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Fri Jun 06, 2025 3:19 pm

I've made a few posts about this but now the reality is becoming a bit more feasible. i found a Vanagon on island (i live in Hawaii) i plan to use as a donor. the main issue is this van is an air-cooled carbureted motor. the engine runs great, but the thing doesn't go into reverse (auto). My Doka did come with a 2.1 water boxer, but it was converted to carbs, I've never seen it run, and not sure the status on it (also the odometer says over 200k miles) so if this is the original engine I'd probably want to change it anyways to something I'm more confident in. I need a donor vehicle anyways for other parts and this van has most of the stuff i need (mainly cosmetic). Sooooo, should i buy this thing for 1500 bucks and use the carbureted engine or wait till I can find a donor with FI? If anyone is on Oahu and has a parts van of experience with these PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!

Edit: the 2.1 in my Van had no oil in it when i got it, doesn't seem to hold oil well as is.

Fri Jun 06, 2025 3:40 pm

Themonster!!! wrote: I've made a few posts about this but now the reality is becoming a bit more feasible. i found a Vanagon on island (i live in Hawaii) i plan to use as a donor. the main issue is this van is an air-cooled carbureted motor. the engine runs great, but the thing doesn't go into reverse (auto). My Doka did come with a 2.1 water boxer, but it was converted to carbs, I've never seen it run, and not sure the status on it (also the odometer says over 200k miles) so if this is the original engine I'd probably want to change it anyways to something I'm more confident in. I need a donor vehicle anyways for other parts and this van has most of the stuff i need (mainly cosmetic). Sooooo, should i buy this thing for 1500 bucks and use the carbureted engine or wait till I can find a donor with FI? If anyone is on Oahu and has a parts van of experience with these PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!

None of the Vanagons came with carbs. If its got carbs on it it was converted to them. Just like your 2.1 is...

Also, the aircooled 2.0 is wildly underpowered. It was 67HP factory and all this time later its most certainly less than that. Not to mention having to pull out all the watercooling bits to stick in the aircooled motor.

Stick with the 2.1 unless its dead and you can't afford a better option than the AC 2.0.

Fri Jun 06, 2025 3:58 pm

Ya that makes sense, my Doka definitely isn't going anywhere soon so maybe i should just wait till the right donor van comes around. Also 67 hp that is a bit low haha, but I do kind of want to get wrenching on it soon.

Fri Jun 06, 2025 4:00 pm

Themonster!!! wrote: Ya that makes sense, my Doka definitely isn't going anywhere soon so maybe i should just wait till the right donor van comes around. Also 67 hp that is a bit low haha, but I do kind of want to get wrenching on it soon.

Trust me, it can be painful. Mine started out life as a stock 2.0 aircooled. It moved under its own power, but I couldn't get up a decent hill more than about 40mph and it took AGES to get up to freeway speeds. And by freeway speeds I mean 60MPH. Because that was about all it could do.

I don't miss that engine at all, I'm much MUCH happier with my current build.

Fri Jun 06, 2025 6:21 pm

You can't retrofit an aircooled engine into a van after 83 without major modifications: the firewall doesn't match, the position of the transmission doesn't match, the axle length differs.

Also aircooled pick up trucks had extra louvers on the side for cooling.

That's a terrible idea.

You need a WBX donor or dress up the engine you got to see what's going on.

I would take the compressions of the turd sitting currently in the engine bay so you don't waste your time.

I saw your post on FB and I responded to your initial thread on TheSamba telling you I have all these parts btw.
One last advice, avoid opening several threads about the same topic.

Good luck, you're gonna need it !!

Fri Jun 06, 2025 7:12 pm

GoEverywhere wrote: None of the Vanagons came with carbs. If its got carbs on it it was converted to them. Just like your 2.1 is...
They did in europe

Fri Jun 06, 2025 7:29 pm

they may not have been imported here with carbs, some perhaps have been imported, under the plastic box, is a pierberg 2e3 carb.

https://heritagestocks.com/product/025129015hx-carbu-pierburg-2e3/
at one point l had half a dozen of them, my brother has them now.
GoEverywhere wrote:
None of the Vanagons came with carbs. If its got carbs on it it was converted to them. Just like your 2.1 is...

Sat Jun 07, 2025 8:32 am

syncrodoka wrote: GoEverywhere wrote: None of the Vanagons came with carbs. If its got carbs on it it was converted to them. Just like your 2.1 is...
They did in europe

Ok fair :) They also had the option of a 1600cc type-1 over there. I always forget about those as they're not common to see over here.