I'm mechanically incompetent for the most part but like to figure this stuff out. How exactly do you use a water-cooled engine to power an air-cooled machine? Do you have to modify it to fit a radiator in there? If so, where do you place the radiator? I know these are base-level questions, but I'm just not getting it and I've been reading the forum well past my bedtime:). Thanks for any help.

 

Tim B.

I'm mechanically incompetent for the most part but like to figure this stuff out. How exactly do you use a water-cooled engine to power an air-cooled machine? Do you have to modify it to fit a radiator in there? If so, where do you place the radiator? I know these are base-level questions, but I'm just not getting it and I've been reading the forum well past my bedtime:). Thanks for any help.

 

Tim B.

 

For the Vanagon,

yes, you would need to mount a radiator in front, and run hard piping from it to the rear...

 

ShawnW did his first one this way, but then found a later water cooled one to start with... much easier....

 

for Bugs and sand rails, you'd also have to mount a radiator somehow....

Or uo can convert a water cooled vanagon to sooby power, as that would take care of the plumbing part.

 

There is a subaru powered vanagon list on yahoo if your really curious.

 

nipper

Yeah I just joined that. I had seen the multiple VW Bugs on here that had Sub engines and wondered. Thanks for the info. I was afraid I was missing something.

 

Tim

On the vanagon there is basically a spot for the radiator you just need to open up the lower grill hole and add a grill, fans, plumbing, wiring for the fan, etc.....extensive and not worth it.

 

On a bug you have to decide if you want a heater, decide where to mount the radiator (seems popular to put it in place of the back seat somehow?), and same as above wiring for a fan, adding lines in/out of the engine, etc.

 

Creativity is the short answer.