Aptera's back...Solar Electric Vehicle

[Piotrsko]

Generally the #3 issue is solved with a remote oil cooler replacing the stock one. I don't fathom how to fix #1 except with a porsche style fan and shroud. Cool tin didn't help

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

If I ever have a Beetle again, it's getting an electric powertrain.

I got this far. The Lexus axle rear mounts line up with the frame horns. But the 400V battery pack and controllers and chargers and accessories is a big hurdle.

You could make me an offer.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Hydraulic lifter conversion? What about wheel bearing grease or filling the spare tire up so you're windshield washer fluid will squirt.

Mostly I'm done with carbs.

My 1991 stand up jet ski was stolen a couple years ago, and I'm thinking to replace it with a 4-stroke (and fuel injection).

Thinking of all the machines in my garage, I don't think I have a single carb in there.

The only thing on my property with a carb is a lawnmower someone gave me because they couldn't get it running. Probably needs carb work.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Generally the #3 issue is solved with a remote oil cooler replacing the stock one. I don't fathom how to fix #1 except with a porsche style fan and shroud. Cool tin didn't help

#3 cylinder had 3 things going against it. 1) after the oil cooler like cylinder #4, 2) is on the side of the cooling tin that reaches out farther so gets less air like cylinder #2, and 3) it's intake valve opens right after the cylinder in the same head that uses the same intake manifold runner so gets more intake charge since the intake velocity is already up to speed once it opens, just like cylinder #1.

Most of these "problems" were more or less remedied one VW went with the dual port engine, and then even further so when they started using fuel injection.

But even on a dual port engine, cylinders #1 and #3 have a "different" load on them from what I mentioned before. The different load merits a different timing curve/map/profile.

[Piotrsko]

The problems didn't go away with dual port or fuel injection. Btdt on perhaps 10 different bugs from swing axle to IRS 1965 to 1977 and maybe a couple million miles in aircooled VWs. It did go away on the pancakes where everything got overheated at the same time either carbed or FI

[Isaac Zachary]

The point was that different cylinders in those engines run under different conditions. Loads, temps and such are different for each cylinder. Therefore a system that can treat each cylinder as its own unique engine should be able to get better fuel mileage.

Either that or try to make the conditions the same for all cylinders. This is more than just temperatures since the wonky intake manifold and exhaust system are not uniform. Dual port was a step in that direction but, agreed, still far from ideal.

[freebeard]

Seriously off topic for an Aptera thread, but there's this:

https://vwparts.aircooled.net/Raby-s...01-p/11001.htm

In a regular shroud, one of the main difficulties is that the 3/4 side has a lot more fan exposed than the 1/2 side does. When developing this shroud, they "robbed" some of that excess air and duct it via that large hose, to the oil cooler. This helps prevent over-cooling the 3/4 side, and evens up the temperatures over the entire engine, while cooling the oil properly! Internal ducting is strategically placed to route air to the proper locations and velocities to deliver the most even engine temperatures possible.

$$$$ but they are out of stock, not expected to return.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Glass is overrated. Where I live, you get another +$300 windshield and the next day you get a rock slung at you and it cracks. Then you have to have it replaced AGAIN!.

Even though nowadays the windshields are made out of laminated glass, which is usually safer, resorting to materials other than glass is not uncommon for special applications such as racing, and once in a while I see windshields made out of plexiglass on cars to which a stock one made out of glass became harder to find. Quality of such plexiglass may vary.

[Piotrsko]

Plexiglass is a trademarked name of Dupont. I believe you are describing acrylic sheet which comes in many subsets of density, toughness and flexibility. Lexan is another trademarked polycarbonate with many coatings applied to alleviate the inherent faults of the base product for a specific purpose.

Home building places stock a common house window glazing grade that tends to not see rock impacts

[freebeard]

Transparent aluminum.