Date:         Wed, 6 Sep 2000 21:56:31 EDT
Reply-To:     FrankGRUN@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Engine and Transmission Swap BS: was Thinking Swap ...(Now
              Full)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

TBerk,

I certainly agree that balancing is an excellent high yield proposition.
Whenever I have to do a bottom end, I take it to the balancing shop. For a
used engine rebuild I also true the mains and con rod bearing surfaces at the
same shop. Typically the shop will have a good package price on the work. I
also make it a point during rebuild to get the latest and most expensive
rings I can (usually perfect circle). But these are comments and good
procedures like block boilout, oil gallery cleaning, etc., etc which apply to
any rebuild opportunity.  Let me also say that I have never had a good
experience with a mass market rebuilt engine (meaning predone engines where
you return your core for credit). Rebuilding your engine either personally,
by a good mechanic or by an engine shop is the only way to go. MY SOAPBOX.
This is the only way to assure yourself of quality parts being used.

As to the Digifant debate, I clearly prefer the Motronic solution.
Unfortunately, I could not mount the cross-flow head and keep the rear deck
height! That said, my chipped Digifant II spins me up to speeds (as indicated
by David Marshall) at which I am tacking to do freeway bends rather than
steering. I'm getting too old for that level of excitement!

BTW, my comment about risk on the Tiico conversion is only related to the
risk of choosing an implementing mechanic, if you are not personally
installing. Good men and women are hard to find, and a conversion requires an
inventive soul since there will be many nagging details to solve. Negotiating
the real price for the install could be threatening to both mechanic and
buyer. Of course, over time and with the assistance of the list, a cadre of
experienced installers will develop.

A final note here. I bought my then Diesel Westfalia for factory European
delivery and had a fabulous three months running and camping all over Europe.
Unfortunately as I was leaving a castle somewhere near Kasel (at a 45 degree
angle, with wife, kid and in laws all stacked in a pile behind the front seats
, I took out first gear! (3 weeks into the trip!) At a Munich dealer, they
confirmed the problem and ordered a transmission to be shipped ahead to Rome
where we were to meet it for installation. In Rome, with the help of a five
way bucket brigade translation team: Italian to Greek to German to French to
English, we learned that VW sent the wrong transmission. We were then
rescheduled for the install in Paris. In Paris we were greeted by angry
people apparently complaining about doing warranty work on a German sold
vehicle. When it finally arrived in the US, the diesel head gasket blew
within 3 months after a scheduled service in La Canada, CA. They had
disconnected the radiator fan relay for some inexplicable reason. (And now
for the point ... ) The service manager came up to me and said: "Its a shame
the engine is still under warranty. I'd take that engine out and put a GTi in
tomorrow". Years later (many years later) we met again at the local chevron
station. He in his '83 Vanagon with a CIS-E Scirroco (sp?) engine and me in
mine. He said some idiot traded the '83 diesel in after the gas crisis and he
bought it for a song and had it transplanted in a week!

I quoted the Smog rules just as the referee threw them at me! Hope you're
right.

Frank Grunthaner