Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 19:54:13 -0500
Reply-To: William B <dieselsyncro@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: William B <dieselsyncro@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Fwd: Diesel (AAZ) engine conversion questions
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2006121319141018@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
While i can't say i know karl personally, i can say that if there is anyone
on this subject you should be talking to about this, it's him.
I'll toss in my expierence as well, not that it makes much difference.
I've converted a 91 syncro over to a 1.6 NA, yeah yeah, i know, slow slow
slow. and yes, it is, but i quite enjoy it to be honest with you, i like to
travel on 2 lane roads when possible, i find that it allows me to see the
country a little better. I'd like to go with a TDI (but then there's no WVO
for me) ) in the future, but i'm also holding out to see what happens with
this whole subaru diesel thing.
the reasons i did it were simple ... WVO/SVO/bio. run bio in the main tank,
WVO in the aux tank. i feel better about it, since it's my traveling car
... anything i can do to make the fuels i use renewable, i will. in looking
into it i've also discovered that you can buy SVO in bulk cheaper then
diesel fuel at places like sams club ... or if you're like me and live in
the land of 100 potato chip factories ... fuel is free. if you're really
crazy you can also buy WVO for something like 3 cents per gallon in 5000
gallon lots ... not my style, but it's an option for the future.
i can certainly tell you though, that to feel comfortable, you'll probably
want to drive a TD ... unless you live in kansas and hills are never going
to cross your path. the 1.9 may be ok for this, but i can't really say.
On 12/13/06, Karl Mullendore <groups@westyventures.com> wrote:
>
> A better place for your questions might be in the TDI-conversion or
> Diesel-Vanagon Yahoo groups. We're all over there and generally offer more
> of a knowledge base on the subject.
>
> I'll show ya mine, let ya drive it, and tell you all about the positives
> and
> why I would never go back to gas. [fuel economy 25-35 mpg? almost double
> the
> torque of the wbx with small mods?] FWIW, particulate matter in diesel
> exhaust [soot] is about to be a non-issue with the new fuel formulation,
> ULSD.
>
> Karl
>
> On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 03:19:05 -0500, neil <goofymuso@YAHOO.CA> wrote:
>
> >Oh dang it! Now you've made me Google and research
> >emissions stuff! Ack! Too much reading hurt
> >brain......
> >I'm not under the impression that the diesel is
> >somehow "greener" in it's natural state. I was just
> >combining my appreciation of the ( in this case) NA
> >IDI diesels' simpler design, with possibly better fuel
> >efficiency, and a glimmering hope of B20, or dare I
> >say B100, being available in the future, somehow,
> >somewhere.
> >
> >Of course all I really want to do, is be able to drive
> >my Westy with less guilt about contributing to
> >greenhouse effect etc. You know, "have my cake and
> >drive it too".
> >
> >> Well, if you really want to generate conversations,
> >> I'll take up this
> >> specifically:
> >> I'm missing the point of this. Is it just that the
> >> diesel options offer
> >> great fuel economy or is there something
> >> intrinsically "greener" about
> >> burning diesel? If you plan to run recycled veg.
> >> oil, I can see it.
> >> Otherwise, a diesel still contibutes to CO load with
> >> the added kick of way
> >> more particulate emission.
> >> Is diesel fuel cheaper to produce, buy and use? It
> >> isn't in these parts
> >> (mid-Atlantic). Plan on using biodiesel or
> >> fryodiesel? Looks to be about a
> >> decade before it becomes an economically viable
> >> alternative.
> >>
> >> Diesels are presumably more reliable than an AC VW
> >> or the WBX but that
> >> Subaru engine is a workhorse. I can see the appeal
> >> of a diesel conversion if
> >> it got you a dramatic increase in fuel efficiency.
> >> What's the MPG projection
> >> for the diesel conversions you're considering? For
> >> the kind of driving
> >> of the Vanagon I do, the offset of fuel economy
> >> isn't greater than the power
> >> loss to a diesel.
> >
>
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