Engine replacement

[Vwgirl10]

I have a 1984 manual. I would like advice on replacing the engine. I would like to do this as economically as possible, without compromising quality. Suggestions?

[fleet_maintenance]

Economy vs. quality is the challenge.

Find a used engine, have a Vanagon friendly shop swap it.

Best bang for the (limited) buck.

Good luck

[T3 Pilot]

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6236052#6236052
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1988 Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[82WestyMan]

This question is almost an oxymoron.
Cheap Parts ($) + Good Labor ($$$) = Bad Engine
Quality Parts ($$$) + Bad Labor ($) = Bad Engine
Quality Parts + Good Labor =$$$

I work in manufacturing (auto)
Here's a rule you have to remember

Everybody wants 3 things
- High Quality
- Low Cost
- Done Quickly

The problem is: You Can Only Have Two...
High Quality + Low Cost = Done Slowly
High Quality + Done Quickly = High Cost
Low Cost + Done Quickly = Low Quality
_________________
"The floggings will continue until morale improves"
"I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell" - Harry S. Truman
82 Westfalia - w/ a Raby 'Camper Special' engine

[Ahwahnee]

Like that guy said in the movie "Do you feel lucky?".

A used engine installed by a good shop is probably the least costly approach but comes with enough unknowns that a good outcome is not sure thing.

A quality rebuilt by one of the well-known & highly regarded sources installed by a shop you know & trust is about as safe a bet as you can get -- but comes at a higher price.

Other factors in all this is include:

How do you plan to use the van (local or long journeys into remote locales)?

How long do you expect to keep the van (year or two or for a long time)?

What is the rest of the van like (nicely maintained Westy or rusty tin top)?

How comfortable are you with the uncertainty inherent in over-the-road travel in a 31 year old vehicle?

How handy are you with maintenance and emergency repair?

[pomfritz]

So I am planning on installing a new engine soon. Probably will be a GW 2.3. Replacing a 1.9. If you go this route then take GW advice and make sure your cooling system is in good order and maybe overhaul that. If I am going to spend that much on a new engine, I personally want to make sure the cooling system is not going to crap out on me and result in a non warrantied melted engine.

Turns out I have an early 1.9 cooling system that no parts are available anymore so that is also prompting me to look at switching to the later 1.9 which do have hoses available still.

I also wanted some better power for the hills so just putting another 1.9 in there was not on my radar. I bought the van with the idea that I would be upgrading the engine. I plan on keeping this for 10 years or more. Once I get through the major expenses of getting it into shape, the costs after that should be minimal. (yeah, I hear the snickers). But the experience of knowing how these work and the immense fun of taking them out camping is worth far, far more than what I spend on it.
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83.5 233K. GW 2.3, SS exhaust, My German Frau named her Stefi

[vegpedlr]

[outcaststudios]

why arent you guys all freaking out about how redundant this post is? or rudely directing this poster to the million other threads about this same topic? hmmm there s one thing it could be....hmmmm.
_________________
'88Doka JX td
'69 westy
(rip)couple bugs
(rip)three type III"s
(rip) '81 vanagon
a bunch of french stuff,and 9 motorcycles.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2573791

[j_dirge]

[Zeitgeist 13]

I see a Honda Odyssey in your future...
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[levi]

[vegpedlr]

[ThankYouJerry]

#1 - Vanistan Engine: http://www.vanistan.com/Vanistan/home_.html

Tied for #1 (or a very close 2nd) - RJE Engine: http://www.rockyjennings.com

3rd - GoWesty (but only their 2.1, 2.2, or 2.3): http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_category.php?id=82

Last Resort - A used engine

If it were my $ on a WBX... Vanistan or RJE all the way. If I couldn't afford those options... I'd wait till I could.
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1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD

[Birdcage]

Hit up houstonphotog, he's in your area and probably going to a new engine this winter. He has a very low mileage gowesty 2.5 he might want to get rid of.

[Vwgirl10]

Thank you, for all the information, everyone. I plan to keep it a long time. I am in no hurry to get it fixed if it will save considerable expense but not compromise quality. I appreciate the time almost all of you took to help me.
Mr. Redundant, I understand the value of searching. If your time is so precious, why did you even bother responding? I like the communication and it is more personal to me this way. People can choose whether they respond or not.

[Wildthings]

Vanistan seems to have a flawless reputation. You have to get into the queue for one of his engines though.

[dobryan]

[Ahwahnee]

I doubt that any rebuilder would claim to have a 'flawless reputation' - about all you can judge from is the estimated failure rate (hard to know if they don't say) and how they handle things when those happen (some anecdotal evidence there).

I do agree that for a 1.9 rebuild going larger that 2.2L gets into the less reliable applications.

I have an automotive hobby that is 'other old cars' and look to the Westy to be reliable w/o much effort on my part. My rebuilt went in 9+ years ago and I give no more thought to that engine than I do to my wife's Toyota.

[RBEmerson]

I'll join the chorus of "you usually get what you pay for".

If you just can't afford to get the full monty, maybe you really are better off, in the short run, getting the engine into usable shape until you can afford a swap done right. Sure, your total cash outlay will be greater than doing the swap alone, but some days the money to buy a Rolls Royce just isn't in the checking account. [/grin]

This is all just a fact of life and not a swipe at the OP.
_________________
Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can change, and wine to accept the things I can't change.

[jleritz22]

I am currently going thru an engine replacement for my 85 westy. I made the sad mistake of purchasing the 2.1 upgrade from THE BUS DEPOT. I bought the engine from them 1.5 years ago now and have yet to drive more than 1,000 miles. The first engine they sent went less than 800 miles, yes that is 800, not 8,000. It had more than one fatal flaw including not one but 2 bad heads and also a leak down on the rings of at least one cylinder. When I called bus depot,who were happy to take my money, they just pass me on to AVP. they are a third party engine builder that Bus Depot uses. Bus Depot does absolutely nothing to back up this product. I am left to fight it out with AVP

I just got my van back with the SECOND BUS DEPOT replacement engine after more than a year of headaches, towing costs, additional expensive repairs due to attempts to skirt the issue by the engine builder, missing multiple road trips and sitting on the side of the road. now with the SECOND ENGINE from BUS DEPOT/AVP. I also had to pick up more installation costs to have their bad engine removed and to reinstall their replacement engine.

So now I have gone less than 100 miles and there is an oil pressure problem. This is also an internal issue. AVP is again wanting me to jump thru hoops to prove it is not something other than what it probably is which is a bad oil pump or clogged oil way

So basically I have spent 1.5 years and thousands upon thousands of dollars to install two useless engines from Bus Depot and AVP, and its not over yet.
I can only imagine what other atrocities lie inside these engine cases. I suspect if you have one of their engines and its running, its only a matter of luck and time. I could go on and on about this issue and all the ridiculous things AVP made me go thru while they tried their best to find a melted heat tab so they could void my warranty but it would be a novel.

I repeat

DO NOT BUY A BUS DEPOT OR AVP REPLACEMENT ENGINE