Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2012 13:42:11 -0600
Reply-To: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Conversion Choices
In-Reply-To: <1346609851.38087.YahooMailClassic@web121705.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
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Robert
I'm not seeing what it is in my post that would make it appear to you
that I think an inline-four is not an original engine package for the
Vanagon
& I'll admit that I do not know for a fact that an I4 would add weight
to the DriversSide but in all that I have seen ~ & it is quite a few ~
the majority
of the mass of the engine & intake & exhaust sits on the DriversSide
of center which leads me to believe that the weight that would
normally be on the
PassengerSide if a Boxer was in there is moved over to the
DriversSide. An EJ25 with accessories weighs in around 265 & from the
info I've been able to
find on the www a VWI4 is very slightly more than that & I'd guess
that about 1/3rd of that weight would be moved from the P'Side to the
D'side in an
I4 conversion ~ that would be an extra almost 90lbs that the D'Side
(which always has the drivers weight & in the case of a Westy, a lot
of WestyStuff)
just doesn't need especially way back in the RearEnd where it can be
very influential in just how well the back of the bus follows you down
the road ~ &
if it should be enough weight to cause the Van' to lean to the D'Side
that could make the Van' top heavy in that direction as well. All just
spec' of course
but IMHO worth considering.
ORR ~ DeanB
On 2 Sep , 2012, at 12:17 PM, Robert Keezer wrote:
> "The 2 biggest down issues I have with it is that
> it is not a Boxer ( I'm kinda in to those when it is
> for my Vanagon )
> & again most of the weight ends up on the DriversSide
> where you already always have the drivers Lbs"
>
>
>
>
>
> By reading some of these posts like the one above , it appears some
> think a inline-four is not an original engine package for the Vanagon?
>
> 15-30 years ago , before the Subaru or other conversion concepts
> were out, the inline -four was the common choice . Usually though,
> it was simply a Diesel to gas conversion like my 82 Westy is.
>
> The inline-four was common in Europe in Diesel and gas
> configurations, and in South Africa.
>
> The notion that the inline 4 engine adds extra weight to the drivers
> side I think is unfounded. If true, it can't be much .
>
> VW continued the WBX and dropped the inline -4 Diesel after a couple
> years.
> Does anyone know why ?
>
> Robert
> 1982 Westfalia
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>
>> As far as using it just because it's a VW engine ~ I can't see
>> any
>> good reason for that to be an influence.
>> ORR ~ DeanB
>>
>
>
> Using the inline VW in a Vanagon because it IS a VW....there are
> actually very good reasons to do that..