Date:         Wed, 2 Sep 2009 21:41:11 -0600
Reply-To:     Warren Lail <wklail@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Warren Lail <wklail@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: vanagon difficulty (long, please forgive)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I have been driving Vanagons since 1989 (and bays and splitties way
before that).  I started with a 1981 air-cooled Westy (called Base
Camp) that I maintained religiously.  It dropped a valve seat in Moab,
Utah, and thankfully Tom Arnold (now deceased) of Tom-Tom's Volkswagen
Museum (junk yard) helped me replace the head.  I later replaced the
engine with one from AVP and had great luck with the engine, although
I had other problems (mostly electronic) until the day I sold it in
2002.  Of course, it produced almost no heat in winter and had very
limited power (I used to have a bumper sticker that read "65
Horsepower, Please Just Pass.")  I drove it from Oklahoma to Boulder,
Colorado one very cold winter day and the temperature inside the van
never rose above 40 degrees F.  Not fun.

I then purchased a 1987 GL (named Long John) automatic that I really
liked.  First of all, it had heat!  For the first time in my life I
was in a Volkswagen bus/van and it was actually warm right in the
middle of winter.  However, the tranny never stopped leaking and I
blew a head gasket near Westcliff, Colorado, sort of the middle of
nowhere (but beautiful nowhere).  Had it towed to Pueblo and a local
mechanic replaced the head gasket at a very reasonable price.  I loved
it, but it suffered from Vanagon syndrome the entire time I owned it
and it was always on the verge of overheating.

Then I bought an 88 Westy (Billy Bones) from its original owner.  It
had issues, but I spent a lot of time and money on it and got it
looking really good.  Then then engine blew in middle Tennessee, which
was about 700 miles from home.  Luckily I had relatives who lived
nearby and so I borrowed a car to get home.  A really good friend
(best man at my wedding) then drove all the way out to retrieve the
dead Vanagon.  I ordered a new engine from AVP, got it running good,
installed a new radiator and coolant pipes, but it continued to suffer
from Vanagon syndrome from time to time.  I installed a "pigtail"
(which I still have and will sell for $50) and it helped a lot.  Gas
mileage never got out of the teens except on one really long trip
(Oklahoma City to Myrtle Beach, SC) where I averaged 20 mpg.  Power
was poor; In a strong headwind or a steep incline I would be slowed to
45 mph.  Frustrating.

These three Vanagons brought me great pleasure.  I have driven from
coast to coast a number of times, love the utility, love the looks and
handling (sometimes).  But I was at my wits end with regards to
reliability.  If it were not for this list and the fine people on it
and the wonderful wisdom and advice I received here, I would have
probably stopped driving Vanagons a long time ago and reverted to an
early Bay with a 1600 upright engine (which I still want to own as a
"Townie Bus.")

In 2005 I purchased a 138 hp Subaru 2.2 engine and wiring harness from
a junk yard in Albuquerque.  I ran it for about half an hour before we
pulled it to make sure it ran okay, checked compression, etc., pull
the engine and I took it home.  I then put it on an engine stand,
installed new head gaskets, idler pulleys, timing belt, cam and crank
seals, etc., and as finances allowed, ordered the conversion parts.
Tom Shiels did my wiring harness (the most difficult part of a
conversion).  When I had everything ready to go, I took 10 days off
from work to do the switch.  After 7 (long) days, the Subie engine
roared to life.

That was in April of 2006.  I have driven more than 75,000 miles since
that time.  I change the oil and filter regularly, and I change the
spark plugs every 30,000 miles or so.  Other than those items of
routine maintenance, I have done nothing other than drive ole Billy
Bones as I please.  Now I have the great utility of my beloved
Vanagon, the reliability of a Japanese engine, I have much more power
(cruising at 80 is easy), and my gas mileage has improved (pretty
consistently 22 mpg on the highway).  I drive Billy Bones as my daily
driver and my commute is 140 miles per day (I carpool with a colleague
so I only drive to work every other week).  The Subaru engine now has
about 165,000 total miles on it and so I'm thinking ahead, planning on
replacing it when the time comes with a Subaru 2.5 engine (170 hp).

Bottom line.  In my personal experience, I have never owned a type of
vehicle that simultaneously delivered so much pleasure and pain as the
Vanagon.  The switch to a Subie engine changed everything.  Now the
pain is gone - I am in Vanagon Nirvana every day.  These are
remarkable vehicles that we drive and I was reluctant at first to
switch the engine (wanted to "keep it German").  As I reflect on the
whole experience of Vanagon ownership, it was the best thing I ever
did.

I paid $675 for the engine, $700 to get the harness modified, and
about $2,200 on conversion and other parts (a new muffler and clutch
because I wanted to replace them while I was in there).  Total price
by doing it myself, approximately $3500.  I wish to give lots credit
to another list and to all of its fine members who gave me tons of
good advice, the SubaruVanagon group over at yahoo.

A conversion may not be right for you for any number of reasons,
including time, money, or loyalty to the 2.1 engine.  If not, the 2.1
engine in the hands of a good, knowledgeable technician (like those
nice guys who are generous with their time and advice on this list)
will serve you well for a long time.

Your mileage may vary; other engine conversions are also popular and
reported to be reliable, etc.  The bottom line; if you want to keep
your Vanagon running (happily) for a long time, there are a number of
ways to accomplish it; it's not a one-size-fits-all world.

Warren in Santa Fe
88 Westy "Billy Bones" Subie 2.2