[Vwdiesel] Engine Lineage

[pmdolan at sasktel.net]

The lineage of our engines goes back to the Audi Fox (80) of 1973.  What I don't know, is if it was ever intended to be a diesel at that time, since I don't think there were any diesel Audis in '73 (and not too many thoughts of them either).  Remember that in those days at VW, a 412 was the technical high-water mark (and a pretty darn good engine at that - and MASSIVELY over-designed).  I remember seeing my first inline watercooled engine in 1974 at a VW training center.  It was to train us for the upcoming Scirocco, but not yet.  We snuck into the (locked) room to look at this engine that was denied to us mere mortals, and speculated that it looked good enough to be a 914 replacement (essentially the 412 engine with bigger valves at that time) - what with OVERHEAD CAM, WOW>>>!!!>>>!!!!, and a cam belt drive like a Glas.  Of course, since few of us had ever layed eyes on an Audi, we didn't recongnize it as the thing we would all come to love or hate in a few short months.

PS - Val:  You were paying an awful lot for your VWs.  I cant remember our 1978 pricing, but I do remember our 1976 cars were 38something for a custom 2 door and about 4200 for a deluxe.
By 1977, the only way to get under 4 grand was the very rare "love bunny", all black, fuel injected 1600, cardboard door panels, no sound deadening - a racer's dream car - for $3,995.  Inflation was crazy then, but I dont think I had to charge $5,500 for a custom in '78 - that was about Scirocco pricing for us.

Pat

----- Original Message -----
From: Val Christian <val at swamps.roc.ny.us>
Date: Friday, December 31, 2004 6:51 pm
Subject: [Vwdiesel] Engine Lineage

> >   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 
> enginesthey 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.
> 
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