Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 21:54:30 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Considering an engine swap for the past decade,
but WBX just keeps going
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEuJi1EGgCZgOOPsWSovVOkaXBzKQSNPVw7jsbsp-WMZORg@mail.gmail.com>
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While your engine choice seems like a bargain you need to consider that you didn't bear the expense of a shop installation and you are doing your own maintenance and repairs. There the simplicity of the inline 4 and overhead cam really pays off. I you had to pay a shop would you be so eager to install an engine not knowing if it was good or not? I've installed enough used engines over the years that were no good I make sure the customer knows that they will have to pay again when it's no good.
Engine life can be all over the place for any engine. I've done my share of in-line engine repairs and replacements and also seen the likes of Toyotas and Nissans that needed major work way before what some would consider normal time. Sometimes it is just luck. From experience though most engine failures occur to support system failure. A simple thing like the cooling fan not working can do a number on an engine. Never mind a water pump or any sudden coolant loss event.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Don Hanson
Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2014 4:29 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Considering an engine swap for the past decade, but WBX just keeps going
Was going to stay silent on this one but I can't.....For sure, some people do get remarkable dependability from their own WBX motors, but from everything I hear, read and see..that is the exception rather than rule...Spin it like a Politician , but there it is....they are known to be
'blower-uppers' to be 'leakers' and 'dogs' for power. Or so say most
everyone with experience with those motors...I also see people frequently spending rather large sums to have major work done on them....and I wonder why they do, but that is personal choice.
I had extensive flat four VW experience when I began looking for vans....after reading up carefully on the Vanagon and it's dependability I ruled-out the WBX Vangon as a vehicle because I didn't want another VW to work on all the time, a van that statistics were showing to be pretty sketchy, motor-wise...I looked extensively for one with a Subiemotor that I could afford....no dice, people thought these were worth more than I wanted to pay for a van...I ended up, almost sight unseen, with an inline VW van and it's been good to me so far.....just what I was looking for in a van...simple, economical, dependable and cheap....When my inline motor blows up I'll get another for a few hundred bucks at the junkyard...probably less than a set of headgaskets for a WBX motor...grin...Happy turkey day everyone.
On Thu, Nov 27, 2014 at 1:09 PM, Dan N <dn92610@gmail.com> wrote:
> to share experience.. when I got my Syncro tintop 5 years ago it has
> an unknown age rebuilt engine... and I feel it's quite underpowered
> compared to my Carat because the Syncro is heavier...
>
> so after 6 months of ownership I considered a new engine... I even
> ordered one from Vanistan but then canceled the order.. the idea is
> just wait and see... I learn to live with it and I add an external oil
> cooler.. a little experiment of my own... wait till it dies and replace...
>
> it's still running... and I am still waiting.. off-road and long
> distance travels and all... and it's still refuse to die...
>
> as a joke a friend asked "you want a new engine? take out the oil and
> drive
> 3 times around the block and you will need new engine..."
>
> :-)
>
