Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2006 08:15:09 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: <no subject> was piston wear, should be conversion issues
In-Reply-To: <C17F6AAD.13CA%npoole@telus.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Nathaniel,
Like most machinery, the air cooled engine can be good or bad. If you
start off with a good piece of equipment, treat it right, keep it will
maintained, do the things that have critical timing when timing demands
- such as oil changes being done on time, don't run it to death but
drive it gentle, make sure all your air-gap seals around the engine fit
well, no missing tin, extra oil cooler as Bob Donalds always suggests,
you will in all likely hood get good service from the engine. One thing,
these engines are not made to keep up with modern traffic on the
freeway. Do that, and the engine will be gone in short order. It's not
designed for it, it's not geared for it.
If the engine is a bit of an unknown, I would drive it and see what
happens. Time will tell. If I want to be secure with the engine, I would
buy one rebuilt by from Bob Donalds. Then take real good care of it. On
an aircooled vehicle, I don't think I would try a watercooled upgrade.
Too much effort and expense.
As GM Bulley has pointed out in the past, with an air-cooled engine you
are not going to spring a coolant leak that will leave you stranded in
the wilderness. AND, if you follow his insulation enhancements, you will
have a very toasty warm vehicle in winter, even in Canada/Alaska
Good luck with your aircooled.
Regards,
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Nathaniel Poole wrote:
> The thing about this rig is that it is in fabulous shape -I had to get a 60+
> point Prov inspection when I brought it into Canada, and there was one (1!)
> thing that needed work, a leaky rear wheel cylinder. Body in fabulous shape.
> You just don't find these vehicles up here very often at this age and in
> this good shape, for as little money as I got this one. Expensive rust
> buckets seemed the norm, at least when I was looking. That I got such a good
> vehicle so cheap was part of my considering a conversion, although I know
> the water-cooled vehicles are more suitable. It's like an excellent basic
> frame upon which I could do almost anything.
>
> Having said that, comments like yours are what I need to decide. At this
> point I'm just acquiring info. I really like the AC powerplant but concerned
> about reliability issues. I posted the same question on Samba, and found
> that some folks take the issue of engines very seriously, even personally.
> Some are rather offended when I express my concern regarding the AC engine's
> shortcomings, while other folks think the Subie is the only way to go. What
> is really needed is more factual info to decide if it's worth shoehorning in
> a Subie or just keep the AC and trust in God, keep a rabbit's foot on my
> keychain, sacrifice a goat and make sure my CAA membership is in good
> standing.
>
> Nathaniel
>
>
> On 11/14/06 9:17 AM, "Sam Walters" <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET> wrote:
>
>
>> Nathaniel,
>>
>> The larger issue here is that you have predicated your questions on the
>> notion that you want to remove the 2.0l AC engine and put a Subaru (or
>> other water-cooled) conversion into your van.
>>
>> This discussion of ring wear is largely irrelevant to that. No one has
>> addressed this.
>>
>> While a review of the archives of the subaruvanagon yahoo list will show
>> that a few people have done this successfully, it is a lot of extra work
>> and expense compared to doing the conversion on a van that already had a
>> water cooled engine. The cost estimates that are typically associated
>> with DIY or shop Subaru conversions will be much lower than what this
>> project would cost you. The whole cooling system, heating system, etc.,
>> would have to be created and installed in the van. Most folks,
>> including some who have done it advise against it, suggesting that you
>> sell the AC vanagon and find a diesel or WBX upon which to base the
>> conversion.
>>
>> Sam
>>
>> --
>> Sam Walters
>>
>> Baltimore, MD
>>
>
>
>
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