Okay so I am brand new to Buggy's. I got my first one about two weeks ago and have already learned a lot. I am having some issues and I think it has a lot to do with the setup.

Is there anyone in or near Northern KY (I live in Burlington) that knows about water cooled setups and other issues that would be willing to stop by and take a look at what I have and give me a push in the right direction to get it all running right?

Here's the story, long but it should bring you up to speed on where I currently sit; I get a rail buggy from a guy that tells me it is registered and titled as a 1970 VW Sedan. He says he has a clean title in hand. He tells me that the guy he got it from built it from 1970 Beetle parts and registered it in Ohio in August of 2008, at that time it had a VW engine. He said he bought it from the owner/builder in December of 2008 and never registered it or titled it because he never intended to drive it on the street, but the registration and title are a whole other issue, the important part is that I was told that it has 1970 Beetle parts.

Anyway the guy I get it from says he pulled the VW engine and installed a Chevy V6 Vortec 4.3L engine with Edelbrock manifold and Holly carberator. He said that the engine came from a 1985 Chevy S10 pick up, and he installed a KEP adapter kit. He says that the engine is so big that he kept burning up VW starters because it needed a "High Torque" starter, so he just removed it all together and would jump start it to drive it. He also said that he went through three stock clutches and that the one currently in it needed to be replaced, he said it was due to the big engine and that I needed to buy a racing clutch.

So the first thing I do when I get it is buy a High Torque starter, 4 Puck Racing Clutch, 1700# Stage 1 Pressure Plate, Early Release Throw Out Bearing, and a new 1000 Cold Cranking Amp Battery (the engine currently has no alternator). Since I was going to have it all apart anyway I also bought a new 1970 200mm Flywheel. I intended to put all this in this past weekend.

Prior to Saturday when my father, a retired engine mechanic - but not VWs, was to come over to help with the installation, I decided to do some rewiring. The wiring that was in it was a mess there were loose, burnt, disconnected, and smashed wiring all over and a lot hanging down under the buggy and around the engine. I removed all the lights and accessories (they weren't hooked up anyway), and all the excess wiring and junk that was on it. I then replaced one wire at a time making sure to tie tie it up out of the way and making sure all the grounds were connected and making good contact.

One thing I did find by doing this, besides all the loose and bad ground connections, was that the current ignition switch was bad, when turned to the "On" not "Start" position it would engage the starter, this did not happen all the time as the starter had a bad ground and the wire running to the ignition switch was not tightened down. I did Ohm it out and verify that it was shorted to "Start" while in the "On" position. So I am assuming as the buggy was being off roaded it was bouncing and engaging the starter and probably a big cause of the previous guy burning up starters. I bought a new ignition switch on Saturday morning and installed it.

Follow me so far? Well here is where the fun begins, when Dad showed up we pulled the engine our and started looking at what I had, there were several things pointed out to me. The engine has no VIN number on it so I can not find out what it actually came out of, I do know for a fact it did not come from a 1985 S10 as the guy stated because they did not start installing the 4.3L Vortecs in them until 1988, dad is a walking encyclopedia sometimes. It is in fact a 4.3L Vortec, that has been verified, and it does have a KEP Adapter kit on it. The flywheel was slightly warped and showed signs of extreme heat and discoloration, in addition the 200mm VW flywheel will not bolt to the Chevy engine and the Chevy Flywheel, that I also went to get, does not work with a VW transmission. I contacted KEP and found out the custom made flywheel comes with the KEP Adapter Kit. I was told I could buy it separately for $230 or I could send mine to them and they could try to turn it for $55, I asked what their address was!

In addition through several phone calls and photo exchanges with KEP I am being led to believe that I may have a 1966 or older swing axel transmission in it not a 1970. Which is most likely causing the issues with the flywheel and starter due to something about a 6 volt and 12 volt issue that changed in 1967. There are definate signs of the flywheel rubbing and grinding the bell housing and when the starter is engaged it hits the back of the bell housing and does not turn.

Unfortunately as much as my dad knows and can fix just about any engine, he never worked on VWs and does not really know too much about them. I guess at this point I need someone that really knows VWs inside and out and history or parts, that also has experience with mounting other manufacturer engines to them, to physically look at what I have and tell me how to fix it. I know it can be done as I have seen several builds on this forum with V6, V8, and other engines that work perfectly fine!!

Any help would be much appreciated!! Thanks

Post some pictures of your tranny and setup.

Here are a few, a lot more can be found here: http://www.craigspic.com/593/61424

it's is a swing axle. be surprised if it take that kind of h.p. from that v6. good luck

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i wana ride, i wana ride, i wana ride

I completely agree. I am amazed that a swing axle tranny held that much power..... Here is a good link with a lot of tranny info for you references.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=143138

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Thanks, I did know that it is a swing axel, but with there being a change from 6 volt to 12 volt in '67 and a change in the flywheel I need to be sure what year it is so I can get the correct parts.

I also know and/or have been told that I need to change it to a Bus transmission as soon as I can afford to.

BTW anyone close to me with a good bus transmission for sale - cheap? I did find one for $595 but just don't have cash now. Also if I switch to the bus transmission am I going to have to change my KEP Adapter kit or does it bolt up the same as the swing axel tranny? And if I do have to change out the KEP Adapter then that will be an additional expense. If I have to do all that I may look into switching to a Subi engine at that time.

Couple other things that I ran into besides the other major issues and a ton of issues with getting it titled correctly in my name, which I am still working through, were that the first night I got it and rolled it off the trailer the clutch cable broke then the left rear tire passed me on the maiden voyage!! I found the brakes in very poor condition, the master cylinder reservoir leaking, the pedals area piece of crap, and the threads for the wheel studs almost completely stripped on the rear hubs - the reason the rear tire came off.......I purchased a new reservoir and re-tapped the rear hubs and bought longer stud bolts to hold until this fall.

I do not think the guy who originally built it, or the guy who I bought it from that put the V6 in it, either one knew what they were doing, or took the time to do it right!!! So for now I am just interested in getting it running so I can play around in the woods a little this summer, if I break something then so be it but I want some mud time before the weather gets to bad.

Actually the wife really wants me to set it up to be street legal so she can drive it on the road, I plan to start buying parts throughout the summer and fall (to include a Bus Tranny and four wheel disc brakes) then in the winter I am taking it down to the frame and going to build it out the right way and with all new parts. I will be sending the frame out to have it sandblasted to bare metal and checked for cracks and reinforcement, when I get it back I will do the work myself (with lots of help from the experts here!) so I know that it is done right.

You might be better off going to a stock vw engine for now if you can find one cheap...then as you find the other parts for the bus tranny swap,,including an IRS torsion,,bug to bus conversion stuff,,tranny,,,etc. That engine is overkill for a regular buggy,,someone may sway you for that engine and adapter for a chaindrive . there may even be a 4 cylinder that uses that adapter,,,,,not sure, KEP can tell you,,,,,,,,good luck

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

just take a diegringer and open it up a little it will last as long as the tranny will have fun until it goes

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drive it like you know how too fix it

yea if you plan on going to a bus tranny then you should send them your flywhell and have it fixed to fit for a 200mm because if you get one to fit this tranny then your just wasting money.you can just grind it out all the way around and it will work.unless someone has beefed that tranny up it will not hold up to that 4.3 in rough riding so go in second gear as much as possible becuase first wiil tear out easy.also with that racing clutch don't be dumping it that wont help either.but when you decide to go to the suby swap let me know i would be interested in that 4.3 and adapter,igot a baja that i was thinking of going that route with.chad

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NOW GAS IT!!!!!