Prospective bus owner: Are 1979 VW bus, fuel injection, type 4, 2.0L engines hard to remove and rebuild compared to say a 1970’s upright bus engine? Thank you.

Actually looking at buying a 1979 bus where engine doesn’t run OR a 1970 bus upright where engine does run.

Intelligent Tinkering: If you're planning a full rebuild, and have access to a decent shop, it's actually slightly easier to remove the Type 4 with a lift and a heavy stand about four-five feet high, just tall enough that you can stoop to reach the last few fasteners and get full clearance when you raise the vehicle away from the lift. I believe, but don't know for sure, that this was the technique the dealers tended to use when these things were new. Mine is just a heavy wood frame, but a very strong transmission stand, one meant for big trucks, might work too. I leave the transmission attached, disconnecting the cv joints and shift rod and front transmission fork-mount instead. This saves having to futz with the two top engine-to-bell housing bolts, which are not terribly hard to reach, but still pesky at times, and you can then inspect the transmission and CVs and service the nose-cone parts in full daylight. The transmissions are fairly solid. I have only had two in 480,000. But they have their minor issues too, so it's best to take a look at them if you plan on doing the engine. It would be a shame to have a nice running engine then get stranded somewhere for a worn nose-cone ball or something like that. And yes, I've had a few dropped No. 3 cylinder exhaust valves over the years. That cylinder is furthest from the old pump. The heads are the weak point. I rebuilt the ones I had for years but then got refurbished ones on my last rebuild about 20,000 ago, made a big difference. New heads and a new oil pump should set you up.