Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 18:24:18 -0700
Reply-To: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Subject: Re: Engine conversions; Waterboxer to:
In-Reply-To: <OF5A49D293.50132FCC-ON88256A1E.00714671@westfieldcorp.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Remember this - you don't get something for nothing! My 1980 Caddy has a
2.0L block installed in it and it makes about 145 to 150hp. This is a
nominally aspirated 8V with a lot of trick stuff mounted on it. This LITTLE
truck can go from 0 to 60 MPH in about 6 seconds due to the unique gearing
that I have installed in it. Lots of money spent on the truck and it's
engine! Would I want to install this engine in my Vanagon - NO WAY!
Besides the really bumpy idle (have to nurse the truck for about 30 seconds
after starting cold!) there is NO bottom end torque! In order to get a
boost in horsepower you move your torque peak up in the RPM bank along with
the HP peak - this is why the Subaru engines have their maximum torque over
4000 RPM - this is fine for a relatively light Subaru but we need torque
close to 3000 RPM for our Vanagons. The I4 2.0L and the WBX 2.1L both have
their torque peak at 3200 RPM - the 1.9L boxer and 2.0L boxer (air cooled)
have their torque peaks even lower! A mild cam in a Vanagon isn't bad - I
have a 266 degree cam in my Syncro that moves the torque peak to about 3800
RPM and increases the HP to about 125 to 130hp depending on whos books you
want to believe. This is about the max that I would want for an off-road
vehicle. If it was a highway curser then I would cam it out a little more
as you want the power in the higher RPM bands for overtaking other cars. A
268 cam will bring the torque peak to around 4000 RPM and give you about 130
to 135hp with a 2.0L - say... pretty close to the Subaru engine!
David Marshall
Fast Forward Autobahn Sport Tuning
4356 Quesnel Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3
mailto:info@fastforward.ca http://www.fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775 FAX: (250) 992 1160
. Vanagon Accessories and Engine Conversions
. Transporter, Unimog and Iltis Sales
. European Lighting for most Audi and Volkswagen models
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Sean B.
Sent: March 29, 2001 1:16 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Engine conversions; Waterboxer to:
There is one more pro I'd like to add to the N. A. I4 swap. Once you do the
conversion, if you would still like to get a little more power,
"go-fast-goodies" for these engines are VERY plentiful :) The newest one
that comes to mind (at least for the '93 and newer 2.0L's) is a bolt-on
supercharger made by Eaton and Neuspeed. Don't get me wrong, I know the SC
will be pricey, but You will get AT LEAST VR6 performance without the
fittment problems.
When my engine goes, I'm going for the VWoA 2.0L ('93 and newer
Golf/Jetta), then if I still feel the need for more power, I'll go for some
of the readily available mods (maybe even the aforementioned SC). As far as
mechanical inclination goes, I try to do as much work on my own as
possible, but I know that there are a lot of things that are better left to
professionals. I know that my regular mechanic would be much more inclined
to simply ignore the box the engine is wrapped in and treat it like a
Golf/Jetta, as opposed to working on a Subie (he specializes in german
autos).
Sean B.
'90 V'gon, "Happy Bus", soon to be pseudo Wolfy
Torrance, CA
http://vgonman.vwtrek.com
