A few tidbits from Ludwigsen, Engine weights, 2.0 HP ratings Options

[Dave_Darling]

A couple of bits from the new edition of Ludvigsen's "Excellence Was Expected". These are relevant to some recent threads I've seen around here.

Engine weights: Ludvigsen lists the 914-6 engine's weight as 387 lbs, and says that it was 110 lbs heavier than the 914-4's engine. Which would put the latter at 277 lbs.

2.0 HP ratings: He says that the US-spec 2.0 made 95 DIN HP, or 91 SAE Net HP. The SAE Net spec is more stringent than the DIN testing spec, and it tends to produce slightly lower numbers. It is likely that our dynos here in the US are set up to measure SAE Net, which would explain why most of the 2.0s we see do not produce the HP that we expect.

I would think that much of that info comes from factory sources, but Ludvigsen is not infallible. He states several times that no Sporto 914s were built (apart from prototypes), when we know that is not the case. Some of us have seen 914-6 Sportos, more of us have seen pictures of them, and a factory document published in Panorama about eight years ago tells us that there were 25 of them (4 one year and 21 another year; I never remember which is which).

Still, it's an interesting couple bits of info.

--DD

[maf914]

Dave,

I assume that the original material from the first Excellence Was Expected was basically reprinted for the new edition, then the history was brought forward to today.

Was the original edition reprinted/repackaged or was it reworked? Are there any diferences or additions to the early year's material presented in the new versus the old editions? I'm curious, as I have the old edition.

Mike