Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 17:24:34 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: VW inline four-bangers
In-Reply-To: <046d01c8f678$6cdefa80$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Scott,
Thanks.
I'm not an automotive mechanic by any means. But, I am an aircraft
mechanic (was - haven't worked on them in years) - trained on
reciprocating engines with updraft carbs, downdraft carbs, pressure
carbs, pressure injection carbs, internal superchargers, external
turbochargers, fuel injection systems. But I have never really worked
much on automotive fuel delivery systems. Oh, I got into a two barreled
Solex progressive once, and a dual port Webber once, but that is about
it. But, I have been to a three county fairs, two snow machine races, a
sled dog race and a goat milking - so I can see and understand a few
things - and one is that in spite of all the previous technology, there
appears to be a little room for improvement in fuel delivery systems for
conventional engines even yet. Not much room, but just a little bit -
and it is that little bit that I am going to try and squeeze for all
it's worth. Beyond that - it will be the realm of the hybrids and
alternative fuel vehicles. In the meantime, we are going to have years
of not much in the common market place. And so far as Hydrogen as a
cheap fuel goes - I looked at that nearly 50 years ago, and I came then
to the same conclusion in the recent blog on hydrogen that was posted to
this list To paraphrase - "In Green and environmental circles -
Hydrogen is the fuel of the future..... and always will be!" It was a
challenge then. It's a challenge now. And unless some radical stuff
comes soon, voluminous, efficient, economical cracking of hydrogen away
from other chemicals with which it is bonded is still a long ways away.
For the scientist, it will be challenging and fun, if nothing else. But
for the rest of us -- we are going to continue running on oil based
fuels for sometime to come. Hopefully. in the meantime, I can squeeze
just a few more miles per gallon from my rig.
Beyond all this - this ongoing use of combustion engines - BURNING who
knows what - is the need for that electric car, Otherwise we continue to
pollute out planet and it's atmosphere. That is not a good thing! hack,
hack, cough. cough.
Regards.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> Been done lots.
> if you are doing the 50 degree tilted over diesel vanagon style engine
> installation.......
> some adapter needs to be made - carb to intake manifold.
>
> personally, 'I wouldn't'...........EFI is infenitely superior to
> carbs, and once dialed in, and understood of course.......works
> excellently.
>
> if you want fuel milage - seems that it would have to be EFI to me.
> there was once, a long, long time ago - 60's I believe..........and
> electric supercharger or fan blower system , a retrofit device.
>
> you need to be careful as blowing down a carb throat can really
> confuse things, unless you engineer completely from the start for that.
> fwiw..........when cars used carbs..........back then...........for
> turbo applications it's whether you draw air through the carb, then
> pressurize it, or if you blow pressurized air through a
> carb............throttle shaft seals become a problem or issues....
> or they would even encase the whole carb in a box.
>
> but I am sure you are on top of all that !
> scott
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 1:43 PM
> Subject: VW inline four-bangers
>
>
>> Good Volks,
>>
>> Are there any of the VW four bangers that are commonly put into a
>> Vanagon that ever came stock with a carburetor on them?
>>
>> Or for that matter, are there any inline four bangers in ANY model VW
>> that you are are aware of that came with a carburetor mounted on the
>> engine? The later the model the better. And with a Webber carb would be
>> better still.
>>
>> Has anyone installed an inline four into a Vanagon and put a carburetor
>> on it?
>>
>> I have been chasing the Omni with the 1700 cc VW/Chrysler engine but it
>> looks like I'm at a dead end. Need to find something else with a
>> carbureted VW inline four in it.
>>
>> I am chasing a fuel mileage increase, and want to stick with that type
>> engine on the prototype. I'm testing different fuel delivery
>> configurations for specific fuel consumption - which really has nothing
>> to do with miles per gallon per se, because of all the variables, like
>> gearing, vehicle weight, speed, etc, etc. I want to settle on one
>> engine, then work the heck out of it and generate some performance
>> numbers. You see, I have gone into a partnership on a special blower
>> system that should eventually increase our Vanagon MPG. I provide the
>> specially designed, engineered and constructed dual squirrel cage
>> blower...............
>>
>>
>> and the two squirrels do the rest ...... ;-)
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> John Rodgers
>> 88 GL Driver
>
>
>
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