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Date:         Tue, 3 Apr 2001 03:00:20 -0000
Reply-To:     Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Engine Conversions
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Volks -

I have an '87 Westy, with 180,000 miles on what is probably the original engine. Compression was 122-146 when I bought it a couple of years ago. I did an oil analysis, and didn't find any problems, but with that many miles, I'm at the stage where I probably want to do something for my peace of mind.

A lot of the places I like to visit are off the beaten track, and I'm spending too much time wondering about the little noises that crop up. One of these days I'm afraid I'm going to have to spend a lot of effort and mucho dinero hauling the blue ox back to civilization rather than having the friendly neighborhood blacksmith attempt to fix it.

It looks as if the simplest option is to purchase the Tiico kit. There aren't any deck lid issues, which is important to me. It stays all VW, and everyone says the I-4 is plenty sturdy. And - it's a brand new engine!

I don't need to travel faster than 75 on the flat. It would be nicer to go up hills more easily, but it is *expensive*.

I just got a quote of $3590 plus freight from Houston. I'm not much of a mechanic, so I would probably have to pay to have the installation done, so overall, I'm talking about a lot of money.

They claim it's a complete kit and I won't need to supply any parts except the exhaust. It seems to me that others on the list have said differently.

So, could any of you who have purchased the kit lately give me your thoughts?

How tough was the air conditioner to connect? If you had a mechanic do the work, how many hours did it take him? What parts did you need to supply, if any?

On another tack, what about insurance? If I totalled it, the insurance company would not want to supply me with the money to buy a Westy and another new engine. Have any of you had to deal with this? I've read several stories here about the problems people have had getting a reasonable payoff on a standard Westy.

I just want to keep my Westy rolling down the road for the next 10-20 years without having to spend too much time fussing over the engine.

Mike Finkbiner '87 Westy Moscow, Idaho

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