Date:         Thu, 3 May 2007 00:10:37 -0400
Reply-To:     Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject:      My first Subi ride

What to say?

First, i wanna thanks Hans and john from Vanaru for putting a "exemplary"
conversion/engine together, i think it's simply perfect. And it's comming
from a guys that save wasser engine each day. It's not because i know Hans
or neither because i will make money out of that, at all, my comments are
comming from a Varagon driver. It took me/us less time to put that
conversion (i don't like that word no more, it should be call: a engine
upgrade, or option ) in the van than it sometime take me to put back a
wasser in. Worse, the Vanaru engine fit's better, yea, pure and simple. It's
what VW should have design for that great van.

Many are afraid of conversion, they think it not normal or impossible that
another engine company could be fitted nicely in their van/car, but it's
just mechanical part fiited ON mechanical parts, everything is posible if
done the right way, but this is far better than the right way, it's meant to
be there. Thanks to Vanaru for building the perfect Vanagon engine
replacement, thre is so much nice little details in that conversion that
it's simply amzing.

Today, we put the rest of the stuff in, that superb harness, the air filter
neck ant unit, the side shield... what else??? bah, i few small thing, i was
taking my time to observe all the nice "fitting" details that Vanaru as done
to make a Subaru engine fit PERFECTLY in that engine bay and onto the
transmission. So much details... men, those guys made the perfect kit! Yeas,
there is a few companie out there that do conversion, we all know that
Kenedy and Small car built most of the parts... but Vanaru made it perfect
and easy to install, it's a REAL TURN-KEY, no joke here. Now, you go buy
parts from all those maker, put them together, find a GOOD donor car/engine,
take everyting you need out (are you sure you have enverything?), now put it
together the right way, with the right torque on each bolt... now, fit it in
the van... good luck. Those guys did all the reserch and work for you, try
and re-try, tested, start again. test again... men, i will call that "engine
perfection".

Affer a small road test this afternoon, i sent Hans away... go relax my
friend, i don't nned you no more... i had to fix a few little thing, a
little more bleeding, the ALT light still on (easy fix), one hose was not
perfectly install (my mistake)... bah, small stuff, i felt the van was
ready. So i went home and had diner.... and i said to my girlfriend... ok,
im going for a ride, the real test.

I starded the van, vroummm.... 1200 rpm, 1000, 900, 650... steady, no
vibration what so ever. Smooth like hell. What a pleasure to listen to...
nothing! Just a smooth humming, so just for fun, i reved the engine just to
listen to it... so you know what, it does make a VW Wasser sound, no, it's a
"perfect" Waer-Boxer sound. The RPM needle is "STILL" at 650, it simply
dosen't move. The first feeling i had was strange, at each stop light, it
though that the engine had stall!!! he he he.. no sound, no vibration...
nothing, but IT was running, steady at 650! So i went... full moon, nice
spring weather... nice feeling. I took  the highway... and yea, of course, a
big rig is comming on the right lane.. time to try that Subi... i just push
the accelerator and bang!!! i was way in front of that rig at 75mph at about
4000rpm, so i went... to 95mph easy, dargn!!! this thing keep pushing...
slow down bro.. but the van felt just right even at that speed, of course,
my van as 90% new parts so it feel... new, but i didn't know that a Vanagon
could be so steady and feel so solid, even a those speed. So i came back
slowly, hoping for some little troubles after such a tranformation, but
nothing, just a steady pleasant drive at 65mph, temp needle in the middle,
no light, nothing. So i stop near the St-Laurent river on the south shore of
Montreal, nice view of the bridge, the city, a big boat passing throught,
the full moon, some light music.... after 10 minutes, i realise that the
engine was still runing... so i stoped it, went back to see if everything
was ok... open the hatch... nothing, simply nothing.

So for those who are scared and/or are purist, i'm sorry that you had to
reed that. For the other's, i hope you have enjoy, and if you ever thing
about a conversion instead of re-bulding your wasser.. think twice about
where you should put your money.

I have way more pictures commingm and tomorrow, i will do a test drive
video, but for now, i will callit off.

Regards, Ben
http://www.benplace.com/85westy_2_mecanique2.htm