[Vwdiesel] Powerplant Trades

[David Ross]

Val & the gang -

Val Christian wrote:
> 
> Work OK for airplanes, chainsaws, and low milage cars.  (Didn't Saab
> have a 3 cyl aircooled engine?)
> 

  Naw, the Saab "Shrike" engine was a 3 cylinder water-cooled
two-stroke, a close copy of the German DKW engine of the same
configuration.
  (The DKW engine used three sets of points & three coils so no
distributor, employed thermosiphon cooling so no water pump -  neat
little engine.
  The DKW was set up front wheel drive with the engine in front of the
transaxle.  You want to talk about "Powerplant Trades" -  we put one of
these DKW powerpacks in a Fiat 600 in a rear wheel drive mid-engine
setup -  now that was a real fun autocross car.)

  When the U.S. tightened up emissions requirements on imported cars in
the '70s, Saab thumbed their nose and just reduced the bore on the 850cc
two-stroke Shrike engine to where it was below the 50 cubic inch
emissions applicability limit and sold 'em in the U.S. anyway.

Dave Ross    N7EPI