I don't know if there is a problem. You just have to wonder why VW recommended them for 85 and then not for 86 and later. Maybe with the 2.1L there may be a problem with the longer tip protruding further into the combustion chamber causing the plug tip to overheat and start the detonation process. Just maybe! I have seen broken spark plug tips in a number of different engines over the years. If the combustion process was able to break a tip, think what it can do to the pistons.

Dennis

----- Original Message -----
From: Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
Date: Monday, January 10, 2005 6:13 am
Subject: Re: Broken Spark Plug Electrode/Tip

> In a message dated 10/01/2005 12:07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
>
> I agree  that the W7DTC is a bit longer, but I have been running
> them for
> years on my  Vanagons as well as any Vanagon I have worked on.  So
> while they are
> longer, I do not think they are too long to the point that the
> piston will
> hit  them.
>
>
>
> Another weird story !  I have been using  the W7DTC in my '87
> Westy for well
> over five years, maybe longer, I'm not about  to do a search on
> that trivia,
> and all of my customers vans with 1.9 & 2.1  engines have them.  I
> have never
> seen one single problem with these  plugs.  Well, not true, I just
> rememberedthe story of a customer who  installed them himself and
> over tightened them,
> breaking the bond between the  porcelain and the metal base and
> could not find
> the bad engine running problem  until changing the plugs.  The
> engines run
> better and the plugs last longer  than any others I have tried.
> So where is the
> problem with them being too  long ?  Maybe the engines you have on
> Long Island
> are different then the  ones I see up here in Ontario.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Frank  Condelli
> Almonte, Ontario, Canada
> _BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
> camping event, Almonte, ON, June 09 ~ 12, 2005
> '87 Westy, '90 Carat &  Lionel Trains
> Member: _Vanagon List_ (http://www.vanagon.com/) , _LiMBO_
> (http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/) , _IWCCC_
> (http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/)  & _CCVWC_
> (http://www.ccvwc.ca/)
> Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in  the Ottawa Valley
> _STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Mufflers_
> (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
> _Frank Condelli &  Associates_
> (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)or
> http://frankcondelli.com