Date:         Mon, 3 Sep 2007 15:29:37 +1000
Reply-To:     Stephen Overmyer <S.OVERMYER@UWS.EDU.AU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Overmyer <S.OVERMYER@UWS.EDU.AU>
Subject:      Re: 2.5 Liter 5 Cylinder "Volksie Bus"
In-Reply-To:  <20070903040856.F34F8207184@wrs-w2k-avgwy.uws.edu.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

 

Date:    Mon, 3 Sep 2007 16:57:54 +1200
From:    Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: 2.5 Liter 5 Cylinder "Volksie Bus"

>From my experience the 5-cylinder Audi engines are wonderful and hard 
>to kill.  I sold an Audi 90 with a 5-cylinder and 425,000 miles.  It 
>ran great.

That's an AUDI engine. Based on the S4, it was OK reliabilitywise, if a
bit growly mechanically. The T4 got a new VW five.



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Yea true but.......Volkswagen engineers didn't exactly lock themselves
in a blacked out room with a cone of silence and dream up a 5 Cyl 2.5L
engine without reference to what already existed....especially when the
Audi engine was a proven reliable engine already out there with the runs
on the board.

Whilst the VW engine is certainly a de-tuned version of the Audi 2.5L
and has a different torque curve, since it was designed for use in a
commercial range of 1 tonne vehicles instead of passenger cars, they are
otherwise extremely similar.
A rugged albeit older design that with scheduled maintenance will easily
see 450,000kms and often 600,000kms before any major surgery is
required. Early ones in the first T4s did sometimes blow headgaskets
however that was quickly rectified with an inline pump that continues to
circulate coolant for up to 10mins after the vehicle is shut down.
No more head issues and after ironing out that little bug, an engine
that demonstrates very good longevity.

I have two of them and whilst they aren't the quickest things off the
mark (although certainly adequate), from 3rd gear on they pull away very
well and once in 5th will stay there most of the time unless a very
substantial hill gets in the way.
My DCs return between 10.5 & 12 L/100km depending on loads and driving
conditions and never put a foot wrong....and I have over 200,000kms of
driving now logged between the two T4s.

Not really the hallmarks of a "dog of an engine"....sure, nothing flash,
but an understressed reliable engine that will last a very long time
with nothing but routine maintenance. In a commercial vehicle this is
what I require and expect....and judging by the vast numbers of
commercial T4 vans, single & doublecabs as well as campers doing their
daily duties on Australian roads, many, many others agree...

Cheers,
Steve O
NSW Australia
'92 Transporter WBX Kombi
'00 Transporter Double Cab
'00 Transporter Double Cab (work truck)
'07 Passat Variant TDI
'78 Land Rover Series 3 109 soft top ute (ex-Aust.Army)