If you get a complete running 85 you can certainly swap enough stuff
over to your 82 to end up with a running water cooled 82 van. The 82
transmission is mounted more forward than an 85 so using the 85 tranny
and its mounting/linkage parts would be the way to go for best results
with the 85 engine.

Without knowing how much stuff was swapped, cut away, or pulled out of
the 82 when it was switched to aircooled the scope of the project can't
be clearly defined.

Most any engine can be stopped and destroyed by the failure of a single
bolt with some bolt failures killing it instantly and others causing a
cascade of issues that kill it sooner or later.

Mark

Mark Hineline wrote:
>>......
>
> Agreed, but as I said, I've had bad luck with the two liter. The idea
> that a single bolt can completely disable the van AND require a
> complete engine teardown just freaks me out. One bolt!
>
> There are some other reasons why wasserizing might make sense. One is
> that there are just fewer and fewer aircooleds in the boneyards these
> days.
>
> But I'm not completely decided.
>
> Mark
>