bryan_johnson

Don't worry too much about long radiator hose lengths. There are thousands of VW vanagons out there that are longer than most soobs and have a radiator in front and an engine in back. Also, just because the loop is long, doesn't imply you need a booster pump. The regular water pump is more than adequate. If you need a good hose to run long distances, try marine exhaust hose. It is super heavy duty. It is reinforced with a metal coil and has a tough fabric cover. It's a little expensive, but not too bad when you consider the convienience. A boat supply shop can help you, or you can buy it online. If you buy online do a lot of searching. Prices are all over the map. Oh, yeah about bleeding. Its not rocket science. Just be sure you tee-off isolated high spots with small bleed hoses to collect air and send it back to the your radiator or resevoir where the radiator cap is.

It is unusual to loose oil pressure, even with a shortened oil pan. Even guys off-roading in synchros don't complain about that. Does the pan have any baffles at all?

I've got a 2003 wrx in an '85 weekender camper. A weekender is a camper with no sink/stove setup. There are a couple of weird things about an 85 camper. Some of it is more like an 84, and other parts are like an 85. Electrical diagrams sometimes are a little off. The worst thing about an 85 is the suspension. The front springs are taller than the rears. I am in the process of swapping out the springs with some after market types. Also, VW introduced rear sway bars in later models (not sure when). The newer vans definitely handle better. I think if I was going to do a swap again I would hold out for a newer 'square headlight' van. Bryan