@DannyP posted:Michael is correct, there is work to do inside the case when running anything more than a 76mm stroke.
It truly would be easier to buy a new case already clearanced and opened for 94mm barrels. But you'd have to Hoover mod it all over again. FYI, Scat lube-a-lobe lifters have a camshaft lubricating spray hole in the middle, and have very WIDE oil grooves instead of the usual two narrow VW grooves. They are recommended for Webcam cams. I was unable to drill the case I'm working on, there wasn't enough material to drill the extra oil gallery.
Unlike Stan, I like a longer rod(LOL!). My 78 stroke 2165 has a 5.4" rod, but the 2276 I'm building has 5.5" rods.
I once had the opportunity to drive 2 different friends' Beetles built very similarly- stock geared 4.125 transaxles with almost identical Engle W125 cammed 78x90.5 engines. The only real difference was rod length- one had used 356/912 length rods (135? mm) and the other 140 mm rods. Both cars had great (and what seemed like very similar under full throttle through the gears) power and even might have run similar ¼ mile times on the track, but the car with the shorter rods just felt a little snappier, and seemed just a touch more responsive and fun to drive around town. The longer rod engine just felt a little lazy. Both engine had 44's, compression ratios were within 1 or 2/10's of a point and both sets of heads, while done by different people, looked like the standard porting at the time.
Unless you're building an 8 or 9,000 rpm screamer, my money's on a short rod engine. I think a Porsche rod 74 or 78 mm stroke engine, cammed to make power to 6,000 rpm with Panchito heads would be a blast to drive in a Speedster.
I know the collective wisdom is that a 69 mm counterweighted crank (and some 74's) will fit in a stock case, but even with a stock stroke you have to check. With my Berg 69 mm crank, the welded on counterweights hit the case at the flywheel and middle main bearing structures. It didn't take much work to get clearance, but it's a good idea to check.
@Stan Galat- I have used a W125 (very similar to and I think it's what the 2246 is patterned after) in a 1750 (ported 40x35 heads, 44's, 1½" S&S merged) and it was a great street engine. It idled and putted around town like a stocker and then at 4,000 rpm look out! More than once people couldn't believe the engine idling was what it was. In over 2 liters there'd be enough bottom end/lower midrange that close 3rd and 4th gears wouldn't be needed (but would still be that much more fun- all the more reason to join The Way Of 5).
I never did get around to trying 1.25 rocker arms on that engine- valve lift with 1.1's on the W125 is about .460", and as you said, to optimize the head's potential the lift should be up around .500".
Yoda out (time to go back to bed it is!)