the 914 engine in detail.

[Otto]

All the cams are the same, as is all the cases. If you need any help with your project contact us. I build one or two of these a week. OTTO

[mike mueller]

The '75 motor will be fine, that is what I just finished building for my car which is a '75 as well. For more ponies and to bring it up to the HP levels of the earlier 2.0's, I installed Euro 94mm P/Cs.
The new pistons are the flat top design instead of dished to get the compression level back up and then some.

[MASSIVE TYPE IV]

The cases are the same, but oul system changes were made almost every couple of years.

The cams are not the same, I have seen 3 different ones and the fourth was rare, just for an automatic 914, which I have only seen one of.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Jake--"automatic 914"??? Please describe!!

When and where did you see it?

--DD

[MASSIVE TYPE IV]

I saw it 5 years ago, at a vw show, really wild, I never even knew they made them, some people still do not believe it, but the original owner was there, with it..

I also saw a trike made from another one of them, the guy used half of a Gold wing, and the other half was the entire rear of the 914, painted gold, really neat.....he cut up a factory auto car to make it, said he looked 15 years for the right car for the swap.....

[URY914]

Several, OK more like 15-20 years ago I remember reading in Road and Track where a reader wrote in with a question about his 914-6 sportamatic. R&T did some research and said this car was like one of five produced. So autos are very rare, but this one was definetly a -6 though.
Can't remember what I had for lunch today, but I remebered that near worthless fact.

[kuch]

What are the differences in the three types of cams ?

[Otto]

I would really like to know the answer to that one, about the different types of cams!!!! Why when we get a cam from Porsche they only offer one??? Are they wrong???????? OTTO

[MASSIVE TYPE IV]

I will look for the specifics on Monday...There was even a webpage for some of it that I saw a few months back..I got my info from Web cam, and experience, noticing different profiles and lifts.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

The last things I saw in Pano on the subject of sportos was that there were 25 of them. 21 were 1970, 4 were 1971. All were Sixes.

I have heard more recently of a single four-cylinder sportomatic prototype that ran around Germany for a while. I'd love to see photos of the setup, particularly details like the oil pump and so on.

On the cams, the difference supposedly was in the cam timing. The lift was the same, and the duration may have been, but the timing was different. You could tell the differences by the "rings" cast into the shaft between the bearing surfaces and cam lobes. Some had two rings, some only one, and some a single half-ring. The early version of the cam was superseded back in the early 70s due to some running problems some cars had. The late Bus cams were the mildest.

Otto, I think Porsche has been shipping only the one version of the cam for almost 30 years. But there evidently were others.

This is all from the web page Hugo from the Netherlands use to have. I cannot find the page any more, though. I have heard very similar info from other Type IV enthusiasts, namely Ray Greenwood over on the Shoptalk Forums BBS.

--DD

[maf 914]

On the subject of the ellusive sport-matic 914, the old Clymer 914 workshop manual includes a chapter on the auto transmission so it must have been intended as a option at one time. I personnaly can't imagine it being very desirable considering the technology used in the T-IV engines and trannies when built. And what would a 914 be like without its traditional five speed (that every magazine road tester complains about!)?

Mike

[MASSIVE TYPE IV]

I located one of each cam in my core pile..I will se what specific differences I can find.

I know that the one from an automatic had one full circle on either side of the center cam journal and etc but I want to really see what they changed.

[RichMason]

I think that Automobile Atlanta has a sporto 914 for sale. Thanks for all of your input!

[GregS]

I've got a '73 2.0 which I bought thinking I was getting a Porsche 2.0. Turns out it is a bus 2.0. My fault for not looking more closely. At any rate, I was looking at the port sizes of the Porsche 2.0 heads as compared to the 1.8 heads. Given the prices of the 2.0 heads it looks like the 1.8's might be a good way to go as Mike pointed out. Can somebody tell me how close to the 2.0's 42x36 ports the 1.8 heads can be ported? Thanks again.