How to install a VW Type one engine into a Porsche 912 : eBay Guides

For certain the VW Type 1, 1300, 1500, or 1600 does fit into the early Porsche 912 chassis. Specificaly, it will bolt right into your 901 transmission. However, you will need some longer studs on the engine case in order for them to extend far enough into the Porsche tranny's bell housing so you can thread the nuts on.   All you need to do is use a VW Superbeetle 12v flywheel but use a Porsche style diaphram assembly with the clutch. A Heavy Duty 200 mm friction disk is what I used with the Porsche Style diaphram assembly. The Porsche style diaphram has the individual fingers at the centre instead of the ring at the center of the diaphram that the VW clutches use. The fingers will interface correctly with the Porsche 901 transmission's stock Throw Out Bearing.   Now the only thing you need to consider is that the Porsche Starter will only engage into the Superbeetle Flywheel teeth approximately one third of the way since the VW flywheel does not stick out as far as the Porsche 912 Flywheel. Many say that this will wear out your Flywheel's starter teeth prematurely and others told me that they used it like that without problems.   My soloution was to remove the starter motor and then remove the rear aluminium housing off the starter that includes the starters mounting flange. I simply mounted and machined the housing on a lathe in order to remove about .100 inch off the flange surface. Basically speaking, this allows the starter gear to extend further into the transmissions bell housing so that it gets more bite on the flywheel and it covers more of the flywheels teeth surface thus reducing the wear on the flywheels ring gear teeth.   For exhaust I used a regular four into one Type 1 extractor with a regular, type 1, performance single glass pack muffler that came with it and it fits fine except the exaust pipe exits under the right side of the valance panel other than the left side as the original 912's pipe did. If you can live with the half moon exhaust pipe cut out on the valance being on the left when you pipe is on the right then no problem. Otherwise, you will need to do some welding to change the muffler around.   For engine tin use the stock or chrome VW engine cylinder tin with the stock 912 Porsche Tin surrounding the engine. In other words, cut and trim the Porsche 912 Firewall, rear tin (over the muffler), and two side pieces to fit to the regular VW tin on the engine and bolt it together.   For a rear engine mount use a Type 2 bus mount adapter plate on your Type 1 engine block and use the stock 912 rear cross mount. Jack your engine to the correct level once it is installed into the car with the front tranny mounts installed then use some 2.5 inch angle iron to span between the bus adapter mount and the 912 cross mount. I used two pieces of angle iron for the left side of the pully and two on the right. Now just weld or bolt them together so that the cross section shape of the angle irons form a U.  The open sections of the U will point towards the center, one on each side of the rear pully, so your engine is hanging in the correct level position.