There area  lot more issues than the oil pan, IMO. What about the
poor-flowing exhaust system Kennedy supplies, or the cheap poorly
constructed engine support? Not to mention the throttle 'loop', the constant
coolant flow problem (both of which I have designed better solutions to),
and the wiring nightmare just to get everything to work once again. Yes,
I've had the opportunity to rework and correct  a couple Subie conversions,
and I would never recommend one to a customer looking to convert a Vanagon.
My vote always goes to a stock well-remanufactured waterboxer or an inline
gas or turbodiesel VW engine. Everything hooks up easily there, and it fits
without appendages hanging down. Besides, that is what VW is doing it where
the Vanagon/Caravelle is still being produced. Subarus also seem to have a
poor torque curve for what the Vanagon really needs. Guess my view is
slanted, but a 1.9 TD/1.9TDi/1.8 T/2.0 DF is the way to achieve the torque,
power, and reliability we need in the Vanagon. In my business, I reularly
service these engines with as high as 350K miles and still doing fine. Never
seen a Subie or a waterboxer achieve that, but there could be one hiding out
there somewhere........different strokes for different folks, this is only
my professional opinion, so don't get all worked up over my words.

Karl Mullendore
Westy Ventures
1987 Westy Syncro 1.9 TD

----- Original Message -----
From: Larry Hamm <ldhamm@xmission.com>
> John Wessels wrote:
> > Maintenance is the key to engine longevity. In the air-cooled T1 it is
> > considered maintenance to pull the heads and replace the valve guides at
40K
> > miles.
> > So, the water boxer is an engine that requires a little more knowledge
and
> > care to maintain. VW has always been that way. Think of that the next
time
> > you lose your Subie's oil pan driving over a speed bump.'
> John,
> It's funny how the only thing Subie detractors can find wrong with the
engine is
> the oilpan. That little shortcoming is being addressed, and even if it
wasn't,
> I'd prefer replacing the pan on rare occasions to replacing valveguides
every
> 40k!!
> Larry