I'd say first thing to consider is if you want to stay air-cooled or
take the plunge and switch over to a water-cooled engine ..
no small undertaking on an air-cooled Vanagon.

( you'd also be miles ahead to pick upan already water-cooled vanagon to
work with, or drive until it needs an engine. MILES and miles ahead. )

Ifsticking with air-cooled ..nottoo many choices that I can think of
........there's stock-ish Type IV engine like you have ..
they can be enhanced a little I believe. A fresh strong rebuilt engine
could serve well for years after all.

There's the porshce 911 engine ....wouldn't be that difficult a
conversion I'd think.  Have to consider if you'll have a carbed version
or fuel injection. I wouldn't expect fuel milage to be that great ....17
or 18 mpg tops I'd think. As used engines go I think they're pretty
expensivetoo.

if going to water-cooled ..it would be handy to have a whole donor
van..because there is a whole load of parts you'd want out of it to
convert to water-cooling. Iincluding not just radiator and main
pipes..but front heater and heater/defrostercontrols and all that. Not a
small undetaking.
  for Subaru engine, the one I recommend for you is 1991 to 94 Legacy
SOHC 2.2 .. a very sweet engine.

and what is your budget ?
   If you paya professional to do a good job ....you're already past $
10,000.     Perhaps superb, fast, inexpensive, honest, Robert in LV is
your man for an engine conversion .

the easiest route is keep what you have and start with a totally fresh
engine.
Scott

On 9/12/2013 11:13 AM, Fuhrel, Robert wrote:
> Greetings, I just got the bad news (maybe good news in the long run) that the engine in my air-cooled '83 Westy is old and worn out, one cylinder shot, and so on, and the mechanic, new to me, who seems honest and has a great reputation in my new town of Lakeland, Florida, recommends getting a different engine.  He said I could drive this around town but that it might do more damage and would be running on only 75% power.
> I've had the Vanagon for eighteen years, all in Las Vegas, where a superb, fast, inexpensive and honest mechanic named Robert Madrid kept it going all that time.  It is in overall excellent shape.
> So,  I am asking list members if anyone knows someone in the Tampa-Lakeland (Orlando only if necessary, please) area who can put a different engine in, and what should I get if I can?  I almost certainly can't afford a Porsche engine though I've heard that is possible, but it must entail all kinds of other modifications, probably transmission and so on. I also know vaguely that Subaru swaps can be done but know nothing about which Subaru engines would work. Perhaps another VW engine would be fine, but I'd like a little more power than what I've had all these years, something that would allow me to go faster than 35mph on hills (though Florida has few, from LV to anywhere I went up and down many hills no faster than that.)  Any information will be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!
>
> Best,
>
> Bob
>