Date: Thu, 26 May 2016 09:40:20 -0400
Reply-To: Larry Alofs <lalofs@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Larry Alofs <lalofs@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Engines: what to choose
In-Reply-To: <0856A3C1-5C7E-4801-867A-C3200D030E91@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
I second what Steve and Rob said. I am a devotee of the early EJ22 Legacy
engines ('91-'94). Low mileage ones are getting hard to find, of course.
I recently bought a car with 191K miles and am driving it for a while to
check for oil consumption. It leaks from the rear seal, but doesn't seem
to burn much. Eventually I will probably do the timing belt, any idlers
that seem to need replacement and replace any seals that appear to be
leaking. A person with more $$ would probably do all the seals and replace
all idlers and the waterpump and perhaps replace head gaskets and surface
the heads, but I'm a "thrifty" old Dutchman.
Over the past ten years or so, I have purchased 4 such cars for costs
ranging from $425 to $800. Interestingly the least expensive one had the
best engine, with a recent short block replacement. I put that one in my
daily driver '91 GL. :-)
The EJ22 Subaru conversion typically gives you an improvement of 1 or 2 mpg
and of course a very welcome increase on power. The peace of mind, however
is probably the most important. The AC, power steering, and cruise control
interface well with the vanagon systems.
There are many options to pick from in terms of adapters, engine
supports, oil pans, coolant plumbing, and wiring harnesses. These are best
studied on the subaruvanagon yahoo group.
Larry A.
On Wed, May 25, 2016 at 11:44 PM, M's gmail <mjhart853@gmail.com> wrote:
> Stephen,
> Thanks for your ideas. Yes, too much HP & torque is probably even worse
> than too few...
> The tranny was rebuilt 50k miles ago (VanCafe) & had new seals this past
> year. Neither engine nor tranny leak oil now ...
> I do have the big brake kit plus suspension upgrades (springs & shocks) &
> 15" wheels w/ Nokians, so driving @ 75 mph is 'safe' & I can stop in a
> reasonable distance....
> That just leaves getting to 75mph & staying there...
> Mike
> (650) 387-8957
>
> > On May 25, 2016, at 8:15 PM, Stephen Engel <sengel543@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > Also consider that a significant increase in hp/torque will stress your
> transmission, axles, et al. The Vanagon drivetrains were not intended to
> carry high hp/torque. Do you still have your original trans with 200K on it
> as well?
> >
> > Steve
> > 87 Syncro hardtop
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> >> On May 25, 2016, at 10:53 PM, M's gmail <mjhart853@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >>
> >> YAET (yet another engine thread)...
> >> Seeking your wisdom:
> >> - My situation: '87 2WD Westy with original 2.1l waterboxer @ 200k
> miles. Still running OK today after 100k miles & 10 years in my hands, but
> I have plans for some long trips next year & think it is finally time to
> address the 'engine question'.
> >> I have replaced all hoses, s/s pipes to front, radiator & fan, coolant
> tower, fuel lines as preventative maintenance plus water pump over that
> time & have never had a 'real' breakdown or major failure. Reliability of
> the engine has not been an issue for me - the core engine has not been
> touched since the head gaskets were done @ 80k miles, 8 years before I
> bought the van (i.e. 18 years ago).
> >> Having said that, the miles are pretty high & perhaps I'm finally
> getting tired of needing to change down on the slightest incline....that
> plus not being able to run the AC on a really hot day as it raises the
> engine temperature a bit too much for my comfort...(yes I do have working
> factory Westy AC, still working perfectly after I rebuilt it myself 7 years
> ago..). Having this work properly is one condition for future trips in the
> summer (from the SO).
> >> Some specific questions for you all;
> >> (1). do the GoWesty engines really deliver 'high performance'? Do you
> really see a power difference? How about reliability? Can you run the AC &
> still drive at 70mph on a hot (100-110F) day? How about all those
> peripherals - reliable to date but getting very old (eg original AFM, ICV
> etc).? 2.3 or 2.45??
> >> Anyone with a GoWesty powered Westy in the SF Bay Area that I could
> drive?
> >> - I could live with another VW waterboxer if it solved these problems...
> >> (2). does a Subaru 2.2l (the only truly legal model for CA) give that
> much more power or reliability? I doubt I have the available time to do my
> own install, so this option looks to be at least 2X the cost, so would need
> to answer my questions above better than the first option.
> >> (3). I'm currently biased against other options;
> >> - VW inline 1.8T: yet more money, doesn't properly fit below the engine
> lid
> >> - Bostig not legal for CA
> >> - turbo diesel: no 'standard' install it seems
> >> Any experience or comments much appreciated!
> >>
> >> Mike Hart
> >> '87 2WD Westy 'T3WESTY'
> >> Palo Alto, CA
>
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