The 82 diesel carrier bars mount the engine forward by some amount to
work with shorter early trannys. When longer 5 speeds came out in 83 the
bars were changed and the engines were pushed back to make room.

The later 4 speeds kept the 5 speed position by using a tranny nose
mount that was longer to fill the gap. You can modify the longer wbx
4spd nose mount to move the later tranny forward to where the early type
was and thus use the early type carrier bars. I would not do this but
people have. The linkage would then need some work.

You can switch the carrier bars to the later type if you also get the
later rubber mounts. The other parts of the 2 versions of USA diesel
Vanagon mounting parts can be mixed, but you may need to grind off the
small nub on top of the rubber mounts as the location of the hole for
the nub was changed. I can send photos of this if needed but it is
trivial for someone of your abilities.

If you wish to try modifying 82 bars to push the engine back I can send
you an extra set anytime. If you do this you should either switch to the
83 rubber mounts or adapt rubber mounts from another car like many have.
The 82 rubber mounts are NLA as well as being weaker and not workable
with stock 83 bar type mounting.

Mark

Jim Arnott wrote:
> Okay... Continuing this discussion, Let's say I have a '96 2.0 ABA
> from a Jetta that I want to bolt it into an '84 Adventurewagen.
>
> Questions:
>
> 2.) Carrier bars? Late ones, right? The '82 bars won't work with the
> wasserboxer gear box? Positions motor 50 mm too far aft? Does that
> mean I need the entire post-82 engine carrier system?
>