Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001 12:33:12 -0800
Reply-To: Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Subject: Re: Suburu/Golf debate
In-Reply-To: <AIEFIGCNNANNIHLNFBPEAEEFCFAA.vanagon@volkswagen.org>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
on 4/1/2001 9:46 PM, David Marshall at vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG wrote:
> Oh boy! A debate - I love these! I’ll try to keep it under a 1000 words!
> :)
whee! lets go!
snip
>
> VIBRATION I have heard a lot of people say that the I4s are prone to
> vibration. I think the 50-degree kits are prone to vibration due to the
> lack of choice in motor mounts.
you mean the stock diesel set up? Could have a point as it seems the only
rubber replacements are the original diesel
We mount our engines at a 15-degree angle
> using rubber mounts from the Audi 80
And what are the other mount choices you mention?
There are also none of the
> 3000ish RPM vibrations that plagued the Eurospec conversion.
A theory proposed in the past (and one I discussed with a SA listmember) is
that there is more to the vibration issue than the motor mounts,
specifically the intake and exhaust set ups
>
> POWER snip rque peak up a few hundred RPM but not to the extent of the Subaru
> engines. The 130hp 260 cams that we sell are C.A.R.B. legal.
>
>
You know this is one of those things that bugs me about these discussions.
Really, how do you know how much power your particular engine is making?
Start with the assumption that it is making what VW claims (when stock),
then factor in the claims made by aftermarket product vendors? Extrapolate
from dyno tests made on other vehicles?
It is all anecdotal info unless you do some proper studies, and should be
treated with as much skepticism as a TV infomercial.
Same thing with brake upgrades. Oh yeah we can all nod our heads in
agreement that larger rotors/ventilation/fancy pad compositions should make
our vans stop quicker and experience less fade, but I have never seen any
numbers/road tests to back such claims for our vans, and to decide if any
improvement found is worth the cost of the mods.
>
> Subaru
> mechanics are less common, at least in this area of the country.
Where? Quesnel? that's a misleading statement. Come on I see dozens, really
dozens of Subarus here in lazy Victoria (lots of old people seem to like
them).
If you are
> going to install a Subaru engine you will be the one maintaining it!
Most people, I'd guess, who consider a conversion are the type who will make
the extra effort in maintainace, either by themselves or they have found a
good mechanic.
>
.
>
> ENGINE COVER The I4 kit *DOES* require an engine cover modification
thats with your kit. If you keep the engine lying at 50 degrees as in the
diesel no engine cover mods are needed. That is the big plus.
The built up box approach looks, quite frankly, cheesy. Better approach IMHO
is the built up rear deck (as in the SA vans). But you would have to mess
with the rear cupboard of a westy.
> The biggest fault of the I4
> conversion kit is the engine cover modification.
Not all I4 conversions, only the ones like yours that have the engine in the
more upright angle.
> ALL engine
> conversions present a trade off of some sort - there is no exception to that
> rule!
>
Very true
Alistair
