Craig, the SA Vanagons are 2WD. Syncros have about 2 inches more room
above the engine. I already have a 87 Syncro Camper with a gasoline 5
cylinder. The engine lid is not raised and the skid plate position is
stock. This was quite a shoehorn job though. The 5 cyl TD diesel intake
plumbing is much less in the way than the gasoline fuel injection setup.

 Michael Sullivan is using a TD Syncro fuel tank and starter position. I
am trying to do the conversion with a standard gasoline Syncro fuel
tank. If Kennedy is now making a suitable starter for diesels that
allows this and also clears the diff lock actuator then that is good
news. I don't need it for this project but it would be handy for another
project I have in mind.

I don't know that VW made many or any TD Vanagons with A/C and PS
together. If so did they use the same compressors and steering pumps we
have here or would those have to come with the brackets and pulleys?

If I was using a 4 cyl I would probably want to mount at 50 degrees to
use stock Vanagon diesel mounting parts and starter. If KEP really has
an appropriate starter then 15 degree mounting may be better as it is
easy to find the brackets and pulleys for PS and A/C. I don't know how
high this configuration would stick up or how much ground clearance
might be lost. David Marshall would seem to be in a good position to
answer this but I don't know if he has ever used his 15 degree kit for a
diesel inline 4 conversion.

One of my desires is to use as many stock parts as possible from models
that were sold in North America so I can get spare parts easier and
cheaper.

Mark

Craig Rogers wrote:
>
> > I went for a 5 cylinder as it will allow me to have power steering and
> > A/C using factory brackets and belts and still keep the rear bed deck at
> > the stock height. The 4 cylinder diesels that have PS and A/C need to
> > mount at an angle that intrudes high above the engine lid.
>
> I thought the SA Vanagons had raised deck lids to accept the 5 cylinder
> engines.  And also wasn't A/C and power steering available from the factory
> on the 1.6 l turbodiesel T3s?
>
> You can see the A/C compressor in pictures of this TDI installation on
> Michael Sullivan's page.
> http://www.haywood-sullivan.com/vanagon/TDI/index.html
>
> > but these starters do not have enough power to reliably crank a 23-1
> > compression ratio diesel engine. Kennedy sells special high torque
> > starters to overcome this but these don't fit on Syncro trannys that
> > have the locking rear diff option as mine does. If anyone has found a
> > workaround for this please let me know.
>
> According to Hobart Kennedy, the 104N starter will fit without any
> modifications.  I spoke to him about this a couple of weeks ago.
>
> Are you trying to install the engine at 15 or 50 degrees?
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Craig Rogers
>