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Date:         Wed, 20 Feb 2002 10:04:04 -0800
Reply-To:     developtrust <developtrust@HOME.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         developtrust <developtrust@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: Subaru wbx reliability
Comments: To: mike miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

James charges about $500 to install the rebuilt engine.

W. ----- Original Message ----- From: "mike miller" <mwmiller@CWNET.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 9:56 AM Subject: Re: Subaru wbx reliability

> A plain rebuild, good quality, runs about $3000 including R&R here in > Sacramento. This sounds like a good deal. > > Mike > > > From: developtrust <developtrust@HOME.COM> > > Reply-To: developtrust <developtrust@HOME.COM> > > Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 09:40:48 -0800 > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > Subject: Re: Subaru wbx reliabilty > > > > Ken, > > I really enjoy your comments and perspective. I love the "look" of the > > Subaru engines of which I have seen photos, but I think I would go with one > > of those rebuilt engines that James Lutz 503-233-0030 makes up in Portland. > > Is there anyone like James in the San Diego area who does similar work? > > > > James Lutz fine tunes his rebuilt engines and balances everything everywhere > > for more power and so on. He says he can give your Vanagon more power > > without ANY loss of reliability. His best engine is "Better than NEW! Fully > > spin balanced, Reman & balanced Con-rods, New camshaft & GERMAN followers, > > New GERMAN oil pump, New graphited Brazil/MAHLE Pistons & cyl. Balanced > > (Kobelschmit avail. by request), Child's & Albert "Z-Gap" Rings, Full GERMAN > > Kobelschmit Bearings, New heads with 3-angle grind,...$3,000.00+shipping " > > And another for $2.000 plus shipping without some of the upgrades above. > > > > If I were more mechanically inclined I'd do the work myself, but often I > > have found that a skilled mechanic who has the proper tools and experience > > is cheaper in the long run. > > > > William Polowniak > > 1989 Vanagon GL > > 1988 Mercedes 300 SE > > > > Subject: Re: Subaru wbx reliabilty > > > > > >> I really feel that the Subaru (sp?) conversion is for those of us in the > >> Vanagon world who actually are more sado-machistic (sp?) than normal. I > > mean > >> all of us own at least one Vanagon which shows that we enjoy pain or > > perhaps > >> just the occasional adventure. However the folks with the Subie motors > > take > >> the cake as far as I am concerned. > >> > >> 1. You have this crazy complicated wiring harness which is like 12 feet > > long > >> that you have to unravel first. Many of the weak never make it through > > this > >> initial rite of passage. You see their shattered dreams in a FS post to > > the > >> list or on ebay. > >> > >> 2. After you get past this first hurdle, you still have a used engine. > >> Unless you actually drove the Subie, who knows what abuses it has already > >> endured. At least you knew the problems that your waterboxer had. Now > > you > >> have someone elses problems. > >> > >> 3. Many of the folks that I have talked to who have done this conversion > > do > >> not describe their ownership of a Subie powered Vanagon as "carefree", or > >> "low maintenance". Two folks I have spoken with had their great, reliable > >> Subie-boxer lock up on them due to lack of oil. Several others have > >> described exhaust crack chasing, and the idea that your conversion is > > never > >> really done, you are always tweaking something or redesigning something. > >> > >> 4. In spite of all of this none of the people who I have talked to, who > > have > >> done this conversion were really unhappy with it. (Which just goes to > > show > >> how warped we all really are:-). > >> > >> So if you enjoy tinkering, or adventures and want more power, then go for > > it. > >> But the reliability is really just an illusion. Just my opinion. Feel > >> free to comment. > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Ken Wilford > >> John 3:16 > >> http://www.vanagain.com > >> Phone: (856)-327-4936 > >> Fax: (856)-327-2242 > >> > >


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