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Date:         Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:24:20 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Buying a Van
Comments: To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
In-Reply-To:  <09b901cbfa7b$09825950$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

On Thu, Apr 14, 2011 at 1:07 AM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans < scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> > > Don H. may chime in..he loves his . 2.0 block, 1.8 head. > When I find time I will get my DOHC 16 valve 87 jetta 1.8 inline four going > in one of my vans. > > 'bothersome' ..that's cool. > > Sure, I'll chime in.

The 1.8liter gas motor in a 'diesel' vanagon is pretty common and people seem to like em just fine. I drove my 1.8liter, which has the westie kitchen, etc but not the pop top, for over 50k miles before I 'pre-emptivly' combined most of that motor with a 'new' '93 Jetta' block. I got the whole '93 Jetta motor with 97k 'claimed miles' for $300. $300 seems a normal price for an inline 4 gas motor, though mine came with all the extra stuff...AC condenser, PS pump, alternator, wiring harness, intake and exhaust, etc etc...so that was a pretty good deal.

The Digifant fuel injection I have in my inline (mine is a '92 Golf/Rabbit/Jetta-everything but the block, which is now the 2.0-liter '93 Jetta block) seems simple to me.(same as a Waterboxer motor, I think)

It's been very dependable. Parts are plentiful and inexpensive. Any VW shop will work on them. VW inlines haven't changed much till recently, so mechanics know them. Power on the 1.8 l seems a bit more than a stock Vanagon...I usually passed other vanagons going up hill, anyway. Gas mileage on mine, with a diesel 5sp man. trans was 23.5..over all. My 'new' motor is only about 22.5-23mpg. My 'new' motor, however, can quickly accelerate to 70mph, going up a long grade, and hold that speed without any fuss. Probably not common with a standard Vanagon.

I don't live in Ca. so I don't have experience with their Smog Police on the inline-powered vans. I have seen plenty inline gassers running and licensed in that state. The gas motor is identical in appearance to a diesel and uses the same block, so maybe they would be ok with that. I think they are pretty clean at the end of the exhaust pipe.

If California registration was not a consideration for you, I'd say take the inline powered van..all else being similar. The other one, with a "spare engine"? So what?

...if you want a spare engine you could just putt down to the junkyard and get another Rabbit/Golf/Jetta inline for a few hundred bucks. From my reading, you may spend $2-$4k rebuilding a stock water boxer motor...which could easily begin dripping again quite soon..

I did all the research I could when I started looking at Vanagons. I was soon put off by what was/is being said about vanagons with stock motors. I was 'clued-in' by the fact that a significant number of running Vanagons already have different type motors. Lots of questions on the various forums from busted vanagon owner's asking about transplanting "not waterboxer" motors, lots of rap from people running their 2nd or 3rd standard WBX rebuild or replacement, and having puddles and leaking heads again. I also see gas mileage figures that are not so good, though for the size of a Vanagon, they compare OK with modern vehicles. There's less discussion of inline gas motors in Vanagons than about some other more popular conversions like the many Subarus, the Turbo diesel VW conversions, the Bostig/Ford Zetec motors. Maybe because the inline conversions are so simple, so dependable, and not at all 'flashy' when compared to say a 'six cylinder turbocharged Subaru'.

I went ahead and bought mine already completed for cheap. I'm glad I did. The Previous Owner, who did the conversion, did some corner-cutting, but it's such a simple swap that he didn't cause me any real problems.

The 2.0 liter ABA motor ('93 Jetta) with the 1.8 head that I am now running. It performs favorably when compared with Subaru transplants...stomps them in cost, ease of maintenance and fuel economy. Should it ever blow up or start leaking, I can probably get another in the van again for under $1000 and do the work at home in a few days. This 2.0 liter cost me ~$800 to install.

Hope this gives you some more info for your vanagon search.

Don Hanson


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