CJ vs CU heads

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CJ vs CU heads

Post by Eugene »

Hey guys, who can show me with pictures aka photos, what the visual differences are between the heads of the two types? The CU, I know has hydraulic lifters but how can you tell when you compare the two?


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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by Blitzkrieg »

CU heads have square exhaust ports
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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by retrovan »

The CU has oval ports and the CJ has round ports

Hydraulic lifter you will find in both, and can be fitted to both.

Most guys fit Hydraulic valve lifters to any type 4 as you need not keep setting the valves.

They may be noisy when standing for a wail but lub up after a few kilo's and run silent.

hope it helps

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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by Eugene »

retrovan wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 4:40 pm The CU has oval ports and the CJ has round ports....
This is sort of import important :(
Eugene wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 4:15 pm Hey guys, who can show me with pictures aka photos.....
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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by retrovan »

This is a WBX head, but the ports look something like this

Image

Not easy to find photo of square port but here is a close up

Image

Normally has round ports.
Image

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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by Eugene »

Thanks Herman, now, was that so hard? :-)
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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by Blitzkrieg »

The difference in in the EXHAUST ports....Square vs Oval /round not the INLET.

I have square port heads at home that I can take pics of.

Inlet manifolds are mostly interchangeable with the exception if the 3 bolt 914 specific heads.
If it's too low, you're too old :twisted:
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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by marcw »

Square versus Oval from Google


Image

Image

I have both however, changing between them is a costly endeavour having to purchase new exhaust for oval.
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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by Vintage man »

I have both sets of heads
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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by Dawie »

In the end, you just need a matched set of heads and heat exchangers.

There is a lot of misleading info on USA websites, as they never had "rest of the world" carbed 2L CJ or CU engines there, only their different smogged fuel injected versions.

Square port heads were introduced - last year of 2L bay production. (1979).
Last year of CJ engine had a special one-year-only heat exchanger. Similar to earlier ones except for the square ends where it meets the heads.
CU-heat exchangers from the square-shape t25/t3 kombi differ by not being fed air from the cooling fan. Instead there is a separate little fan connected to the alternator pulley. So air-ducting of CU heat exchangers are also different from square port CJ/baywindow exchangers and not interchangeable.

By the way only USA code "GE" engines had hydraulic lifters. Introduced there around 1977, so some earlier oval port engines in the USA also had hydraulic lifters. Their earlier solid lifter engines were identified by code "GD". Most of the US 2L engines had totally different "F-shaped" heat exchangers, some combine with catalysts and lambda sensors. Irrelevant to "rest of the world".

CJ- 2L baywindow engines never had hydraulic lifters, even the last square port CJ's were solid lifter. VWSA made a big fuss with the introduction of the newer shape kombi with it's CU engine, saying that for the first time their kombis had hydraulic lifters.
Staying Aircooled is so much nicer.
Do'nt assume anything- (While doing fault-finding).
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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by Eugene »

Thanks for the info so far guys

Ok, so I do know the CJ and CU heads are interchangeable. I am sitting with one each, CJ and CU engine. I am looking to have one rebuilt, using the CJ setup and tinware but the CU heads with hydraulic lifters. I am only looking to strip one motor so wanted to ensure that somebody in the past did not fit manual lifters to a CU engine. As per the attached pics, the only visual difference, without removing exhaust, is the pushrod tube retaining wire.

Here the CJ head with retaining wire
Image

and the CU without

Image

unless you can see some other differences?
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Re: CJ vs CU heads

Post by sean »

You will have to remove a lifter to check for sure. You cant assume the CU motor has hydraulic lifters, some one could have changed it. I have found it before. The lifter sits in the block, so doesn't matter what head is fitted to the motor.

Also note if you plan to use those CU heads in a baywindow, the heater boxes are longer if they from a CU microbus engine, so your silencer will not fit and press against the bumper.

I would advise to stick with the CJ heads if its being fitted into a baywindow.
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