I'm just sick of VW engines, not the van. I've put up with several since
1974 and all have caused me grief.

You point out why I'm doing the Subaru 2.2 conversion and not the 2.5.
There are kits and there is excellent step by step documentation for this
conversion, and the 2.2 is just simpler all around.  No fabrication required
unless you want to make some of your own parts or modify the harness
yourself.

The ABA conversion looks sweet, but life is too short for me to tackle what
Jim did.  This is right up Alistair's alley though!

Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Don Hanson
Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2013 6:53 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: coolant overflow fears and thoughts

  Yes Stuart...

  Nobody has, to my knowledge, ever done an Idiot's Guide to the ABA
install.  The 1.8 install, those don't really need many instructions...you
can look at a diesel to see how the bars go in, then put the motor in and
connect the wires from the WBX...pretty much....Of course, there are a few
things you have to 'adjust' to fit the gas inline to the WBX tranny, unless
you have the diesel trans, too..But I don't think you can just go Online and
sign up to have one done for you at a fixed cost....everyone does their own,
pretty much, and most like em when they're done....

   Nor is there a complete step by step simple guide anywhere to cover
installing a 2.5 Subaru into a Vanagon....There are a lotta lotta written
pages about the Subaru conversions, probably because those are more
complicated undertakings,  due to many different motors, by years, with big
changes to the motors  and many different ways to do all the adaptations for
cooling, wiring, exhausts, etc....

   You do have to do a little research when you plan on revising your
"Ride"....Some of the VW motors aren't that great....I can name some that
have pretty bad reputations....Hee hee.   Manufacturers make crappy motors
now and again, it's up to you to find out which they are and NOT buy
those...Tiico really messed up that motor they built, I think....it'd have
to have been really bad to get such an awful reputation as a vibrator.....

   If you are sick of VW stuff, go find a used smaller GM-based conversion
van...A Surfari or something....I hear those go easy 300, 000k miles and
they have AWD in some...Or spring for a Sprinter and look around before you
drive under anything low......