Ken,
I really enjoy your comments and perspective. I love the "look" of the
Subaru engines of which I have seen photos, but I think I would go with one
of those rebuilt engines that James Lutz 503-233-0030 makes up in Portland.
Is there anyone like James in the San Diego area who does similar work?

James Lutz fine tunes his rebuilt engines and balances everything everywhere
for more power and so on. He says he can give your Vanagon more power
without ANY loss of reliability. His best engine is "Better than NEW! Fully
spin balanced, Reman & balanced Con-rods, New camshaft & GERMAN followers,
New GERMAN oil pump, New graphited Brazil/MAHLE Pistons & cyl. Balanced
(Kobelschmit avail. by request), Child's & Albert "Z-Gap" Rings, Full GERMAN
Kobelschmit Bearings, New heads with 3-angle grind,...$3,000.00+shipping "
And another for $2.000 plus shipping without some of the upgrades above.

If I were more mechanically inclined I'd do the work myself, but often I
have found that a skilled mechanic who has the proper tools and experience
is cheaper in the long run.

William Polowniak
1989 Vanagon GL
1988 Mercedes 300 SE

Subject: Re: Subaru wbx reliabilty

> I really feel that the Subaru (sp?) conversion is for those of us in the
> Vanagon world who actually are more sado-machistic (sp?) than normal.  I
mean
> all of us own at least one Vanagon which shows that we enjoy pain or
perhaps
> just the occasional adventure.  However the folks with the Subie motors
take
> the cake as far as I am concerned.
>
> 1. You have this crazy complicated wiring harness which is like 12 feet
long
> that you have to unravel first.  Many of the weak never make it through
this
> initial rite of passage.  You see their shattered dreams in a FS post to
the
> list or on ebay.
>
> 2. After you get past this first hurdle, you still have a used engine.
> Unless you actually drove the Subie, who knows what abuses it has already
> endured.  At least you knew the problems that your waterboxer had.  Now
you
> have someone elses problems.
>
> 3. Many of the folks that I have talked to who have done this conversion
do
> not describe their ownership of a Subie powered Vanagon as "carefree", or
> "low maintenance".  Two folks I have spoken with had their great, reliable
> Subie-boxer lock up on them due to lack of oil.  Several others have
> described exhaust crack chasing, and the idea that your conversion is
never
> really done, you are always tweaking something or redesigning something.
>
> 4. In spite of all of this none of the people who I have talked to, who
have
> done this conversion were really unhappy with it.  (Which just goes to
show
> how warped we all really are:-).
>
> So if you enjoy tinkering, or adventures and want more power, then go for
it.
>  But the  reliability is really just an illusion.  Just my opinion.  Feel
> free to comment.
>
> Thanks,
> Ken Wilford
> John 3:16
> http://www.vanagain.com
> Phone: (856)-327-4936
> Fax: (856)-327-2242
>