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 Post subject: ecotec vs 2332 vs 2500
PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 5:02 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:31 pm
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Location: Florence ky
I'm at a crossroads here. I have enough to buy one of these three motors for my buggy this is kind of a long post but I want to be thorough and hear some good advice.

More specifically I'm looking for pros and cons of each.

Ecotech - they seem to be the new hype as far as buggies Go.
pros - watercooled, electronic fuel injection, reliability more hp for less money.
175hp right out of the Box.

Cons
- more weight, water cooled, radiater, and needing a new transmission to hold the Power. (Currently have a 5 rib)

Questions
Is it worth the extra work?
What transmission will hold the power?
Afi has them for 2250 and up. I could get one from a junkyard for 800 or less. What makes there kits worth so much more?

2332 and 2500cc
Pros
AIR COOLED! Less weight then the ecotec
easy to work on. The nastalgia of having an air cooled I's pretty awesome. Plus they sound awesome. Parts are fairly priced. Less parts to worry about
both engines produce good power!
And I can keep my 5 rib.

Cons.
Maintainonce can sometimes be hectic
they are prone to overheating if your not careful. These two engines are pretty expensive.

Questions
how reliable are these two engines and how is the power compared to an ecotec.

Keep in mind money isn't a big obstacle because I want to do this right the first Time and have a nice fun reliable rig.

Thanks.
Joe

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PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 5:48 pm 
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Location: bardstown, ky.
What is your idea of a day of riding? Are you a climber, trail rider? Do you mind wrenching or hate it? Is your 5 rib stock? What type of rear tires will you run?


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PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 6:49 pm 
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Location: Florence ky
Definitely more of a trail rider. Love going fast through the trails using turning brakes and trying to leave quads and rzrs in the dust. But I do like to hit hills occasionally.
Nothing To Crazy Just Enough To Get the ol ladys hands shaking. Lol

I love wrenching and learning things... just not on the trails or on the weekends when I'm supposed to be having fun not looking at my blown up buggy lol.

And I'm thinking cut Firestones should do The trick for this Rig.
And my 5 rib I would just assume is stock.

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PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 7:36 pm 
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I have both ,2500 and a ecotec and everyone wont agree with this but the eco is the only way to go for your riding style. You can play with sxs all day and never get hot and on 3 gallons of gas. Sell your 5 rib and get a 6 rib with a superdiff and it will last along time .


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PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 7:37 pm 
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Location: Alexander City, Al
Mike Robinson has the best set up in my opinion. His buggy is amazing. Supercharged Ecotec for the win!!!


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PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 9:52 pm 
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Location: portage county ohio
I agree with mike Eco all the way for a trail rig occasional climber, now that I switched I can concentrate more on driving and less on keeping that old VW running, I'm not a carb guy so I never like messing with that VW. Now with the Eco the buggy is a pleasure to drive more torque and power than I could want "right now;)"


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PostPosted: Tue May 26, 2015 10:52 pm 
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Location: Florence ky
What do you guys use for transmissions?
So far it seems like a 6 rib with weddle and a super diff.
Does anyone know about what the price is for a built 6 rib?

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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 12:52 am 
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In my old buggy, I spent thousands and thousands of dollars building a Kick Ass 2332 that was fairly reliable and pretty powerful. It was fun to drive but I had to spend a lot of time constantly fixing little issues. Carbs / Oil / Alternator / Rear Pulley / Adjust valves / ect.. ect..

My new buggy has a Honda V6 VTEC and it is a blast to have TONS of extra power. I can ride in 2nd or 3rd gear and take off at will. The reliability is amazing. I have not had a single issue (knock on wood)

As for the Trans, I run a Side Shift 6 Rib with a super diff. I do not have weddle gears so I take it easy starting from a stop.

In addition to a Trans, you will want 930 CV joints. I would also consider Cut Boggers as a tire option for a trail buggy.

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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 8:42 am 
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Location: Petersburg, Ky
go eco. but be realistic! figure all the costs and don't cut corners!
around $1000 for a side shift 6-rib with super diff and linkage
$800-1000 for 930 cvs. do you have 2x3 or larger arms? add another $500 or so
go to the junk yard and spend $800 for your engine and hope you can figure out the wiring, or go to a vendor like alfa fab and that work is done for around $2000.
add at least another $1000 for radiator, fuel pump, plumbing, and all the odds and ends.

that totaled up is just about what a strong stroker motor would cost alone. and you still wouldn't have a trans to hold it.

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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 9:44 am 
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Location: bardstown, ky.
The ecotecs are pretty damn tough!!!! Mine hasnt used a drop of oil and it looks brand new from the winter change.Its usually on the rev limiter to!


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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 7:09 pm 
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Let's try this again lolImage


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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 8:29 pm 
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Well put psycho alpha


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PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 8:33 pm 
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I'm with mouse I have the 3.2 Acura. 265 horsepower 232 ftlb of torque at 3200 RPM. Tons of power a little heavier than an eco but way more power. The supercharged Eco is the ticket. Air cooling is great for air compressors and motorcycle engines the two strokes kind and the old school kind


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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 12:55 am 
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If you want a little more on the Ecotec with the super charger; build a larger gas tank and have it tuned with E85. That is the most bang for your buck as far as I am concerned.

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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 2:48 am 
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Location: Florence ky
I don't think power should be an issue for a while. I'm more concerned with the transmission lol.

looks like my best bet is 6 rib with super diff and weddle 1st and 2nd gears. Which is still going to cost around 1500.

And even that won't last much longer after 250hp+ .... from what I read on the samba anyways.

Also how much extra weight is the 3.2? did you find it at a better price then the ecotec? And are you using a 6 rib as well?

And are 930 cvs mandatory? What's the added benefit I have buss cvs now do you think those would last a season I'm already looking at over 4500 in just motor and trans +labor

And I still would like to have cnc pedals front brakes and a new rear suspension. Lol. This stuff isn't cheap. Thanks for all the info so far.

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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 6:04 am 
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The 930s are about like the transmission,spend it now or later. Go price a Polaris 1000 and you wont feel " HALF" as bad spending the money,but i bet you twice the fun!!!


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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 7:42 am 
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RaceBug did a good job breaking down the real expenses. Too many people think they can buy a $300 water cooled engine and hit the trails.

You might be able to wait on the 6 rib and CV joints if you are willing to take it easy on the trans. If you do not drop the clutch or hit some rocky hills at 6000 RPM, you might be able to keep your 5 Rib and Bus CV joints for a little while.

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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 10:47 am 
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Location: Randolph, Ohio
I just switched from a strong 2387 to a NA 2.4 Eco. Give me a call and I can give you the details of what I had into it. Got my first good ride on it last weekend and love it. I need to adjust the tune a bit but other than that I have no regrets and was blown away. 330-608-nine o 56


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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:30 pm 
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Location: portage county ohio
I ran bus joints last year probably 5-6 rides busted a couple but as long as you got spares it could get you by, defiantly run them till you get a six rib, much rather bust a 20$ bus CV verses a busted trans, I kept a cordless impact in my ammo can and could change out a whole axle assembly in 15 min. If you have the money than get the tranny swap and cvs done but if you don't you can get by just respect to break a few joints


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 Post subject: ecotec vs 2332 vs 2500
PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 4:45 pm 
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The 3.2 is about 80 to 100 lbs more than the Eco


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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 10:07 pm 
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Location: Okeana Ohio
I am running the Honda 3.2 vtec for about 6 years now with out any issues. there is no comparison to VW. instant throttle response and plenty of power when you need it.


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PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 6:51 am 
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trailrider wrote:
I am running the Honda 3.2 vtec for about 6 years now with out any issues. there is no comparison to VW. instant throttle response and plenty of power when you need it.



That's a badass buggy!!

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PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 8:31 am 
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Yes it is!!! Badass looking and badass!!!


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PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 9:49 am 
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I was thinking about going with a subaru years ago but never did. It seems that ecotec has become the most popular water cooled motor to use lately, why? I can't argue with the results as they seem to be doing pretty well. I always thought that the subaru would be the best choice because it is still a boxer engine and the weight and dimensions are closed to vw aircooled.


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PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 12:57 pm 
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Weve got three ecotec buggys, we run stock bus trans & joints, kennedy adpter ,flywheel,clutch & p-plate about $700.. Phils bug shack for comp & harness $250 No need for high dollar fuel pretties get a ford f150 pump & filter less than $100, ebay jeep cherokee or honda civic rad with fans $80-120 , now we dont drop the clutch at 3/4 throttle, but im not afraid to gouge on it either,weve been runnin this set up for three yrs & not broke anything yet. So how strong the parts have to be relates to how hard you ride.

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