The
Volkswagen Vanagon may not look like a "hippie van", but the successor
to the iconic VW Bus still sounds like "flower power". The T3 doesn't
burn daisies or gardenias, of course, but its underpowered engine seems
to chant, "hell no, we won't go".
That's why some VW enthusiasts,
especially those who drive Westphalia campers, replace the Vanagon stock
engine with a 3.3-liter, 230-hp, 6-cylinder EG33 engine from Subaru. Then there are Westy wunderkind
who buy and rebuild EG33 engines. Some are hobbyists and others
full-time automotive restoration specialists, but all combine German
engineering with Japanese designs and American know-how.
JWPATE of The Samba,
a website for VW enthusiasts, recently documented his EG33 rebuild for
the world to see. When the crate arrived, the owner of the silver 1984
Westy was "not convinced - but interested enough" in trying an engine
swap. Some 20 pages later, his do-it-yourself diary carefully described
the "last step" in a key part of the engine rebuild - cleaning the case
halves. "Armed" with a 3 3/4 inch, 220 grit (fine) American-made flex hone, JWPATE detailed how he "launched an attack" on the cylinder bores. "The
idea was just to clean them well and renew the cross-hatch pattern
(which could still be seen from the factory honing)," he explained.
After applying "plenty" of honing oil, the engine rebuilder "started with the plan of giving each bore 20 seconds with the flexible hone". Every application is different, of course, but generously lubricating the flex hone tool and applying 30 to 60 strokes is what we recommend
for best results. JWPATE followed this advice, and "only a few minutes
later" the cylinder bores were ready for cleanup. "Hot soapy water, then
rinse, dry them well, and quickly get on a coating of light oil," he
explained.
It's been since
spring that JWPATE last posted on The Samba, but that might be a good
thing. Hopefully, his summer has been spent camping - in a 1984 VW Westy
wagon with a rebuilt EG33 engine.
Editor's Note: CR4 would like to thank Brush Research for contributing this blog entry, which originally appeared here.
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