Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:36:57 -0500
Reply-To: Karl Mullendore <groups@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Karl Mullendore <groups@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Subject: Re: The real story about the invention of the WBX?
Many reasons, Scott. :-) We shouldn't REALLY need to rehash this over and
over, eh? Simplicity, run-on-almost-anything-for-fuel, better for world
travel, torque, fuel mileage, low maintenance, longevity, and more recently
quiet and clean emissions? I have yet to experience the 'costlier' to keep
and repair part that you mention. What you mentioned re: the AAZ example,
sounds like the rental customer overlooked something and caused the
failure-maybe a hose, coolant pump? Gas engines aren't immune to the same
death. 'Bad injector' causing combustion chamber damage? Nah, pure
speculation if you are referring to the case I am thinking of. Many gas
engine are interference as well, like the splendid 1.8T's in the Audis I've
owned several of. Except they trash all the valves AND the head, sometimes
pistons too.
2004 Jetta? Nope, wrong facts? No injection pump there, it's a PD. Any shop
that charged that for a rebuild raped the customer, sure you're aware--and
that goes for "$900 to dial in the timing belt" -- really? I mean, what kind
of story is that, someone got raped repeatedly!
Diesel in my area is now same as gas, again. :-) TDI Syncro = 28-30 mpg, wbx
16-17? That's a bit more than 30-40%, agreed? Passat TDI (mine), same power
as VR6, 45 mpg vs 18-20. All it has required are filters, oil changes,
tires, and one scheduled timing belt change in five years. Coincidentally
all the van has required too. Hmm. Not sure why an old diesel guy would turn
so hard against them, but maybe you just lost the touch for diesels. Others
seem to have better experiences.
Karl
3+ VW diesel owner ;-)
On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:40:35 -0800, Scott Daniel - Turbovans
<scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:
>why would anyone want a diesel ( btdt ) .....
>except for the better fuel mileage, they are costlier over the long run to
>purchase, own, operate, and repair, or at least 'quite often' they are.
>diesel engines can do harm to themselves in ways that gasoline engines
>can't ........like a bad injector causing damage in a combustion chamber.
>They depend on the condition of the engine itself to create
>combustion........if that gets a little weak.........and you don't get
>complete combustion.
>they are an interference design and have a critical timing belt.....
>and a few other things .......
>
>I'll build 'em , or sell 'em .........but I'm tellin' ya ..........'a good
>portion of the time' they are not cheaper to purchase, operate, repair, and
>own, even if they do get 30 to 40 % better fuel economy on more expensive
>fuel.
>They do have great low end torque though,
>and you can run plant-based fuels, yes.....no argument there.
>and sometimes they have a nasty habit of smoking, smelling, and rattling
>and vibrating.
>put it this way ...........
>they do not make good 'old' engines. They make good expensive new engines.
>
>( and I won't even mention a guy I know with a 2004 TDI Jetta.......
>had an injection pump rebuild that cost about $ 2,000 ........a part that a
>fuel injected gasoline doesn't even have...........then it cost about
>another $ 900 to get another shop to really dial in the timing belt and
>timing exactly right. Ain't no economy there Martha ! )
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