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The V-6 Vanagon Page 2
By Rick Sherrod
My 'Trans Sportster', Mary Frances
click on the small photos to see the full-sized photos, then click your browser's "BACK" button to get back here for more.
So here is the 3.1L Chevy motor mated to the 1980 Vanagon
Gas transaxle via Kennedy's adapter kit. Notice the bushel basket of wiring
that came from the '92 Corsica in the background. The throttle body and
EGR valve are both missing in this photo.
Here is the sturdy crossmember that I built to carry
this motor. It is quite well braced. I started with part of an existing
mount near the nose of the motor. I ribbed, gusseted, and strengthened
the core mount in every way that I could think of.
Just look at
that giant gusset strengthening this mount. There is also one inside
that you can't see from this angle. There is further internal bracing
inside the square tubing where material was removed for A/C compressor
clearance.
This
is a parts layout for the exhaust system. These parts include:
9 tubing bends and 2 collector cones from Stahl Headers in PA, 2 triangle flanges with gaskets & 3 bent sections of larger tubing from Muffler Masters here in Macon, GA., 6 1/2" thick exhaust flanges made by the local machine shop, and the original catalyst from the '92 Corsica. So far, I am out $375.00 in materials alone.
This is how
I made the headers.
You MUST
get this book. It teaches how to do all of the things I'm doing here and
more! This is where I learned it. Ron Fournier is a master. He demonstrates
tools that you never knew existed, and gives the you reasonably priced
sources for these tools.
here a photo of
the original Corsica filter adapter that was in the way of running
the headers from the left side of the motor to the right under the
pan. The housing simply dropped the filter too low to use.
So here is a photo after removing the pesky adapter and screwing the
filter directly to the block. My plan was to remove the pipe plug from
the block and install the oil pressure sender/switch there. Whoops! that's
a coolant jacket pipe plug. Hmmmm... The other oil pressure pipe plug
is inaccessable under the A/C compressor bracket. Oh well, I guess I don't
really need A/C after all... Yeah, right!!!
I shot down to the Chevy dealer and bugged the friendly parts guy to
look up every Chevy that was offered with a 2.8 or 3.1 V6 until the microfiche
(computer) showed an adapter that was acceptable for use. The application
that we found was one of two available on the 1988 Cavalier Z-24. I would
need to get the adapter, the engine block gasket, and the new oil filter
fitting. Total cost? $19.66 including tax. There's even an extra drilling
to use for a manual oil pressure guage! This is the second-best deal that
I've gotten on parts for this project yet.
July 1998
I have finally gotten the TranSportster onto the road. I installed the latest towing bumper prototype and have been using the vehicle daily for about two weeks. The only problems have been that the fuel tank is rusty and I have to continually replace the fuel filter whenever I hear the fuel pump "buzzing". The other problem is that the "check engine" light comes on while coasting for more than three seconds at a time. This is annoying, yet I believe that it is because the computer looks for a vehicle speed sensor signal and compares that input with engine RPM and throttle position switch, etc. and the math just doesn't work out without that speed sensor signal. I will remedy this later when I install cruise control and run the speed sensor input through the fuel computer (I hope).
Acceleration is brisk. Cruising speed is 65 MPH, any faster and the engine makes lots more noise than I am willing to tolerate. The (original) front transmission mount is flaccid and allows clutch chatter. There is also a resonance through the frame and driveline at a certain engine RPM (turned out later to be inside the transmission). I attribute this to the outboard location of the engine mounts. This is slightly annoying yet is liveable for the time being until I find the time for a motor mount redesign. I am involved with several other projects at the time on which my livelyhood depends so it will be a few months before I can update this site any further.
MARCH 1999
I had to replace the transmission in November 98. The transmission just lost all of it's oil without warning and I noticed a loud howling on the road while towing another VW to the shop. The transmission probably had a gasket failure. There was no apparent crack or fissure in the case. The transmission was salvaged from an old Vanagon that was totaled in a fuel fire, so I have to assume that it was cooked in that fire, and I just managed to get a few thousand more miles out of it.
I replaced that first tranny with a used unit out of a customer's dead van as partial payment for some work on his running van. I found out after I installed it that it was suffering from chronic synchronizer failure in 3rd & 4th gears. Yuck! Well, it works as long as I feel like putting up with it. Now I have another used unit to install that is supposed to be in top shape. I still assume that it's not the power of the motor that is the problem, just a couple of bad transmissions. This second transmission was bad when I put it in, and hasn't developed any other problems at all.
Most of the vibration that I mentioned before went away when I changed out the first transmission. I would never imagine that a transmission would make that kind of vibration by itself.
This V6 is ideally suited for cruising at 2000 RPM for fuel mileage and torque range reasons. At 65 mph with taller rear tires I have measured 3800 RPM. That makes a theoretical top speed of about 120 mph, not accounting for wind resistance and friction. The redline on the Chevy motor is 6500 RPM. I would not like to spend much time there because of how the motor carries on so at a meager 5000 RPM.
The cruise installation did fix the CHECK ENGINE light problem when I installed the speed sensor on the axle and ran the signal through the ECU. Cruise is great on this Vanagon.
It got really cold here in Georgia this winter. The temperature got down to about 19 degrees for about a week at a time. That's when I realized that my thermostat wasn't closing all of the way. For those of you that don't know what that means, it means that all of your warm coolant goes through the radiator to be cooled instead of going through the heater. BRRRRRR!!! It also means that your motor won't reach operating temperature during cooler weather, so your fuel system won't run efficiently using the oxygen sensor and catalytic converter the way it needs to. It will run the "cold enrichment" loop burning lots more fuel.
My fuel mileage runs from 11 mpg towing very heavy things to 18 mpg on the highway at 65 mph. Keep in mind that I use my cruise and I live in the hills.
I had a front tire separate and needed to replace the front pair with tires of the correct size and rating. I called THE TIRE RACK and ordered the Michelin LTX 195/70R14 M/S 6-ply light truck tire. WOW! What a difference! It feels like power steering already. They cost me $85 each plus $10 shipping each and $10 local mount and balance. I couldn't get them around here for anything close to that price.
I am also learning lots about rims for Busses and Vanagons. Did you know that The Audi 5 lug pattern is the same as the Bus, Vanagon, Eurovan and Mercedes? It is the same 5x112mmm bolt pattern. Now, whether the Vanagon outer bearing hub will fit inside the rim or not I don't know. You may have to get your local machine shop to clearance the rims for you. I do know that the Vanagon wheels are LUGcentric and the cars are HUBcentric. If anyone has any experience in these particular rim swaps let me know with E-MAIL and I'll post it here (time permitting).
8 SEPTEMBER 1999
I have picked up a sponsor for this website. Amazon.com has graciously offered to finance this site through the use of some some nice links that are topic specific to the interests on these pages. That fits very well with what I want to do here in the future, because any quality site requires money to operate. So, if you are interested in helping this site grow please feel free to use the links provided here to get to Amazon.com
If you're not sure that Amazon.com has things that interest you, please check out the search thingy below. I was surprised to find that they have an excellent electronics department. They also offer lots of toys, too and with their books, tapes, videos, electronics, & toys, they could take the headache out of your holiday gift-giving this year. I have purchased things from Amazon.com in the past and was very pleased with the experience. Just remember, if you need to visit Amazon.com for any reason, please do it through the links on this site. It won't cost you one penny more.
18 NOVEMBER 2002
The van has been sitting for about a year and a half now. The third transmission went bad on the way home from work one day and I have let it sit since then. I really miss driving it. It had lots of torque and met all my requirements except AC and pwr steering.
I'm waiting for the perfect Porsche transmission to come available for a reasonable price. I have something else to drive in the meantime, so I'm in no hurry. The GM 3.1 motor is designed to lug (cruise at a very low rpm) and the orginal Vanagon transmission is very low geared to accomodate the hi-revving tendencies of the European 4 cylinder. As a result, I have a motor that cruises too fast and doesn't run efficiently, and a transmission that is causing the problem and is apparently too weak to last long anyway, considering the higher torque of the GM motor.
There are several Porsche transmissions that can be used on this project. I don't have exact measurements, but since I have made some body modification to accomodate the engine, there is no reason not to make similar modifications for a badly needed transmission improvement.
Transmissions:
915 5 spd transmission from 1974 to 1986 911 - is the most reasonable
transmission that can handle the additional torque. The bolt pattern is
the same as the Vanagon transmission so I'll be able to use the same adapter
kit, the clutch is reasonably priced, this transmission is widely available
for replacements. The drawback is that the clutch release is mechanical
and the cable pulls under the left driveshaft against an arm that would
hang under the transmission possibly catching things on the road. Price
- $800-1500 on ebay.
G50 transmission - from 1987 on 911 - is the expensive younger, stouter
cousin to the 915. It is capable of more torque, has a hydraulic clutch
release which allows easy adaptation to the existing Vanagon clutch release.
The transmission is available in 5 speed or 6 speed from later models.
The shifting is supposed to be very smooth. I believe the bellhousing
bolt pattern is the same as the Vanagon. Drawbacks - Transmission is very
long, certainly requiring body modifications, the clutch parts are very
expensive, the adapter flywheel would almost certainly have to be replaced
with another expensive part, and the transmission is in very high demand
among Porsche modifiers for an upgrade.
Price - $1500 - $3500 on ebay.
Tiptronic - ? to current 911 - is the hybrid transmission that can be
operated as an automatic or a manual transmission. It's very expensive
to buy and very complicated to install. The computer from the car is required.
I'm not sure whether the fuel injection computer also controls the Tiptronic
transmission or whether a separate transmission computer uses signals
from engine RPM, throttle position, vehicle speed, engine temperature,
etc. to make shifting decisions. I would have to buy a book on that to
find out. The Tiptronic would be the ideal choice for me on this vehicle
because I could let my wife drive the van as an automatic and when towing
I could have my choice of gears on the hills without having to put up
with "gear hunting" typical of regular automatic transmissions.
Price - PRICELE$$ at your local Porsche junkyard.
If I had it to do all over again I would do it, but I would start with a different engine & transmission and more money. I would certainly start with a much nicer Vanagon, too so that I would have the plush velour interior, alloys, A/C, Cruise, rear wiper, power steering, etc.
I still vividy remember grinning from ear to ear when I accelerated around some bonehead who camped in my blind spot on the interstate, or when I pulled out in front of someone on the highway in front of my house and left them behind. You can imagine their disappointment to see an old Vanagon pull out of a driveway in front of them, only to have the old van pull away and become a dot on the horizon.
Engine possibilities:
Subaru 4? no. not much improvement over the waterboxer. The cost of this
conversion could be spent replacing the waterboxer heads several times
over and have less trouble.
Subaru Turbo 4? Sure. Good choice. 160 hp and fair fuel mileage.
Subaru 6? Wooohooo Baby! You bet! 233 hp from 3.3 liters. Count me in.
Only available in the '92-'97 SVX sports coupe which has a following as
loyal as the Vanagon's. How do you pry one of these away from the Soob
guys? Let me know when you find out. I did see one on ebay without the
fuel system and such. It was from a northern vehicle and it had
lots of salt corrosion. Not very impressive.
GM 4.3 Vortec? Yes. Good stout motor with internal balance shaft, OBDII engine diagnostics, great power, fair fuel mileage, very reliable. Avoid pre '96 models with throttle body injection which have no balance shaft, lower power, and worse fuel mileage.
VW 2.6Liter inline 5? Yes. Complete conversion kits are available for Vanagon with manual transmission. Uses South African Vanagon parts to make it happen. Conversion kits start at $4000.00 complete with new 2.6L motor, fuel injection, and ALL parts for turn key job. Great power, good fuel mileage, all VW parts.
This is the question: Do you absolutely love the Vanagon? Are you so in love with the Vanagon that you're willing to spend thousands more that it's worth to make it fit your requirements? Are you willing to make the commitment to work on that Vanagon for the rest of it's life because no one else will touch it? If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may be a candidate for a Vanagon engine conversion. The last question - Do you have 30% more money than you think it could possibly cost you? In your hand? If you answered yes to all of these questions you're ready.