Want to use a Gen 2 transaxle in my VW Kombi upgrade

You ever talk to any of the guys over on the Toyota modification server like Blizilla on the net . I can't remember everybody's name over there this was years ago they're were flyboys from NZ modding chaterham cars and such w Toyoda period powerplants . They were doing extensive modifications to all kinds of vehicles with Toyoda drive trains . Even going to other countries on military flights picking up engines and front clips . Etc its all their in twenty some odd years of texts since you've got mail . These guys I'm sure would have insight . Maybe they're all expired now . Who knows..

 

I'm decades out of practice but I used to rebuild VW type 2s for a living.

Just going from raw specs the 2nd generation Prius powerplant should do just fine in there. Even the 1974 camper (serial # 234....) is only a little heavier than that Prius. It'll gain some weight from the powerplant swap, but not too crazy.

Personally I think your biggest challenges will be adapting the engine/transmission mounts, and the cooling system.

It shouldn't be too hard to do a tube frame that adapts the stock VW rear engine support beam mounting points, and I'd think you could re-use the stock VW transmission front mount the same way. Just need to make up a cradle from tubing. Consider doing a bit of the tube frame underneath near the center of gravity since you're converting from an engine that was meant to be installed via overhead sling into one meant to be removed by jack underneath- you'll want to create a pad area safe to hold the assembly on a jack saddle.

It shouldn't be too hard to get axle shafts made up, use the inner halves of the stock Toyota shafts butt-welded onto most of the stock VW shafts, though you may need to weld in an extra extension on the right side make up the extra length since you're switching from a symmetrical to asym setup.

For cooling? That's gonna be fun. The stock air intakes on the D pillars are only useful if you maintain an airlock around the cooling fan. The stock VW achieved this between the tin shields and the foam surround gasket, so the pulley-mount blower was the only way for air to pass through that chamber.

I don't think it will be practical to create the same kind of air dam around the replacement powerplant, so you might do best by hanging a rad on the nose and doing long plumbing like the Brazilian-built watercooled breadloaf buses. That's a lot of custom bodywork and it really changes the nose appearance. About the only other thing I could think of would be to do a belly-mount radiator, a bit like the way VW did the air conditioning condenser in the stock '74 models... but that was a very rare option, you may not have seen that. Or possibly cut vents into the side of the engine room and hang a scoop on the outside, much like the aftermarket setup for the 1965-1967 buses. Fair over the D-pillar intakes.

Should be an interesting project, I wish you luck!

 

That's what a lot of those fellas on that old Toyota site we're doing crazy stuff.