[Vwdiesel] [TDI conversion] What engine do you want

[Patrick Dolan]

The engine was originally a 3.5 litre (215 CID) V8 with cast-in-place iron liners.  There were three distinct variations (Buick, Olds and Pontiac - this is is often called a "BOP" engine) all with design variations.  GM had endless QA problems getting the liners in the right place in the mold and the reject rate was far too high (and expensive), so they gave up on aluminum and sold the tooling and rights to Rover (for the 3500).  GM kept the same architecture for the 300 V8 (which had aluminum heads with big valves and ports interchangeable with SOME of the BOP blocks), 340 V8 and the ubiquitous 3.8 V6 (which donates all kinds of bits to 215 builders).  Rover developed the engine by getting the casting process right, and went on to 3.9, 4.1 litres etc. with better bottom end and more.

The BOP version weighs in a mere 320 lbs (less than a 2.8 V6!), and was the basis for the world championship F1 GP engines from Repco/Brabham in Australia "back in the day".

BTW:  the Olds F-85,Pontiac Tempest and Buick Special shared platforms with each other, but certainly NOT the Corvair.  The confusion arises because the Pontiac version DID use a transaxle placed at the rear, connected by a BENT shaft (yes, not a typo, it had a permanent, intentional sag and missalignment) in both the "iron duke" 4 banger version and the 215 V8.

Not so sure I would want to hang that off of the back of a VW transaxle (not a strength concern) in a Type 2, but it IS a pretty neat engine - and would be a bear to support away from home base.

Pat

----- Original Message -----
From: William J Toensing <toensing at wildblue.net>
Date: Saturday, March 14, 2009 9:09 pm
Subject: [Vwdiesel] [TDI conversion] What engine do you want

> In reference to the GM aluminum block engine, it was standard 
> equipment in the 1961 thru 1963 Olds F-85 & Buick Special. It was 
> an option the Pontiac Tempest for the same years. Those models 
> used the Corvair platform modified for front engine, rear drive. 
> GM then sold the tooling & manufacturing rights to Rover in 
> England. As I recall, that engine first appeared in the Rover 
> 3000, V-8 version of the Rover 2000, then into the Rover 3500, 
> Range Rover, & MG after it was acquired by Rover from British 
> Leyland. 
> UK members, correct me if I am wrong but if memory serves me 
> correct, Austin & Morris merged to become BMC or British Motor 
> Corp., then British Leyland, & then Rover. BMW then bought Rover, 
> sold Range Rover/Land Rover to Ford keeping the rest of Rover, 
> including the Mini with the remaining part of Rover including  MG 
> sold to a Chinese company.
> However, to my knowledge, this engine developed by GM was always 
> an aluminum block engine.
> Bill Toensing
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