Some Calcification. But only because I know these things a little. Hope it helps.. 2@cent
In 1980 When VW introduced the Newer Vanagon Style Tintops and Campers they used a 2.0 AirCooled engine. Not exactly the same engine as was in the earlier Bays, but similar. But Many items were not interchangeable etc. As with any new production Vehicle the Newer Vanagons were conceived many years earlier with the anticipation of introducing a completely new VW Van, a water cooled vehicle that would be slightly larger, more roomier, and more family friendly, could provide better emissions, longer longevity, more power, hot water heat etc then the earlier Air Cools. But VW kind of put the body before the development of the newer engine. The complete Van was built to house the new water cooled engine, radiator and cooling system etc, but the engine development had lagged behind the Vans production. Thus the VW engineers decided to retro-fit the earlier 2.0 Air Cooled engine into the newer Vanagon Body styles until the water cooled engine was ready for production which came approximately 3 years later. The problem with the 2.0 engines were that the newer Vanagons were much heavier then the older Bay Windows that ended in 1979, thus the newer Vanagons with the Air Cooled engines were underpowered and the engines lived short life's and were doomed. The air cools were dying not so much only to engine failures but heavy foot drivers demading to much to fast, Countries forcing better cleaner emissions etc. Long lived the Air Cools and In 1983 VW introduced the water cooled engine that they had originally intended for this Van. Oddly enough the newer VW water cooled engines are a direct descendant from the earlier Bus Engines as found in the later 70's campers, as there a descendant of the earlier, ones, etc, etc. What VW did was removed the finned Cylinders and developed a water jacket Incorporated into the block and utilized removable piston sleeves. The newer design permitted VW to develop more HP utilizing a water cooled Cylinder head which by the way is where most of the power and heat is developed. The newer water cooled engines are easily capable of going 300,000 miles but with any design they too have prone failures, that must be maintained etc. BTW the Last Air-Cooled Vw made for America Markets were the Vanagons.. All other VW air-Cools ended in 1979.... You can tell the difference in the Air Cooled Vanagons and Water Cooled Vanagons from some distance away. The Water Cooled will have two front grills upper and lower, where as the Air Cools will only have one upper Grill. Both of these Vans are identical except for the addition of the lower grill when VW added the radiator. Also unknown to many that radiator space and almost every part of the water cooled Vanagon was carved out beginning in 1980 in preparation for the coming water system, radiator, fan, etc 3 years later even though it's a Air Cooled Vanagon, it's just a big empty chamber. Some parts for the Air Cooled Vanagons are no longer available and other parts are pricy depending on availability. Many Air Cooled have been converted to water cooled, and some water cools converted to Air Cools Go Figure...
Ohoooo BTW VW used the exact same Auto Trans in all VW Buses from 1974-1991... Possibably some slight variations but puddy much the same one.
Now if VW would have only used a Subaru flat 4 and Built a VanaRu these babies would still be out there and probably still in production. clap2-*
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