VW based engines. Pros and cons from users?

[facthunter]

Holbrook was the Mecca for U/L's in the earlier times. Lots of 2 strokes and activity. nev

[Methusala]

16 hours ago, Thruster88 said:

The trouble with those light weight early ultralights is they are a little tricky to fly.

Maybe but, this should mean they'll be available for very little cost. I don't recall any trouble flying them but we expected to do a little work and had no higher expectations. Holbrook club had Jeeps and a Thruster s/s on line for $42/hr in the '90s with no accidents. A Robinson B1RD as well. Don

[facthunter]

I think a Gee Bee would be challenging also.  In the early 20th Century you picked light winds or risked crashing. Light wing loadings make wind sensitive Planes and SMALL planes are touchy.  Nev

[danny_galaga]

9 hours ago, facthunter said:

I think a Gee Bee would be challenging also.  In the early 20th Century you picked light winds or risked crashing. Light wing loadings make wind sensitive Planes and SMALL planes are touchy.  Nev

Which Gee Bee? Most were racing planes, I don't think those had a light wing loading 😄

[facthunter]

I didn't say they did. They'd be very intimidating and were  from reports.  Nev

[danny_galaga]

You kinda just put disparate facts together, gets a bit confusing..normally a few sentences in a row would have some relevance to each other. When the relevance runs out, you start a new paragraph...

[facthunter]

The connection and relevance is there if you put in the effort. There are lots of different styles here. Not sure people read long posts. .I will always answer a proper question..   Sometimes making a new paragraph gets changed when I post. I can't do much about that but I DO punctuate and use (..) and "..". and try to correct errors. Nev

[peter]

Horses for courses, Rotax, Jabiru, VW, you are not comparing apples with apples. My aerovee cost 6,000 dollars, I spent another 4,000 modifying it. I now have an engine which can pull my Onex at 130knots straight and level, runs perfectly going vertical up or down and inverted. How much would a Rotax cost that can do that? More than my whole plane is worth?

I am prepared to accept the fiddling and accept the lack of reliability because it suits my budget.

People fly behind VW’s because they are cheap. What else can you get for the price?

I am tired of reading how Rotaxes are better than Jabs, they should be, they cost twice as much.

Peter 

[facthunter]

I think there was one in the irritating (French?) pilot's parasol in the film" Those Magnificent Men......"  Nev

[danny_galaga]

Demoiselle?

[facthunter]

That's the name of it.  Nev

[440032]

Someone I know in New Zealand has a request:

 

Volkswagen Induction Manifold Heater Assembly:
I seek help in being able to locate a drawing of an Intake manifold that incorporates an oil feed induction manifold Heater (similar to the one in the Taylor Monoplane Drawings) which also serves as an Oil Cooler – similar to those used in the conversion of Volkswagen Engines by Rogers and Revel for Amateur-Built Aircraft in the 60–80's.

 

I only have about 3% of an idea what it even is. Sounds like real old technology and anyone likely to have been messing with this stuff might be long gone.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[Gerryc]

Here is one done with a tube surrounding the manifold with 2 oil holes piped into oil cooler lines before  cooler

[facthunter]

On the cars it  was heated by an exhaust bleed which eventually blocked up and was near impossible to  clean out. There will be a delay in the oil being heated enough but the original problem won't exist. The manifold is too long causing most of the icing problem.  Nev

[Markdun]

Yes, VW conversions were notorious for icing, particularly at the lower ‘T’ join where the two sides came together at the rear bottom of the crankcase, as seen in the pic above. A simpler solution is to weld a thick steel tang (not stainless) to that T which bolts to one of the crankcase bolts. This conducts heat from the crankcase to the T.  Oh, and also have a carb heat system.  I flew behind a VW conversion like this for over 700 hours mostly in the southern tablelands of NSW and never once had to pull carb heat despite flying in icing conditions.

 

 Mark

[440032]

Thanks GerryC, that's probably the sort of thing he's talking about, there is a specific plan/drawing he is seeking, he knows what he wants.

[440032]

And GerryC - Simon says thanks.

[Methusala]

On 25/06/2023 at 11:51 AM, Markdun said:

Yes, VW conversions were notorious for icing

I fixed the problem by eliminating the inlet manifold. Installed EFI based on Bosch hardware scavenged from an old 1600TS. Same thing can be done using BMW hardware. Mark knows all about my efforts but I would still prefer a 2200 Jab. Kills the VW for low mass and power output. Jabs rarely suffer icing.

[facthunter]

Port injection would obviate a lot of engine issues on all engines..  Direct cylinder injection even more so.  Nev

[danny_galaga]

2 hours ago, facthunter said:

Port injection would obviate a lot of engine issues on all engines..  Direct cylinder injection even more so.  Nev

How much work are you going to do on a VW engine? The idea is simplicity. If it gets complicated and expensive, well get a fuel injected Rotax...

[Area-51]

All engines will have fiddy diddy characteristics.
 

Something that has stuck with me since the first day it was imparted when asking an old swapper;

 

"which machine gives the least problems".

 

Answer:

 

"Any machine is only ever as reliable as the person maintaining it"

[spacesailor]

The VW is the only motor that has stood the test of time ! .

1938 ish to 2000 .

spacesailor

[facthunter]

Hitler's REVENGE.  Nev

[Thruster88]

1 hour ago, spacesailor said:

The VW is the only motor that has stood the test of time ! .

1938 ish to 2000 .

spacesailor

Lycoming o-320 has that beat, 1953 to 2023 still in production unchanged. There are many variations, these are just different configurations. Only one thin parts book for all the 320's. 

[facthunter]

The VW has been  in quite a few different versions. ALL flat four aircooled by belt driven fan. Plenty of people killed by  it's heating system. Prone to catching fire when in accidents. Early one's a bad handling thing. Engine behind rear axles and had a suspension where the camber  changed a lot. You loved them or loathed them. Not fuel efficient. Broke crankshafts. Nev