Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2010 08:42:01 -0800
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Replace Heads or Engine?
In-Reply-To: <4CDEB018.9060808@cox.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
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 that I am not familiar with...There is
the recent start of an inline list on Google Groups...just getting
going..but no big vocal base of knowledgeable experienced swappers like for
the Subie motors..
I don't even know if Tiico still is in business.
Using the figures posted for rebuilt WBX motors and heads, however, plus
the shop time to exchange the motors, etc..I'd *guess* if you did find a
shop with a VW and Vanagon savvy knowledgeable and willing mechanic who
wanted the work, you'd spend less having them install an inline and you
would have an 'argueably' better motor when done with the conversion. I
guessed "1/2 the cost" of the $4000 motor, + remove and replace...using the
hours and cost of my own recent work to the inline in my van, working as a
total neophyte without air tools or a hoist or even a good tools set...And
putting in a large 'fudge-factor', too..
When I post Inline rap, I always get hammered. That's OK...I am going
off my own experience and second-hand experiences related to me by other
happy (and some few not so happy) inline gas Vanagon people. It's easy to
say.."That won't work..." and people do say that..but I've found it works
pretty well in my case and for most everyone else I know of, too.....
I don't really imagine any numbers, Mark. I just guestimate, from my own
'backyard jackstand mechanic' experience messing with my van and its' inline
install, that any decent shop could easily match or go under the cost of a
"remove, rework and replace WBX" with a 'remove WBX, install inline' job.
Once that was done, you might expect to have fewer ongoing motor-related
expenses...
Finding a shop to do the work...that seems the hard part...And, if I were
a shop, myself, I might be reluctant to take on one of these swaps. If I
had plenty of other work, work right out of the "Flat Rate" Book, why bother
with something unknown? You gotta pay the rent and 'sure thing' jobs pay
the rent...
Let's not start with a debate of relative merits of the various engines,
though...I'd rather move on to "Tires"...or maybe "which oil is
best"...(grin, said in good cheer, grin)
Don Hanson
On Sat, Nov 13, 2010 at 7:34 AM, mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net> wrote:
> Don, please list all the shops you know of that will perform a decent
> conversion from wbx to an inline VW for the kind of numbers you imagine.
>
> People who do their own conversions can manage it fairly cheaply when
> they have the time and skills to do them as well as the time and
> inclination to round up all the pieces. The inline 4 is one of the least
> expensive ways for self conversions to be done. That assumes you place a
> low value on your own time, as many do. Shops on the other hand are
> another matter in my experience. They want to get paid!
>
> There have been self converters here with inline 4 gas VW engines since
> before I arrived. There would be even more except that a lot of attempts
> fail to give happy results within the allotted time. It is harder than
> you think.
>
> Mark
>
>
>
> Don Hanson wrote:
>
>> ......
>>
>>
>> When I see "these" expense estimates to repair/replace the WBX motors
>> and
>> compare them to what I've encountered myself or read about from others, it
>> 'pencils-out' that even starting from scratch, an inline VW is a much
>> less
>> expensive alternative. Like probably around half price, even the first
>> time out, including gathering all the diesel van parts needed and having
>> someone else do the work.
>>
>> ...........
>>
>
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