Date: Sun, 12 May 2013 19:38:26 -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: coolant overflow fears and thoughts
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEu+Mqc1N1ZpyEvi+VsS5MkFEQ2O3=xAe8pz3v5MHGM3g0A@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
I'd say there are numerous engine conversion specialist shops and
individuals one could hire to do an I4 conversion at reasonable cost.
as for 'fixed' cost ..
there's basically no such thing as a 25+ year old vanagon that 'needs
nothing' except a different/better engine.
So it's always a bit more than just the basic conversion. ...that just
happens.
There are people or shops one can hire to do that, quite a few of them.
Most of them are quite booked up. And anybody that does any kind of
inline four installation wouldn't mind doing a gasser, more or less.
On 5/12/2013 6:52 PM, Don Hanson wrote:
> Yes Stuart...
>
> Nobody has, to my knowledge, ever done an Idiot's Guide to the ABA
> install. The 1.8 install, those don't really need many instructions...you
> can look at a diesel to see how the bars go in, then put the motor in and
> connect the wires from the WBX...pretty much....Of course, there are a few
> things you have to 'adjust' to fit the gas inline to the WBX tranny, unless
> you have the diesel trans, too..But I don't think you can just go Online
> and sign up to have one done for you at a fixed cost....everyone does their
> own, pretty much, and most like em when they're done....
>
> Nor is there a complete step by step simple guide anywhere to cover
> installing a 2.5 Subaru into a Vanagon....There are a lotta lotta written
> pages about the Subaru conversions, probably because those are more
> complicated undertakings, due to many different motors, by years, with big
> changes to the motors and many different ways to do all the adaptations
> for cooling, wiring, exhausts, etc....
>
> You do have to do a little research when you plan on revising your
> "Ride"....Some of the VW motors aren't that great....I can name some that
> have pretty bad reputations....Hee hee. Manufacturers make crappy motors
> now and again, it's up to you to find out which they are and NOT buy
> those...Tiico really messed up that motor they built, I think....it'd have
> to have been really bad to get such an awful reputation as a vibrator.....
>
> If you are sick of VW stuff, go find a used smaller GM-based conversion
> van...A Surfari or something....I hear those go easy 300, 000k miles and
> they have AWD in some...Or spring for a Sprinter and look around before you
> drive under anything low......
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, May 12, 2013 at 5:40 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
>> you either do it all yourself,
>> pay someone to do it for you,
>> or half and half ..buy vendors parts ..
>> hire someone to do the harness , etc.
>> and finish it up yourself.
>> And it's not fun, don't do it of course.
>>
>> 'somebody' has to do clever work to make a decent engine conversion.
>> or just drive a stocker waterboxer .
>> or drive a Ford or something like that.
>>
>> certain years of Passat turbo ..usually the 1.8 T, are known for
>> slugging up the oil badly.
>> google it.
>> not an idiot proof car at all.
>>
>> mostly VW's are decent............ if only people really took care of
>> them and they got good work done on them.
>> Then they'd really be good !
>>
>> sounds like maybe time for an Appliance type car.
>> then you'll wax nostalgic when you see a vanagon go by.
>>
>>
>>
>> On 5/12/2013 5:28 PM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
>>
>>> And you can add a turbo too! The folks at FAS have an elegant 2.0
>>> package,
>>> but it's way too expensive for me. Where is the documentation, parts,
>>> etc.
>>> for a junkyard DIY ABA engine conversion? I don't want to fabricate
>>> everything myself and figure out the wiring, plumbing, mounts, exhaust,
>>> etc.
>>>
>>>
>>> And, I really don't want to mess with any more VW engines since my
>>> experience has not been good, and that includes the Eurovan version of the
>>> VR-6. I followed the complaints years ago with the Tiico conversion that
>>> was
>>> supposed to be the Vanagon's salvation and that probably did it for me.
>>> Even
>>> the 2.0 turbo in my son's 2009 Passat carboned up so bad it required an
>>> $1800 cleaning even with premium grade top tier gas. He probably doesn't
>>> drive it hard enough though, but I'm not impressed.
>>>
>>> Time for a whole new can o' worms for this old dog!
>>>
>>> Stuart
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Jim Arnott [mailto:jrasite@eoni.com]
>>> Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2013 3:08 PM
>>> To: Stuart MacMillan; Alistair Bell
>>> Cc: Vanagon List
>>> Subject: Re: [VANAGON] coolant overflow fears and thoughts
>>>
>>> On May 9, 2013, at 9:31 PM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
>>>
>>> Jeeze, I don't have a TIG welder! You need to embrace your fear of
>>>> the
>>>> unknown and go for the Subaru 2.5 in your Syncro. At least it looks
>>>> like a WBX, sort of, and won't vibrate as much as an in-line 4.
>>>>
>>> You boys need to come to eastern Oregon and drive an ABA conversion.
>>> Vibration? Set a glass of water on the table in the back with the engine
>>> running? No ripples. A Tiico it ain't. Who knows, maybe I'll drive it to
>>> the
>>> wet side just to share.
>>>
>>> My new ABA conversion make me smile whenever I drive it. (1,000 miles in
>>> the
>>> past week. Makes me smile.)
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>> Alistair wrote:
>>>>
>>>> "Funny thing is, as good as the subie 2.5 is in a van (and I have
>>>> driven one), I'm not very excited about doing it. I don't know why,
>>>> but I lean more towards a 2.0 aba type inline 4 ."
>>>>
>>> Good choice. As GM used to advertise: "Keep your GM car all GM." Keep your
>>> Volkswagen all Volkswagen.
>>>
>>> Jim
>>>
>>>
|