Vanagon EuroVan
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Date:         Sat, 13 Nov 2010 11:38:26 -0800
Reply-To:     mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Replace Heads or Engine? I-4.
Comments: To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <465810.15478.qm@web110614.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

It has all been done before, even by people here on the list over the years. The right diesel mounting parts are getting easier to find than they were, since people now bring those parts over from Europe from junked diesel Vanagons there. It costs about $700-1000 to get everything useful from a diesel Vanagon using these sources.

Neil did a 15 degree install afaik, a totally different bird. He used a Kennedy "kit" and fabricated a lot of stuff on his own. Kennedy sells their pieces for either 15 degree or 50 degree and even setup for both if you ask.

You really need 1983 and later diesel mounting parts, not the more common 1982 parts. Most USA/CA diesel vans are 1982. Europe got diesel vans from 1981-1992 so there are about 500,000 potential parts donors from abroad, many of the most desirable 83+ and even Syncro parts.

Don has a 1984 van converted with all 1983 diesel van donor parts. This is the easiest combination to convert a wbx to inline with since you would have all the right hoses and cooling system parts as well as no PS to deal with. Most people would have a more complicated conversion to achieve. I have done it, I know 10 guys off the top of my head who have done it. Unless you are just converting an original diesel van to a gas van the conversion is a lot more involved than Don seems to think.

Mark

Stephen Grisanti wrote: > 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 >


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