Subaru Engine Swap - VW Vanagon 1.9L --- Help/Advise Needed

Automotive
#1

Owned a 1984 VW Vanagon (Westfalia) 1.9L for over 10 years. Coming to terms with the reality of it’s age and need to make a big decision. Sell my Westy, or swap the engine and give it the much needed power plant. Just to a new paint job (fixed most of the major rust issues, and all new seals).

Spent many hours looking at swap options and it appears the Subaru is the best option, given reliability, ease of swap and $$$. Also looking at whether it makes sense to also swap the transmission (more $$$).

In order for me to jump on this swap I need help from MS. Looking for someone who is open to get their hands a little dirty - or be a sounding board. I’ve never embarked on such a major swap - though I have replaced and rebuilt a few engines (so not totally newbie).

Really just posting in hopes that I see enough volunteerism to justify and risk the price of ordering the thousands of dollars worth of parts needed.

Hoping your advise and volunteerism help me make the best/right decision.

Thanks,
Ed

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#2

I don’t have any technical advice, but some of my best memories as a kid were of going camping in our '84 Westfalia. I hope you go the swap route, but if you do end up wanting to sell it, I’d be interested.

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#3

@TLAR might have some incite, er, insight or know folks who do.
I am a purist at heart, and would be looking to take this TDI based on my experiences in Diesel Vanagons. On the other hand, I participated in an event wherein a crew of “aircooled” busses puttered around a mountainous region, and was AMAZED by the display of hill-climbing prowess one of the more innocuous-looking participants displayed. Not that I was looking for it, but when I asked what they were running, and they responded “don’t tell anyone my “aircooled” is running a 2.5 Subaru” I about fell over. I never did find the radiator (again, not that I was under it or anything), and the oil pan was NOT in view, unlike all the others I’ve seen. But that thing sounded GREAT and “Volkswagon-ny”, like a big-bore air-cooled should. So the aural purist in me definitely sides with the V-dubaru swap…

PS almost anything is better than the wasserboxer…not a bright moment in VW lore, but putting head seals on IS buckets of fun :frowning:

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#4

TDI ALH 2.0 Diesel would be my recommendation.

I’d love to watch it be done and take notes, I’ve got a '81 VW truck I’m considering the swap in.

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#5

Wouldn’t event know where to start on a diesel swap.

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#6

So I’ve been hunting down information and it may be possible to do a full engine and transmission swap. I’ve called a few conversion places to see if they can sell the conversion kit without the parts to bolt on the VW trans to see if saving justifies the additional parts needed to convert the subí trans. So far no luck; but I’m not giving up on this just yet.

So it looks like it’ll be about $6-7k; closer to $8k all in.

Just need to figure out what Subaru engine to get and then where is best to source. Need to have all this purchase and done before ordering kits.

Anyone know good place to source engine?

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#7

Don’t leave us hanging, we need at least one pic of this rare bird…

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#8

Ebay is a good spot to source a motor. There will be plenty of JDM ones out there. Japanese used car inspection is very strict so lots of low-mileage older cars getting parted out. Otherwise, Craigslist and Facebook marketplace might find you a used one locally, which should save 10-20% but is more of a process.

Not sure which motor you’re looking for, I think NA EJ20s are the cheapest but obviously giving up some power, the EJ25 is the bigger, more powerful one. Or do the right thing and get a turbo. You could fly up those hills with 300 hrspwrs.

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#9

Pick and pull for a 2.5 engine(but be sure to pick one off an MT car if your Vanagon is MT) decent power, decent reliability Otherwise surplus engine shops from Japan(more likely to find an MT version), but most will be 2.0s.
Got links to share for those conversion places/parts?

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#10

Vanagons had the option of Diesel power in later models - so there is a “factory” way to go. If going diesel - I’d opt for the 1996 to 2005 VW TDi engines.

Subaru is a very popular transplant as well. There is a guy in Mansfield / Fort Worth area that does them.

When I was a kid, the swap was a Buick V6 engine.

If you pay a shop to do it - $10k, probably more is not unreasonable. Shops are not Makerspaces, they need to make money to stay in business.

If doing it yourself, in either case - TDi or Subaru, your best bet is to buy a wrecked car with the engine in it that you want. That way you get the misc hardware(nuts, bolts, brackets etc) that you may need.

Pick n Pull is an option - just be prepared to make dozens of trips - see my legwork note below.

Your 84 is air cooled at this time, so with the addition of a liquid cooled engine - you will have new cooling system to install. $8k,$10k at a “retail” shop is not “just putting an engine in it” (many cannot get past the “that’s a lot of money” because they don’t appreciate the amount of time and talent that goes into a project like this). A hack job might cost less up front, but then you could be out another chunk of money to un-fuck what the "lower cost folks did or worse - didn’t do.

Kennedy engineering (Palmdale Ca.)has been around since the dinosaurs (V6 engines in VW buses) and they make mount plates for pretty much any engine and xmsn combination. They aslo do custom if anyone is interested. Kennedy probably makes the adapters that everyone else sells in their kits.

If it were me I’d do the work myself. It isn’t rocket science. It does take time tho - a hella lotta time. More time than you think - so you should triple whatever you may think it will take. If this is a weekend project, most would give up and then you sell the vanagon and misc parts and walk away. This happens in the “engine swap” world more often than you think.

Note on Legwork : Do your homework. If you are mechanically inclined and have a realistic budget (money and time) then it isn’t impossible. Realistic and budget are a touch act to follow - the makerspace can help though.
You cannot spend enough time doing the legwork on this project. If it were me and I didn’t have the experience, I’d visit mom and pop (not dealerships) VW and Subaru repair shops and ask questions about maintenance and repairs. Physically seeing the cars, engines etc (not google) and not YouTube.

https://www.vancafe.com/category-s/4490.htm

Kennedy and the Makerspace and a real monetary budget makes it doable.

Will the Makerspace be around long enough though?

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#11

On a side note to Malcolm,

Would you be interested in another VW Rabbit diesel truck? I also have a complete TDi swap but the engine needs work(runs but is more effective as a mosquito fogger). Everything from ECU to the pedals, every wire, sensor, bracket, including the charge air cooler and ducting, everything from a 96 TDi manual xmsn B4.

I am leaving the VW Rabbit Truck world. I have more than a few n.o.s. and other parts as well.

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#12

Not at this time. I had a relative offer to work on it for a fun project to keep them busy and I’m not looking to do anything until they’ve finished.

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#13

Really great info. Been saving up for this so I have the funds - really want to do myself for the learning experience and doing the work means I can fix if it breaks (most of the time).

I’m looking into a engine and transmission swap - called around and it seems that it’s $5-6k for the swap parts and I just need to find the right engine/tranny. Then many many many hours to figure it all out.

The reason I’m even looking at this is because there are lots of complaints that sub engine is amazing; but too powerful for the current transmission. So it needs the upgrade.

http://www.subarugears.com/Mounts/Vanagon.html

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#14

I’d keep the Vanagon transaxle, but it is your car and your choice.

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#15

Nomad,

I am curious, did you contact Kennedy Products - I am curious how their prices compared to the one you posted above.

One item to note - the physical engine / transmission mounts are usually the “easy” part of a hybrid project like this. It is the ancillary systems that will take countless hours to sort out.
Plumbing (coolant, fuel, oil(if adding a setrab type cooler) etc
Electrical - pretty sure that there are plug and play harnesses for the main engine now.
Will you have functioning heat in the cabin? Heaven forbid you actually have a functional windscreen defroster !! (more plumbing when dealing with a former air cooled engine)
Air conditioning ? Why go Subaru if not for the byproduct of real climate control?

I’ve done various engine transplants into mostly VW products including a 6 cyl boxer in a Vanagon decades ago. Never again for me, but I am interested in your project.

P.S. the Makerspace automotive dept has a very nice tube flaring tool, in the event you need to form some custom tubing.

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#16

now hold on, you promised me you’d do the TDI swap for me, electronics and everything.

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#17

I like your sense of humour!

The Rabbit Truck would be “easier” (I love that term) to turn into a TDI (using a 2005 and earlier drivetrain - yes even the PD). The Rabbit (like the vanagon) is the ‘easy’ piece of the puzzle.

I much prefer the vehicles made before useless gadgets were added. (if one cannot operate their vehicle safely without the use of a functioning backup camera - then they should not have a license to drive)

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