Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (September 2007, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Sat, 8 Sep 2007 08:45:15 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      An engine transplant:  ?  (subie alterntaive)  long post.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

I like messing around with my vehicles to make em work better for me.

While I am pretty happy with my current 84 partial camper and it's transplanted 92 Cabriolet inline 4 motor, I keep looking. I've been lurking on the Subaru Yahoo list, toying with the idea of maybe doing a transplant project sometime. But the more I read over there, the less I like the way many of those projects seem to progress. Yes, when they are done and all the glitches are worked through, their owners are almost 'evangelistic' about their praise for their new motors. But, there seems to be an uncounted number of potential quagmires to fall into, judging from the posts over there.

That conversion (in any of it's possible permutations) does not often seem to be anywhere near "plug-n-play", even when done by reputable specialty shops..There are waaay too many posts about "how do you make a diagnostic reader work on...." "What is the reason I get fault code_____?" "How do you defeat the_____" Where do you run the _____, on the EJ-xx motor, if you happen to have the other_____?" stuff like that. Or stories of in and out a bunch of times with the motor, or of cross country trips by flatbed, back to the shop to diagnose an odd-ball electrical glitch...Not very inviting to me, once I read a month of posts more carefully.. Then, a week ago, someone posted a website for a shop that does 1.8l Turbo VW motor transplants into vanagons..for substantial money, but about the $ame as a complete Subie conversion would probably run you. So I started looking at those...~150 dependable HP from that motor, well proven as dependable and available cheap.."Hmmm," thinks I.. I also have some buddies who've had very good luck supercharging their Porsche waterpumper V8s . Recently, at a dyno day, I saw a VW Rabbit with a SC pulling 340Hp once...So I found this site below, with a full SC kit for my Digifant II motor that I already have..Perhaps this is another way to 'upgrade' the power of a Vanagon. Same basic motor as the VW 1.8L turbo. But with the twin screw SC, no need to change much in the EMS, no turbo lag, about the same power output and just $3100, according to the website below. Superchargers have been used successfully for a long time...since the '30s..And the 1.8 liter block and head can take the stress, since they go a couple of hundred thou with a turbo at 150hp..Not much more complex than adding an air conditioning system..compressor, belts, ducting, maybe a wastegate, maybe a knock sensor system..etc etc.. It would be nice to have the ability to take advantage of a break in oncoming traffic to pass slow vehicles, without having to wait for the break to coincide with a downhill...It would be nice to go uphill at altitude with authority, or to have the capacity to tow a small trailer or to not worry about stacking too many toys on the roof.. Just an idea..Ok you nay sayers..have at it..

http://www.bahnbrenner.com/vw_audi/BBM_Supercharger_Kits/BBM_Supercharger_Kit__Lysholm__MkII_1_8L_Digifant_II.html

Don Hanson


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.