Date:         Mon, 20 Nov 1995 09:19:00 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@PO2.GI.COM>
Subject:      RE: how about a v-6


>I just picked up a Buick 231 c.i. V6 for nuthing.  Has anybody had any
>experience with a horsepower monster like that in a bus?  Kennedy list the
>adapter and flywheel and I've got a torch,welder,and lots of assorted
>knuckle busters.  The fitting of it doesn't bother me to much but my main
>reason for going to water-cooled is the reliability (read, leave the motor
>in for 100,000 miles at a time).  Any ideas, suggestions, magic lamps to
>loan??  Thanks,

I recently bought an '80 Vanagon from a guy near Springfield, MO, which
has a chevy 2800 V6 installed with a Kennedy adapter kit. The PO claims
he drove it from there to COlorado and back, a 200+ mile trip, with no
engine problems, and seemed happy.

But he put in the original (used) clutch when he installed it, and sure
enough, it gave out. Started slipping (After he ground on it for a while
offroading it), got worse and worse, and he limped all the way home with
it. Now the clutch is completely shot.

I sent him a new one (Sachs, original VW type), which he will install, and
then I'll fly there and drive it all the way back, to San Diego.

Called Kennedy, and they said that the original VW clutch "should" be
strong enough to take the torque of the 2800. Hmmm. Kennedy does offer
some beefier clutches, precisely for these applications, and recommends
their use for engines larger than this 2800.


Also, the transmission's gearing is fine for the smaller engine that came
in these cars. But the V6 is used to turning slower. I believe it now
turns at around 3500 rpm at 70 MPH, just as the VW engine did. PO says
it's noisy, and probably gets poorer gas mileage than a properly-set-up
2800 would have (though the Holley 2-barrel he put on it probably isn't
helping matters any).

He put huge tires all around to try to reduce the effective drive ratio--
225/75R14 I believe. This doesn't actually change the ratio very much,
if you run the numbers.

Transform Co. will sell you a tranny with a taller 4th gear-- 0.82 instead
of the 0.89 the bus came with, their "Freeway Flier" trans. This doesn't
sound like a very big difference either, but maybe it all adds up? I may
try this someday.

A few tips from other list members on my hybrid, which might be of interest:
Some of the noise may be coming from whatever exhaust the PO fabricated.
Turns out he bought standard FLAPS exhaust pipe pieces and clamped the
whole assembly together. Can you say "exhaust leak"?

The PO might have run some super-long radiator hoses from the engine to the
(front-mounted) radiator and back. Fine, until one of them splits three 
years
from now, in East Dogpatch, Wyoming, and the local parts place guys just
stare at it an laugh. Maybe a better scheme, would be to fabricate some
long metal pipes of some kind, to run most of the distance.

Well, that's all hearsay from me-- I've never actually laid eyes on this
beast. That will change in about two weeks if all goes well. Stay tuned.


Steve Maher   smaher@gi.com   '71 VW Transporter
                              '80 V6anagon soon