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The T3 generation of the Volkswagen Type 2, also known as the Vanagon in the U.S., as the Transporter or Caravelle in Europe, and also to some in Britain and Ireland as the T25, was built from 1980 until 1991. It was the last of the rear-engined Volkswagens. more...

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Compared to its predecessor, the Microbus, the Vanagon was larger and heavier, with square corners replacing the rounded edges of the older models.

History

The Vanagon was built to be the modern successor to the Microbus. Unfortunately, the vehicle was somewhat underpowered in relation to its curb weight. Later versions of the Vanagon (produced in South Africa) had a 5-cylinder engine which helped performance greatly. Installing engines from more powerful vehicles — including gasoline and turbo diesel inline-4 Volkswagens, Subarus, Audis, and even Porsches — is a solution pursued by some owners.

Most early Vanagons had chrome-plated steel bumpers with plastic endcaps; later years had larger and squarer plastic bumpers.

Very early models (all 1980 models, some 1981) also had 8 welded-in metal slats covering the engine ventilation passages behind the rear windows. All later models had black plastic 16-slat covers that slotted in at the top and screwed down at the bottom.

There were four engine variants over the years, which were all pushrod horizontally opposed engines (not including the diesel variants):

a 2.0 L (2000cc) (67bhp) (Serial # CV) air-cooled, fuel injected flat-4 in the 1980 to 1983 1/2 models; a 1.9 L (1913cc) (83bhp) (Serial # DH) water-cooled (or "Wasserboxer") engine used for the 1983 1/2 to 1985 models, which used a fuel injection system known as "Digijet" (Digital Jet-tronic); a 2.1 L (2100cc) (95bhp) (Serial # MV) Wasserboxer, used until the end of Vanagon importation into the US in 1991. This engine used a more advanced fuel injection system known as "Digifant II".;

The Wasserboxer featured an aluminum case, cylinder heads, and pistons, and a forged steel crankshaft.

The Wasserboxer, as with all VW boxer engines, directly drives the camshaft via a small gear on the crankshaft, and a large one on the camshaft that makes direct contact, so there is no timing chain or belt to worry about. The entire mechanism is internal to the engine so there is no concern as long as the oil is changed regularly.

It also featured Heron, or "bowl-in-piston" type combustion chambers where the combustion takes place within the piston area, and not the cylinder head.

The WBX featured cast iron cylinder liners inserted into a water jacket with a "rubber lip" style head gasket, which is a very different design as compared to most vehicles. The top of the cylinder liners is pressed into a recessed cut-out in the cylinder heads, that are sealed with compressible metal rings, to prevent leakage.

Some Wasserboxers were plagued by head gasket failures due to several design issues. Engine failure was also a result of poorly placed sensors, corrosion in the cooling system and many areas subjected to leaks.