Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:43:32 -0700
Reply-To: Mike Rouby <mikerouby@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike Rouby <mikerouby@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: In praise of VW inline fours
In-Reply-To: <302D942F-922C-4804-80D8-70C69353CBD4@mac.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Yes, but we're talking inline fours here.
Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM> wrote: VW (not Audi) designed the VR6 engine. It was MANY years in the
making and forms the basis of many of their gas engine designs today
(including the w12 and w16 used in the Phaeton and Bugatti Veyron).
It first made its appearence in 1993, I believe, in the Corrado.
Earlier Corrados used a 4 cylinder because the VR6 had design issues
that took longer to resolve than anticipated.
> --- Mike Rouby wrote:
>
>> Hate to say this, but these inline 4s are
>> actually modified Audi/NSU engines that VW got
>> a hold of when they bought those companies (and
>> then they refined it). All VW knew to build
>> were aircooled-VWs. The waterboxer was the
>> last 'horrah', the last true VW engine from the
>> VW corporation. It was their vain attempt to
>> modernize the Type 1 engine to 'modern-day'
>> standards. As we all know, it failed. 1991 was
>> it's death knell.
>>
>> Robert Keezer wrote:
>> One of the best engines VW designed was the
>> four
>> cylinder overhead cam inline-four .
>>
>> You could say it "absolutely rocks" with
>> performance and reliability.
>> With lots of room for performance upgrades.
>>
>> I strongly recommend considering a Jetta or
>> Golf
>> engine (2.0 '93-'99 ABA).
>>
>> Watercooled Volkswagen engines are plentiful
>> and
>> cheap. And of course there is the TDI Diesel,
>> which is hard to find locally.
>>
>> Inline-four ABA engines have longer rods which
>> minimize vibration that is prone to the 1.8
>> engine.
>>
>> They also have oil spray jets that spray oil at
>> the bottoms of the pistons.
>>
>> Mine has been running my 5,000 lb Westfalia
>> since
>> 1999. It now has 210,000 miles.
>>
>> If you are looking for a suitable replacement
>> for
>> the WBX , look no further.
>>
>> You can call me a purist, but I am just a VW
>> owner. So if you are your own mechanic and a VW
>> owner ,then the natural progression is which VW
>> engine can I substitute?
>>
>> Why confuse the issue with a non-VW engine?
>> Sure there's a bunch of people out there and
>> here
>> that want to make money selling Subaru and Ford
>> technology. Fine.
>>
>> You might find it an interesting challenge to
>> find what non-VW engine can be adapted to the
>> Vanagon. Nothing odd about that.
>>
>> I'm speaking for those like myself who want to
>> have a VW engine in your Vanagon ,but not the
>> original engine.
>>
>> Sure, the Subaru or Ford might be fast and
>> quiet
>> and like a WBX and reliable etc, but it's not a
>> Volkswagen engine.
>>
>> And reading these posts I see nothing about the
>> inline four unless it's a Tiico, as if Tiico
>> was
>> the only inline four conversion out there.
>>
>> My dad put a VW engine in a airplane . The flat
>> four design, the weight, the similarity to
>> other
>> aircraft engines, made it a popular choice.
>>
>> Part of the Subaru's popularity is due to it's
>> similarity to the WBX. Oh yeah and you can goo
>> super fast.
>> The Zetech is similar to the VW inline.
>> Similarities are OK.
>>
>> One Vanagon owner just asked if the Subie
>> sounds
>> like the WBX.
>> Another observation-WBX owners like the sound
>> of
>> the WBX. It just shows how we form an
>> attachment
>> to the sound of the car.
>>
>> Would Harley's be popular if they sounded like
>> Kawasakis?
>>
>> The inline four doesn't sound like a WBX.
>>
>> I recognize the virtues of the WBX, but few
>> from
>> a maintenance perspective . I do like the
>> sound,
>> and the quietness. I found the WBX 2.1 muffler
>> is
>> great on an inline conversion.
>>
>> Try removing the AC compressor or alternator
>> from
>> an 89 Honda Civic like on a friends.
>>
>> They designed it to be worked on up on a hoist.
>>
>> The inline four has it all on one side , easy
>> to
>> replace a water pump, alternator, AC
>> compressor,
>> spark plugs, distributor, etc.
>>
>> Simplicity, reliability, performance,
>> affordability.
>>
>> We are a small group of people who aprreciate
>> drive a vehicle no longer in production and
>> with
>> diminishing support from VW.
>>
>> That was recogninzed shortly after the last
>> Vanagon rolled off the assembly line.
>> This list has help provide a way owners can
>> ehlp
>> each other where there is limited or
>> non-existing
>> help.
>>
>> A good book on water-cooled inline four VW
>> engines is the Watercooled Volkswagen
>> Performance
>> Handbook by Greg Raven
>> ISBN 0-7603-0491-2
>>
>> Robert
>> 1982 Westfalia 2.0 ABA '95 Golf
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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