16v vs. 8v: Fact vs. Myth

[Dan Ruddick <druddick@vt.edu>]

        The 8V 1.8L develops the same amount of torque and horse power as
the 16V 1.8L at the bottom end of the rpm band.  Look at a horsepower curve
for the two engines, European car has said it a million times.  The 16V only
feels weak compared to the 8V because of the peakiness of it's power.  The
myth of the greater low end power of the 8V is not true!  If you want to
beat an 8V off the line rev the engine up and drop the clutch!(not
recommended for younger viewers)  Anyway, the 8V cars weigh less, so at low
rpm where the power is the same, the 8V should go faster.

        However, the 8V may respond better at low rpm since the intake and
exhaust gas velocity is higher with the 8V at a given rpm.(same volume of
gas moves in and out of an 8V and a 16V 1.8L at a given rpm, just less area
for it to move throughin the 8V, hence higher velocity)  The higher velocity
of the moving gas in the 8V will give you better throttle response, and
better air/fuel mixing, etc...

        The advantage of the 16V comes when you reach higher rpm and the
greater valve area allows you to flow more.  shawn's point was to close off
four intake vales at low rpm to increase the gas velocity through those
valves and increase the way the engine feels and (apparently) performs.
I've run my lightly modified 8V against Chris Taylor's lightly modified 16V
and to be honest, he kick's my ass.  Perhaps not tomorrow though, when I
install that new head..... 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dan Ruddick
Virginia Tech
'87 Scirocco 8V
"Yeah, but what are ya gonna do?"  -Homer Simpson, philosopher
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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