1984 Vanagon orig 4spd w Sub 2.2? or upgrade now to 5spd

[hinterlands]

Hi There,
My first post in this great community. I have been binge-reading a few conversion threads from the FAQ section. I will make a separate thread about the project van we recently bought from our local wrecking yard "Tubby", a gutted Vanagon that included 4 rubber maid parts bins (and a Bentley manual!!) and various larger bits including a brand new fuel tank.

Essentially the original wbx 1.9 has "288,000 kms" with a 4 speed manual. It is not running due to various issues mainly a dodgy ECU and low compression (what I was told) and the fuel and coolant are disconnected. I have found a 2000 Subaru Impreza w the (EJ22) 2.2 L manual shift and 125,000 orig kilometers locally, complete and running car! Very clean and runs strong. It will cost more than a $500 high-miler special from CL obviously but I think this is a great conversion basis and it is a few blocks from my home. It is running the orig! timing belt, which we will change and cam seals and water pump etc before the conversion starts.

I havent found a conversation yet about running the stock original VW 4 spd transmission w the EJ22. Is upgrading to a 5spd at this point in time a must? Or can I make do with a 4spd. I have no desire to run more than 65mph or 110kms/hr in the bus. I will also run stock tire size but want to try upgrading to LT tires if possible. Your advice here would be very helpful. Ive never driven a T3!

Also, wondering if there is a good Canadian supplier of conversion specific parts or am I best just going to the source ie. KEP? Apologies in advance, I have never owned VW before so vertical learning curve but I have made the decision not to touch the 1.9 and upgrade to the 2.2L. I am not located close to any large cities / VW service shops , so kinda flying alone on this w the help of interwebz and a good local mechanic. It will be a long story , but I hope worth it. The VW shell is very rust free which convinced me to undertake this project.
And my wife is keen to help / learn! Best! Woot!

[MarkWard]

You should be fine with the 4 speed. 5 speeds are rare and can be swapped in later. A dead van is going to require a lot of other work that will be apparent once you get it running. You can buy new replacement engine harnesses and rebuilt ECUs. If you just want to get it going. Also, it could also be something easy and inexpensive keeping it from starting.

[hinterlands]

Thank you for that advice. I take your points completely but the van is stripped inside bare shell w running gear so we knew it is a shit show from the get go. My feeling is if we invest the time how to ensure reliability and I don’t mean to start any vigorous debate personally I think the old wbx is just too old and antiquated and this is a 1.9, bare minimum spec to push along a 4000lb brick. Just my 0.02 w no direct experience

[crazyvwvanman]

The Subie has more power at all rpms and a wider rpm range.
If anything it could get by with FEWER speeds than the 1.9 wbx.

Mark

[hinterlands]

100%, thanks Mark. I wasn’t aware 5spd were rare , so this is really good news. One less large item to not have to source out.

[MarkWard]

If I were building a Subaru powered van, I would be using the Subaru transmission. Search Subagears or something similar. There is a thread discussing the project. It utilizes a custom reverse ring and pinion. It also eliminates the need for custom adapter, flywheel, starter, and clutch. You get the 5 speeds matched to the engine.

[wesitarz]

Good find on that engine. Smallcar, Rocky Mountan Westy and KEP for conversion parts. Do your homework and take your pick. I have a wiring how-to for the 2000 2.5. Probably the same or close with different color wires that I could p-mail to you. Someone in town did the same engine in 2003 when I did my 2.5.

[NorthOf50]

any updates? I'm looking at buying an '86 4 spd with a 15 year old EJ22 conversion. probably going to need t-belt and more done I'm thinking...pretty big job?
_________________
'84 1.9WBX Camper (Penny)
'88 2.1WBX Camper (Martin)

[Wildthings]

If you are pulling long grades with heavy loads frequently a close ratio 5 sp would be better than a 4sp, while if you are mainly driving around town and not often loaded to the hilt you will probably not get enough benefit from a 5 sp to merit installing it. Certainly if you put in a significantly torquier engine then a stronger box (read Subarugears) would be more worthwhile.

[wcdennis]

I took almost the same route you are proposing. Already convinced about the Subaru conversion, in 2004 I bought an 84 Westfalia with a tired 1.9 and started pulling the engine right away. I have been 100% happy with the combination and it has been very reliable. After about 10 years on the road, the original 4-speed started making a noise like a main bearing was failing, so I decided to go with the Subarugears 5-speed conversation that Mark Ward mentioned above. This was kind of an expensive route to go, but I gained a 5th gear for highway cruising. I was perfectly happy with the original 4-speed and in retrospect, would not recommend this if you have a good original transmission. The Subaru is happy running at high revolutions and you can always adjust the gearing to some extent with tire size.

[Jake de Villiers]