Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2011 15:15:53 -0700
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: Diesel Engine Upgrade
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sorry...
Don must be joking.
48 horse power !!?
there are RIDING LAWN MOWERS with more power than that !!
seriously......in a Westy, 48 stock 1.6 NA hp is a hazard ..
and they tear themselves up in normal operation since people have to drive
them so hard to get them to get anywhere.
Seriously not advised !
my advice.............do anything besides put in the stock way-under powered
1.6 NA engine ..
and ...the size and weight of the van is just very rough on that poor little
engine.
I have seen mountains of blown up and worn out ones.
And whether gas or diesel is a whole discussion in itself.
I will say ..
for a diesel .....
you need to start out with a very good one .......low miles used, or
rebuilt..
then take very good care of it.
and it has to have enough power to be viable..
like half safe to drive, and not tear itself up pushing the big van because
it is really a small *car* engine.
VW was super dumb to do that...especially for the US market.
The last 4 diesel vanagons engines I went through ..all trashed inside..
Needed new heads, injection pump rebuilding etc..
The are far more demanding to own and operate successfully than gasoline
engines..
'in general' ..
not that gas VW engines don't have their problems too ..
they do, but they are not as 'big' usually,
the engines are not under nearly as much stress just in normal operation ..
and ..btw..
VW's inline , OHC, cast iron block , fours.....
are their most robust engines really..
not weak about 'head gaskets' like waterboxers,
not tearing themselves up like small vw diesels pushing a big van are, etc.
Don swears by his inline four gasser.
Those engines are cheap too.
Diesel engines are not cheap at all. ..the difference between 300 or 400
for a inline four gasser,
and 2,500 / 2,700 for a used 1.9 TD ....and even some of those need a full
going through.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
Don ..the Tiico cam arrived today, looks good. Thanks !
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 9:04 AM
Subject: Re: Diesel Engine Upgrade
> Go to the stock 1.6 diesel motor. It's pretty expensive and not
> especially
> strong. Nice and slow, too. But it does smoke. (grin)
>
> Seriously, see if you can find someone with a van with an '82 stock
> vanagon compatable motor...and ask for a ride before you swap in one. You
> may be surprised.
>
> Don Hanson
>
> On Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 8:36 AM, zzyzx <zzyzx9@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I am the new proud owner of an 82 diesel pass. van.
>> Currently it has a gas 1.8L 87 GTI.
>> What are some suggestions on the best diesel transplant without
>> involving adapters to the trans.
>> With your suggestions I would hope it includes the make model and year
>> of the donor
>> I'm told it do have all the diesel components like oil pan etc.
>>
>> Thoughts are appreciated
>>
>> Steve
>>
