The diesel carrier bars are not the only parts to copy. There is also
the diesel oil pan and the aluminum mounts that bolt to the block. You
are grossly underestimating the difficulties involved in someone making
his own 50 degree setup work. Very few people can fabricate all the
things to duplicate the stock diesel stuff. The 15 degree setup is much
simpler for the guy at home build as it just needs a custom carrier bar.
Of course a 15 degree adapter plate and flywheel are also required, like
from KEP. You can order that with both 15 and 50 degree holes and change
later to the other angle should you care to.

Even using stock diesel Vanagon pieces people who convert to inline 4
engines often take weeks and months to finish it the first time they
try. If they also get the full exhaust from the diesel van they can save
some time and give up some performance.

The reason people mount the true ABA at 15 degrees is because it fits
better that way in a Vanagon. To make a "pseudo ABA" work ok at 50
degrees involves mixing major parts from other VW inline engines such as
you have. I think a custom intake manifold would simplify things greatly
for a proper ABA install such as what FAS has done. I would like one of
those.

Mark

Don Hanson wrote:
>
>     I would think, even if a person couldn't actually find and buy real VW
> factory used diesel parts to install an inline in the standard way,  it
> would be much much easier to just copy the factory stuff from another van
> or something.   The bars are pretty dang simple and the mounts are still
> available and not expensive.
>
>     Going at it this way, it's likely that most anyone who could change out
> a WBX motor could also do the swap to an inline gas VW (1.8liter) without
> learning new skills or becoming frustrated and giving up.