Date:         Thu, 1 Nov 2007 11:33:29 -0700
Reply-To:     Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Tiico Conversion
In-Reply-To:  <69064fa90711011111i66a3beeej1c1ddc060803234a@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Well said, Ryan. Right on target.

Doing an engine conversion without the benefit of
having it done for you at the factory in Germany
means you have to do a lot of your own R&D.

3 Cheers to the Bostig guys who have worked hard
to make their kit as foolproof as possible.

There's always things that can go wrong though,
My neigbor put a new engine in his old Caravan
rather than buy a new van.

You can keep your old WBX -it will have problems.
Or go to something other than original. There is
no escape from eventual problems sooner or later.

When ever you keep an older vehicle going you
have to expect to spend time and money on it .

For me it was cheaper to do it myself. The Tiico
whiners problems may not reflect the majority who
are happy. Trouble -free drivers have little to
say.

Welding the lid shut -aptly put. Trouble-free car
ownership is an illusion.
A trouble -free Vanagon  engine conversion is
science fiction.


Robert

1982 Westfalia












--- Ryan Alfonso <vangina@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> As one of the founders of the TiiCo list I can
> tell you that its purpose
> isn't to sit around and praise the motor or its
> engineering.  It's a
> "support group" not unlike this one.  People
> bring their problems to the
> collective mind of the group.  Again, just like
> this list.  By reading the
> vanagon list, or the TiiCo list, anyone would
> get the idea we hate our
> engines.  Head gasket leaks on the wasserboxer,
> engine fires, etc.  The
> yahoo group tiico list is a valuable resource
> for problems solving and
> catching potential issues before they leave you
> stranded.  We help each
> other out quite a bit, sharing hot rodding
> tips, parts sourcing, again,
> exactly like this list.
>
> Properly dialed in, the TiiCo kit could be/can
> be/ might be/ or even IS an
> easy solution to poor fuel economy and being
> underpowered.  Admittedly there
> have been reliability issues in some cases, and
> known shortcomings, even
> fairly well founded acusations of
> mis-representation of the product.  But as
> time goes on they have addressed these problems
> with design changes and
> improvements.
>
> Engine conversions are all frought with
> problems and require babying for
> years.  It's always something.  Whether it's a
> subaru, ford, volvo, 2.0L VW,
> rotary, deisel, turbine, there will be
> something -- wiring, exhaust, blah
> blah blah, because the engineers didn't intend
> for these motors to be in
> this vehicle.  I've done a lot of conversions
> to different vehicles over the
> years and it's always the same.
>
> Basically I think the majority of people who
> bought the TiiCo kit had
> unreasonable expectations...that they could
> weld the deck lid shut and
> blindly drive on for another 100k.  It's just
> not like that...  "It's not a
> car, it's a volkswagen".  You have to really be
> an enthusiast to keep these
> aging critters on the road.  We're all just a
> little bit crazy, admit it!
> I kinda wonder when my hobby shifted from
> camping in the van to working on
> it.  Some might say "when you bought a TiiCo
> engine" -- heheh.
>
> Later!
> -Ry
>


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