Date:         Tue, 26 Jan 1999 18:52:51 -0500
Reply-To:     Martin Jagersand <jag@CS.YALE.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Martin Jagersand <jag@CS.YALE.EDU>
Subject:      Legal swaps Was: Re: Audi 5 Cyl Swap: Alert! Possible Trouble
Comments: To: shea@GTSDESIGN.COM
In-Reply-To:  <199901262304.SAA20509@cayuga.cs.rochester.edu> (message from
              Automatic digest processor on Tue, 26 Jan 1999 15:01:00 -0800)

> From:    Gary Shea <>
>
> It's actually a bit more complicated than Mark suggests, unfortunately.
> I recently talked to a smog guy here in Utah state gov't, who informed me
> that federal law requires that the engine not only be of the same or newer
> vintage, but must also have been available as standard equipment for
> the vehicle that year or in later years in the US.  Thus the 5 cylinder
> Audi CANNOT satisfy federal reg's, as I understand them.  My
> understanding is that the underlying rule is that engine/vehicle combo
> must already have been certified by the gov't as passing smog tests,
> and of course that implies the above restrictions.

I wonder how exactly the engine equivalence is determined. For instance
the VW 1.6l Diesels are very similar regardless of what vehicle
(ie Vanagon, Jetta, Gold, Dasher, Quantum and many others) they
were mounted in. Yet small differences exist (ie the injection pump)
and hence they have different engine codes. (Like CV, JX and 10
or 20 more distinct ones. These are listed on the fiches to help
you identify what engine could have come with the vehicle)

So would this minor difference technically be a violation? In
principle one could also use a turbo block to build a non turbo engine,
that except for the engine block code would be absolutely identical
to the Vanagon Diesel. (using a vanagon injection pump, manifolds
and other accessories etc) Still illegal?

> So you can legally stick a 2.1L engine in your 1.9L 83.5 vanagon, stick
> a 1.9L or 2.1L in your pre-83.5 air-cooled van, or switch to a normally
> aspirated 1.6L diesel (but not a TD diesel), and
> that's about it, if one wishes to be within the letter of the law.

Another variation would be to build a turbo engine on a Vanagon
block. (entails minor machining to fit the oil cooling jets, use
turbo pistons and bearings etc). Now we have a turbo engine that
has an allowed engine code, with the only visible (and significant
difference) that a turbo is mounted under it. (Not even visible
if the bottom pan is on, and you can run the std vanagon inj
pump). Is the action of putting a turbo on an engine in itself a
violation?

One can go further and ask what about performance exhaust?
K&N airfilter...

> On the other hand, I have every intention of putting a 1.9 TD into
> my van, unless of course I find a TDI in the meantime.  Here in Utah
> the pollution testing authorities are getting pickier all the time,
> but not picky enough to detect this particular illicit change.

Practically you will be ok unless they actually start reading numbers
and punch them into computers. The number is on the cylinder casting,
which is what ,akes a 1.9 an 1.9.

There ought to be a top level rule that allow swaps that
reduce emmissions and a set of precedents on what should be
reasonably allowed. For example I can't see how adding a
turbo changes the emmission characteristics of an engine
for the worse, so should be allowed. Likewise swaps between
engines with identical technology (such as the 1.6 to 1.9l
Diesel) don't change anything.

Frankly I don't see the rationale at all why engine swaps
would be bad for the environment so long the new engine
meets the same or better emmissions standards.

Gary, or anyone else, do you have contact info or email
addresses to people involved in the rulemaking and
interpretation/enforcement? Maybe if 800 vanagon owners
voice concern they start thinking rationally. And I'm
sure lots of other auto clubs would be happy to lobby
as well.

/Martin
--
Westy 1.9l Turbo Diesel
Quantum 1.6l Turbo Diesel

Martin Jagersand                 email: jag@cs.yale.edu
Computer Science Department             jag@cs.rochester.edu
Yale University

        Slow down and visit the VW diesel Westy page:
          WWW: http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/jag/vw
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