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six cyl diesel seems to be in the works!

 

4/24 Boxer Diesel review. 'Now that the air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle and its siblings rest in peace, only Porsche and Subaru stand by the boxer-engine principle. In a worldwide first, the Japanese have now taught the horizontally opposed piston engine to feed on diesel fuel. The layout? A 2.0-liter, aluminum-block, four-cam four-cylinder.

We tried the promising fuel miser in the Legacy sedan and the Outback wagon, and we came away impressed. Like all horizontally opposed engines, Subaru's new diesel eliminates second-order shaking forces. The end result is a smoothness - and a lack of noise - not usually associated with an oil burner. The 148-hp four-cylinder revs to a 4400-rpm redline, and although it's not ridiculously quick (60 mph arrives in 8.5 seconds, according to Subaru), prompt accelerator-pedal response and a wide, middle-of-the-tach sweet spot go a long way. Fuel economy is expected to average about 40 mpg in Legacy-based applications, and top speed will likely approach 130 mph.

Subarus' diesel hits Europe this month, but happily, its stateside arrival isn't far off - American Subaru dealers are due to see it in 2010. Subaru of America has not yet decided which vehicles it will offer with the diesel, but the Legacy, the Outback, and the Forester seem like obvious candidates. As one would expect, the usual modern diesel equipment will be present, including common-rail, high-pressure fuel injection; four valves per cylinder; a particulate filter; and a variable-vane turbocharger.

If 148 hp doesn't seem like much, fear not: an output bump is reportedly in the works, along with a six-cylinder variant sporting up to 300 hp for certain markets. Incidentally, Subaru is also working on combustion tweaks and a more sophisticated catalyst that will allow its diesels to meet emissions regulations without using urea injection. The mood in-house is nothing if not ambitious. "We think we're on the right track," states a senior Subaru engineer. "In a few years, 30 percent of all Subarus will be diesel-powered." That's a hefty goal, especially since it remains to be seen if diesel cars will really catch on in America. For now, however, Subaru has made a commendable first step.' the article

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the following is a cut-n-paste of the 'voice' to the idealist inside:

 

It's about dang time! I want the option for a crate purchase of the Common Rail Diesel engine with a 5+ speed Dual Range 2WD/4WD HI/4WD Low standard tranny with rear end that have a final drive ratio options of 3.25, 3.5, 3.75, 3.9.

 

IF I showed you the threads in the many subaru forums that were about diesel conversion for older cars you just might realize an untapped market. Meanwhile I'm having to resort to converting a VW TDI powerplant to work with the EA82 trannies for these light weight platforms.

 

Simply put, power to weight ratio is king: hp/torque + final drive ratio + 5 bolt pattern 15" rims = options to show the world 65+ mpg(real world city) platforms are doable with current off the shelf materials!

 

Now am I too much of an idealist to expect a real honest reply from you folks?

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Aaagh. Can I wait two more years....:banana::banana: 42mpg sounds about right for a legacy, considering what the TDI jetta's get. 148 horsepower doesn't sound like much.... but at 258 ft lbs torque at low rpm, that'll feel more like 300 horsepower, I bet (not for accelerating, but for highway cruising, based on how the TDI VW's feel with only 110 horsepower)

 

Question is... will I have stuffed a TDI VW engine in my EA82 before they FINALLY introduce the diesel subaru to the US.... maybe. Maybe not.

 

On the head gasket issue someone mentioned that old subarus had issues...depends on what you call old. I say only the new subarus' that have that problem... like 1995 and up, till about 01 or 02. Before 1995, it was only overheated EA82's, which you kind of expect. Hopefully the diesel won't have any such issues. Does anyone know what block size they used... and bore and stroke. Is it a EJ25 block only bored to 2.0 liters for added strength perhaps? That would mitigate the potential for issues a bit. Or more likely, a completely different, and new block designed from the ground up?

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Aaagh. Can I wait two more years....:banana::banana: Does anyone know what block size they used... and bore and stroke. Is it a EJ25 block only bored to 2.0 liters for added strength perhaps? That would mitigate the potential for issues a bit. Or more likely, a completely different, and new block designed from the ground up?

 

Here's a pretty good article on the design/dimensions of the diesel. Just came across it last weekend. Enjoy . . . and drool!

 

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/01/subarus-first-b.html

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