The engine was manufactured here under contract and to VW standards. They were not designed here and any design deficiencies point right back to the German designers.
And why did they have smaller head bolts, smaller wrist pins and why did they wear out so fast? Except for Mercedes, all diesel car engines of that era share a gasoline engine heritage and none of the Engineers really understood what was needed to produce a reliable high mileage small diesel engine. VW was no exception.
AMG Pacers did not have German made VW engines in them but some of the early K cars did. Then Chrysler manufactured the engine under license from VW until they could replace it with their own designed 2.2 liter inline 4. Some of the early K car floor stampings were VW rabbit sheet metal, bought from VW.
Most car owners don’t realize how intertwined the car industry really is!
Tom www.towercooler.com
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans [mailto:scottdaniel@turbovans.com] Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 11:57 AM To: Tom Hargrave; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Auto trans interchangablibilty
Sure . that's why those engines had 11mm head bolts and smaller wrist pins than the 'normal good' 12mm head bolt engines with a bigger wrist pin, americans didn't know better. lol.
I suppose it's possible. Did they say 'USA' on the side of the block ? ....like all the diesel vw engine blocks I've ever seen say 'Mexico' or 'Germany' cast right in .
reminds me that some AMC Pacers had german made VW engines in them. Something like that. ----- Original Message ----- From: Tom Hargrave <mailto:thargrav@hiwaay.net> To: 'Scott Daniel - Turbovans' <mailto:scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> ; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2011 8:40 PM Subject: RE: Auto trans interchangablibilty
All of the VW diesel engines made back then were made in the USA. VW contracted the work out to a US engine company.
My source is Dr Booth from the Mercedes diesel list I used to belong to. We were discussing diesel engines and he quoted the diesel engine used in the early 80s VWs, the company who made them, he even had production numbers. “From memory”, and I don’t totally trust memory, the engines were being manufactured for USA and German production. It was still a German engine being made here.
Tom www.towercooler.com
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of Scott Daniel - Turbovans Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2011 3:27 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Auto trans interchangablibilty
re The 80’s VW diesel was manufactured here in the States and so were the VDO gauges in your Vanagon The car, not the engine or trans. I believe round headlight rabbits are german made in that era. and the square headlight ones are the ones made in Pennsylvania. even the batter cables look purely American on those. but the engine and trans were german produced....pretty sure anyway. that was the first example of a foreign manufacturer having a car assembly plant here , btw. Now most, or many of them do it. and I think quality suffers from making them here too.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Hargrave" <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 9:23 PM Subject: Re: Auto trans interchangablibilty
You’d be surprised what’s in what car and where it was made.
For example, the early 90’s Jeep Cherokees came with one of four different automatic transmissions and one was a Toyota transmission!
And guess which gave the most trouble? The Toyota!
The 1966 Mustang came with 1 of 4 different drive shafts.
The 80’s VW diesel was manufactured here in the States and so were the VDO gauges in your Vanagon.
Tom www.towercooler.com
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of John Rodgers Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 10:57 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Auto trans interchangablibilty
WHAT!!!! Really? Audi and Passat slushbox into a Vanagon? How would you identify which would fit? John John Rodgers Clayartist and Moldmaker 88'GL VW Bus Driver Chelsea, AL Http://www.moldhaus.com
On 2/16/2011 6:37 PM, Chris S wrote: > Also some Audi and passat slushboxes work too. _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1435/3448 - Release Date: 02/16/11 _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1435/3449 - Release Date: 02/17/11 _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1435/3451 - Release Date: 02/18/11 |
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