[Vwdiesel] Engine Lineage

[Val Christian]

>   Our VW diesels are also a "weak" converted gas.  They're just done a 
> bit better and were a much stronger gas engine to start with.  If it were 
> a ground-up engine I'm sure they'd have put a few more head bolts in it.
>      Loren

There's not a long history, but it would be accurate to say that the 
1.5NA series engines were battle hardened as an industrial engine for
a while.  The most common application was as water pumps for amuzement 
park rides.  In this application they lasted as well as other power
plants.  One park mechanic I talked with told me that a couple of engines
they bought new had 8000 hours at the time they overhauled the lower 
end.  They didn't have to, but the head was coming off for the second
time, and they decided since it was the end of the season, they would
do the lower end.  

In the amuzement park applications, they did not have problems with 
fuel waxing, and since the engines were seldom started (1X/day)
they didn't see many starting problems.  The experience was that 
after about 3500 to 4500 hours, some of the valve seals would start
to go.

Apparently not a converted gas engine, but rather a co-design because
the european market was diesel oriented, based upon the two mechanics
who I talked with.  (Car and Driver, Road and Track might disagree.)

Since I dug out my notes...I'm reminded that this park changed the 
cog belt every other year.  That's about 2500 or so hours for this 
park.  It seemed long for me, but then again, I've put 170Kmiles
on one belt.

Other notes:  Straight weight 40 oil.  Changes every 150 hours (about 
1x/week),  Air filters typically every two weeks, but sometimes 
more frequently.  Typical oil consumption was 1qt/week.  Oil was
brought to mid-mark daily prior to start, with fractional quarts.
If they filled to the top, the consumption went up almost double.
Altenators failed a couple of times a year.  They changed to a 
loose belt adjustment, and the altenators lasted more than a year
each after that.  They had a gauge on the fuel filter, and when the
suction dropped, they replaced the fuel filter.  Big Bosch filter,
same as on some A1s, and then dropped on the cars.  (Big!)
They also told me they custom cut neoprene gasket stock for the 
VC.  That way they could adjust the valves easily, and not have to 
mess with a new cork gasket.  One mechanic had an "ear" for the 
valves, and would do them when they sounded like they needed it.
Apparently valve adjustments were considered a major pain, and 
happened frequently.

They always had cracks between the valves on the cyl head.

One injector pump front bearing/seal replacement was mentioned, 
and performed by a Bosch shop, with two day turn around.

Low oil pressure shutdown sometimes false triggered on warm engines
which were recently reduced to idle (500RPM).  

There are a couple of pictures of the installations in the folder.
Cinderblock buildings, concrete floor, with stands with elastometric
mounts.  The water pumps have elastometric couplings, and torque 
and tach sensors on them.  The oil drain pan fits under the oil
sump, and service is done from one side.  There's a barrier to reduce
oil leakage to the "water" side of the room.  

No turbos.  Muffler is a folded labrynth that would give speaker
builders excitement.  Battery is a tractor-type battery on a 
stand which also as mounted the fuel filter.  The radiators are 
plumbed to a common cooling stack, and oriented horizontally.
The fan is continuously adjusted by coolant temps.

Notes also say that one place has a generator operating on an older 
one.  I didn't comment on 1800 vs 3600 (four pole or two pole).  Come to
think of it, probably three-phase, but I don't know.

Boy, that was a long time ago!

Val

ps: While looking through this stuff...my 78 Rabbit "Custom" cost $5500.
One of the 79s cost $6500, also a custom.  Both were vanilla cars, with
4 speeds, and two doors.