As far as power goes, Michael, check the archives.  My swap can double the
HP of the current mill.  The ford 2.3 turbo makes anywhere from 160-210 HP
stock.  My friend's Merkur makes about 240 with volvo(big) intercooler and 3
inch exhaust.
I could write a list a couple pages long with the advantages this motor
offers over the WB.  There are disadvantages, but none too big to make me
rebuild my leaky WB.

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Harrnacker <harrnack@YAHOO.COM>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Thursday, July 30, 1998 11:46 PM
Subject: why swap engines

>I've been on this list long enough to notice a significant percentage
>of vanagon owners have swapped out their flat-four engines and diesels
>for other engines.
>
>My questions is why?  Is the cost of replacing a boxer engine so
>prohibitive that it's cheaper to reinvent all the supporting equipment
>for a different engine?  It doesn't seem to me that the engines
>changes are gaining so much more power that it overrides the headaches
>of reengineering the car, plus the headaches of finding parts for such
>a (sorry) mongel.
>
>Mike H.
>89 Weekender
>
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