Yes, you can put a liquid cooled engine in your van.
It is more work, but the space is there for a radiator, hoses, etc..

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Joseph Dor�
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 6:39 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