Date:         Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:18:32 -0400
Reply-To:     Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Subject:      Re: Inside a Subi engine EJ22
In-Reply-To:  <f0510030fc2bd0aa199e1@203.167.171.73>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I'll break it down for you, it does seem odd on initial inspection.

You have a conversion that you bought in a van. You have no attachment
to it, you didn't install it yourself, and now it's having repeat
problems at multiple points of failure. The headers(now 3 sets total
have cracked, from two different vendors) and ECU(on the 2nd or 3rd
ecu have failed). After the 3rd set of headers cracks, the vendor that
sold them to you gives up, I guess in disbelief, and won't replace
them. Now one could keep trying, but honestly.. I wouldn't either. It
wasn't mine to begin with, was a lousy job to begin with, and there is
something I like better. So I'll go that route. I could limp it to
montreal and have Benny and Hans at BJP/Vanaru fix it, but how much
would it cost to keep an engine with 200k running in the van that they
didn't make the install for. They'd likely have to do so much work it
would almost be another conversion.. all to bring up to snuff
something I'm already sick of dealing with, frustrated with, and I got
ripped off by someone associated with it. Well after the re-conversion
all of those problems are gone forever and the owner has moved on and
is enjoying the syncro again. Even if you converted to yet another
subie setup without those problems, there is no guarantee because the
warranty is short. So what would you do?  The 2nd re-conversion is
because it is again, an older conversion, not performed by the owner,
and is having problems, rather than fix them the owner wants a low
mileage engine and everything else in good shape... for the rest of
the van's life.  This is easy to do with a zetec, you can replace it
everytime one hits 100k since they are cheap enough, or ride it out to
200k either way you aren't committed to an expensive engine ever
again, and since there is no direct benefit from the engine being
priced that high, simply lack of supply, that's like having one
basket, with all your eggs in it.  He'll be able to drive on a young
engine for the rest of the van's life and for every long trip he makes
if he wants, and be able to bolt on more power later if he wants, but
the zetec is already making more than his ej22 anyhow.

Besides Andrew you're a happy subie guy, not an unhappy subie guy.
Totally different outlook.

Jim Akiba


On 7/13/07, Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz> wrote:
> >And just out of curiosity, what are the perceived benefits from
> >changing a Subie motor to a Ztec.
>
> Sorry if I cause offence, but such a "reconversion" makes absolutely
> zero sense.
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> Dunedin
> New Zealand
> Fossil preparator
> <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
>