Date:         Tue, 26 Mar 2002 10:02:58 -0600
Reply-To:     Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Longevity of Conversion Engines
In-Reply-To:  <75CF99AA-405C-11D6-BB5F-003065A243FC@omninet.net.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Still moving that air around  by driving a fan and that uses horsepower
just like the waterpump - right?

>Aircooling is more efficient, no pumping losses, lower thermal mass.
>Basic physics.

IMHO:

Aircooled works but takes a careful driver to make it last. I like
aircooled engines but I recognize it's limitations.

I would prefer the lower noise levels and hot water heat though.

The aircooled engines went away  b/c they could not provide the creature
comforts the competition could - air conditioning, power steering, low
noise, good cabin heat reliability, and better overheating resistance.

Also car makers could build an engine with closer tolerances (more power,
less emissions, longer life, better gas mileage, longer life under the
average driver's foot). Lastly air cooled engines have uneven cooling and
that coupled with some of the other items I mentioned, leads to more
trouble meeting emissions regulations.

Put simply VW could not provide what the competition could cheaply as long
as they held onto the aircooled engine.  They tried to replace it with one
that had very specific coolant t  requirements that the average person did
not note or care about. They didn't make it idiot proof. The Subbie was a
good version of what the WBX should have been.

If you want to know more about aircooled engines look around at the
libraries near you (especially Universities) for "Aircooled Engines" by
Julius Mackerle. He was one of the engineers who built the Tatra engines
and wrote a wonderful book explaining more than any normal human being
needs to know about aircooled engines. I am reading it now.




Chris M. <Busbodger - "TEAM SLOWPOKE">
Cookeville, Tennessee

ICQ# 5944649
scm9985@tntech.edu

'78 VW Westfalia (67 HP -> that is...67 Hamster Power)
'65 Beetle - Type IV powered
'99 CR-V AWD station wagon
'81 CB900 Custom moto-chickle
2.5 Corvair engines for my Trans-vair Conversion