Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 08:23 -0600 (MDT)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: BLAINE_BACHMAN%PL-01M3@ccmail.plk.af.mil
Subject: Re: Knock, knock! Synopsis - but kinda long
First an enthusiastic thanks to all who responded with ideas. The
noise was definitely in the engine and most noticeable on the left
side.
Happily, the operational word here is "was"; a can of Alemite CD-2 did
the trick. Funny, I would have thought that the last treatment (done
3000 miles ago - 2000 miles prior to the last oil change) would have
taken care of the problem. I mean, if the grief is a sticky lifter
and one runs what is essentially a detergent additive through it for
2000 miles, and the problem "goes away", then why does it come back
1000 miles after the additive is dumped with the oil change? Did
someone put extra "gum" in my Castrol 20W-50? Will I have to add
Alemite with every oil change from here on out? Will Dudley Doright
save the day?
Meanwhile, I did a lot of research into getting or building a new
engine. Rather than let it all go to waste, here's a summary along
with some generalizations of the comments received regarding specific
engine sources.
AVP
Sacramento CA
http://www.sacbiz.com/avp/
1-800-548-5766
1.9L 1750.99
2.1L 1750.99
Core 600.99
Fast German Auto
Santa Ana, CA
http://www.fastgermanauto.com
1-888-211-3334
1.9L 1599.00
2.1L 1599.00
Core >1000.00 (I forgot the exact figure - not on the web page)
GEX
Baldwin Park, CA
http://www.gexintl.com/
1-800-543-6805
1.9L 1799.00
2.1L 1999.00
Core 600.00
Observations:
I did talk to all three companies on the phone - FGA was the most
talkative - the other two exuded more of a "trust us" feeling without
volunteering too many details.
Of the three, Fast German Auto is also the most "interesting".
Besides being (on the surface, at least) the lowest cost source, they
claim to use NEW heads (are new heads really that easy to get a hold
of?) and NEW lifters along with the other expected new parts. They
also apparently ship the engines with flywheels installed rather than
you having to set up the end play. Finally, they claim to know a
handful of assembly "tricks" which contribute to the longevity of
their engines.
All three apparently have the shipping (air) thing down. Seems like
you can expect an engine in 2-3 days (after it's built). Essentially,
if I would have ordered yesterday (Wednesday the 16th), I would have
an engine on Friday the 25th. BTW, you pay the shipping (both ways);
estimated cost is in the $200-300 range round trip.
I had no idea going into this if align-boring was an issue with the
Wasserboxer. FGA said their cases were stock and intimated that the
WB is strong (like the Type IV) and doesn't usually suffar this
problem. They also said that their cranks are turned no more than
.010/.010.
BTW, all options included the oil pump (new from FGA - the others, I
don't know), but not the water pump (probably should buy a new one).
Customer Comments (from among your fellow listies):
AVP - Largely an unknown quantity. One respondent (a somewhat
satisfied FGA customer) indicated he would try them "next time" since
they were near by.
FGA - The "somewhat satisfied FGA customer" had installed a Type IV
engine from these guys, and indicated that he was pleased with the
engine. On the other hand, he intimated at feeling a bit "taken" over
shipping and bad core issues which had doubled the ultimate cash
outlay over the advertised engine price.
GEX - Was it "pick on the (apparent) big guy", or is this really the
least desireable option? One customer complained about a cracked and
leaking head early on in a GEX engine experience. GEX earned points
from him for shipping a replacement head and paying $300 of the $350
local shop labor charge, but lost points with the customer for taking
many days to do it (and for the problem in the first place). Other
unquantified comments seemed to indicate near-universal condemnation
of GEX as a long-term solution for any VW engine. Will anyone
"champion" GEX?
Peripheral Comments:
One respondent expressed satisfaction with VW itself! He did pay over
$2K for the engine and the core deposit was steep ($1300), but he
appreciated the 90-day time frame he was given to complete the job and
turn the core in (guess he wasn't dealing with a daily driver).
Another listee indicated that when (or before) that fatefull day
comes, he will be doing the Kennedy/Subaru 135hp thing.
Finally, a few folks were very encouraging about the idea of doing it
oneself. Discounting FGA's alleged "tricks", I agree with the idea of
"if you do it yourself, you know what's in it" as both a source of
great satisfaction (and trepidation at first start-up), and
unparalleled peace of mind.
Local prices on machine work for the crank and rods are about the same
as for other engines. P & L sets, bearings, cam, and lifter prices
are similar to that for Type IVs. The gasket set will "set" you back.
The big unknown will always be the heads - my approach is always to
plan on and expect the worst - then you can only be pleased with
whatever happens (and take the SO out to dinner on the money you
"saved" because the heads were rebuildable)!
-Blaine