Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:55:47 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: So my stepson asks . . .
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEu+BaNj1=O12_uJwQidp4zv6njbnkDv29Qnas9d64Ab2XQ@mail.gmail.com>
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Replacing a set of heads on a Vanagon costs the same or less as a timing
belt and water pump replacement on many other modern vehicles. The Kia
dealer turned the timing belt, water pump, and crank position sensor into a
$2,300 ordeal in My mom's Kia Sedona last year. Audi A6 and A8 is right up
there. Many Vanagon engine failures start from a failure of a support
system and no engine upgrade is going to prevent that. Now if only the
transmissions were as robust as the engines!
Of course Vanagon head life has so Many variables. My Passenger Syncro
needed one head and gaskets both sides at 130K due to road salt corrosion.
Fun Bus at 254K has yet to have the heads lifted and at this point I'm not
touching them until needed. I'm spending all my money on Body and Paint work
and the tranny had the cracked 3-4 slider hub symptom again.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Don Hanson
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 10:30 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: So my stepson asks . . .
"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=mila
> ge
>
> 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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