Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 09:25:57 -0700
Reply-To: Matthew Pollard <poll7356@UIDAHO.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Matthew Pollard <poll7356@UIDAHO.EDU>
Subject: Re: Tiico Engine Questions
In-Reply-To: <4b.2e202a59.2bebb683@aol.com>
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
> Firstly, I have read scores of emails on this list regarding problems with
> the TiiCo installations, yet, I never recall seeing a reply from the elusive
> Peter who I am lead to believe is Mr. TiiCo incarnate.
PeterB (of tiico fame) was on this list years ago but was unable to keep
up with the volume of email. This is directly what he told me a while
back. I guess that is understandable, b/c afterall, who reads every
email?
> Secondly, the TiiCo website used to proclaim that their kit was the only one
> "authorized by VW". Once that claim was questioned on this list, it
> disappeared from their website. So, I have to wonder about the veracity of
> TiiCo's representations.
I had a nice long talk with vw of south africa about their engines and so
forth. Firstly, you can ONLY get a factory authorized rebuild through VW.
So when a shop says they'll sell you a factor authorized rebuild either
they are playing middle man to vw or they are BS'sing. UNLESS they ARE
the rebuilder. In the case of remtec, all of vw's cores goes to remtec
and remtec does all of vw's rebuilds in SA. BUT this is not the same as
saying we have a vw factory rebuild, as instead we may have the ones that
didn't make vw's QC, such as case savers and overbores.
BUT a few vw dealers in the US are using the tiico kit somehow. Not sure
how they deal with stuff like supplying a replacement ecu or map sensor
b/c bosch and vw don't sell those in the US or German.
David said it correctly: any swap has issues. But when you advertise a
turn-key solution and then ends up having mad issues something needs to be
fixed or tinkered. Both with the engine and the way it is being advertised
and sold. I have personally, as have a handful of other listees, including
a few big wrenchers who have installed dozens of these, told tiico to
rectify some of their ongoing problems with these installations. Check
the archives and you'll know exactly what i'm talking about.
But with that said- i have a tiico. I have changed a lot of things
attempting to transform it back to a golf/jetta engine instead of a
halfbreed plus homemade unique beast. Every change i have done has
resulted in a more reliable and responsive engine.
A few potentially dangerous points of the tiico is related to the Tiico
specif parts that are only available via tiico. These include the ecu (A
special SA variety. Will others work??), and map sensor (like an afm but
without moving parts. Again not available in the US. It has a bosch part #
but they don't list it on their US or german catalog.)
-matthew
