yes I know about that factor.
I have some thoughts on it.

the engine and whole package was inexpensive enough that I thought I'd give
it a go.
And ...there are ways to change the torque curve.  It's just a conventional
4 stoke gasoine engine after all.
  I'm not that worried. I have been working on engines for about 45 years ,
perhaps even more. I should be able to figure something out.

  there's a 2.0 16valve too ......93 golf I believe.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike" <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 1:24 PM
Subject: Re: Replace Heads or Engine?

> Scott,
>
>  Were you aware that the power band for the 16V DOHC engine is all wrong
> for use with the Vanagon tranny gearing?
>  It's one of the worst engines to choose for this conversion.  Ask the
> folks who've done this one before, it's a well-known issue in the Vanagon
> conversion world.
>  I had originally planned to to this one, myself, and changed my mind on
> choice of engine after reading everything I could find on the subject.
>  If you change the gearing/ tranny, you may be able to find a happy
> compromise for that engine.
>
> Mike B.
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
> Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 3:41 PM
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Replace Heads or Engine?
>
>> I'll do one.
>> I just quote a labor fee for the engine conversion job.
>> Usually about $ 3,500.
>> and there are parts and expenses on top of that. ...various new parts,
>> ..say
>> w. pump and t-stat, and who knows what ...lots of used engines are hacked
>> up, missing things, tired head gasket etc.  There  some farmred out
>> special
>> welding , hoses ..fluids, and conversion parts from vendors sometimes, or
>> diesel vanagon engine mounting parts ...etc...
>> and someone has to supply an engine for the project. I like the customer
>> to
>> supply their engine ..
>> I'll help them get a good one .  I want them invested in it actually .
>>  I don't want them thinking 'it's a new car...all I have to do is pay the
>> bill and drive it ' ..
>> I want them to know that for it work well for them they need to take care
>> of it, be half smart about it ...
>> lEven done well......they are different than any pure factory stock car.,
>> which one should be able to 'just drive' and get fixed anywhere.  I want
>> them to understand it's a special deal, and takes care and understanding.
>>   Takes me a long, long time to get them really right.  Not making any
>> killing money-wise, but it is very rewarding work.....it's art even to
>> me.
>>  I do turbo diesels, subaru's , inline four gas VW's ..
>> they're pretty easy in a way actually - inline four gas VW's  .  It's the
>> fine tuning and elegant construction of say , engine mounting sytem or
>> exhasut system that takes time. Or say ..installing guages ...to do  a
>> nice
>> job on that takes more than say , 45 minutes, to do it really nice.  And
>> half the vanagons need many things done to them as well.
>>  I'm slowly working on one for myself ...87 Jetta 16vavle DOHC 1.8 ..with
>> CIS-E fuel injection ..
>> 123 hp at 5,800 rpm ...something like that.  Doing that at 50 degrees in
>> a
>> vanagon.  If the CIS doesn't cooperate , I'll run it on Digifant.
>>  Southern Oregon.
>>
>> what fun !
>> Scott
>> www.turbovans.com
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 8:42 AM
>> Subject: Re: Replace Heads or Engine?
>>
>>
>>>  You are right, Mark.
>>>
>>>  That is the drawback--either way, ...shops are expensive.  I know of
>>> none
>>> that specialize in or even advertise for inline gas VW to Vanagon
>>> conversions, in the US anyhow.
>>>
>>> I said in my post to Anthony..there is no kit like, for example,  the
>>> Bostig/Zetec.  There is no Small Car or Kennady engineering Kit..though
>>> K.E.
>>> does offer an adapter of some sort that I am not familiar with...There
>>> is
>>> the recent start of an inline list on Google Groups...just getting
>>> going..but no big vocal base of knowledgeable experienced swappers like
>>> for
>>> the Subie motors..
>>>
>>> I don't even know if Tiico still is in business.
>>>
>>> Using the figures posted for rebuilt WBX motors and heads, however, plus
>>> the shop time to exchange the motors, etc..I'd *guess*  if you did find
>>> a
>>> shop with a VW and Vanagon savvy knowledgeable and willing mechanic who
>>> wanted the work, you'd spend less having them install an inline and you
>>> would have an 'argueably' better motor when done with the conversion.  I
>>> guessed "1/2 the cost" of the $4000 motor, + remove and replace...using
>>> the
>>> hours and cost of my own recent work to the inline in my van, working as
>>> a
>>> total neophyte without air tools or a hoist or even a good tools
>>> set...And
>>> putting in a large 'fudge-factor', too..
>>>
>>>   When I post Inline rap, I always get hammered.  That's OK...I am going
>>> off my own experience and second-hand experiences related to me by other
>>> happy (and some few not so happy) inline gas Vanagon people.  It's easy
>>> to
>>> say.."That won't work..." and people do say that..but I've found it
>>> works
>>> pretty well in my case and for most everyone else I know of, too.....
>>>
>>>  I don't really imagine any numbers, Mark.  I just guestimate, from my
>>> own
>>> 'backyard jackstand mechanic' experience messing with my van and its'
>>> inline
>>> install, that any decent shop could easily match or go under the cost of
>>> a
>>> "remove, rework and replace WBX" with a 'remove WBX, install inline'
>>> job.
>>> Once that was done, you might expect to have fewer ongoing motor-related
>>> expenses...
>>>
>>>  Finding a shop to do the work...that seems the hard part...And, if I
>>> were
>>> a shop, myself, I might be reluctant to take on one of these swaps.  If
>>> I
>>> had plenty of other work, work right out of the "Flat Rate" Book, why
>>> bother
>>> with something unknown?  You gotta pay the rent and 'sure thing' jobs
>>> pay
>>> the rent...
>>>
>>>  Let's not start with a debate of relative merits of the various
>>> engines,
>>> though...I'd rather move on to "Tires"...or maybe "which oil is
>>> best"...(grin, said in good cheer, grin)
>>>
>>>  Don Hanson
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Nov 13, 2010 at 7:34 AM, mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Don, please list all the shops you know of that will perform a decent
>>>> conversion from wbx to an inline VW for the kind of numbers you
>>>> imagine.
>>>>
>>>> People who do their own conversions can manage it fairly cheaply when
>>>> they have the time and skills to do them as well as the time and
>>>> inclination to round up all the pieces. The inline 4 is one of the
>>>> least
>>>> expensive ways for self conversions to be done. That assumes you place
>>>> a
>>>> low value on your own time, as many do. Shops on the other hand are
>>>> another matter in my experience. They want to get paid!
>>>>
>>>> There have been self converters here with inline 4 gas VW engines since
>>>> before I arrived. There would be even more except that a lot of
>>>> attempts
>>>> fail to give happy results within the allotted time. It is harder than
>>>> you think.
>>>>
>>>> Mark
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Don Hanson wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>   ......
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>   When I see "these" expense estimates to repair/replace the WBX
>>>>> motors
>>>>> and
>>>>> compare them to what I've encountered myself or read about from
>>>>> others,
>>>>> it
>>>>> 'pencils-out' that even starting from scratch, an inline VW  is a much
>>>>> less
>>>>> expensive alternative.  Like probably around half price,  even the
>>>>> first
>>>>> time out, including gathering all the diesel van parts needed and
>>>>> having
>>>>> someone else do the work.
>>>>>
>>>>> ...........
>>>>>
>>>>