Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2012 14:27:11 -0700
Reply-To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Low compression, more test results-busaid inying used vans!
In-Reply-To: <504BAB8F.6070105@turbovans.com>
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And with a Westy, gear in the back, loved ones proclaiming it's time
for a nature call, or ice cream, you won't notice the engine sound
nearly as much. ;^)
That's an interesting question about VW future plans for the 1.9 WBX.
Old Beetle history would indicate VW was thinking ahead to a 2.1 Then
again, I've read of issues with the 2.2 or 2.3 WBX. Were they mostly
due to owner use or abuse, parts/build quality, or design limits?
With all the history involved in increased displacement etc. of the
air cooled engines (stock or the tuner, race crowd), you'd think it
wouldn't be a stretch (pun intended) for VW to have upped displacement
to 2100 cc.
As Stuart MAY be planning on doing, if I drive my WBX til it really
showed it's age, and it popped a rod, from what I've read, the
"gotcha" is that when it pops, it stops. *** I ran two Dodge 225
engines with a very audible engine knock (likely con rod bearings) 50
- 100 miles back home. "Apples and Oranges" but maybe a 2.1 with a
engine knock may not do that.
Neil.
*** I was younger and foolisher. The '72 was a somewhat nice ride, the
engine knock happened only while decelerating, the gamble being
expensive tow vs used 225 install. The other, well, it was scrap metal
value. But it did have a "snake skin" roof.
On Sat, Sep 8, 2012 at 1:33 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans
<scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> With road and wind noise ...and an unusually flat torque curve .
> there's not much in the way of an 'automatic signal' that it's time to shift
> up.
....
> And I do think sometimes, when I see a sepearated rod cap with catastrophic
> failure,
> I wonder if the driver was going 80 mph in 3rd for a while not realizing it.
> OK, 65 to 70 ..exaggerating some with the 80 mph figure.
....
> Or, with 2.1's perhaps the rod bolts stretch or loose strenght ..
> possibly changing oil clearance on the bearing part of the engine that gets
> by far the most stress on it.
>
> I do wonder sometimes.......was it oil /bearing failure leading to total rod
> cap and bolt failure ?
> or is it just rod bolt failure, possibly due to excessive extended high
> load, high rpm operation.
>
> Likely both.
....
> It would be interesting to know if the 2.1 was in mind when the 1.9
> waterboxer was designed in the first place.
>
> As far as I'm concerned though ..there is 'no reason' for a rod to go
> through the case.
> Having that happen would be due to long term neglect and ,insensitivity,,
> let's say.
>
> or abuse by the DPO.
> On 9/8/2012 1:10 PM, neil n wrote:
>
> Just recently, I somewhat ignorantly issued a blanket statement to a
> local Vanagon mechanic that the 2.1 rod bolts were prone to failing.
> >From his POV, he was pretty adamant that when the rod(s) blew, it
> wasn't always, or usually, due to poor design of an engine part.
--
Neil n
65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp
'88 Slate Blue Westy to be named.
'81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco" http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
