>>Shame the kit wasn't the best quality, and it had a piston which was
perforated... eventually burned badly

Never heard of a perforated piston before - what in the dickens was this kit
you bought?

... basically, I can agree with Stans overall sentiments, with all the
ancillaries functioning ideally, there isn't much in the basic engine to go
far wrong,
driven sensibly.

Clive
'88 Syncro Transporter

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Grebneff" <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 12:38 AM
Subject: Re: What's wrong with my VW? Friday

> >Many of the problems encountered with VW engines is the extreme lack of
> >maintenance.
>
> I can't agree. Modern engines should be low-maintenance, and coolant
> type uncritical. VW is neither. Japanese engines will take abuse and
> total lack of maintenance and still give really high milages (of
> coures there ARE unreliable Japanese engines, but most are
> bulletproof).
>
> >  The soultion to Bad Engines isn't an engine conversion.
>
> Sure it is.
>
> >Replacing your engine is 90% of good thinking but neglecting other things
> >like the injectors, distributor, proper grounding, proper fuel pressure
> >will get you about 90% of the potential of your new engine.
>
> Possibly, but that doesn't the counter head corrosion or crank
> failure VW's wasserboxers are so prone to.
>
> Admittedly VW boxers can be decent performers (both air &
> watercooled), though these good-performing ones were never sold in
> USA, unfortunately. But the 112hp wasserboxers, and the Oettinger six
> versions, suffered from all of the problems the US engines have.
>
> >I must say at this point; I was absolutely astounded at the performance
> >of the pure stock Air Cooled VW engine after giving the external
> >components as much consideration as I did the internal engine parts.
> >Try it .............. you'll like it.
>
> My 75 Bay had its stock 1.8 twin-carb engine, with a 1916 slip-in kit
> fitted. Power was estimated at somewhere a bit over 100hp. It would
> easily hit 140kmh and still accelerating well; up the longest
> steepest hill with a full load it would sit on 90kmh in third. Shame
> the kit wasn't the best quality, and it had a piston which was
> perforated... eventually burned badly. Fun while it lasted, though.
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> 165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
> <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut