Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2000 18:07:53 EDT
Reply-To: RallyXer@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Heath Vogt <RallyXer@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Thinking swap? ...Stay focused on the context...
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I'm glad you are "one with your van", that's really the important part.
YOU brought up the concept of DFI and turbos, not me. I think both on a waterboxer are rediculous for a daily driver.
I know that Type IV's used to be looked down upon for dropping seats but have been made more viable in recient years (I have plans for putting a 2840cc type IV in my beetle with in the next 12-16 months). Maybe in another 5-10 years the WBX will become viable. I don't see it as such right now (for me) compared with the other options that are out there.
O.K. so your counterweighted crank will double bearing life from 150-300,000 miles.... and the fix for the bad design of the heads is? (genuine question here).
What releavence does weither I've been to a VW car show or swap meet have to do with any of this? The answer is yes (though I don't understand the relavance), and I have yet to see a WBX in a beetle (if that's what you're after). I currently have a '59 double door panel(up for sale), a '68 transporter, a '69 baja bug, a '70 SCCA Pro-Rally Bug in progress, and am in the middle of a deal on an '87 GL Syncro (Thus my interest in this whole swap subject, cause it'll need a new engine eventually), so I have some degree of VW background if that's relavant (don't know that it is).
Heath
In a message dated Wed, 6 Sep 2000 4:07:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Wolfvan88 writes:
<< I am "one with my van" and have made my choice.
<<Digital FI systems? Turbos? Ya', that's cheap - by the time you put a turbo and digital fuel injection on a WBX and working right, you'll have more into it than a 1.8T AND a Porsche 5 speed! Turbocharge and stress an engine that already has a weak history? Does not sound like a reliability building experiment.>>
We have been TALKING about conversions in specific the Tii conversion and the costs associated with that conversion stay within the context.
And as far as the DFI, GBE has one for the WBX engine and others can be made to work with a few mods. Turbos are made for the T1 engine which simliar to the WBX extermally but the exhaust manifolds are reversed.
I SAID that IF the engine is built to handle the power it is expected to produce, then it can last.
We are not talking about racing engines, I do not drive my engine at MAX RPMs all the time or ever, I keep it between 1000 to 4600 rpms with bursts to 5000 once in a while.
Costs are relative to the choices made and the desired power level.
<<Hummm, so your proof that it will last 200-300,000 miles is where?>>
If the stock engine last @150,000 miles and according to GBE counterweighting the crank doubles bearing life.
It was once thought that the VW T4 engine was junk, but now it is sought after by many that are putting them into VW Bugs in Europe, US and many other locations. Performance products are now coming out for T1 to T4 conversions. The next rage to catch on is the conversion of watercooled WBXs to aircooled.
Have you ever been to a VW drag race, car show and swap meet?
Robert
>>
