The biggest benefit to putting any newer, modern, reliable, engine in a Vanagon is you can shut the white lid and forget about it. That is the goal, or at that is ours. The negative? 100k later when you need a new timing belt, you find you know little about the engine, as it has been running trouble free. The only new car I ever bought was a 91 Toyota pickup. I drove it for 115K miles. I knew absolutely nothing about it. Perfect. Downside? I hated driving it for more than an hour. My next vehicle was a 87 Westy. One year later I was a Vanagon guru. Not good! But 10 hours of driving was an enjoyable road trip, instead of a chore. I am a huge Vanagon fan. Anybody who makes Vanagon ownership better is OK by me. When timing belts first became popular 15 years ago I hated them. I thought, what a joke! 15 years later, they are reliable, cheap (20-70 bucks), quiet, and efficient. Their only drawback is that OEM dealers charge 800-2000 to change them, which is a complete ripoff. I would rather change a timing belt on one of our conversions, or a Bostig, than change a CV boot on the front of a Syncro, to put it all in perspective. John East Coast Vanagon |
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