Petrol versus diesel?

[keith]

only 1 way to settle this.........




RACE

[1664]

only 1 way to settle this.........




RACE

Naah. Only one way to settle this is.........

[goody33]

Hi Guys,

Delighted to be a new member and learning my way around. I am thinking about buying a 1986 T25 Westfalia Joker. It is listed as having a 1.9 petrol engine which surprised me as a newbee, I thought VW were always diesel. Will I be happy with this petrol engine? Any comments welcome.

Thanks

Andy

I had always thought that VW vans upto the T25 were predominately petrol.
I didn't even know they did a 1.6td until I started looking for a T25 for myself

[thebobster]

only 1 way to settle this.........




RACE

OKAY You're on mate!

I am a human, what race are you?? No cheating!

Now the best you can hope for is a draw

[Simon Baxter]

I drive T3s day in, day out.
In a camper I wouldn't entertain a 1.9l
If I bought a tidy Van with a 2.ll in it I would only use it for jaunts and just put up with the awful mpg.
I would then be sourcing parts for a TDI.
If I bought a Van with a TD in I would just use it after a good service, including setting the valve clearances and pump timing.
I would use and afford to run a TD daily and be smug in the fact that Parts for my engine are everywhere and sensibly priced.

[keith]

You heard it here first Bobster.....

I would think the best you could hope for would be a stewards enquiry.....

[kevtherev]

The sound of a flat four is so VW...
I get the same or more relative miles to the gallon with my LPG 2.1
I wouldn't have the 1.9 petrol ever again.

I wouldn't have the chronic 1600 non turbo diesel either.. But I would consider an AAZ 1.9 diesel

[lloydy]

Weird innit, people's experiences.. I had a 1.9wbx in that white komet I had, it drove completely fine, never really felt underpowered as such, even with the LPG conversion. I for a very short while had a 1.6D, I just drove everywhere with my foot mashed to the carpet and avoided hills.
Had a 2.0air cooled, that felt pretty quick..
The 1.6td was ok, especially on my very low geared syncro, but was really noisy, had to shout in the cab. The 1.9td aaz was slightly faster and slightly quieter.
The tdi I have now, is the quickest and quietest nicest driving camper I've had. Have yet to drive a 2.1 wbx

[keith]

Id like a go in a 2.1 too.

Weirdly ive only ever been in 2 t25s

Mine and
Daz,s at mv engineering when it was a tdi ahu.....round the block spin to prove how well a tdi can go.

[discipleofsketch]

I only considered a diesel when I bought my current T25, for the economy and supposed longevity. However after finding the 1.6d dangerously slow when fully laden, and then having an old 1.9d fitted, which has turned out to be in need of a rebuild, so early next year it will be having another engine swap. So i'm running at about 2000 miles per engine - my bank balance would be better if i'd just got a 1.9 petrol, even if they only do about 20mpg on liquid gold

However fingers crossed i'll get many years out of my next engine (tdi), and mpg's in the 40+ mpg range.

[AdrianC]

Our 2.1DJ hightop Westy, on petrol, isn't really that bad on juice. Mid 20s. No worse than the three cars I had before it. We strongly considered LPG, but the loss of space would just have been too much to bear on the big trip. In a Westy, there aren't that many tank options - lose the underbed and/or the spare.

We started off wanting a 1.6TD - and drove several. Slow, loud.

We've got a 1.7D hightop homebrew in the garden at the moment. Dear lord. That thing is _glacial_. I hate to think what a 1.6D'd be like.

Our 3.0 v6 Shogun - now THAT thing's thirsty! 15mpg out of one tank... And, no, it isn't on gas...

[poshbuggers]

From my experience of ownership:

1.6 petrol Aircooled - laughably slow, but air cool. If you can put up with slow they're Beetle style fun.
1.6D - cheap but slower than a paint run. Fred Flintstone can blow one off.
1.6TD - marked improvement on above. Acceptable, but only just. Better on fuel. If you can find a good one, cosset it until you upgrade to a 1.9TD/TDI
1.9 petrol - nippy in a light van, flat in a heavy one. Average fuel usage. Carbs troublesome.
2.1 petrol - like the above with the brakes off, but can be thirsty. Injection an improvement over carbs.

Conversions:
VW 1.9D - cheap to run but dead on a hill. Stone age tech. Like a 1.6D with a few more ponies.
VW 1.9TD - better, frugal, nippy and easy to fix. Stone age tech with boost. Well sorted these are a cracking compromise of speed and economy.
VW 1.9TDI - great, torquey motor. Moderner driving experience. Better MPG, but more money to fit and more electrics to break.
VW 2.0 Golf GTI - nippy, modern and pulls well. Average fuel consumption. Easy to fix. Almost like driving a GTI van. ish.
Audi 2.2 5 cylinder - awesome noise, torquey and a bit thirsty. Engines weigh as much as the van.

[ninja.turtle007]

However fingers crossed i'll get many years out of my next engine (tdi), and mpg's in the 40+ mpg range.

Expect low 30's. Which is very reasonable.

[discipleofsketch]

However fingers crossed i'll get many years out of my next engine (tdi), and mpg's in the 40+ mpg range.

Expect low 30's. Which is very reasonable.

I'll report back in a couple of years after the conversion I'd be disappointed with low 30's, but if it gets my overweight fully laden camper up the devon hills..

[Simon Baxter]

just for clarity...

diesel is what comes out of a pump.....it bears little relationship to how slow D.E.R.V.'s go.

i.e....there are slow diesels and there are even slower diesels.

the comment about rusty bodies is really important unless you have lots of dosh or own a body shop or are best mates with a guy called Mike.

its a bit like blondes or brunettes or red heads.....I like all 3.

Fixed that for you

Race you.