----- Original Message -----From: BRENT CHRISTENSENSent: Monday, June 05, 2000 = 9:47 AMSubject: RE: Re: I've seen the = Tii conversion completedYes, I know it will be a while before it is a viable = option in California (that is probably an understatement given the dealings I = have had with CARB in the past).
I am not thinking about it for me (I have a VW = Canada motor with only about 35,000 miles on it right now, so hopefully it will be = a long while before I need a conversion!) I am thinking more in terms = of inclusion in the www.vanagon.com/info/articl= es web site area. I think information on the various options and = peoples' impressions of their choices would be a valuable asset to the = site.
Thanks Bill.
Brent Christensen
'89 GL = Syncro Westy
Santa Barbara, CA
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Davidson [mailto:wdavidson@thegrid.net]= FONT>
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2000 9:42 AM =
To: BRENT CHRISTENSEN; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM =
Subject: Re: Re: I've seen the Tii conversion = completed
Brent,
I wouldn't get too = excited about the conversion...
I know you live in California.
Can you imagine what it would = take to get a conversion past the
----- Original Message = -----
From: BRENT CHRISTENSEN
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Monday, June = 05, 2000 9:27 AM
Subject: Re: I've seen the Tii = conversion completed
Thanks for the great information. I know there = are a lot of people watching this topic very closely.
The comment about the cruise control puzzles me - does this mean that = there is no cruise control option in South Africa, or is it just not included in = the kit?Brent Christensen
'89 GL = Syncro Westy
Santa Barbara, CA
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.CO= M]On Behalf Of A & C Grobey
Sent: Sunday, = June 04, 2000 9:23 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM =
Subject: I've seen the Tii conversion completed =
If anyone is curious, I got a look at a completed = Tii conversion on Thursday. My sister bought the kit and had it = installed by her mechanic. I stopped by to visit the mechanic and took it for = a test drive. My thoughts and the mechanics comments are as = follows:
Positive things:
This is a very clean conversion. It = looks like it belongs there. The dipstick and coolant are still accessible = through the license. The engine fits with lots of room to spare and no = need to raise the deck lid.The engine idles very well. There is less = vibration than a WBX on idle.
The oil filter is very = accessible and easy to reach.
You use the stock muffler/Cat = and the stock fuel injection.
=
Not so Positive things:
The air = Intake to the Fuel injector just after the air filter has two plugs in it. It = seems like these would blow out pretty easily on a backfire or even just vibration. The air filter is also hard to reach.There is no cruise control option enabled. I = think they'll have to rig something.
The camshaft = pulley seemed off center and kind of warbled a bit.
No Oxy sensor. Could be a problem for DEQ.
The mechanic liked the kit and the way it = ran. Both of us drove it up a very steep hill near his shop and were = impressed with the power band. We were able to accelerate from 55 up to 65 on = the hill. In my van, you can only accelerate to about 58. The = mechanic did not have the best opinion of Peter (the guy who sells the = kit). His first complaint was that they had a bad transistor coming off the = coil. The replacement was hard and very slow to get. Once they got it, = it wasn't a Telefunkt or Bosch but some cheap Taiwanese transistor. = He also told me that the instructions had bad info on the scan tool. = Other than those few problems, the install was pretty smooth. He just = didn't like the way Peter didn't seem so eager to help. They were led to = believe this kit had been installed many times before, but the reality is this = was his first US shipment. They were in it for 30 hours and they figure = the next time will take about 20.
I am very = interested in the kit for my Carat. However, I would definitely miss the low-end = torque. My Waterboxer is running too well right now (knock on wood) to think = about it just yet!