Answer,
They are trying to drive them at 70 mph. Putting the Diesels in the
Vanagon was a very poor desperate move on VW's part to still be able to
sell Vanagons while the Air cooled ones where blowing up and the EPA
said you can't sell them no more. And why they geared them to spin so
fast when all the torque is at low speed is completely beyond me.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Rex Merriweather
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 4:34 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Diesel Holes!

Hi:
This is just a question out of curiosity but, I have been in salvage
yards in 4 different states and at a parts dealer in Milwaukee WI. and
every single Vanagon diesel engine there had a fist sized hole in the
side with a connecting rod haging out. Some of these engines I was told
were VERY low milage and infact the 3 I saw in CA. last week came from
the same van and the owner got fed up with replacing the motor after a
few hundred miles and junked a very clean van. My question is: What are
people doing to these engines to cause this?