POWER! Have I got enough?
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- dickie14
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POWER! Have I got enough?
Hi all,
How much BHP should a 2.0 CU Aircooled with Dell DRLA 36's make after being tuned on a rolling road?
Reason I ask is that after fitting my Dells and getting to a Rolling Road I managed to break their record with a whopping 24hp. After I'd finished crying, much investigation led to a heavily worn crankahft and an engine rebuild and many more tears for me and my savings. However, now it's back and posting 58hp at the wheels. Now it is an automatic, but I was rather hoping for more than this. Or should I be thrilled? I know a CU would originally have output 74hp, but that's at the flywheel, right?
I've yet to pick it up so not sure what it's like to drive yet.
Dickie
How much BHP should a 2.0 CU Aircooled with Dell DRLA 36's make after being tuned on a rolling road?
Reason I ask is that after fitting my Dells and getting to a Rolling Road I managed to break their record with a whopping 24hp. After I'd finished crying, much investigation led to a heavily worn crankahft and an engine rebuild and many more tears for me and my savings. However, now it's back and posting 58hp at the wheels. Now it is an automatic, but I was rather hoping for more than this. Or should I be thrilled? I know a CU would originally have output 74hp, but that's at the flywheel, right?
I've yet to pick it up so not sure what it's like to drive yet.
Dickie
1981 2.0 CU automatic Westy poptop
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
Not bad copared with a DF wasserboxer engine and yours is after all an auto! Enjoy the G force!
We can have a race along Chiswick High Road to see who has the most grunt.
We can have a race along Chiswick High Road to see who has the most grunt.
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
Giving away about 20% of the engine power through the auto and tyres sounds about right to me.
If you had pumped them up to 50 psi before going on the rollers then it might have looked better! I take it that they did a "wind-down" to calculate the transmission losses, which is the proper way to work out what the engine is actually making?
If they did and that's the 58 bhp at the crank, then it sounds like your rebuild is either less than stellar or it's not bedded in yet/properly.
If you had pumped them up to 50 psi before going on the rollers then it might have looked better! I take it that they did a "wind-down" to calculate the transmission losses, which is the proper way to work out what the engine is actually making?
If they did and that's the 58 bhp at the crank, then it sounds like your rebuild is either less than stellar or it's not bedded in yet/properly.
1985 Oettinger 3.2 Caravelle RHD syncro twin slider. SA Microbus bumpers, duplex winch system, ARC 7X15 period alloys
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
Can't add anything helpful I'm afraid but wondered where you took it, how long it took to set the carbs and how much it cost? (Would like to get mine tuned in the new year)
Thanks
Thanks
"our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt" Mr W Shakespeare
1990 VW T25 Transporter
1.9 DG 78ps
LPG'd by Gasure
1990 VW T25 Transporter
1.9 DG 78ps
LPG'd by Gasure
- sarran1955
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
Hello,
Compressions or cranking voltages
What is ignition set to at 850 rpm.
What is advance at 2400 rpm
Can you post up a scan of the results please.
Standard ignition
This may cheer you up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qayyc9Z4E0
Then watch part 2.. I know theyre Solexes, but the game rules are the same.
Cordialement,
Cordialement,
Compressions or cranking voltages
What is ignition set to at 850 rpm.
What is advance at 2400 rpm
Can you post up a scan of the results please.
Standard ignition
This may cheer you up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qayyc9Z4E0
Then watch part 2.. I know theyre Solexes, but the game rules are the same.
Cordialement,
Cordialement,

Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
i only made 52 bhp in mine with cu motor and bigger solex carbs and it would do over 90mph on clock if you had a long enough road to wind it up my 1800 cc type 4 412 ls engine managed 93bhp at wheels but that had the heads modified and run dellorto 45s and my latest engine made slightly more , power you can never have enough
- dickie14
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
Well that makes me feel better faggie! The 58hp was at the wheels, the 'wind down' didn't really work as it's an auto.
I don't know what the compression is Sarran, I'll find out. It ranged between between 105 and 120psi before the rebuild, so I'd hope for higher. It's running an SVDA dizzy and I'll find out how they guys at the RR have timed it when I pick it up on Saturday.
I took it to CFM Engineering in Reading. They prep a lot of bays, not sure they'd got much experience of type 4 engines though. Certainly very meticulous, and one of the only rolling roads I could find who knew their way around Dells and stocked all the jets. Nice guys to boot. Should have taken a couple of hours to setup, if it wasn't for the fact that the engine itself was goosed. After VAT it worked out at roughly £100/hr.
I don't know what the compression is Sarran, I'll find out. It ranged between between 105 and 120psi before the rebuild, so I'd hope for higher. It's running an SVDA dizzy and I'll find out how they guys at the RR have timed it when I pick it up on Saturday.
I took it to CFM Engineering in Reading. They prep a lot of bays, not sure they'd got much experience of type 4 engines though. Certainly very meticulous, and one of the only rolling roads I could find who knew their way around Dells and stocked all the jets. Nice guys to boot. Should have taken a couple of hours to setup, if it wasn't for the fact that the engine itself was goosed. After VAT it worked out at roughly £100/hr.
1981 2.0 CU automatic Westy poptop
Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
dickie the cu motor only puts out 70bhp as standard compared to 100bhp for the gb motor out of a 914 , the only type 4 motor t3 vans i have ever driven what had decent performance had a 2400cc conversion done to the type 4 motor and this used modified 1800 heads and standard tappets this put out around 160bhp , they are a strong engines and highly tunable to over 300bhp but it costs ,
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
my rebuilt cu with dells had about 58 59 at the wheels and it flew!!
you will be impressed
you will be impressed
98 Westfalia James Cook
- dickie14
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
WOW! I've got the van back and it has been transformed! Stormed home at 75mph regardless of gradient, sounds fantastic and the engine bay now looks like this:

Very, very happy and all in time for Christmas!
Thanks for all the advice everyone, no doubt I'll be back on here in the new year when I start to tackle the bodywork...
Merry Christmas all,
Cheers
Dickie

Very, very happy and all in time for Christmas!
Thanks for all the advice everyone, no doubt I'll be back on here in the new year when I start to tackle the bodywork...
Merry Christmas all,
Cheers
Dickie
1981 2.0 CU automatic Westy poptop
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
They do sound fantastic when giving it some beans with Dell's don't they?
Glad your happy with the results!
Glad your happy with the results!
98 Westfalia James Cook
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
That engine looks so new and clean. I am jealous. You are on the road again which is important. The bodywork can wait. It isn't that bad at least from a distance!
Catch up with you after Xmas. Maybe for a pint in the Swan. Merry ding dong.
Patrick
Catch up with you after Xmas. Maybe for a pint in the Swan. Merry ding dong.
Patrick
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
can you post up the scan sheet and readings
mm
mm
- kevtherev
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Re: POWER! Have I got enough?
It's not all about BHP.. as you have found out
AGG 2.0L 8V. (Golf GTi MkIII)