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Date:         Sat, 13 Nov 2010 13:06:12 -0800
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Replace Heads or Engine? I-4.
Comments: To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

Hi, I don't consider the diesel parts that hard to find. I do collect them when I see deals on them. They're around yet.

one could modify a metal jetta/golf oil pan to work as a cast aluminum diesel oil pan if one wanted to badly enough. It's not technically difficult for anyone that fabricates in metal.

As far as I know it's not hard to buy cast aluminum diesel vanagon oil pans .. even new replacement ones sometimes....even factory turbo oil pans.

the parts aren't that hard to get I don't think. I have several sets of them. Just picked them up here and there over the years ....cheap parts vans, trades, purchased off this list, etc.

It would be hard to do much with just a gravel drive for a 'shop' unless one was extremely determined to so an engine conversion anyway, one way or another. Mostly you need some form of a small shop. A hard flat floor, a roof, and electricity, and a floor jack and jack stands are about the minimum to be able to do much . Get a work bench, a vice, a drill, and a grinder and hacksaw and you're half way there though, plus hand tools. You get any space like that...like a carport even .. and some basic tools and you can do a lot. I don't think Neil's operation is anything fancy. ..and he's having fun. but not hard if 'fixin stuff' is something you normally do .. and you have a few tools and some place. to work and the parts ...they're all over the place, or a lot of them you can make even.

it's all vanagon fun, scott www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Grisanti" <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 9:54 AM Subject: Re: Replace Heads or Engine? I-4.

I like the idea of the VW I-4 swap and wish the parts were more widely available. It would be nice to be able to easily find all the diesel parts (bellhousing, oil pan, carrier bar, etc.) for the 50 degree install if/when the urge or need strikes, but that is part of what makes the Sube and the others attractive. I see the diesel parts on Samba and ebay occasionally.

When we bought our '87 Westy the PO had already made notes in the van's "life book" (she was an adoption professional with the county) about recommendations for the all-VW method and had apparently discussed this with a local shop, so the knowledge is out there.

I'm curious about the possibility of adapting the stock I-4 gasser parts to serve in a 50 degree install. Are the diesel pan and oil pump essential, or can you slice-and-dice the gasser steel pan and oil pump pickup to resemble the diesel pieces and serve as well? Just thinking out loud here, but someone must have done it. Neil's homebrewed swap comes immediately to mind, but I think that even he used a lot of factory parts. With the Kennedy adaptor it might make the project much more attractive to those of us so inclined.

I'll admit I'm unlikely to be the pioneer in this enterprise, since I have a gravel drive for a workspace and little room beyond that. There won't be an I-4 lounging in the driveway while I figure how to make it work, but if I knew this path had been trod before I might be more adventurous. Meanwhile, the WBX runs fine so this remains just an academic exercise for me and besides, the honey-do list has priority.

Stephen

--- On Sat, 11/13/10, Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> Subject: Re: Replace Heads or Engine? To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Date: Saturday, November 13, 2010, 11:42 AM

You are right, Mark.

That is the drawback--either way, ...shops are expensive. I know of none that specialize in or even advertise for inline gas VW to Vanagon conversions, in the US anyhow.

I said in my post to Anthony..there is no kit like, for example, the Bostig/Zetec. There is no Small Car or Kennady engineering Kit..though K.E. does offer an adapter of some sort


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