Where've you been?

In bed with a cold/flu.  Got out on Sunday, though weak, and re-arranged the garage for work.  Put the van in sideways, so there's room above it to raise the rear end, and then laid out all the kit boxes on tables, ready to go.  I skipped SK-A (adapter) for now, and went to kit C (cooling), since I don't have an engine hoist yet.  SK-A requires some cutting at the bottom of the engine, which I can't do unless I suspend the engine somehow.  I should be able to pick up the loaner this week. 

Below are:   SK-C parts (the two O-rings are Ford OEM, since the engine came without the PLASTIC thermostat housing - almost $20 for the two of them!!), the thermostat, drilled with a 1/8" bleed hole per instructions, and the assembled thermostat housing.  The housing is a beautiful billet CNC-milled aluminum chunk, with chamfered edges to boot.  The last photo, poorly exposed, is the housing mounted to the engine.  Next, I'll either go back to SK-A, or start raising the van and draining things.

So, we actually started the project in late September, with the acquisition of a used Zetec engine.  I found an '03 with 13,000 miles within driving distance, and picked it up in the F150, carrying it home on a pile of used motorcycle tires.  Having both a truck and a bucket tractor (and a logging chain) made this easy.  The kit from Bostig - ten boxes via UPS - arrived shortly thereafter, and I hoped to begin in early October.  However, I encountered a series of schedule delays due to other events, and put off the start until we got through them.  I should add that the green puddle that started all this turned out not to be the head gaskets after all.  Our Volvo V70 wagon's power steering had a problem, Joan needed to travel (it's her van), and I decided to try to locate the leak and see if it might be a problem that leak-stop could fix.  I was reluctant to use such a product, fearing possible clogging of the radiator.  I ended up finding that a plastic pipe connecting to the cylinder bank had a minute crack in it.  After removing it and making numerous attempts to patch the crack, I located a replacement pipe (made of metal!), fashioned a gasket (the original gaskets are NLA) and installed it.  The engine leak was completely stopped.  However, I have no plans to delay the installation further, though being able to use the van over the last several weeks has been great for Joan.  The V70?  Another *&^!%$^% plastic part failure.  I have also just fixed the odometer in the Vanagon for the xxth time.  It has a PLASTIC drive gear that is a friction fit on a metal drive shaft.  What could go wrong? the designer thought.  Twenty years later ...

The alternatives

The alternative of disposing of the van was the last option.  It's in excellent shape for its age (aside from the engine), with good paint, good interior, no rust, and (with all due humility) well-maintained.  Its only problem has been recurring issues with the engine cooling, and the failure of the air conditioning due to a leaky compressor.  Parts for the engine are getting scarce, though there are many available on the specialized Vanagon sites to help with this.

I looked at various engine alternatives, not including re-building the existing engine.  Subaru, TDI, other engines have all been retrofitted to the van by various individuals and small companies.  I was primarily interested in an upgrade that would replace the existing engine with one that would be easy to install and support.  I had no interest in significantly increasing the power level, which has been reasonably adequate at the stock 90hp, though marginal with the A/C turned on.

I decided to go with the kit and support provided by Boston engineering firm Bostig Incorporated (www.bostig.com).  While the total cost of any conversion seems high in comparison to the age of this vehicle, the design, support and materials they supply are first-rate, and the choice of a Ford Zetec, a reliable and high-volume engine, seems ideal for the owner wanting to move the motive technology of the Vanagon ahead a decade or so.  One gains 35 - 40 hp, we can revive our air conditioning with a reliable compressor, the exhaust system is simplified, and the engine management system allows full diagnostic capabilities.  The kit includes all the custom parts necessary to install the non-standard engine, and full documentation and support are available every day.  So, choice made.  Away we go.

Project Background

This will be a history of my project to convert our Vanagon from its stock engine to a new (used) Ford Zetec four-cylinder in-line engine.  Why?  Well, my association with Volkswagen's water-cooled engines consists of three efforts:  a 1980 Volvo diesel engine (by VW/Audi), a 1982 VW Rabbit convertible, and this 1990 Vanagon.  The diesel cooling was acceptable - it just leaked oil.  The Rabbit was a Rube Goldberg nest of hoses, pipes and several dozen joints that constantly loosened, cracked, and leaked coolant.  A friend of mine once identified the year of my Rabbit, in the dark, by the smell of hot coolant that always surrounded it when parked.  The Vanagon?  It's barfed out its water jacket gaskets three times.  First time, replaced under warranty.  Second time, some pity, but they only paid for parts.  Third time, we paid the whole thing.  This job, not done by the dealer, seemed to last - over ten years so far - but when I saw the green puddle on the floor a few months ago, and added the cost of a complete new exhaust system that it would need to pass inspection, the hunt was on for an alternative.