Date:         Sun, 14 Jan 2001 22:16:19 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Looking at 1986 Syncro GL Westy with Buick Engine today!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>Hi,
>
>Looking at a Syncro Westy GL with a 6 cylinder buick 3.8 engine today. KEP
>Kit.  Anyone else have one?  This one was rebuilt about a year ago.
>Original owner. About 150K.  Anything I should look for?  Whats it worth?
>Will the tranny and drive train hold up with this monster powering it?

In late 1998 I bought a 1984 Caravelle with 5spd 094 trans. It had a Holden
(Australian GM) 3.8 V6 from a 1990 VN Holden Commodore, factory output
174hp. The Holden V6 was based on the Buick, but improved, and I believe no
parts are interchangable. The adaptor was locally-made; there's no KEP kit
for the Holden unit.

It was a very tidy conversion and went very well; I saw 180kmh on occasion,
with more available (never tried top speed out). Smooth, quiet, didn't suck
too much fuel at lower speeds (up to 120kmh).

BUT the trans lasted only a very few months after purchase. It had had
stronger locally-made 4th & 5th gears fitted (much taller than stock), and
the hardening on these failed, perhaps not coincidentally with the dreaded
collapsing mainshaft needleroller-bearing problem. The gears were there to
avoid breaking, which would probably have happened with stock gears.

I have heard from various sources that a VW bus trans will not reliably
handle much extra power/torque over stock (I have also heard the opposite
voiced, but believe that at your own possible great expense; there's
nothing like blowing your trans hundreds of km from home).

On top of this, the van understeered badly on tight twisty roads, which NZ
is full of. This is likely due to being pushed by the heavy iron lump out
back. No problems in rain at all; it was nice and stable, even at 180. On
wet corners you could hang the tail out easily, but it wasn't about to get
nasty unless you did something silly.

Apart from the understeer and trans problems it was a NICE conversion.

I did price Albins gears, but while these would have been more than strong
enough, the trans case wouldn't have.

This is why I'm converting to a Porsche G50 trans. And lighter 260hp Subaru
six...and this time I WILL be out to find its top speed. Should hit 200,
probably more.


Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
VW & mollusc nut
1984 VW Caravelle (currently SVX engine; waiting for a Porsche trans)
1985 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma 2.0 (FWD), for sale
1986 CE80 Toyota Corolla 1.8DX diesel (extaxi)
1989 CE96 Toyota Corolla 1.8DX diesel wagon
1989 CT170 Toyota Corona Select 2.0 diesel (taxi)