Almost there

We are so very close to getting this engine running.

All that's left is to fill all the fluids. Coolant, oil, and gas.

Installing the rest of the coolant lines

 After getting the engine in I started on the rest of the coolant lines. 
Everything went pretty smoothly. The two-piece stainless steel coolant pipes from busdepot.com fit very well. 

I used some old rubber hose and some strapping material to hold the pipes up into place.

































  

Now, on to the exhaust.

I got the whole exhaust system from smallcar.com. Again, what a nice product! I haven't had it on for long to see how it will hold up in the Florida humidity, but so far very impressed.

This exhaust tucks up underneath the rear bumper just like the original did. Looking at the van, you can't even tell I installed a 2.5L Subaru engine. ;)

The time has come... engine install

It is now time for the Subaru engine to be installed into the Vanagon.

After cleaning the engine and sending the heads off for a pressure check. I put the engine back together with new head gaskets and reinstalled the intake manifold.

Once I got the engine all back together I installed the adapter plate and mated the engine to the transmission together.

Mounted the engine support bar, keeping the bolts a little loose for adjustment.

 Placed the engine and transmission onto two furniture dollies. 

 Simply slid the engine and transmission under the van on the dollies...

 Placed the jack under the center between the engine and transmission and slowly lifted them both up until the transmission mount was up against the chassis. 

Put the four bolts into the chassis that supports the transmission.

 Once the four transmission support bolts were in, I lowered the engine down onto two jack stands and repositioned the jack to lift the engine the rest of the way into the engine bay.

I couldn't be any happier with how well this conversion fits.

The engine support bar and everything seams like it was built from VW to fit.