The age of engine downsizing is over, says Volkswagen

[PlaneCrazy]

Not so revolutionary, that concept was used by Fairbanks-Morse in diesel locomotives and marine applications in the 40’s and 50’s!

 

[atc98002]

I saw this article today and thought it might be relevant for this thread. If not, please moderate as appropriate:

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/10...lutionary-new-diesel-engine-for-u-s-army.html

Since it's a 2 stroke, the emissions controls required to meet federal requirements are likely nuts. Of course, the military doesn't have to worry about the EPA or CARB.

 

[flee]

Not so revolutionary, that concept was used by Fairbanks-Morse in diesel locomotives and marine applications in the 40’s and 50’s!

And no stranger to military applications, either.
Those marine versions powered some of our diesel submarines.

 

[Chris B]

Yes, definitely not new. Gemini has been working on a similar engine for primarily aircraft use but other applications are also possible. 3 cylinder O/P design as well. 100HP with just the blower, 125HP with added turbo. Gemini Diesel engines

 

[251]

I have a 1935 Ford that I can still get NOS parts for. But a lot of my 2003 Beetle parts are NLA.

Well to be fair, lots of 2003 Ford parts are also NLA.

My understanding is that the manufacturers have to make parts available for 10 years (per law or an agreement) so for a 2003 VW or Ford 2013 is last year they are required to have parts available. This is one reason why the A4 platform VW's (1999.5-2004) are now slowly fading away - OEM parts are NLA and aftermarket parts are sometimes not up to OEM quality levels. Also means if one can still find OEM parts it may be cheap as suppliers do not want to keep stock on parts that there is a limited / shrinking market for.

 

[oilhammer]

My understanding is that the manufacturers have to make parts available for 10 years (per law or an agreement) so for a 2003 VW or Ford 2013 is last year they are required to have parts available. This is one reason why the A4 platform VW's (1999.5-2004) are now slowly fading away - OEM parts are NLA and aftermarket parts are sometimes not up to OEM quality levels. Also means if one can still find OEM parts it may be cheap as suppliers do not want to keep stock on parts that there is a limited / shrinking market for.

I have heard of that rule, or law, too. But I can tell you that there are MANY instances where that simply is not followed or enforced. The PT Cruiser alone is a rolling violation if that were the case.

 

[bhtooefr]

The ten year obligation is for Germany, AFAIK. Definitely not the US, the only obligation for parts availability here is for warranty or recall work, the manufacturer can even refuse to sell parts for a brand new car to an individual.

 

[El Dobro]

Certain GM parts can't be ordered unless you prove you own the vehicle. For example, Z28 specific parts are restricted, so if you want to convert your new Camaro to a Z28, you need to prove you have a Z28 that the parts are going to go on.

For parts with a 10 year supply, I was told that's suppose to apply to imports that want to sell their cars here.

 

[dogdots]

The company I work for (global commercial printing/medical equipment manufacturer) guarantees parts availability for 7 years from the date the last machine rolls off the production line. I don't know if that is the standard for other types of manufacturing.

 

[oilhammer]

The issue for GM and ChryCo has been that the companies that manufactured cars just a few years ago simply no longer exist. So that is their "way out".

Chrysler has, in the last decade or so, changed hands a couple times. GM, in their long trip circling the drain that ended in bankruptcy, is a different company now, both in name and legal status. And they stiffed a BUNCH of suppliers. Do you think some plastics company that made tail lamp assemblies for a Pontiac Bonneville wants to continue to supply replacement parts just because?

Those two companies are the ones we've had the most trouble with. Other companies have changed hands (Jaguar, Volvo, Rover, Subaru, Nissan) and have not been as bad as ChryCo and GM.

Of course, the orphan models like the Vibe, Routan, Navajo, Crossfire, Summit, etc. have and always will be problematic. And the dumb thing is, the companies STILL do it. Express City, Spyder, Yaris iA, QX30, up-and-coming Supra, will all suffer a similar fate.

If there is strong enough demand for something, the aftermarket will step in and fill the gaps. It really just depends. The T3 Vanagons are, amazingly, able to not only be kept on the road but have all sorts up upgrades available to them, many of which address problems that these vehicles encountered after 20+ years of being on the road that were never, ever an issue when they were newer. And these were models last sold here in 1991! Volkswagen obsoleted everything on them for us long ago, despite continuing to build an updated version of them in South Africa until 2005.

 

[Lightflyer1]

I still find NOS parts for my 1935 Ford.

 

[740GLE]

The PT Cruiser alone is a rolling violation if that were the case.

the PT Cruiser was a rolling violation when the first one rolled off the assembly line!

 

[turbovan+tdi]

My understanding is that the manufacturers have to make parts available for 10 years (per law or an agreement) so for a 2003 VW or Ford 2013 is last year they are required to have parts available. This is one reason why the A4 platform VW's (1999.5-2004) are now slowly fading away - OEM parts are NLA and aftermarket parts are sometimes not up to OEM quality levels. Also means if one can still find OEM parts it may be cheap as suppliers do not want to keep stock on parts that there is a limited / shrinking market for.

Tell that to GM. I can't buy some parts for my 2002 Sierra, NLA. I've noticed other makers too where I can't buy parts for a 10 year old vehicle, also NLA. Have to resort to chinesium,

 

[efeballi]

I saw this article today and thought it might be relevant for this thread. If not, please moderate as appropriate:

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/10...lutionary-new-diesel-engine-for-u-s-army.html

This idea was used in Junkers Jumo 204, a 1930s aircraft engine. Supercharged diesel.

In WW2 a concept with the idea similar to Jumo 204 appeared, with four crankshafts instead of two in the 204, arranged in a skewed rectangle, appeared. It was called Jumo 223, with only one prototype built.

The British improved upon this idea and made a three-crank opposed piston engine, the Deltic. Originally intended to power fast torpedo boats, the most popular task the Deltic did was to power the Class 55 locomotive. Yup, it's also supercharged.

I find both engines extremely cool, especially the way they start.

 

[goahead]

I used to work on dual opposed two stroke diesel rolls Royce engines. Multi-fuel engines that could run on almost anything that burned-gas, diesel, kero, jp8, hydraulic oil etc
No torque- just a 2 stroke screamer

Was it hard to maintain such engine?

 

[tikal]

By the way if the age of downsizing is over how come Honda is offering their CRV with a 1.5L turbo (gas) or VW with their 1.4 turbo (also gas) among other examples?

 

[bhtooefr]

Note that the original article was talking about European extreme downsizing, where a 1.4-1.5 is now considered a huge engine.

That said, VW is upsizing now - in many cases, they're replacing the 1.8T with an early intake valve closing 2.0T.

 

[GoFaster]

By the way if the age of downsizing is over how come Honda is offering their CRV with a 1.5L turbo (gas) or VW with their 1.4 turbo (also gas) among other examples?

Well, in the case of Honda, they don't have a history of using turbo downsized engines, so their "age of downsizing" only began with that engine.

VW has been doing it for quite a while, and the 1.4 in a Golf/Jetta-sized car is likely as far as they will go.

The current Prius went from a 1.5 litre to 1.8 litre engine, and became even more efficient in the process.

 

[bhtooefr]

Well, there is a 1.0 TSI as a base Golf engine in Europe (which replaced a 1.2 TSI), but that'll never come here.

The 1.4 TSI has been replaced by the 1.5 TSI Evo in Europe, already, as another example of upsizing.

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

Well, in the case of Honda, they don't have a history of using turbo downsized engines, so their "age of downsizing" only began with that engine.
VW has been doing it for quite a while, and the 1.4 in a Golf/Jetta-sized car is likely as far as they will go.
The current Prius went from a 1.5 litre to 1.8 litre engine, and became even more efficient in the process.

Actually the previous generation Prius went from 1.5L to 1.8L.

 

[nokivasara]

VW downsizing is still happening, I read an article about the new Touareq TDI, the 5.0 V10 is replaced by a tiny 4.2 litre V8

421hp/900Nm V8 diesel. Sounds like a sensible option these days

 

[flee]

VW downsizing is still happening, I read an article about the new Touareq TDI, the 5.0 V10 is replaced by a tiny 4.2 litre V8
421hp/900Nm V8 diesel. Sounds like a sensible option these days

We of North America really shouldn't be told about such things.

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

VW downsizing is still happening, I read an article about the new Touareq TDI, the 5.0 V10 is replaced by a tiny 4.2 litre V8
421hp/900Nm V8 diesel. Sounds like a sensible option these days

The 5.0L V10 got replaced by the 4.2 on the 2nd gen Touareg.

Currently, on the new generation, the allowable configuration is with the 3.0L V6 TDI, with 286PS with the SCR system

https://www.volkswagen.de/app/konfigurator/vw-de/de/der-neue-touareg/31705?page=trim

 

[nokivasara]

The 5.0L V10 got replaced by the 4.2 on the 2nd gen Touareg.
Currently, on the new generation, the allowable configuration is with the 3.0L V6 TDI, with 286PS with the SCR system
https://www.volkswagen.de/app/konfigurator/vw-de/de/der-neue-touareg/31705?page=trim

Oh, sorry about that.
Anyway, here's some more info about it, turns out it's a 4.0 with 421hp, released later this year:
https://www.cars.co.za/motoring_news/new-volkswagen-touareg-revealed/44418/
https://ruvid.net/video/видео-PlPCuW5mpqM.html

Downsizing is the melody