Date:         Sat, 27 Feb 1999 17:47:50 -0800
Reply-To:     Björn <bratjen@DIRECT.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Björn <bratjen@DIRECT.CA>
Subject:      Re: 5 cyl engine clearance follow up, long
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

At 08:57 PM 26/02/99 -0800, Mark Drillock wrote:
>For anyone still paying attention, a question arose a few days ago
>regarding the ground clearance of the 5 cylinder engine conversion in a
>Syncro. Helmut talked about his predictions for the final clearance and
>asked for measurements. He suggested that the clearance would be 5.2
>inches at the oil pan. Detlev has now measured this in my Syncro and the
>clearance at the cross member below the oil pan is in fact 9 1/2 inches.
....

Okay, let us calculate. 9 1/2 inches equals 24 cms which is indeed about the
same distance (23 cms) which I can measure at my Syncro.
(Like yours mine was converted later into a camper and has endured 270000
kms on sometimes very rough roads. It was not completely empty at the time
of measurement, so I could reasonably add 2 cms. Let's call it even to make
it simpler.)

However my Syncro has 185/75 14 tires compared with your 215/75 15s. This
would add another 3.1 cms clearance to yours with the waterboxer assembly.
The Syncro engine is already mounted lower than the 2WD because of the front
driveshaft. The installation of the 5cyl Audi engine took another 3cms away.
q.e.d. This is what Helmut was saying.

The 5cyl is a more bulky engine, no doubt about it. In addition I would
recommend some protection for the pulley in the rear and move the alternator
to the right of the engine for Syncro purposes. 

Björn