Factory Engines

Petrol/Gasoline

There were four general petrol engine variants between 1979 and 1991, with several sub-models. All were overhead valve push-rod horizontally opposed four-cylinder engines. Available engine options differed between regions.

• Air-cooled (1979–1982)
  • 1.6 L (1584 cc) (50 bhp/37 kW) (Serial # CT) air-cooled, single Solex 34 PICT-4 carburettor, available on non-USA models
  • 2.0 L (1970 cc) (70 bhp/51 kW) (Serial # CU or CV) air-cooled, twin Solex 34 PDSIT-2/3 carburettor or fuel injected (Bosch L-Jetronic, USA models) flat-4 in the 1980 to 1983 1/2 models
• Water-cooled (1983 onwards)
  • 1.9 litre engines:
    • 1.9 L (1913 cc) (83 bhp) (Serial # DH) water-cooled (or "Wasserboxer") engine used for the 1983 1/2 to 1985 models, which used a fuel injection system known as "Digijet" (Digital Jet-tronic)
    • 1.9 L (1913 cc) (59 bhp) (Serial # DF) 8.6:1 compression ratio, 34-PICT carburetor
    • 1.9 L (1913 cc) (76 bhp) (Serial # DG) 8.6:1 compression ratio, 2E3 or 2E4 carburetor
    • 1.9 L (1913 cc) (55 bhp) (Serial # EY) 7.5:1 compression ratio, 34-PICT carburetor
    • 1.9 L (1913 cc) (89 bhp) (Serial # GW) 8.6:1 compression ratio, Bosch Digijet electronic fuel injection
  • 2.1 Litre engines:
    • 2.1 L (2100 cc) (95 bhp) (Serial # MV) Wasserboxer, used until the end of Vanagon importation into the US in 1991. This engine used a more advanced engine management system known as Bosch "Digifant I" which now digitally managed ignition timing as well as fuel delivery.
    • 2.1 L (2100 cc) (90 bhp) (Serial # SS) 9:1 compression ratio Wasserboxer
    • 2.1 L (2100 cc) (112 bhp) (Serial # DJ) 10:1 compression ratio, Digijet injection, only sold in European countries not requiring catalytic converter.

The Wasserboxer featured an aluminum case, cylinder heads, and pistons, and a forged steel crankshaft.

The Wasserboxer, as with all VW boxer engines, directly drives the camshaft via a small gear on the crankshaft, and a large one on the camshaft that makes direct contact, so there is no timing chain or belt to worry about. The entire mechanism is internal to the engine so there is no concern as long as the oil is changed regularly.

It also featured Heron, or "bowl-in-piston" type combustion chambers where the combustion takes place within the piston area, and not the cylinder head.

The Wasserboxer featured cast iron cylinder liners inserted into a water jacket with a "rubber lip" style head gasket, a design different from most vehicles. The top of the cylinder liners is pressed into a recessed cut-out in the cylinder heads and sealed with compressible metal rings to prevent leakage.

Some Wasserboxers were plagued by water jacket gasket failures due to several design problems. The alloy used for the construction of the cylinder head weakened when overheated, thus, when reaching temperatures over 90 °C, the metal composition would shrink and crack, allowing water from the cooling system to flow into the oil.

Engine failure was also a result of poorly placed sensors, corrosion in the cooling system, and many areas subjected to leaks.

The switch to water-cooling for the boxer engines was made abruptly mid-year in 1983 because VW could no longer make the air-cooled engines meet emissions standards. (The previous generation T2, currently produced in Brazil, has been switched to water-cooled engines since December 23, 2005 in response to Brazil's emission laws; the powerplant used in the previous-generation T2 is an Audi inline four.) Water-cooled models can be distinguished by a second front grille.

Diesel engines

In contrast to the standard flat-4 gasoline engines, all diesel engine options were of an inline configuration.

• 1.6 L (1588 cc) (48 bhp) (Serial # CS) Naturally aspirated Diesel inline 4, available in the US on 1982 models only.
• 1.6 L (1588 cc) (70 bhp) (Serial # JX) Turbocharged inline 4.
• 1.7 L (1700 cc) (54 bhp) (Serial # KY) Natural aspirated inline 4.

A diesel variant of the T3 was also available and widely sold in some markets. Unfortunately the early models had a 1.6 L (1,588 cc) (48 hp) (Serial # CS) SOHC inline-four engine which rendered the van severely underpowered, with a top speed somewhere around 100 km/h (62 mph). This shortcoming was later corrected, however most likely for this reason in the North American market the diesel T3 was discontinued after three model years between 1981 and 1983. Later models received a diesel engine of the same displacement but turbocharged, which vastly improved driveability. Fuel economy of the diesel was significantly higher than that of the gasoline model, often approaching 30 mpg US.

Information from here