Date:         Tue, 28 May 1996 21:17:58 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Alistair Bell <ui775@freenet.victoria.bc.ca>
Subject:      Re: Hoo Boy! (Was: Corrado Powered Westy Syncro - For

On Tue, 28 May 1996, Miller - James W. wrote:

> Hey all, 
>  Wouldn't a Diesel Westy transmisson be geared way too low to implant a 
> Corrado motor?  Make it work mighty hard.  If not I'll put one in my 
> RADHAUS when the old diesel dies!
> 
> Jim MIller
> 83 diesel westy RADHAUS
> 

I don't think the problem is too low gearing, in fact I bet the G60 motor 
would love to be running at 3500-4800 rpm. Its more a problem of where 
the max torque and hp comes. If you have to wind out the motor to accel 
the heavy old westy, it becomes a bit tiresome after a while. I think it 
would be more sensible and rewarding to tailor the powerplant to the real 
job at hand, that is a motor with a torque curve that increases early and 
peaks soon. 

G60s are prolly better suited to being dropped into old sciroccos rather 
than vanagons.

I'm just approaching 2 years and about 30,000 miles on my "1800 8v into 
'82 diesel westy" conversion. Still with the original diesel trans, and 
yes, I could use an overdrive 5th gear, but these have been trouble free 
miles and I'm very pleased with the conversion. I still plan on 
installing one of those adjustable cam gears and try and adjust the 
torque curve a wee bit. 

So far I think the Audi 5 cyl conversion (as done by VW SA) is the most 
appealling, but perhaps an increased volume 8v is the easiest and most 
cost effective conversion.

alistair