Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (September 2000, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Tue, 5 Sep 2000 19:09:03 -0700
Reply-To:     Sebastian Hill <sahill@QUALCOMM.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Sebastian Hill <sahill@QUALCOMM.COM>
Subject:      Re: Thinking swap?  Engine options are only half the story...What
              ...
In-Reply-To:  <ae.a2feba0.26e6e90e@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 08:25 PM 9/5/2000 -0400, Robert Lilley wrote: >In a message dated 9/5/2000 5:22:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >wdavidson@thegrid.net writes: > > > a rebuilt high performance experiment... (perhaps experiment is not the > > right word... try hobby engine) > >The WBX is a combination of best of both the T1 and T4 engines. > >And what I have USED is PROVEN T1 performance parts not guesses or cheap >parts hoping to last. I have tried too many HP parts that did not work (many >are still being used today to unknowing people, slick advertising) in my past >18 years of VW T1, T4 and WBX engine experience. I have used what has worked >for me and not used what has not worked for me. > > >[[[[ SNIP ]]] >I did not change the compression (you could get the higher compression >pistons). I made the intake flow more and with the chip tuned the FI system >hotter. >The HP estimate before the chip is @120 to 130 after the chip 132 to 156 HP. > >VW dropped the 2L I4 for the 2.3 to 2.6 I5 because the I4 did not make enough >power. VW also is using the .457 five speeds with the 2.6L engines because >they can handle the power the I5s put out.

I'm normally a lurker on this list, but this discussion caught my eye. My '87 bus is very close to the 180k mark on the original bottom end (Heads replaced at 120k) and I know that I will have to do something in the very near future. Here are some issues that I have with both trains of thought:

1) Is the I4 swap smog legal in California?

2) Has anything been done to the hot WBX to reduced/eliminate the dreaded head corrosion?

3) Is a hot WBX (high-flow heads, rockers, headers, ecu) still smogable in California?

Number 2, in my opinion, is still the WBX's Achilles heel. Especially when you consider that high-flow heads are going to cost roughly double of replacement stock heads... But at this point I'm still undecided as to which route to go. If I could drop my bus at a shop, plus 10k, and have a 1.8T + 5 speed swapped in I'd do it in a heart beat...

-Sebastian Hill '87 Wolf. Ed. Vanagon '00 Passat GL


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.