NOMADICISTA

Mr. Sharkey, I have been enjoying your articles and admire your ingenuity. I have a 1981 diesel rabbit that I enjoy working on and am in the process of trying to increase the efficiency of the vehicle. We have put 14" Honda wheels on it for a little taller gearing and have changed to synthetic oil in the crank case. I also plan on doing some ground effects work. I have also been thinking of ways to recover the heat used in cooling, maybe a stirling cycle engine or steam, to be used for powering the alternator or other accessories. Any thoughts of yours would be appreciated. Paul

Hi Paul, if you want maximun efficiency from a VW diesel, you want the engine to run as hot as possible. Make sure you have a 180 or 190 degree thermostat in the water pump. If you do find a way to scavenge waste heat, make sure it's not causing the engine to run cooler.

I'll probably move this topic thread to the "Electric Vehicles" section of the forum after I get all the proper categories back in place, so look for it there.

Good luck with your project, let us know how it goes.

Mr. Sharkey, Thank you for your reply. We will investigate ways to recover lost energy, i.e. cooling losses, but in the mean time will work on intake, exhaust and easier stuff to maximize our efforts. Paul