TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:22 pm

Hey Drew,
I live in Camas and would like to come by some time and check out your ride. my eamil address is [email protected] drop me a line. Do you ever go to the vanagon events in Portland at Lucky Lab?

Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:27 pm

Drew,

I'm the guy who bought your 1.9 muffler, cat and coolant junction. Looks and sounds great! Nicely done!

Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:55 pm

Thanks all for the kind words!

I still am in the honey-moon phase w/ the van. I want to tell everyone about it!

Just spent the weekend at the coast and had the joy of setting the cruise to 65 and just sit back and enjoy the ride all the way there and back. Love this thing!

Using passing lanes TO pass cars is pretty freaking sweet.

Mon Feb 04, 2013 1:50 pm

Have you found any new issues during your honeymoon phase? New costs or gotchas?

Can't recall... did you re-gear your trans? I've heard some say that you don't strictly need to, but if you don't then at freeway speeds you will be buzzing the motor a little higher RPM than needed.
Any feedback on this?

Mon Feb 04, 2013 2:04 pm

No more issues other than what I covered in part 5 of the videos.

I've got 1000 miles in it now, and it runs like a champ!

I would love to re-gear the transmission cause to hit 70, the engine's whining at like 3800rpm -- but I have no rush on that yet. Eventually!

Mon Feb 04, 2013 2:06 pm

the engine is fine at 3800 rpms.. that was the 70mph rpm for your previous engine and it was fine (designed) at that too.

Kuods to a nice install.

Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:16 pm

Drew- just got around to watching video 5. Referencing the fuel tank hose you uncapped-you should not vent your gas tank directly into your engine compartment. When the van is sitting fumes are going to come out that hose and collect in the engine compartment. Need to figure out where that hose is supposed to go.

Great job on the conversion.

Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:59 pm

really nice job what coolant pipes did you use and did you go with the pipes for a 1985 vanagon?

Wed Nov 05, 2014 12:21 am

Nice, going out for the first ride is like unclogging a kitchen sink. It's finally flowing. :lol: Your PS pump sounded very loud have you ever adjusted pressure in the pump relief valve?

Mon Aug 27, 2018 4:13 pm

Hard to believe I did this 5+ years ago -- thought I'd give you all an update.

Got about 20k on the conversion now.

Problems I have encountered with the conversion:

- Leaking throwout bearing -- turned out to be a defective TOB, slowly leaking fluid. Just a pain to change out

- Ate the steering/alt belt up in Canada cause I failed to tighten one of the adjustment bolts. I now carry a spare just cause jerry rigging the house battery to run the engine so we could drive to a town was less than fun.

- Dirty air filter x 2 (too many dusty forest roads I guess) -- It was throwing some system trim codes. I finally ditched the air filter that RMW sold and use a big K&N cone filter. More surface area to help mitigate things.

- Cracked oil pan -- somehow in our travels we hit something that put a hairline crack in the oil pan and I finally got tired of the drips and replaced it.

- Cracked coolant level sender -- the 200lb gorilla that put it on must have over tightened it and it finally gave way one trip so we had to drive around spilling coolant until we made it to a town that carried one.

So basically, nothing major, just stupid little stuff thats usually my fault. No regrets in the conversion. We've taken it everywhere, it just works great.

Mon Aug 27, 2018 6:10 pm

Thanks for the update!!