Date:         Tue, 19 Feb 2002 10:29:03 -0800
Reply-To:     Walter Evens <wrevens@MYEXCEL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Walter Evens <wrevens@MYEXCEL.COM>
Subject:      Water Boxer Reliability
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I just pulled the injectors out of my Isuzu Impulse Turbo.  I had to pull the throttle body and plenum as well as remove numerous hoses to reach the second hold down nut at the bottom of the injectors.  This is a rear wheel drive vehicle with an inline 4 cylinder.

What does this have to do with Water Boxer reliability?  I can deal with a vehicle that has numerous quirks if it's easy to work on.  The WB seems to me to be just that.  The injectors are easy to get to and are mounted in pairs with one bolt.  On the passenger side, you have to remove the AFM.  I can get to the drivers side easy enough, even with A/C.  I've replaced heater hoses, fuel pump and water pump.  I reattached all the vacuum and breather hoses that the PO messed up using my other GL for an example.

My biggest challenge is not the engine itself as much as it is my inexperience with fuel injection.  I am planning to read that section of my son's Auto Shop text book to familiarize myself with this system as my experience to date is with throttle body injection which does not utilize an AFM.  My father in law has driven Vanagons for years and the only problems he has had have been a broken head bolt.  A cracked expansion tank cap.  A leaky water pump.  Leaky heater hoses and some of the computer controls.  He said the last "relay" he had replaced ran him around $500, parts and labor (I wonder if it was the ECU?).  No complaints of the infamous leaky heads, etc.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the odometer that doesn't work.

Yes, there is lack of low end power (I saw a bumper sticker on a Westfalia that said 0 to 55 in 11 minutes).  Once it gets up to speed, it cruises just fine.  Going up a hill, well of course that's another story.  Empty 55 to 60 MPH in third, loaded, 50 to 60 MPH in second gear (I have an automatic).

The parts are a little expensive and you can't just go in to NAPA, Autozone, Pep Boys or what ever you have in your area and walk out with the parts the same day, but if I order parts from my VW guy today, he'll have them by 3 or 4 tomorrow.

It's roomier than a Dodge Caravan and can turn around in tighter places.  I finally junked mine (Caravan) after 225 miles when the main ($1200) wiring harness went bad.  BTW, Carvans utilize Mitsubishi power trains.

I'm still scratching my head on the rubber head gasket.  I've never heard of that before but it looks like they just took an air cooled block and designed a water cooled system for it.

All in all, I would rather put $10K, $15K or even $20k into my Vanagon and have something near new, then go out and buy a new vehicle.  The last time I checked Kelly Blue Book on line, my '85 GL was worth $3,500 resale value in FAIR condition.  I suppose because they don't make them any more.

With all it's problems, quirks and idiosyncrasies, I'll stick with my Vanagon.  If I get real good at figuring it out, I may replace ALL my vehicles with Vanagons.  A GL for the family, a Westy for camping and a Transporter instead of a pick up.  That way I only have to know how to work on one kind of car.

Thanks for letting me put in my $2 worth.

Walter Evens
Hesperia, CA, USA
2-85 GLs