General facts about our 914 engine program

914 Engine Options

Click here to read more about the engines we offer!

The Porsche 914 was one of the original intentions for the VW Type IV engine. These engines powered the vast amount of 914s from their beginning in 1970 till their end in 1976. The factory engine started out as a 1.7 and ended up as a much more advanced and stronger engine with 2.0 liters of displacement. The 2.0 cars were much more fun to drive and the extra 20 or so HP that they produced was welcomed in the driver’s seat and actually helped the handling of the 914, especially in hard corners. As you read the following pages, please do not think that we only build race engine for the 914, because that’s just not true. We do any type of engine for your 914 this includes a slightly more efficient stock engine, or one of our 914 specific performance engines.  

The 914 was underpowered and mis-configured from the factory, but the engineers did equip it with a very good engine platform that with some modification can be made to superbly perform, sound great, idle smooth and create great power for near any desire. We have been able to dissect these engines and literally create new engine combinations just for the 914 in many of its most used applications. The factory engineers designed the car to be sold all over the world with most sales in the colder portions of the world. Due to this the 914 runs hotter than it should for the power it produces, doesn’t get as good of MPG as it should and doesn’t last as long as it can. Due to this we do NOT offer a 100% stock 914 engine rebuild, our stock rebuild runs cooler than stock, makes 15% more power and lasts just as long or longer- through modern efficiency.

We specialize in dual purpose, drivable power for 914 engines that are solid and reliable but will allow for track usage as well. These engine designs go from one extreme to the other from simple and just a tad more power and efficiency than stock, to absolutely insane for those hardcore individuals that push the car to the limits. Even if you don’t see the engine of your dreams no worries as we have dozens more combinations available. I can help you to choose the engine you need for your goals. The engines we have listed are only base engines for us to start your build process from. Each of these base engines has a recipe here and we know just what to change in that recipe for the engine to work best for you.

As a general rule the 914 demands its own engine combinations due to the weight of the car, and it’s gearing. The 914 is fairly heavy at 2200 or so pounds and the 5 speed gearbox is very tall geared. This is why my engine program for 914s is so different than everyone else’s, as we have actually taken the time to do the specific configuration for these engines in 914 applications and received feedback on them in our own cars as well as customers vehicles. We have refined the 914 “Big Four” power plant to a completely new level and have created tried and true combinations that we KNOW will perform for you and your 914. I pay very close attention to our 914 customer’s and their desires because they are so vast, and the slightest change in the engine recipe can make for a big difference in the power output, cooling capability and overall performance.

You'll note that our "Big 4" isn't nearly as big as our competitors and thats because we have learned how to get bigger power from medium displacements while utilizing efficiency to keep the engines reliable and long living. Where most of our competitors use a 103mm cylinder, we'll make more power and keep it alive longer with a 96mm bore. Thats because our engines are truly developed by our in house lab www.rdtlabs.com

"CONVERSIONS"
Why we say NO to doing a 911 conversion or even worse,
a water pumper, like a v8 or a Subaru.

Before we tell you about the reliability and power of the "Big Four," let us discuss:

Reliability

First and foremost our engines are designed to be reliable! Power does you no good if it stays broken all the time!

The Type IV engine is by far the strongest, most solid four cylinder power plant ever offered by Porsche. It’s huge main bearings, super strong crankcase, heavily finned cylinder heads and robust internals make for a perfect engine platform for modification. Many times with our recipes we attain 50HP of output from each cylinder of the 914 engine while attaining running temperatures less than or equal to a stock 90HP 2.0 liter engine! This is accomplished through the efficiency rating that you will read so much about in these writings.

These engines that we have developed based on the stock platform have completely done away with the horror stories of dropped valves and valve seats due to our extensive headwork and better quality materials used for the valve train. We have developed new and better parts and tolerances to get more reliability from the engines that receive our signatures. We do away with pesky oil leaks (our engines DO NOT leak oil) and we ensure that your car will stay on the road longer than it stays in the shop.

Just like all our Type IV base engines reliability is a must when we configure the combinations. Basically the Type IV engine holds its adjustments so well that even in high states of tune reliability does not deteriorate as HP and torque numbers climb. We can EASILY get you 150, 180 and even 200HP and a flat torque curve and have that engine remain as reliable as a stocker, that’s just how far we have refined these performance recipes. We have many customers that depend on these engines as their only mode of transportation and even with 150HP they can still do it daily as well as travel to the track for a weekend of six cylinder eating and never touch the engine! We consider our 2270/ 150 HP "Daily driver" the engine that the 914 shoukld have been equipped with from the factory. With our program the trade off between performance/ reliability and longevity that typically exist have been eliminated- power doesn't have to mean less of anything else. Efficiency is key.

POWER- We have it!

All the time I’m asked “How much HP does so and so combination have”………. When this comes up the answer is impossible to answer because I can create any amount of power from any size engine. What we strive for in the 914 engine is a flat torque curve, with a very highly concentrated amount of that torque in a very usable RPM range. Anyone can make power, but where will the power be made and will it be usable enough to be felt on the street? How about on the track… will that power band match your gearing and tire sizes??

Horsepower is a very generic term used more or less just an advertisement purpose. What gets your heavy high geared 914 rolling is torque, what throws you back in that seat is also torque and what gets you out of that turn and quickly to the next is a mix of torque and HP. Hell, torque is what gets good times at Autocross events where the 914 really shines with its superb handling! Race cars need high HP numbers, street/dual purpose cars need a perfect mix of torque and HP to remain tractable, smooth running; easy to drive and still HAUL ASS… We have perfected this and can replicate it for you.

Horsepower is generally way too over rated except when people talk to me and we start talking torque and broad power bands to better utilize the potential of the car that Porsche blessed us with. With the engine recipes that we have in our program now we feel that we have every area of 914 desire already filled.  As we stated above our 150BHP engine lives as long, runs as cool and cools better than a stock 2.0 factory engine and that is a direct reflection of that engine’s efficiency! The best way to choose the perfect 914 engine is to allow me to do the task for you, I may just set you up with the same engine that’s in one of my cars! One thing is for sure, add one of our engines to your 914 and you will think you have a completely new car! Faster 0-60 times, better lap times and just plain better performance are traits of our engines for the 914! All this and NO LOSS of reliability or drive-ability!

Application

Since your 914 was set up from the factory with Type IV power there is no need to do a “conversion” as many other vehicles must to attain the level of power and reliability that our Type IV is known for. With one of our engines you simply pull your old engine out, ship it to us and we’ll send it back 100% dyno tuned and ready to rock! Most of our mild engines do not need any extra aid in cooling their heads or oil other than the stock system for doing so. As performance increases the demand for oil cooling increases especially if you see track days with your 914. In these cases a very simple external oil cooling system can be added to add a blanket of security in the oil temperature department. Those who have temperature control issues can use our cooling system designed especially for the Porsche 914, called the "914 DTM". Read more about it here on the cooling portion of our site.

Since there is no conversion for the 914 to accept our engine the stock transaxle bolts right up. The stock Porsche 901 transaxle will hold up to 200HP and all but our meanest engines in stock form as long as it’s driven with respect and not abused in first gear. The 901 transaxle has a vast selection of gear ratios but for street driving the stock gearing works well. Those who are more hardcore may opt for a tighter 5^th gear but most customers keep the gearbox 100% stock. So, yes our engine will bolt right to your stock transaxle and do so easily and it won’t blow the transaxle apart from the added power. For those who need a better transaxle for their 914 we offer an extensive transaxle package as well and can supply full power train kits totally optimized to work together, bolt up and drive away.

All of our engines feature new clutches and pressure plates for balance purposes! NO ONE else will price you their engine complete with these parts but ours ONLY come this way because we know the adverse effects of imbalance on the engine!

We have tons of options for the 914 engine including our RAT/SDS EFI system that is programmable with direct fire ignition as well as almost everything under the sun imaginable for these engines. The sky is literally the limit! BUT, keep in mind that with our attention to detail that we include most of the items normally considered “options” by those who *think* they are our competitors. If we offer an option, it really is a beneficial item for the engine, not just something to sell you!

Since all our engine sales are 100% Turn Key complete the engine comes to you simply needing a fuel pump, crankcase breather and exhaust system. Of course we will make recommendations for these sub systems of your engine and go over with you the bare essentials for these items. We do not include them as some people already have them and others like to choose their own. We have found that this works much better for our customers!

Once our engine is installed, it will tune and set up just like stock. You or your VW/ Porsche mechanic can keep it in tune just like stock, our work does not make the engine harder to work with or more difficult to tune. The engine is not a foreign object and all 914 engine manuals could be used along with our directives to keep the engine on the road with preventive maintenance. Our engine does NOT need more maintenance than stock, or adjustments at more regular intervals than stock. We provide the engine to you 100% dyno proven with the best possible settings, you simply keep it set the way we have and don’t worry about it anymore.  

Please see our pages of engine specifics for a full range of engines that we offer. We have devised a ratings system for each of our engines and we illustrate to you what the base engines have been capable of when their recipe’s are done our way. The short description for each page will tell you if the engine is capable of being suited to your needs. When you choose the one that looks promising, begin our processes found on our ordering page from the main navigation bar and get started!

Click here to read more about the engines we offer!