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Date:         Sun, 2 Sep 2012 17:00:02 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Conversion Choices
Comments: To: Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <1346628489.85167.YahooMailClassic@web121702.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

The correct way of course, is to weight each corner of the vehicle. that's commonly done on race cars as an aid to ajusting handling balance for various race tracks or whatever ... kinda gotta have that info if serious about fine tuning a race car.

there also road test reports in magainzes giving this information. Car & Driver does that.. take a 4,000 lb Porsche. .. weights at each corner might work out .. LF 950 RF 920 LR 1,080 RR 1050 . or something like that. With that info you have something useful to work with.

I have never thought or seen any particular evidence that a stock diesel vanagon has an unreasonable amount of extra weight on the left side due to engine layout. You might also appreciate that the centerline of the transaxle is not dead on center , left-to-right, on a vanagon.

as for rear battery location ...to make the battery closer to the starter I assume in the case of a DV, since vanagons have more weight on the front axle than the rear .. they need all the 'weight aft' then can get. For traction and handling balance factors.

On 9/2/2012 4:28 PM, Robert Keezer wrote: > I just spent an hour today weighing it all and the Diesel engine doesn't have any extreme left side weight problem that I can tell.. Way-off balance? Has this been a problem I never knew for 17 years til now? > > I have all the loose components an weighed them all. > > Cylinder head weighs about 33 lbs, intake manifold 10 lbs, exhaust about 12 lbs. > Thats about 55 lbs left of the crank shaft. > > These parts I just weighed together that are to the right of the centerline: > Oil pan, oil filter mount, oil filter, oil cooler, water pump, alternator, alternator bracket,oil filler tube, aluminum engine mount, bonded rubber mount, right carrier bar-It weighs 47 lbs. > > Sure, the longblock with nothing on it is right-heavy-but the additional weight on the right counterbalances it . > As for the engine compartment or the rear vanagon weight distribution, a 35-40 lb battery , the battery box, the expansion tank, coolant and engine oil balance maybe over balance the passenger right side. > > Robert > > 1982 Westfalia > > > > > --- On Sun, 9/2/12, mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net> wrote: > > From: mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net> > Subject: Re: Conversion Choices > To: "Robert Keezer" <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM> > Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Date: Sunday, September 2, 2012, 3:50 PM > > It is no illusion. The inline 4 engine is way off balance to the left when mounted in the diesel position. The left side is much heavier. That said the diesel vans put the battery back there in the far right corner of the engine compartment so that compensates for the left leaning engine. How perfectly I can't say. > > Mark > > Robert Keezer wrote: >> I have never considered the engine balance in thestock Vanagon Diesel compartment as nothing about it looks unbalanced, except mine does, as it has a Jetta intake manifold that reaches the left firewall.But I think it's just an illusion. >> >>


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