Date:         Wed, 9 Jul 2003 12:41:13 -0400
Reply-To:     animal <terrapin@HALIFAX.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         animal <terrapin@HALIFAX.COM>
Subject:      engine woes
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

The 85 vanagon that has been a faithful part of our family finally
succumbed to the dreaded leaky head disease.
We drove the bejesus out of the thing before letting the father in
law take possession of it while we moved to a eurovan.
We are presently investigating possible engines.
We need a rebuild no matter what with the 240,000 miles on the present engine.
We, myself and my father in law, are the conjoined second owners,
getting it from the original owner at 97,000 miles, he had VW replace
the heads at 86,000 so we have gotten our money's worth.
We are looking at at Boston Bob engine if we stick with the
wasserleaker, but are curious about the Tiico conversion.
We will both be at the High Country Bus Festival if anyone with a
conversion is there and willing to answer a slew of questions from
both myself and my father in law.
We plan on doing the work ourselves. he is looking for a little more
power, more dependability and getting his bus back on the road.
I am looking at it as a learning curve while I seek out a later model
water-cooled westy to replace my 1980 air-cooled.
If anyone is coming, I will be in the rusty blue 80 westy with a
kelty sunshade, three noisy boys and a tolerant wife.
My father in law will be there in his brand new 2003 eurovan MV.
Also anyone with real work experience with these installs and the
post running shakedown please respond.
I am looking for people that run them hard and put them up wet.
We don't abuse, but we aren't easy on our vehicles either so we need
to know the durability of these conversions.
Thanks in advance.
David Conner
terrapin@halifax.com
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
-- Albert Einstein