Below is a limited description of a conversion to a 1.8 water-cooled engine.
The added engine was taken from a '86 VW Jetta.
New engine support system had to be fabricated, and cooling lines, as well as heater hoses, had to be rerouted (some removed).
A radiator bracket was designed to mount the radiator at the front of the vehicle, attached to the bumper support bolts at the chassis.
This is the radiator support built to mount the radiator to the front of the van.
Constructed from 1 1/4" square steel tubing. The mesh used was galvanized steel. An aluminum version of this can be found at most local hardware stores (ie. Home Depot).
Here are the modified brackets that mount the engine to the new support seen in the picture below. These are the original brackets:
The left was cut to allow fitting of the added oil cooling lines, and a shim was added to maintain the 15 degree angle of the engine.
The chassis mounting angle of the right bracket was different with the new engine. The section of the bracket with the original chassis mounting hole was cut off. A new hole was drilled at the required angle.
The rubber mounts used with these brackets are OEM Ford Tempo parts.
The brackets that were modified were original VW Fox parts.
Picture 1: The engine support with the only the brackets installed.
Picture 2: The completed engine mount support system. The frame is constructed from 2" square steel tubing. The original air-cooled engine mounting brackets and chassis mounting locations were used to support the 1.8L engine.
If you decide to use a header, it will have to be modified to give adequate clearance from the rear wheel. The flange was cut off, a 90 degree elbow was added, and then the flange was reattached.
This particular header came from a VW Rabbit MK1.
The engine mounted on the modified brackets.
IT FITS! (barely)
A more recent photo of the restored bus. Repainted.
Picture taken in Newfoundland, Canada.
This van has driven across Canada and back at least twice.
