A water cooled engine needs a water cooling system, including all of the
plumbing and a radiator. I don't know if a transplant can be done but you
are looking at major modifications.

New are cooled engines are available but it's easy enough to rebuild your
engine again & again as long as your cases aren't cracked. Also, I don't
believe the newer aluminum cases have the same cracking problems the older
magnesium cases had.

Thanks, 
Tom Hargrave
256-656-1924

Our Web Sites:
www.kegkits.com
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www.andyshotsauce.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
Joseph Dor�
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 5:39 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Engine Transplant Possible in an Air-Cooled?

My wife and I own an '82 Air-Cooled Gasoline-powered Westfalia Vanagon.

It currently has a rebuilt original engine which, I assume, might last
us another 100,000 - 200,000KM.  When the time comes and all
compression is lost and rebuilding it for the second time just doesn't
make sense, is it possible to transplant a new engine into an air-
cooled? I hear talk of Porche, Subaru, and VW Jetta engines being
transplanted to Vanagons, but are these not all liquid cooled?  What
type of engine can be put into an air-cooled body? Does the Vanagon
need to be modified to be liquid-cooled? Or do engines still exist
that can operate as air-cooled?

Just curious - hopefully this doesn't need to happen for several more
years.

Thanks!
Joe
Stratford, ON