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Date:         Mon, 7 Apr 2014 08:30:18 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Rebuilt engine
Comments: To: "SDF ( Scott Daniel Foss )" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
In-Reply-To:  <53425100.3040207@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I met the owner of the vanagon with the Go Westy engine problem that Scott mentions. She was very unhappy with them. She'd just been going through this whole hassel and had spent lots of time and money and she was still without her Westie. She was camping out of a Toyota sedan, I think, while someone else tried to make that engine work properly...She was very disillusioned , talking about just selling her Westie. She'd had other engine problems, too.

Building an 'optimized' engine, with "special forged pistons" etc...the parts don't cost that much more than new OEM parts. I see that parts for the WBX motor tend to be really expensive anyhow.

You *can* build a motor that is 'better' than the factory by addressing the design weaknesses that have shown up over the years and trying to fix them somehow, but despite what the Deny-ers say, it doesn't seem like "Better than the factory" is enough of a selling point to warrant paying a premium.... Go Westie has their advocates and they do seem to be successful in their high dollar Vanagon enterprise, if that means anything.

If I were going the 'money is no object' route and looking for the most dependable and effective motive power, I would not be buying another WBX motor, no matter how much I paid for it.. There are better options. (and now people will begin with the "Yeah but MY WBX/Vanagon went XXX,000 K miles without any problems at all"...and say there's no problems with these motors as long as you....___________, etc etc...)

On Mon, Apr 7, 2014 at 12:17 AM, SDF ( Scott Daniel Foss ) < scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> I will keep this short. > It's good to see people have had good experiences with this company. > > I can say one thing based on direct personal and a *very* unpleasant > experience working on one of their reblt engines with a broken valve > spring. > they were so *insanely* difficult to deal with .. > really ...my single worst vangon repair day in my entire career ~! > > I fought them all day .. > in the end they reluactantly payed 100 bucks to have me install a used > valve spring .. > on a NEW rebuilt engine ~ ! > took me like 10 hrs of pure hassle to get paid 100 twelve days later or > so. > > it was so awful I charged the customer a 100 dollar hassle fee.. > and it should have been lots more actually. > > and ... > IF I was still working and vanagons for people and someone wanted me to > do a warranty repair ..for that company. > I wouldn't do it for $ 500 and an hour .. > that's how insanely awful that company was to deal with . > This about 1 1/2 years ago. > I wouldn't do warranty work at any price ...they were that awful to deal > with. > > sad to say. > you'd think they'd want to protect their reputation .. > they ruined theirs with me, for sure, forever. > > just be careful . > oh.. > I must say ...there is what warranty means ..it always means this .. > it means they will try to get out of standing behind it cheaply as they > can. > That's what all warranties actually mean. > it's a scam ..the implication is that they, whatever company, stand > behind their product.... > but it doesn't really mean that. > it means if they can justify getting out of it, they will. > > > > >>> >>> >>


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