Sacrilege...suburu conversion for my 80 vanagon???

hottpotato

i,ve searched the net -vanagon.com and there are a few peeps that believe in doing a conversion on the VW engine so as to not have to futz around with low HP and other related problems that arise from driving an aircooled engine-which my westy has!
i have an option of rebuilding my engine myself or putting in a used suburu watercooled motor for about the same price?????????
i do not know what is the wise choice
sorry i dont want to offend anyone
WOULD REALLY LIKE SOME OPPINION'S

thanks a bunch-T

DanJReed · Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 7:58 pm Post subject:

80?

Air cooled to Suby H20?

Man, that's a ton of work.

Unless its got a Diesel in there...
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(87 Westy Vanagon, 98 Jetta GLS 2.0, 95 Golf Sport) VW Logo

obus · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 4:14 am Post subject:

the only thing wrong w/conversions is that i hear that mechanics don't dig messing with them. maybe i am wrong. but if you are going to do the work on your own then it is a different story.
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hottpotato · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 12:32 pm Post subject: thanks

cool thanks for the reply
knowing that i might sell my 80-for 3000.00...anytakers???
and buy a wasserboxer instead-
i am so confused Rolling Eyes

photogdave · Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 2:37 am Post subject:

If it's a diesel than it's an easy conversion. I hear some people prefer the Subaru but I've got a '92 GTI motor in my '82 diesel and i can cruise at a comfortable 130 kph with similar fuel consumption as the air-cooled and no problems finding mechanics in Vancouver, B.C.
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hottpotato · Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:23 pm Post subject:

nope its just your standard aircooled westy
should i sell it and upgrade or should i fix the bad piston cylinder?
same price to do both?

skimballc · Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:38 pm Post subject:

Sell it. Go for it, I just finished my SVX 3.3 conversion today. It screams down the road in a wonderful fashion. I like it. Now that you have entertained the thought, I think you should go forward so you don't begrudge your poor old air-cooled and its shortcomings. Hope this helps.

Wellington · Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 5:16 am Post subject:

It's your money, but if it is air cooled, keep it that way. The air cooled motor is easy to repair, parts are easy to find.
The water cooed van is easier to convert to Subaru power, and the water cooled van engine is expensive to repair., thus the need to convert. Price out the conversion kit, the motor, etc. If you could convert it your self, you could rebuild your present motor and be $ ahead. Then sell if you choose.

Beta · Samba Member Joined: October 15, 2004 Posts: 1

I've done a tiico conversion on my 91, and have done extensive research on the Subie motors, which I'm considering for my '84 Westy conversion. My suggestion is to fix your air cooled motor. I've seen an '81 converted to a tiico, and it's not too bad as long as you have a wasser donor van to get parts from, but if you don't have a donor, forget it as there are lots of parts you need that didn't come with the aircooled bus. Especially if you want a heater.

I'd fix the aircooled bus and if you really want a conversion, sell it and buy an '86 or newer one.

hottpotato · Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:17 am Post subject:

thanks for the advice i think its time to fix the air cooled and hope the tranny gear does not shear off (what someone said somthing about the manual tranny glitch)-gowesty .com
so here i go i think Shocked

hottpotato · Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:20 am Post subject:

SO...

It's not a Westy. Nor is it a Westfalia.
It's probably a Riviera or ASI.
Since the engine needs to be torn down and it's an 80 you'll probably have to take about 1500-2000.
that is what someone has said-from here-is it true?
my van is junk and not worth much?????
its not a westy???
i am clueless!!!!!!! Rolling Eyes

Alan Brase · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:41 pm Post subject:

If you've got a burned piston, I'd say there is probably something wrong with the fuel injection. No big deal, just don't figure on overhauling the engine and being done.
But that's the case with ANYTHING! I'm just blown away with the ideas people have about Subarus being trouble free. Well, yes, if you start out with a darn near brand new engine. (and all the auxiliary parts.)
One of those conversing sites- can't remember which- the guy had between $10,000 and $15,000 JUST in the conversion!
having said that, they do have a LOT more power. But, I can be completely happy driving an air cooled with its 67 hp and know that if I take it easy and do the maintenance on it, it'll last another 100,000 miles.
with the Balance of the $15,000, I'll buy a Porsche. (That's what I did, actually only spent $7,000.) Got a 3.0 Targa Perfect companion car to a slow Vanagon. Hell, 115 hp engine will only take a Vanagon to a BIT more than 100mph. With the 911, you take it up to about that, then shift into 4th, then 5th! And really, how often CAN you drive a Vanagon 100?
Oh, one more thing. ANY engine swap is a hell of a lot of work. And if you don't understand and believe this and budget money and time to get it done, what you will have is an unfinished project that you'll not want to take more than 5 miles from home or maybe end up selling it unfinished.
69 doublecab

hottpotato · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 2:04 am Post subject:

so
it is going to cost me either way-less for a engine rebuild.
what about the problem with the manual transmission?
go westy says the german engineers did not fabricate the drive -3-4 syncro hub corectly-a flawed design- the cutouts in the gear are square instead of rounded which causes stress cracks in the gear and then sections of teeth shear off-says it will go within 150,00 miles of operation-this is from the owner(mech. eng.) of go westy!
so is my van worh fixing or do i sell it ???
like i said someone from this site says its not a westfalia
that it is a different creature and not worth much-do i junk it and invest in a 86 or later???
thanks for the concern-T

gears · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 8:35 am Post subject:

The notoriously weak synchro hub is in the '85-'89 waterboxer trans, not the air-cooled trans.


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