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 08:08:08 -0500
Reply-To:     Thomas Czerniak <SELTEN@CORE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Thomas Czerniak <SELTEN@CORE.COM>
Subject:      Re: Iron Butt/Iron Bus, Tii conversion (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

This is the kind of post that is a big help. Pertinent and first hand information about an option for Vanagon owners with high miles. I just wanted to say Thanks to Ed for the info. I am going the TiiCo route and like to hear good reviews. I have friends who have done conversions from scratch,ala diesel, and I have liked what I have seen ,The turnkey nature of Tiico 's kit is definitely icing on the cake! Tom Czerniak

ed wrote: > > Like the tire discussion, the engine conversion discussion ebbs and > flows. I start my whole Vanagon shopping intending to eventually do > either a Eurospec, Audi, or Subaru to a Syncro in order to meet our > all-weather school bus plans. Along the way, the Eurospec thing > imploded, Audis didn't look orders of magnitude better than an I4, and I > decided to keep it all German. A Lilley-spec WBX just didn't float my > boat, althoug it's a good solution. The 3.2L 911 was considered > seriously, as was the 1.8T and 1.9TD. And maybe some others not so > seriously. > > I bought an 86 Syncro from Joe Gunyan, which promptly developed a head > leak (drop a line if you want the whole story!). So the question of a > new engine was no longer academic. After discussing a lot of > alternatives with Karl Mullendore, I ended up buying a 2L conversion > package from Peter B at Tiico. Had it shipped to Karl's shop, and he > set to installing it. He'll fill you in with the highs and lows, I'm > sure, so I'll cover driving experience. > > I pressured Karl into having the van finished for a trip I needed to > take from VA to the PA mountains, where I was pulling an engine from > buddy Walt's Merkur parts car so he can clean up his property. Karl was > a great sport and willingly went all out to meet my schedule. I think > he was a little trepidatious to let the van go untested on this long > trip, but hey, the customer's always right, even if he risks being an idiot. > > Overall impression: This thing rocks. Karl is awesome. The Tii > package seems to have been worth it. > > Late Friday afternoon we looked over the van, gave Karl a check, loaded > the kids and the old motor into it and drove right from Karl's place W > of Frederick to my folks' place near Philly. I got up at 5AM Saturday, > and headed for somewhere W of Wilkes-Barre PA, picking up my friend Adam > on the way. Got to the mountains, pulled the engine & trans (note to > self, next time make sure the car is on a concrete slab before > volunteering, or get mud tires for engine crane), and headed home with > Merkur engine in Walt's truck. Birthday party for my Dad on Sunday, and > drove home Monday by way of Salem, NJ, where we dropped the old WBX off > with new owner Ken Wilfy. 750 miles, 3 days, new & non-stock engine. > God watches over fools and children, I like to think I qualify for both. > I also had a chase car to and from NJ, and on the way down from the > mountains - I'm foolish, but not totally stupid! > > Adam said it all on the way back from the moutains: "Fix the lighter, > it's the new Bluesmobile." > > Unlike the various tales of Eurospec woe, my Tii Syncro performed > flawlessly. Electricals were fine. There's the tiniest buzz at 3800+/- > rpm that I think we can quash, but nothing like what I've heard about ES > noises. The van cruises at 65-70 with only a finely-tuned hum. Starts > instantly, idles well, revs willingly. Looks like VW put it in there > (until you notice the slight bandsaw marks on the adapter plate :-) ). > > The WBX has it in one place - you can feel the I4 at idle, and seems to > have a bit less low-end grunt. That said, the deep 1st gear gets you up > on the cam quick, and the van moves out smartly. The WBX sounds a > little better at low revs, too. The I4, though, sounds like a good > sewing machine when it gets rolling :-) That sewing machine had me > passing people on the highway. Up hills. With 2 big guys, tools, > hardware-that-cannot-be-named-on-the-list, and a WBX inside for good > measure. I would prefer more low-end grunt, but the fact that this > engine runs so well with a wide powerband makes up for it. The gear > spacing on the trans means that you want to keep the revs up, anyway. > Shift at 32-3500 and you're suddenly down in the teens, where the torque > is OK unless you need to get somewhere. > > I do have a fuel tank leak to fix, but that's unrelated to the Tii > package. Thus, I couldn't fill enough to check mileage for sure, but I > know I put 11 gallons in before I left NJ, and went about 180 miles and > the needle has not yet hit the place it was when I filled. I'm guessing > 20mpg, more or less. Since I'd done my 500 miles of constantly varying > break-in driving, I cruised home at about 65-70, so I'm pleased with the > fuel economy. The van will easily do 80, but I didn't see why it should :-) > > All in all, I think it's a winner. Good acceleration, good fuel > economy, so the performance envelope is increased in all directions. > Not cheap, but they don't call the Vanagon the 911 of minivans for > nothing :-). The Tii kit, while not exactly a drop-in on a Syncro, was > worthwhile IMO. No cheaper than buying/scrounging everything yourself, > but comes in one box, fits under the deck, has a warrantee, and a > zero-time engine and computer to boot. I should recoup about 3/4 of the > installation costs from selling the old parts - anyone need a Digifant box? > > I thoroughly endorse Karl's work. He's *exceedingly* thoughful and > thorough, and did several upgrades to the install that I wouldn't have > done myself even if I'd had the time to do the job - best of all is the > fact that he fitted a modified diesel oil filler tube. I have the only > Tii conversion that doesn't require lifting the decklid to add oil to... > If you are anywhere in range of his shop, I strongly encourage you > check him out. > > FWIW, I'm not related to either Peter or Karl, nor do I have any > interest, blah blah blah. If you're in the Northern VA area and want to > see the van, let me know. > > Cheers - > > ed


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.