Skip, look at the VW specs for the various motors before deciding.

2.0 aircooled  70 hp @ 4200 (your stock motor, Vanagon))
1.6 diesel       50 hp @ 4200 (Vanagon diesel)
1.6 TD          68 hp  @ 4500
1.9 TD          75 hp  @ 4200

I don't  think that any of these choices would give you a large increase
in hill climbing speed though the 1.9TD would give you some and
intercooling the TDs could help some too.

A 1.9TDI with intercooler would be best of all but I doubt that Vic
quoted you one of those for the prices you mentioned.

I have owned Westys with all of the above 4 engines. The 1.6TD and 1.9TD
I installed myself in place of original 1.6 diesels. That made a large
difference from the sluggish 1.6D stocker.

Mark

Skip Emmert wrote:

>Ok, thanks again.  Please read the entire post carefully before
>responding.  So far I have gotten suggestions to replace the motor with a
>rebuilt 2.0 air-cooled engine or scrap the van and start over.
>
>Replacing the engine with the original would be the cheapest, quickest
>option, but ...  the list has sung as a mantra how under-powered the
>original vans were and in the days of over-powered SUV's, climbing hills
>on the highway at 40 mph is no longer safe.  I know they're easy to work
>on and carry the purists sense of stock, BUT I am living in the van for a
>year and value reliability and usability more than ease of working on it.
>The original engine is not an option without JATO rockets.  Nice little
>weekend van, but not for serious travelling anymore.....
>
>