rebuild 2.1 newbie/oldie

[rickshawallah]

okay - so i just got my hands on a nice t3 (after five year pause) whose engine is tired and I am sorting out a rebuild + recon drivetrain. I live now in germany (coals to newcastle etc.) and buzz backwards and forwards, so i need the animal to do 85mph comfortably and reliably and cheaply. For the cheap bit, I am doing an lpg conversion and wish to plant a carb on top as I did this before with a 1.9 and it worked expremely well (cheap to install, reliable and no sound from the lpg injection system) .... so 1st question is which carb?...or is the 1.9 carb suitable, perhaps with re-jetting? I seem to have located a carb in the states with distributor + loom etc. out of 2.1 so that's maybe the way to go but, (question2) is there another single carb out there that drops straight onto the manifold and likes being with a 2.1? To look after the exhaust valves (with lpg) I am adding a flashlube even though it may not need it. I want to use perhaps the gowesty 2.2 or 2.3 pistons (or similar?) question 3: does anyone know if they fit in standard sleeves as I understand the extra capacity is not from a rebore but from a deeper recess in the piston itself - grateful for any thoughts or info on that ( probably here somewhere but i seem to be bad at searching forums). From Chris Corker in the States I am getting a stainless steel exhaust that claims to give 15% more torque - it's expensive but the guy seems to have a bulletproof reputation, and I am getting his special oil cooler too. Question 4: Do I need to uprate the camshaft? All this is being done to carry a taller fifth gear and 15" wheels that i hope will leave me in the 4000rpm@80+mph. Maybe I have got this all wrong so any suggestions gratefully received - don't want to go subaru or bostig or diesel or golf and I dont want a rocket ship - steady 85pmh + reliability + low running cost = perhaps it's the wasserboxer holy grail. Many thanks for your thoughts and I will post how I get on. I also need someone to do the engine works.
cheers.

[ghost123uk]

Std carb = fine on a 2.1 (note I only know this from reading on here, I ain't done it myself)

No disrespect intended, but you don't understand cylinder capacity. The chamber in any piston cannot alter the cubic capacity of an engine. That HAS to be via a bigger bore or a longer stroke

And

I dont want a rocket ship - steady 85mph + reliability + low running cost = perhaps it's the wasserboxer holy grail.

Holy grail is an understatement there I fear

Let us know how you get on.

Oh and Hi by the way

[AdrianC]

I live now in germany

Stupid question... TuV?

The TenCent exhaust looks bloody gorgeous, from what I've seen over on Samba, and seems to have nothing but positive reports. But there ain't no way that's got TuV approval, for a start.

[KarlT]

As above only guessing, but a carbed LPG system probably gets as many "miles per pound" as a regular, injected 2.1 mv. And if going to the cost of a engine rebuild & LPG install, certainly less than a Subaru 2.2 or 2.5.
As to cruising speed, IMO, anything above 75 is not relaxing in a T3. I've had my EJ25 a way up above this but you are really holding onto the wheel & praying not to meet some strong cross-winds. Tis very cool to be whipping past all the mercs and beamers though!!

[chapperss]

I had the standard 1.9 carb on my 2.1 with lpg it ran great for 100,000 miles until I sold it. so you wont need flashlube thing. In fact I took my old 1.9 engine apart again(before I upgraded to the 2.1) after 20.000 miles on lpg and valves etc were all still perfect, and thats with a lot of hard driving up alpine roads etc. The 2.1 would cruise at 80mph on lpg(on the flat!),but above that would just be a bit scary! in fact with my current bus I still only cruise at 65-70mph(it just gets there a bit quicker!). Steve.

[ermie571]

can second the 1.9 carb on the 2.1 dj. Didn't rejet - seems ok for petrol and LPG. No flashlube either.

Economy DOES NOT EQUAL 85 mph....

I cruise tops 70 mph. The bus seems to like 65mph.

Get a BIIIIIIIGGGGGGG LPG tank....

Em
x

[rickshawallah]

Many thanks, y'all, for all the pointers - v. useful - don't know about Tuv but i think I'll just cross that bridge when I get there. I used to get a steady 80mph on my 1.9 doka with lpg (on the flat!) and it was fine even loaded. From Berlin to London it was cheaper to run than my woman's diesel golf5 on the same journey, ...and I had a 1.9 in the states that I hammered for long distance at 85mph (new orleans to dc four or five times a year) that ended after 100,000 miles with all the usual problems despite every care (not at those speeds when it was windy etc.) I probably would go with a 2.5 sub if it seemed lpg friendly and if i could be sure of getting a good engine in the first place - nervous of the conversion and reliability - can't see a way forward that is fool-proof although the current plan still seems to have a small bucket of risk. Chris Corker's oil cooler incidently is an interesting object - to my understanding he has figured out that many of the issues come from the oil running too hot. Probably right about my lack of knowledge on displacement and checking the gowesty kits it seems they do bore out, but Chris Corker's engines are bored out a bit too and he knows what he is doing. Gowesty have their own head gaskets for their enlarged engines.

So here are a few more silly questions: do i need to raise suspension to get 15" wheels to fit ,or do they just dog right in there? And do i need a different distributor to run it on a carb? many thanks again and a pleasure to find this forum, ollie