A plain rebuild, good quality, runs about $3000 including R&R here in
Sacramento.  This sounds like a good deal.

Mike

> From: developtrust <developtrust@HOME.COM>
> Reply-To: developtrust <developtrust@HOME.COM>
> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 09:40:48 -0800
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Subaru wbx reliabilty
>
> 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
>>
>