Date:         Tue, 3 Aug 2004 22:04:34 -0400
Reply-To:     Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Subject:      Re: diesel conversion: poll
In-Reply-To:  <200408040117.i741HCFi019575@deimos.aros.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

on 8/3/04 21:09, Mark Edwards at bhs73@SPYMAC.COM wrote:

>> Spend  $3500 to install a NEW aircooled longblock engine in the westy and
>> sell it for $7K. Right now a low-miles vanagon with a fresh motor would
>> sell pretty quickly for a good buck.
>> Then buy the $7K watercooled vanagon westy you really want. End cost is
>> only $3.5K.
>
> This is bad advice.
> Time for a poll:

Looks like Mark Edwards has asked the perfect question.
> Anyone ever done this kind of conversion before?
I think that the conversion experts have consistently told us that these
jobs are time consuming and costly... taking far longer than standard engine
changeovers even when done by a professional and going from water cooled to
water cooled. HAS anyone done the proposed conversion? I haven't seen
mention of any lately.

I, for one, would think that a already on the road waterboxer Westy
purchased at the right price and looked over by a decent Vanagon mechanic
would prove far more reliable and maintainable than a hurried up conversion.
Long term care will require more money to be invested, but that goes with
any vehicle.

On a side note,  I would have a sense of very bad karma if I was starting
out on a year long ride and I didn't even make it to the end of the first
day. I looked back at some of Skip's past posts.... seems he has been
complaining of poor performance for a while. If IRCC, his recent post said,
"the engine gave up the ghost"... What exactly did happen that it now needs
replaced?  Just wondering.

I say R/R the aircooled or sell the '80 and buy a waterboxer.
But it's not my money...Just MHO.
--
Stephen
Chillicothe OH