Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 20:15:10 -0800
Reply-To: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Subject: Re: Overlands Diesel Conversion
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.4.44.0301272041010.3428-100000@neota>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
I think I would tend to disagree with their statement about high RPM being
good for a Diesel.
The VW Iltis was available with a 1.6L Turbo Diesel motor. At 100km/h the
Iltis is at 4400 RPM as they are a military vehicle which is designed for
80km/h driving which gives it a nice 3000 RPM cruising speed. The number
one problem with the Iltis Turbo Diesel is warped heads due to overheating
from prolonged highway speeds.
I had a 1986 Syncro Weekender with stock gearing (4.86:1 final drive and .85
4th) and I installed 29" tall tires to get the RPMs down to 3000 RPM at
100km/h - the van had no problems with this tire size and I was powering it
with a 1.9L Turbo Diesel (non-TDI). The van would freely rev to 4000 RPM
but it certainly didn't like it. The TD / TDI also redlines at 4500 so I
think running all day at 4000 RPM is going to be a bit hard on the motor in
the long run.
In short, the Turbo Diesel / TDI is a great motor and I recommend these over
gasoline motors unless you want to go racing where a 1.8T would be the cat's
meow. Keep the highway RPMs down to about 3000 RPM though better gearing -
rubber gearing is a cheap alternative and it is the route that I took and I
was quite happy with it.
David Marshall
Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3
http://www.fastforward.ca mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775 FAX: (250) 992 1160
- Vanagon Accessories and Engine Conversions
- Vanagon, Transporter and Iltis Sales and Importation
- European Lighting for most Volkswagen models
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Andrew Fox
Sent: January 27, 2003 7:46 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Overlands Diesel Conversion
> And finally...regardless of deck height.....am I essentially just
> dreaming of ever having a diesel in my automatic transmission westy?
> 4000 rpm cruising can't match well with the diesel.
I wondered the same thing so I asked overland. Below is the question I
posed and the answer I got:
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Fox [mailto:afox@cnr.colostate.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2002 11:53 AM
To: vanagon@overlandparts.com
Subject: ? about TD conversions
I am considering buying an engine conversion kit to replace my 2.1L
waterboxer in an 86 Vanagon Westfalia camper. I am curious as to how well
the Diesel engines do at the high RPM's that the stock vanagon
transmissions run at highway speeds. For example my 86 vanagon does about
65 mph at 4000 rpm (14 inch rims). Can the diesel engines in these
conversion kits run much faster than 4,000 rpm which is needed to keep up
with traffic on todays highways? I have heard that diesels are known for
high tourqe and low RPM's. Will these engines last when run at such high
rpm's for long periods of highway driving?
Thanks,
Andrew Fox
From: Overland Vanagon Info <vanagon@overlandparts.com>
To: Andrew Fox <afox@cnr.colostate.edu>
Subject: RE: ? about TD conversions
Sir,
We are currently driving two Vangons with turbo diesel engine conversions.
While it is true that the majority of the torque in a diesel engine is
found within the lower RPM range, this is not a bad thing for the Vanagon.
You will find that climbing hills in 4th gear, and steep inclines are no
problem for these engines. As for cruising speed, you will not find
yourself flying down the interstate at a much faster speed. Instead you
will do so more reliably and more economically. It is true that the RPMs
will remain as high as before, but we have had no stress problems with the
diesels due to higher RPM driving.
Thanks for your interest.
Ben Zlotkin
Overland Parts Corp.
Eurospec Sport ltd.
http://eurospecsport.com/
