Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 21:41:14 -0500
Reply-To: "Horace K. Sawyer" <firestream@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Horace K. Sawyer" <firestream@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: Engine Rebuild at Last!!
In-Reply-To: <385C497E.F7789646@scott.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
First, I agree with Ken, detonation is the most likely candidate. If you
reassemble the motor without a thorough check of your FI system,
distributor, rotor cap and button, you could be asking for trouble? I had
a rotor button disintegrate on me in a big six BMW a couple years ago.
Detonation killed 2 cylinders with chipped pistons and rings as you
describe. Number 3 cylinder is apparently the "first" to get the bad news
in the waterboxer.
Looking at the way this failure occurred,
>and the pattern of failure in so many others, this puppy is going to get a
>different engine sometime out in the future.
>
Second, this statement is astounding to me! If you are planning on a
different engine (I take it you mean a conversion) why not NOW? Wouldn't
*now* be the time? You are locked into spending x dollars anyway. Why plan
on doing a conversion later? There are many good reasons to go to a
conversion. IMO it would improve the value of the van too, which will
offset the cost. For just a bit more, you can have a van that performs, is
a heck of a lot more fun to drive, will draw interest, have better
reliability, and have a better resale. Add all that up: it reduces your
expenditures over time. So a conversion doesn't cost as much as you think
it does, IMO. Do you want the same problem to happen without warning
again? As you said, apparently, there is no way to predict this disaster.
Soooo, I urge you to consider even the lowest performance 'conversion' out
there (whatever that is) and ride in relaxation and enjoyment. You
obviously are agonizing about this whole deal. Do you really want to spend
more time and anxiety trying to build a better motor, second guessing your
mechanic, etc., and then STILL WORRYING about it? Because you will worry
about it. I would. You only live once, so why put off the powerplant your
prized van deserves, and the peace of mind and satisfaction you deserve.
If nothing else, you should consider it as the most bang for you buck in
terms of dollars expended on a new powerplant.
And no, I don't own a conversion company : ) NO, I don't have a Subaru
motor to sell. : ) But I make a helluva salesman eh? I'm really just
interested in the project. Either way, I hope you end up happy with it.
And no, I don't know which motor I will go with when the time comes. But
I am thinking.
I will probably ask Ken Wilford what is the simplest conversion overall and
go from there. I imagine that will be some sort of Audi 5. But who knows,
I might just talk myself into thinking that I am more important than I
really am, and that I DESERVE something astounding: maybe even turbo! He
he. Yes, turbo rules. Because I sure as heck deserve it with as much crap
as I have to put up with on a day to day basis!
: )
Maybe my boxer will cash in soon . . .
Probably no chance. It runs too darn well.
HK
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