Will it be possible to put a diesel engine in a VW vanagon?

I was curious if this was possible for the 60's-70's or 80's vanagon.Will it be possible to put a diesel engine in a VW vanagon?Hey Strong,

Most of the engine conversions being done on VW's are on the "newer" Vanagons that already have a cooling system. Vanagons from the 82 diesel on up were originally equipped with a radiator, heater cores and all the necessary plumbing to accommodate any number of conversions with very few modifications or additions needed.



There are also kits available. Though most are made for the VW gas, VW TDI Diesel engines or Subaru gas engines. Not sure what, if anything is available for the Toyota diesel.



Earlier vans that were originally air cooled are going to be problematic to convert to water cooling. Not impossible, just more expensive and complicated.



Your best choice for a conversion is a water cooled Vanagon, in good shape with a blown engine.Personally? I'd opt for a Westfalia camper if it fits your needs. They're pretty versatile and with an engine conversion they go like a bat outta hell compared to the original drivetrain.

You can start looking for one on The Samba or thesamba.com.

I'd be leery of anything advertised in your local paper or on Craigslist. The Samba is mostly VW enthusiasts that are pretty up front about what they have for sale. The site also has a lot of useful information about conversions and many useful forums.