Date:         Sun, 22 Jul 2001 10:55:23 -0600
Reply-To:     Rachel Cogent <Gnarlodious@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rachel Cogent <Gnarlodious@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      The VANAGON goes down the road backwards!
In-Reply-To:  <11270-3B5AF7AA-129@storefull-137.iap.bryant.webtv.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Joel:

Now you are scaring me!

Are you telling me I have 5 reverse gears and 1 forward gear?

A motor is a motor is a motor, and they all have a flywheel on the rear.

My 1.6 diesel has #1 cylinder in the rear of the vehicle but the front of
the engine, because the engine is mounted reverse.

Surely we have a knowledgelable mechanic in the group who can clarify this!

Entity Joel Walker spoke thus:

nope. we are talking about volkswagens. :) and that makes the
difference.
the 'accepted standard' is also applied to engines that are always in
the front of the vehicle, or facing front (with the pulley end toward
the bow/front). vw's ain't like that.

but if you think about it, they simply kept the nomenclature of the
previous vehicles ... a vw engine's 'front' is toward the front of the
car. :) and that's what all the front-engined cars had ... so they
didn't really change anything as far as front or back ... just put the
pulley on the 'wrong' end. :)

and if you think THAT'S bad ... go talk to mid-engined folks!!! like
the porsche 914 ... it has the same engine as the 1972-1983 buses, but
the engine is turned around, and in the middle of the car!!!!  so now
what's 'front' and what's 'rear'??
and since it's the same engine and has the same firing order, where's
the number 1 piston?? :)

a vw is a vw. not an industrial machine. ya hasta learn the
nomenclature of the beast. otherwise, you'll get confused. ;)

joel

Entity Sean Fleener & Jodi Gill spoke thus:

what about detroit diesel's they have pulleys and accessories on both front
and back of the engine.
        Sean F.
--
Entity Terry Kay spoke thus:

>
> Rachel,
>
> You are most certainly correct on this subject.
>
> Here is a bizare example---
>
> After Powell Crosley gave up manufactering vehicles in the early 50's,
> he sold all his remaining engnes to a boat manufacter called Fagol.
>
> Now Fagol had an off the wall idea and they stood the engines straight
> up and down, hooking the bell housing to a lower drive unit that went
> out the bottom of the hull, just in front of transom of the boat.
>
> Where would the front of the engine be in this case?
>
> The valve bonnet?
>
> Nope---the front is the front is the front----
> The end with the harmonic balancer, always.
>
> ______________
> |[  ] [  ] [ ]\
> |    |    |    |
> ~~~ ~||-(())----(())-|
>
> Terry--
> 74 Campmobile- (Clementine)
> 85 GL- (Delilah)
> 86 BMW 325 ES- (Eva)
>
>
> From: Rachel Cogent <Gnarlodious@EARTHLINK.NET>
> Reply-To: Rachel Cogent <Gnarlodious@EARTHLINK.NET>
> Date: Sunday, July 22, 2001 9:35 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Rear?  You mean FRONT
>
> This may be true for VW's proprietary nomenclature but for motor vehicles,
> construction and industrial equipment the accepted standard is that the rear
> of the engine is always where the flywheel is. After all, we are talking
> about the engine not specific make of car. Don't start confusing me now!
>
>
> Entity Joel Walker spoke thus:
>>
>> nope. in all volkswagens, front is the front of the car!!!! left is
>> the driver's side, as you stand at the rear of the car/bus, looking
>> forward.
>>
>> that's the way it's been since the 1950's, when vw started coming over
>> here, and they never changed it as long as they had rear-engined cars.
>> i don't know what they do now, with the engines up front and
>> crossways, but ALL the rear-engined cars were the same.
>
>>
>>> NO! I disagree!
>>> The front of the engine is ALWAYS the end with the pulley and the
>> rear is
>>> ALWAYS the flywheel regardless of the way it is mounted in the
>> vehicle.
>>> This is to ease communication about firing orders, head bolt
>> sequences, etc.
>>> In my VANAGON the front of the engine is the rear of the vehicle
>> since it is
>>> mounted backasswards in there. But I adhere to the standards of the
>>> automotive community when I call the rearmost cylinder #1.
>>
>