[Vwdiesel] Air cooled gas VW's versus Diesel VW's

[James Hansen]

> P.S. Try to keep it objective/civil.

LOL!!!

Sure sure.

you gotta remember the design objectives and such.
The beetle engine was absolutely outstanding for it's purpose (1940's), and
was designed around being a cheap easily replaceable powerplant to use
minimal resources.  Longevity was not in the forefront, neither was lack of
maintenance.  It was designed to be worked on, used solid cam followers so
you adjusted valves, but then had no hydraulic followers to go bad either.
Used a bone simple carb, mickey mouse manifold that was actually tuned to
attain max torque.  There was certainly a bunch of subtle refinements inside
the engine that made it cheap to produce, and stand up to significant abuse,
while only sipping from the economic and resource trough.

THe diesel VW produced was a whole different breed of cat. Way more refined,
designed to last and last. But, it used iron castings, which are much more
expensive to produce, and it had HUGE bearings for the load they receive.
Lotsa oil volume, pretty big sump for the displacement, the goals here I
think were pretty much different.  Still cheap to operate, but pretty much
maintenance free until valve adjust... still with the solid followers in the
early ones. Remember too, volks was trying to get over the image of a high
maintenance vehicle that the 411's and 412's left the consumer with, so they
had to really pull a rabbit out of their... oh yeah, they did...  The Rabbit
really resurrected the volkswagen name, and it was rare to have a dealer
left in these parts after the whole sordid 411/412 affair.  By this I mean
the competition between Lucas, the Prince of Darkness, and the co-operative
effort put forth by Bosch and Volkswagen in the crappy electrical system
olympics.  Lucas still won, but only by a small Jag.  The evidence of this
hard fought battle has fortunately mostly rusted away... exceptionally so.


Overall, in their day, you could rebuild a bug engine for the cost of a set
of rebuilt injectors.  It was planned that way. But no more, parts are too
expensive to plan on frequent rebuilds.]

That reminds me, I still have two complete aircooled engines in parts, still
in boxes.. NOS even. Hmmm....


 Heat? Remember now, you guys are basing experience on old worn out rusty
bugs.  With fresh heater boxes, a 40hp beetle would kill you for heat on the
highway, and the gas heater that used a pint an hour in the city would keep
you equally roasted. You are talking to a prairie boy, -40 winters and such.
Bugs start in winter.  They just start.  With tires, they are uncanny on
ice, but for the UNDERSTEER. (not oversteer dude)

 BUT, drive a bus in winter? Har.  BTDT. that is not warm. That is so far
from warm, that warm was on a holiday to Florida when that was typed. There
is a verified thermal black hole under the dash of each and every aircooled
bus that switches on immediately upon entering a highway. Busses are for
your enemies to drive in winter...

Oh, Lee, the farm equipment I have that is volks industrial powered is
Melroe Spray-Coupe.  I have a 220 model, that has a watercooled 1.8.  Yeah,
it glows red but not as bad as it did stock. It had the smallest exhaust
manifold known to man.. so I put on a diesel one, with a smallish glasspack.
It's noisly, but I wear earplugs anyway, so no biggie, but the egt's are way
down, and power is up. THe old ones had aircooled engines.  That was mostly
a bust for their second owner.  THe original owner kept the engine manual,
and no maintenance was ever done other than a seasonal oil change.  Lotsa #3
exhaust valves dropped in early coupes.

Efficient and long lasting aircooled?
Deutz.
Runs on the smell of an oily rag. Lasts forever IF MAINTAINED.  Any
aircooled needs valve adjustments especially with solid followers.  Valves
wear out, and a tad faster on a aircooled.
Example is... Deutz DX160 (160 bhp) versus a watercooled case (but you could
pick any other mfg.  Aircooled = 3gallons per hour.  Water cooled = 6
gallons per hour MINIMUM on the same load.

The type 4 engines were a differeent cat as well, built more with longevity
in mind, and less with cheapness, so they last pretty well, and turn some
good horsepower numbers out. Rebuilds are pricey.


I still will never part with my hotrod 69 Ghia vert. I'll adjust valves
thank you very much. Lotsa fast cars have seen that one from the back...
-James


















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