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Date:         Sun, 16 Oct 2011 12:24:59 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Engine Conversion Idea...
Comments: To: Michael Snow <slowmachine82@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <4E9B0DAB.5070906@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I had an acquaintance who had a Mazda in his vanagon. He camped near us in Baja for three winters. They towed a Baja Bug sedan behind that rig and had all their sailboard and surfing gear for a 3 month stay in Baja aboard the two Vws. I didn't inquire about the particulars of the vanagon install at the time I was driving gas hogs. He sold that rig and has a Ford van now...Haven't seen them in a few years.

Don Hanson

On Sun, Oct 16, 2011 at 10:00 AM, Michael Snow <slowmachine82@gmail.com>wrote:

> A few years ago (OK, probably ten) I met a guy that worked in a > California race car fabrication shop. He had a 1983 diesel passenger > van with a Mazda rotary engine, installed using parts that he fabbed and > the diesel 5-speed transmission. I never saw the van with the engine > installed, but related stories about passing cars going uphill in the > SoCal mountains, engine revving well over 10,000 RPM, with a giant smile > on his face. The engine was removed to install in another car, and he > was selling the van. Part of the van modification was a raised engine > cover (plywood lined with noise-reducing foam) that must have been eight > inches taller than the flush-fitting stock cover. > > Mike > > > On 10/16/2011 11:58 AM, Evan Mac Donald wrote: > >> All right. I have been thinking of off-beat, kind of "cool" engines to >> replace the not-all-it-could-be waterboxer, and one I keep coming back to >> is a >> Wankel 2-rotor, from Mazda. The later ones were fuel injected, so no carb >> worries, and I figure the high RPM needs of the engine could be met by >> putting >> it together with a Deisel gearbox, and its 4.86 or even 5.11 (or so) final >> drive. It is low on torque, which is an obvious bad point, but if you let >> it >> rev, which it surely can, it should be quite happy at 5500or so RPM on the >> highway at cruise. Lots happier than our regular engines would be at thier >> regular cruise RPM of 3600 to 4000.... >> >> Anybody wanna poke holes in this (ok, crazy) theory? >> Evan Mac Donald >> >> >> "...in the absence of facts, myth rushes in, the kudzu of history." >> -Stacy Schiff >> >


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