Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 22:17:12 +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: The best engine conversion?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
There's a Subaru-conversion Yahoo group, the "subaruvanagon" list. First
you have to sign up for Yahoo. Then go to the subaruvanagon group home
page and click on "Join this Group" and follow the directions. Yahoo asks
for a lot of personal info, but if you object to this, just fill in
nonsense stuff to the questions asked.
Also a list for engine conversions:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vanagon-EngConv
Subaru engines are far more exotic than Porsches, which, like the VW, come
from Germany. After all, "exotic" means "from somewhere else", not
"technologically sophisticated". Also a DOHC Subaru boxer is more
sophisticated than an SOHC 911 engine. Exotic is the opposite of native.
Avoid heavy engines in the VW T3. The iron Holden 3.8 V6 in my 84 Caravelle
caused severe understeer on tight twisties... no fun.
I also do NOT believe the trans will handle much extra power & torque if
you make full use of it, which is why my 3.3 Subaru 6-boxer conversion is
also getting a Porsche G50 trans. If you have to consciously avoid nailing
the throttle from standstill, your trans is suspect.
Go for sophistication rather than huge capacity. If you MUST have a V8, get
a real one eg an aluminum 4.0 or 4.5 DOHC Toyota Celsior (Lexus LS), or
just possibly a Nissan (Infiniti). I hear that Porsche 928s are unreliable.
Engines I know (off the top of my head) have been tried:
Audi 2.6 five (standard in South African T3s)
Audi V6 (with G50 trans)
Audi V8
VW VR6 (with G50 trans)
Porsche 911 aircooled
Golf gas/diesel
VW 1.9TDi
Subaru EA-series fours & ER27 six (all unreliable), EJ fours & EG six (all
great)
various GM & Frod V6s
Other nice possibilities:
Honda V6 (especially the VTEC NSX)
Toyota 3SF 2.0
Mercedes alloy V6, V8
old 20V Audi Quattro Coupe five
Toyota 1KZ-T 3.0 EFI turbodiesel four (powerful; reliable but probably too
heavy)
Mitsubishi V6
Nissan V6
Avoid:
iron V8s (heavy; low specific power output)
Japanese diesels (other than Toyota nonturbo)
Oettinger flat-6 (unreliable; a stretched VW wasserboxer)
Briggs & Stratton aircooled boxer twin
VW T4 straight-five (unreliable)
old Audi 1.9 five (unreilable)
The late Subaru DOHC engines (the better EJ20 turbos and EG33 six) all
produce good power, 250+hp. But these hi-po engines are not cheap. But they
are extremely reliable. Subarus however are not known for great economy,
and will use a little more gas than an equivalent Toyota, say. Being
boxers, these are extremely smooth-running. Avoid the EJ16 (1.6) and EJ18
(1.8), a bit small.
In England a lot of T3s are being converted using 1.9TDi engines, from
Golfs, I guess. These are supposed to go very well, but I suspect they will
be prone to cracked heads like most Japanese turbodiesels. The 2C (2.0) and
3C (2.2) Toyota diesels are very reliable, but avoid the 2CT and 3CT turbo
versions. The 1.8 1C would also work.
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin, New Zealand
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
ph 64 (3) 473-8863
fax 64 (3) 479-7527
84 VW Caravelle GL (to be fitted with SVX engine & Porsche G50 trans) RWD
87 Corolla 1.8 DX CE80 diesel sedan FWD
89 Corolla 1.8 DX CE96 diesel van/wagon FWD
89 Corona 2.0 D Select CT170 diesel sedan FWD
92 Toyota Estima Lucida (=Previa) 2.2 turbodiesel RWD
