Date:         Tue, 6 Apr 2004 14:04:59 -0500
Reply-To:     Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: State of the Art in Engine Swaps is....?
Comments: To: vw4x4@fyi.net
In-Reply-To:  <4072F29C.1040804@fyi.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

That's really great!
Please explain to the other 1400 list members how they can get the same
deal.

Stan

  -----Original Message-----
  From: vw4x4@fyi.net [mailto:vw4x4@fyi.net]
  Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 1:11 PM
  To: Stan Wilder
  Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
  Subject: Re: State of the Art in Engine Swaps is....?


  Stan...etal,
       MY complete engine swap cost less than $1000.00.
                                                  Eric

  Stan Wilder wrote:

If you're going to do an engine swap you need to love your Vanagon somewhere
between $3000.00 and $10,000 worth.
The least expensive is a half life Subaru engine conversion that normally
runs $3000.00 by the time it's completed.
I don't know anything about Tiico conversions but I think the complete setup
can be $7500.00
If you've got a 5000 pound + Westy you can consider that it weighs as much
as a 2004 Full Sized Extended Cab 3/4 Ton Dodge Pickup truck with around 260
HP.
Your power isn't going to impress anybody but you.

Stan Wilder

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of David Brodbeck
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 12:26 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: State of the Art in Engine Swaps is....?


On Tue, 6 Apr 2004, tomdurkin wrote:

  The Volvo B-230 is exactly what you say, and it can easily
last 400,000 miles or more with routine maintainance.  I
believe the other options mentioned in this thread cannot
make that claim.  I would be very interested in more
information about this conversion, I can see a intercooled
B-230FT with 180 hp moving a Vanagon up hill very nicely.

Unfortunately I don't have more information about it; I just know that
Kennedy Engineering makes (or used to make?) an adapter plate.  You'd be
on your own for engine mounts, but at least the Volvo mount system is
pretty simple.  You could probably fab something up using carrier bars,
similar to what a VW diesel Vanagon uses.  Exhaust shouldn't be too big a
challenge, just bend some pipe to route from the Volvo manifold around to
a single muffler in the rear, like the diesels use.  If you can make the
muffler mounts part of the engine mounts, as VW did for the diesel, or
mount them to the engine block, you avoid having to use any flex pipes.

I have no idea if the engine would fit under the decklid.

I think the sole advantage a B230 would have over a VW inline 4 is low end
grunt.  It's the torquiest I-4 I've driven.  It reminds me a lot of a
4-cyl boxer engine that way.  When you're moving a heavy van, having a
torque peak at relatively low RPM is important.


David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'82 Volkswagen Diesel Westfalia
'86 Volvo 240DL wagon