Rotary-powered VW Bug
 

Anyone have any good links or information on swapping a rotary into a Volkswagen Beetle? What kind of transmission would fit and also take 150-200bhp reliably?

WOW!!! i cant believe you didnt read the thread right below yours when you posted. the thread starter name is WANLEL BUG

my guess would be that he may know something.
btw...you can get the adapter to hook up a vw trans. or porsche trans from racngbeat.

check this thread. then my best sugestion is to ask WANKEL BUG himself how he did it.

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...threadid=50970

I think ol' JEFF20B has a rail buggy he is doing this to. He may have some info for you.

Hi,
I just put a '87 Turbo II into a '78 Kelmark kit car which is based on a '74 bug pan. Kennedy Engineered makes the engine adapter/clutch/pressureplate/high torque starter and will machine you a special flywheel. Go to their web site, they have done this swap a lot. Send for their catalog, it has a lot of good info.
Stuff Transaxle(web site), did my transaxle and its good for 300+hp. I can give you a list of things I bought/installed if you want. Bolting the engine up was easy, but the oil cooler and exhaust took some time! I beefed everything up to the max and have over $17,000. in it and I still need to put an interior in it!
if you have any questions you can email me. I also have a mag. that show the first rotary in a bug(done by racing beat.)

Dave Webster
Port Orchard, Wa.
wdwflash@aol.com

Nah, I've got a baja I'll be installing a rotary into. But a rotary powered sand rail would rip! My friend has already done a rotary baja, and a few pics can be seen on my webpage (click the www button at the bottom of my post).

I already have the radiator for my swap. LOL a whole radiator! Infact I might not even use it because it's out of an REPU and is rather heavy. My friend used a '79 3 core rad on his baja.

Wow! Thanks guys. I guess I just missed Wankel Bug's post. Wdwflash, what is the transaxle originally from in the Kelmark--and what speed do you think your car would top out at?

The trans is basically a type 1 bug transaxle (IRS,'74). Its got a rino case, super dif, four spyders, welded 3rd & 4th gears, beefed alum. side plates and a whole bunch of other beefed parts(made for drags or sand). The first three gears are stop light to stop light and the fourth is and overdrive (4.12 ring & pinion). The math says at 7000rpm I should be doing over 165mph!! We all know the rotary engine will turn more than 7000rpm. Stuff Transaxle is on the web or give him a call and tell him what you are doing and need. He's built tranaxles for rotaries before.

Just a note about transaxles on the cars around here: my friend's rotary baja has a bus transaxle which should be able to stand up to anything his streetported Holley can dish out (but we'll see). My baja also has a bus unit. Both transaxles have the low gears which basicly allows the engine to think it's driving the stock sized bug tires when infact it's actually driving 30"+ tires. They are also stronger than a regular bug transaxle. This should be fine for a rotary. The weakest links are the half shafts.

I was going to go with a bus transaxle, and was going to have Stuff Transaxles build me one, but the owner of Stuff says that his beefed up transaxle will stand up to the turbo rotary. Also the bus is kind if a bear to fit into the stock VW pan. Its been done a lot, but the stock or Rino case is made for it, and with special trans straps/mounts its in tight! I went with swingaway axles as they torque/twist and take some of the pounding off of the trans gears. I also went with porsche 944 stub axles and bus CV joints all around.

Hey,

Sorry, but can you guys post links? I am interested in doing this but I don't know what companies you're talking about. Thanks.

Will

Kennedy Engineered makes the engine adapter, clutch/pressure plate and will machine the flywheel(they also have done this swap a lot and have good info in there small catalog.) Stuff Transaxle does a very nice job on the trans. Cb Performance has lot of VW/ sandrail parts. Prowlers has lots of parts and the tube trailing arm beef-up kit. Hot VWs mag. is a good place to find the parts to beef the VW up(disc brakes, coil-over shocks, etc.) All of these companies have web sites(just type in their names.) If you have any questions on the swap you can email me at
wdwflash@aol.com

I wonder if Kennedy Engineering has adapters for other tranny swaps

Kennedy Engineered will make an adapter for just about anything, although custom stuff can get expensive. I know they make adapters for VW,Porsche,Mustang and other exotic transaxles to fit a ton of other engines. They sell a small catalog(its worth the money!) What are you looking to adapter from and to, and in what car?

I once sent an email to KEP asking about a rotary to front wheel drive adaptor and he said the VW 202 transaxle won't work. He suggested using something like a Mitsubishi V6 transaxle. A bit off topic, but still good to know, I guess.

20B+GM automatic+REPU=:D

I just heard that Atkins rotary had done a 20B into a REPU. Don't know if this is true or not, but it would be worth asking them on their web site.

Rotary powered Buggy 13B Fuel injected Microtec http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifie...php?id=1320456