Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 14:21:24 -0600
Reply-To: Blue Eyes <lvlearn@MCI2000.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Blue Eyes <lvlearn@MCI2000.COM>
Organization: Vexation Computer
Subject: Re: Repowering madness, is this workable?
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Ray said,
"I haven't seen a mid-engine vanagon yet, but I saw a beetle with golf/rabbit
engine in a VW magazine (anyone interested in photos?). I guess it would be
possible in a vanagon, too. This would be much, much work and with the V6 TDI,
the rear seat cannot be used, because the engine is too high."
I agree that the V6 TDI would be too tall to fit into under a Westy rear
seat. I wasn't proposing that, even though Ray has shown us that the V6 can
be rear mounted (http://kfz.freepage.de/rfeussner). I suggested considering
two different motor/transaxle packages. I believe both of them would leave
plenty of space for an essentially standard appearing Westy interior. Here's
a rough guide. Measure how far a T3 Vanagon motor extends rearward from the
rear axle center line. If it were installed as I proposed, it would extend
the same distance forward. Height requirements are the same. Do you think
either of them would spoil the Westy interior?
I believe the 4 cylinder 110 horse 5 speed package would fit in about the same
space the 1.6 diesel would occupy if it were reversed. The inline (not V) 5
cylinder Audi motor is larger. Recent archive listings available at
http://gerry.vanagon.com/archives/vanagon.html show an extensive discussion
about how much extra height an Audi inline 5 cylinder motor would require in a
Vanagon. This same discussion should apply equally to a mid-engine mounted
Audi 140 hp TDI diesel. Maybe it would require another 1.5 inches, I don't
know. Would raising the Westy body an inch or so on the suspension to gain a
little more clearance and accommodate taller tires have many downsides aside
from raising the center of gravity? I still think the functionality of the
Camper interior could survive the needed changes without being seriously
compromised.
No A6 140 hp 6 speed TDI Audi has been imported into the USA or Canada. Since
I'm in the US, I can't easily measure the minimum distances needed to
accommodate that motor compared to the axle center line. Relocating air
cleaners and accessories are commonly required work in space limited
repowering installations. If someone with access to one of those A6 Audis at
a new or used car lot (England or europe) could measure one and post their
findings here, that would be great information. Our universal reference point
should be the axle center line.
I remember seeing a curved section of automotive sheet metal that was heavily
ribbed like pickup truck floors to give it strength as it bent through a 90
degree corner. A salvage yard donor section like that could become a nice
strong insulated engine cover. An inspection door for adding oil and checking
oil level would allow easy fuel stop checks. I'd rather have exterior engine
access. But interior access is a price shared by all designs which locate the
engine between the front and rear axles. But in europe, these diesel TDI
motors have developed an exceptionally low maintenance track record, unlike
the the water boxer design. So the specter of living with mid-engine access
should not be viewed as though a typical waterboxer motor would be under that
cover.
Ray's closing comment was, "I cannot imagine how to shift manually when you
are sitting in front of the engine and the tranny behind it." I haven't
examined that design area yet. If anyone knows of an I-net drawing or
illustration that can give some insights for thinking about how to make
shifting linkage for the 6 speed transaxle, please post those URL addresses.
I have some good sized universal, captured ball-end screw-on rod connectors.
By passing a bolt through the hole in the captive ball, they provide two
degrees of freedom while maintaining such tight clearances you can't even feel
any slop. Shift linkage would have to be a fresh design, but I am confident
it can be solved. Obviously it wouldn't be as simple as rerouting an
automatic shifter cable. Some of those are like an over-grown flexible lawn
mower throttle cable. Adopting one of those would be easy.
John
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