Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:30:19 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: So my stepson asks . . .
In-Reply-To: <CAB2RwfgOqFujNKjXf_Nx2ZHd0cU+Ys-wjdRnFq+oGExNzxrd1w@mail.gmail.com>
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"Might see new heads....." at 200k miles? Neil, you dreaming?....maybe a
few Vanagons with stock motors "might"...but from all the reading and
related information I could get before I decided I wanted to avoid the WBX
-powered Vanagon experience ( I had my share of Air Cooled vans apart for
repairs and rebuilds all over the west during my formative years)...It
seems like that kind of motor life is not common...
I know I'll draw fire from Vanagon Purists, and I should just keep
quiet...but besides people posting things like.."Well, MY vanagon went 275K
miles without a problem...." when this kind of thread comes up...you see
way way more posts like..."I am going on my third motor now, last one went
30k...." or "Yah, my WBX lasted great, I only had to do the headgaskets at
20k miles and then the motor blew....but that was MY fault....."
I am not dissing the people who elect to run the WBX and choose replacing
that motor or rebuilding it...It IS a rare bird (the Porsche 993 was the
only other similar motor...built for a short time between the 911 air
cooled and the 996/ 911 water cooled) The WBX, it sounds neat, runs
smooth, gives a relaxed and low rpm power delivery....but you must admit it
is pretty expensive to keep one right...or so it seems from my research.
There is a reason why Subaru Vans, Bostig vans, Audi Vans, Jetta vans,
etc etc are so wide-spread....The WBX motor is not as dependable as any of
the ones mentioned above...by quite some margin....so people who blow
through a couple of WBX motors and still want to keep the Vanagon, they
finally decide "Enough!" and go with some less costly and more effective
alternate power.
So "How long does a Vangaon motor last"" might be difficult to answer
without a real survey...but I bet they don't "average" 200k miles before
having to be opened up and get major repairs.... What's a head job cost on
a Vanagon stock motor? Unless you do the work and are good at it, I think
it's not cheap....especially if your bill involves a breakdown and towing
from somewhere to somewhere where there is a decent Vanagon mechanic.
Now I shall don my Nomex driving suit and wait for the flames...
Don Hanson
On Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 6:52 PM, neil n <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=261106&highlight=milage
>
> I'm sure there's a better thread on that forum. Like a poll of some kind.
>
> Maybe 200K miles if it's taken care of? But then it *might* see new heads
> during that time or at least a reseal job.
>
> Neil.
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 5:49 PM, Rocket J Squirrel <
> camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> . . . how long can the engine (1.9) in my van last?
> >
> > I realize there are a bazillion variables, and that engine hours are one
> > thing, and that years are another--but if one changes the oil regularly
> > and performs other routine maintenance...how long will the engine last?
> >
> > Mine has about 95k miles on the clock.
> >
> > --
> > Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
> > 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
> > Bend, Ore.
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Neil n
>
> 65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp
>
> '88 Slate Blue Westy to be named.
>
> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco" http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:
>
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>
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