Stuart,

If you are like me and plan on keeping your rig and driving it to
rust/dust - then having a spare engine properly pickles and stored in
your garage may not be a bad plan. I have owned a Vanagon since 1990 -
22 years - my first being a 1985 model and I took it to the 205,000 mile
mark on the original engine without so much as a valve job. Had to
replace the water pump once. I have owned my current van - a 1988 GL -
since '98 - now going into the 15th year. I had the engine rebuilt a
year after I got it and it is still running strong with over 150K on it
- 200K+ on the body. If you take care of these vans - they are like the
Timex watch ads - they just keep on ticking. Currently there is no
wearing part that cannot be replaced when worn out - thereby extending
the life of the vehicle. It would be nice I'm sure to have the added
power of a later engine conversion - but the stock WBX is a pretty
strong little engine IF maintained properly, driven properly and taken
care of. That is reason enough alone to keep the standard WBX engine in
the van. The WBX is a torquey little engine at the low end and if driven
in the speed ranges for which designed, it will deliver all the power
you need. It would be prudent to have a spare engine, properly pickled,
if  you plan to do as I am doing - keeping the van and keeping it
running until either the engine or "I" run out - which ever comes first.

Good maintenance is the key. Do that, and the Vanagon is as reliable as
any vehicle, and better than many.

John Rodgers

On 9/9/2012 1:46 PM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
> All aircooleds certainly did, but I don't recall seeing anything on this
> list while I've been checking it (off and on since 1997 or so).  Since I've
> got leaky valves, particularly the exhaust valves which were notorious for
> snapping off "BWBX" (before the water boxer).  Anyone remember the sodium
> filled exhaust valves in the 2.0 of the early '70s?
>
>
>
> After thoroughly analyzing and pricing conversions, (min $12,000 by the time
> you are done with all the worn out ancillary crap, including the
> transmission) I may be looking to either slap some heads on this one or look
> for a rebuildable core I can build over the winter.  I could also upgrade
> the other systems piece by piece over time.
>
>
>
> But, if this engine isn't a valve eater, (just a rod sucker, at least for
> the 2.1) then I may just drive it, but only within 200 miles!
>
>
>
> One thought is to just have a spare engine in the garage at all times and
> forget about the conversion, but I would like to take some extended trips
> someday and don't want to trailer an extra engine.
>
>
>
> Stuart
>
> '85 Westy
>