On Sun, May 20, 2012 at 11:34 AM, OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net> wrote:

>   IMHO, I do not think that
>
> any of the "Inline4s" are a proper engine for a Vanagon ~ They are set
> up from the getgo for a flat well
>
> balanced engine & that should be a leading criteria when one ponders a
> conversion.
>

   That is a valid point that can be easily addressed as a conversion is
made...the weight bias.  But  "a leading criteria"? ....keeping a flat
engine?   One could easily say there are plenty of different criteria that
might be more important to some....Like cost, fuel economy and ease of the
engine swap...   I suppose there is some merit in the flat four...but a
vanagon is not every going to suffer diminished lap times due to a slightly
higher center of gravity, nor did Westphalia seem to care much when the
stuck everything on the left side of their campers...

   I actually think the inline fours from VW are the proper engine for
vanagons, but then I am biased because mine works well for me.  Almost
everyone I have been in contact with that drives an inline powered vanagon
seems to have the same opinion (except those who got the old Tiico kits,
those seem to have been problematic).

 There aren't many Vanagons out there who've 'run through' an inline VW
motor and swapped  back over to a  WBX or a changed to a Subaru, thinking
to improve on it...

   I suppose if one had no concerns at all about cost, the best vanagon
engine might be a twin turbo 997 Porsche running through a sequential
Porsche transaxle and their Carrera 4 all wheel drive....Now that one might
take advantage of having a lower and better balanced driveline...  grin.
  Don Hanson