Date:         Sat, 22 Feb 2003 13:38:53 +1300
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: What's wrong with my VW? Friday
In-Reply-To:  <20030221.085720.1528.3.wilden1@juno.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>Many of the problems encountered with VW engines is the extreme lack of
>maintenance.

I can't agree. Modern engines should be low-maintenance, and coolant
type uncritical. VW is neither. Japanese engines will take abuse and
total lack of maintenance and still give really high milages (of
coures there ARE unreliable Japanese engines, but most are
bulletproof).

>  The soultion to Bad Engines isn't an engine conversion.

Sure it is.

>Replacing your engine is 90% of good thinking but neglecting other things
>like the injectors, distributor, proper grounding, proper fuel pressure
>will get you about 90% of the potential of your new engine.

Possibly, but that doesn't the counter head corrosion or crank
failure VW's wasserboxers are so prone to.

Admittedly VW boxers can be decent performers (both air &
watercooled), though these good-performing ones were never sold in
USA, unfortunately. But the 112hp wasserboxers, and the Oettinger six
versions, suffered from all of the problems the US engines have.

>I must say at this point; I was absolutely astounded at the performance
>of the pure stock Air Cooled VW engine after giving the external
>components as much consideration as I did the internal engine parts.
>Try it .............. you'll like it.

My 75 Bay had its stock 1.8 twin-carb engine, with a 1916 slip-in kit
fitted. Power was estimated at somewhere a bit over 100hp. It would
easily hit 140kmh and still accelerating well; up the longest
steepest hill with a full load it would sit on 90kmh in third. Shame
the kit wasn't the best quality, and it had a piston which was
perforated... eventually burned badly. Fun while it lasted, though.
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut