Hope this one hasn't been asked recently....

Friends of mine back in the Chicago area have an early 90's vanagon. 
 They're having the head gaskets redone for the third time, and are just 
about ready to part with the beast.  I'm wondering if I were to purchase 
their newer Vanagon, is it possible to swap the engine in my '84 (which 
hasn't given me problems) with the one in their 1990's Vanagon?  This would 
give me a nicer van, with an engine I've had good luck with.  My tranny is 
noisey, and I don't know about the shape of theirs, so the tranny's may or 
may not be swapped.  We're only dreaming about this one, but I thought I'd 
open it up for comments....

Any thoughts, comments, suggestions?  Thanks in advance.

Tim C.