Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 08:51:08 -0700
Reply-To: Mark Kellerf <kelphoto@HIGHSPEEDPLUS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mark Kellerf <kelphoto@HIGHSPEEDPLUS.COM>
Subject: Re: Turbo question Water Jacket Seal failure
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi Gary,
I wanted to get back to sooner but had a couple other computer issues this
week. Very nice work on the Honda Turbo manifold.
How would you suggest that a Vanagon turbo mount be constucted? My concern
is that the boxer exhaust system is dependent on the engine and exhaust be
hard mounted together, with lots of mounts needed to avoid stress cracking.
Adding a turbo manifold and turbo would be more weight. Would some type of
flex coupling somewhere after the turbo be possible. This would reduce
stress cracking issues post flex coupling components and reduce weight on
the engine mounts and maybe free up some access by moving the exhaust
plumbing away from the engine.
Location wise the area layout of the engine compartment offer three sites it
could fit, all with issues. The Japenese Vanagon owner has the turbo where
the current exhaust collector is- left side engine. May be the best location
from a plumbing standpoint-- as all assembly line vehicles tend to favor.
From a turbo efficiecny standpoint is is a long run for the right side
cylinders, and it takes up a large space that could be used for muffler or
intercooler. However I believe it best to just have a good dialoge to sort
out the merits of each these alternative locations.
Closest for all cylinders would be where the current air distrubtion
manifold is, lots of heat issues for me personally, but doiable. Next
closest would be the Thermostat area close to the bell housing. Further
away, but closer than the factory location, would be the muffler bay area.
The muffle bay location, puts the heat issue to rest. The intake plumbing
would long,but not necessaily bad thing. This could allow for an air or
water intercooler in a number of places along the way to the, especially in
the factory exhaust collection area on the left engine side.
On the heat issue some research on the inertness and applicabity of a
silcone compound being used to replace the current OEM VW waterjacket seal.
I believe a silcone based waterjacket seal if produced would cure the
dreaded waterboxer leaking.
Sincerely,
Mark Keller
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Lee" <gary2a@telusplanet.net>
To: <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
Cc: <kelphoto@HIGHSPEEDPLUS.COM>
Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: Turbo question Water Jacket Seal failure
> This is an interesting thread. I've kicked around the idea of turboing a
> WBX for a couple of years. My main reason for doing it is because it
would
> be cheap for me to do (labor excepted) and I run my van on propane.
Propane
> has an octane rating of about 110, you can use the stock compression ratio
> of 9:1 and you don't have to worry about retarding the timing or using
water
> injection. I don't think I would want to go above 5 - 6 lbs. of boost.
My
> propane system is good for 250 hp so I don't have to worry about
> supplemental fueling either.
> I haven't done it yet because I have serious reservations about the water
> jacket seals and other heat issues. The same weaknesses the WBX suffers
> from already would be multiplied with turbocharging.
>
> Heres a picture of one of the turbo manifolds I make, this one for 1997 -
> 2000 honda civic
> http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/honda/hondamanifoldahort.htm
>
>
> Gary Lee
> http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/vanagonrack.htm
>
>
>
>
