Glad to hear that I am not the only one who took the route to rebuild
their own WBX engines. It is fun and it will be cheaper if it is done
correctly. Stick to a principle, don't cut corners.

Instead of reuse a used set of cylinder/piston liners Cofap is fairly
cheap. This is a set of very critical components for a rebuild, if
cylinder heads are most critical ones. I could have reused my OEM liners
perhaps with a set of new rings. But I put on a set of new Cofap instead.
I purchased it on eBay from a parts store in Texas for less then $200.
They dumped their last one I guess at a discount.

I used alcohol for the leak test. I poured it to the opposite side
of the valves and check for sign of leak on the valve stems. Mine had
no leak for 3 minutes and possibly longer than that.

If you have a mechanic do the rebuild you will want new heads and new
liners. The labor cost for rebuilding these will not be cost effective.
I used to keep rebuilding these on an AC beetle. Wasted money on machine
shop visits. When heads and liners were replaced with new ones the
engine finally worked right.

Rebuilding a short block is something I have not tried.

David

--- Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:

> I just went through a 2.1 rebuild, just turned the last nut on the
> exhaust system about five minutes ago (of course I haven't run it yet,
> and there's always something) and here's the rundown:
>
> Lightly used AMC heads $400 (they passed the lacquer thinner test,
> where you pour lacquer thinner in the intake and exhausts ports and
> see any appears in the combustion chamber, so I didn't have them
> rebuilt)
> Bearings, rings and gaskets, new studs, sealants etc. $440
> Used block short block (mine got too hot to re-use $75 plus $75 fuel
> cost to go get it--boy did I have to do a lot of work on that
> block--broken out alternator mount had to be welded, redrilled and
> tapped, ripped-out oil drain plug needed to be filled, drilled and
> tapped, but I didn't notice these things when I picked it up
> Used pistons and cylinders with almost no wear about 100 with shipping.
> New motor mounts 40
> New lifters 80
>
> You might need an oil pump and water pump, I lucked out. It is also a
> sane thing to replace the clutch plate, but mine was just about two
> years old so I kept it.
>
> That's about $1200 or so, but it includes ALL new bearings. I didn't
> have to buy a single tool but if you don't have big sockets, breaker
> bars, torque wrench and engine stand, pullers, etc. you might have to
> spring for some. You've got to use about an 8 inch 3-saw puller to
> pull the cam gear and distributor gear off together to get to one of
> the main bearings (they are the ring type, not split, and are quite
> expensive and fussy to get back in the case just right) but you don't
> need a press to get them back on, you just heat them in an oven and
> they drop on.
>
> It's taken about two months of spare time to rebuild it, but I haven't
> had much spare time and the work on the block set me back about a
> week.
>
> Get on the list and work it for the parts you need. You'll be
> surprised what you can come up with.
>
> Jim
>
> On Mon, Aug 11, 2008 at 12:42 PM, David Kao <dtkao0205@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > If you have a solid short block you can rebuild it at less than $1500.
> > A solid short block is the foundation for taking this route.
> >
> > In order for the rebuild to be successful you should replace both
> > cylinder heads with a set of new OEM heads. This will cost anywhere
> > from $800 - $1k.
> >
> > You will need to replace the cylinder/piston liner set with a new
> > set of Cofap liners. This will cost you about $300 or less. Thanks god
> > Cofap does work and work well.
> >
> > You will also need a head gasket set for about $100.
> >
> > You will need to do it yourself to save cost for paying a mechanic.
> > If you are not confident in doing it yourself then you need to find
> > a dependable experienced Vanagon mechanic to do it for you.
> >
> > I rebuilt my 1.9 last year assuming I have a solid short block.
> > My 1.9 WBX engine had 110K original miles. It had a solid one.
> > The cylinder heads were 20k+ miles new (VW OEM). I bought a
> > set of Cofap for about $200 and a gasket set for less than $100. I
> > did the work myself.
> >
> > My total cost was well within $600. My recent trips to Yosemite have
> > proven the success of the rebuild. If your short block is solid new
> > Cofap and heads will restore your WBX engine back to like new.
> >
> > This is the easiest way to go. Of course there are conversions to
> > choose from too. They are usually more expensive. You do get more
> > power out of the engine. You will have to decide if you need extra
> > power for the Syncro.
> >
> > David
> >
> >
> > --- Jon Rizzo <the_rizzos@MAC.COM> wrote:
> >
> >> I feel I am at an impasse regarding the replacement of the engine my
> >> syncro westy. I am definitely on a pretty tight budget (under4000) but
> >> don't want to cut corners that will only cost me money later. I have
> >> have spent the last month researching options. I have narrowed it down
> >> to three choices and I would love to have the opinions of this board.
> >>
> >> 1) rebuilt wbx motor, I know bus depot has them available but I am
> >> unsure about their rebuilder even after speaking with them on the
> >> phone. I can't get Boston Bob to return my phone calls soo... cost
> >> 1800-2800 plus my labor
> >>
> >> 2) used 2.2, smallcar parts kit. I have a neighbor with a 92 legacy
> >> that could part out to save some money, but I am nervous about the
> >> wiring part even though I have some experience in that area. cost
> >> 2450-3450 plus my labor, minus what I could part out the legacy wagon
> >> for.
> >>
> >> 3) used 2wd vanagon with a 2.2 conversion already in place that I
> >> could then part out and recoup some of my money. This seems to be my
> >> best option as I could drive the van and could make sure all the parts
> >> work together and who doesn't need more spare parts around? cost
> >> 3000-3500
> >>
> >> Let me know what you think.
> >>
> >
>