Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 12:57:18 EDT
Reply-To: KENWILFY@aol.com
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: KENWILFY@aol.com
Subject: Re: IMO: engine Converting = Ignorance of what is out there...
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Here is my take on the engine conversion issue:
I have folks calling me almost every day about engine conversions. I tell
them all the same thing. It is always cheaper (in the short term at least)
to drop a rebuilt waterboxer back into the van.
Here is a typical call:
"Hi Ken, my name is (fill in blank), I have a junkyard Golf/Jetta engine and
some parts from diesel Vanagon laying around, do you think I could get this
to work?" Or " I have a junkyard Jetta engine, could you sell me all the
parts to make this work?" Or "I have heard that you can, cheaply, get a
Subaru engine and make it work in a Vanagon. I have no mechanical experience
at all, but I have around $2000, do you think I could make this happen?"
Here has been my experience with engine conversions: They are never cheap.
They are always more expensive than putting the stock engine back in. Here
is why I say this. Say you buy all the parts used and you have to "make them
work". This is fine and many folks have done this but, you have a test
vehicle when you are done (with bugs that need to be worked out) and it will
take you LOTS of time. I mean just count on 150 hours for starters. If you
are hiring someone to do this for you plan on spending large money, or if you
are doing it yourself, plan on spending many evenings tinkering and many
months/years with the van up on jack stands somewhere. This is fine for some
people.
But for me, time is money. I would much rather spend $4200-$5000 on an
engine conversion kit that is already ready to go up in the van, take 20
hours max to swap out the old motor and put in the new, and have something
tested that you know is going to work. The only kit out there right now that
fits this discription is the SA 4-cylinder kit. I am finally getting ready
to install one of these kits (I have had one sitting on my shop floor for 4
months) and I expect to go pretty simply. The kit comes with a manual on how
to put it in and all the stuff (hardware, etc) to get the job done. Also you
don't have to leave the van languish for years without an engine while you
work on it "in your spare time" (of which I have none). You can get the kit
and within a week, have the thing back on the road again.
If the conversion isn't cheap then why do it? Because what isn't cheap in
the short run (which is all that some people can see, and for understandable
reasons) can turn out to be much cheaper in the long run. That is the person
who should do a conversion. Someone who plans on keeping thier van for many
years to come, has spent the money on the waterboxer, and is tired of playing
"Pop goes the gaskets" every couple of years. In the long run the conversion
turns out to be cheaper. Less money spent on up keep, less potential
problems, less breakdowns, and the added horsepower and fuel mileage are just
bonuses to me (and factor into the long term costs as well).
So if don't have the money/time to spend to do a conversion right, call up
Boston Engine and get a rebuilt engine and put your van back on the road. If
you want to keep the van for the long haul, I would opt for the
pricey-but-good SA conversion. Anything else is going to be equally if not
more expensive and may or may not be as good.
Thanks,
Ken Wilford (Is this Friday or Rant Day :) I need some lunch!
http://www.vanagain.com
John 3:16
New Phone (856)-327-4936
Shop: (856)-765-1583
Fax: (856)-327-2242
