827 Engine: History and Details

Ages ago, I once promised something like that...

If desired, we can also publish this as a technical article.

Please provide the text you would like me to translate from German to English.

This article is (still) not complete and is intended to be expanded with the knowledge of the forum participants.

The article should focus on the basic versions of the 827 engine and its key development stages, without covering each engine type individually. Variants such as the five-cylinder, V8, W12, and even the V6 will not be discussed here. These engines were mostly developed by creatively utilizing existing 827 engine components.


The EA 827 engine (EA = development order) was developed in the late 1960s at Audi in Ingolstadt, under the direction of Franz Hauck, head of engine development at Audi.
The goal was a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine with a five-bearing crankshaft, an overhead camshaft with a quiet, maintenance-free timing chain drive, tappets, and parallel valves. An intermediate shaft drives the distributor. The engine was designed for longitudinal installation, specifically for the Audi 80. After some modifications, the displacement increased to 1.5 liters with 70 horsepower.
The Audi 80 saw the introduction of the 827 engine in 1972, initially offered as a 1.3-liter and a 1.5-liter unit. In 1973, the engine was also adopted for the Passat. The bore of the original engine, at 76.5mm, was still significantly smaller than what would later become possible.
VW CEO Leiding ordered that the engine be installed transversely and, as a trial, it was installed in the Golf/Scirocco that was still under development. As a result, the 827 engine also made its way into the Golf, where it is now an indispensable part.
In 1975, the engine block was significantly modified for the first time. An increase in displacement to 1.6 liters was made possible by a block with a bore of 79.5mm. This required the water channels, which were originally located between the cylinders in the 827, to be removed. In 1976/77, when the Golf GTI was introduced with its 110hp fuel-injected engine, another innovation was observed in the 827. This was the "Heron" cylinder head of the GTI engine, which used a mechanical K-Jetronic fuel injection system. The Heron cylinder head is a completely flat cylinder head that moves the combustion chambers into a recess in the piston.
In 1980, the 1.6-liter 75 hp engine was replaced by a 1.5-liter 70 hp short-stroke engine. This was intended to improve smoothness.
With the introduction of the 1.8-liter GTI engine in 1982, the Heron cylinder head was discontinued, and the bore of the 827 was increased to 81mm. The casing of the 827 had to be slightly widened to accommodate the 86.4mm crankshaft in the 1.8-liter engine.
Later, a 16-valve cylinder head was even fitted to this engine in the Golf 2, increasing the maximum power output to 139 hp.
However, the story of the 827 wasn't quite over yet. With the introduction of the Passat series 35, the 827 received another increase in bore, this time to 83mm! This increased the displacement to 2.0 liters. This engine initially represented the absolute limit of what was possible. The cylinder liners in this engine were only 3mm apart! This design was only possible through new materials and casting techniques. Experts doubted that the 2.0-liter engine would ever run reliably, as the cylinder wall thickness of 5mm was considered significantly too thin based on the experiences of the time.
In 1992, the 1.6-liter engine was bored from 79.5mm to 81mm, which allowed for a shorter stroke. This was intended to provide the engine with smoother operation while maintaining the same power output (something we've seen before).

--- So, I now have a problem: I currently don't have precise data on when, where, and which engines were equipped with turbos, 5V heads, etc.
I eventually switched to diesel .
Here, the article will be supplemented with additional information as the opportunity arises.


Oh, now I've almost forgotten something...

Of course, the 827 model has also been available with a diesel engine since 1976.
How did this happen? This was a long and arduous process. For a long time, Volkswagen saw no need for a passenger car diesel engine (the first passenger car diesel engine came from Mercedes in 1936 – Volkswagen hadn't even considered it at that time).
It all started with the Beetle! In 1952, Porsche received the order to develop a diesel version of the Beetle. The result was likely not very convincing, and supposedly it was even a disaster. Until the oil crisis of 1972, no one at VW wanted to hear anything more about diesel passenger cars. It was only then, under the leadership of Ernst Fiala, that they started considering a diesel passenger car again. At the end of 1973, the first VW diesel engine was tested on a test bench and immediately produced 40 horsepower. It was a 1.5-liter 827 engine with a bore of 76.5mm, and it used a Peugeot cylinder head that was hastily adapted to the 827, as VW did not yet have its own diesel cylinder head.
The shift in the diesel debate was driven by the strict US emissions regulations of 1973, which diesel engines could easily meet. However, gasoline engines would only be able to meet these limits in the future with a catalytic converter. This catalytic converter would likely eliminate the cost difference between diesel and gasoline engines. Furthermore, it was assumed that the catalytic converter would result in an additional fuel consumption of 10%.
It wasn't until the end of 1974 that the diesel experiment evolved into a real project. The goal was to develop a 1.5-liter engine with 45 horsepower, which was already more than the competition could achieve at the time. By the start of series production in 1976, the diesel engine was already producing 50 horsepower. Initial experiments with turbochargers also resulted in engines producing approximately 70 horsepower.
The first diesel Golf had an engine of 1.5 liters and 50 horsepower, weighed only 805 kg, and could reach a top speed of 140 km/h. The acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h took around 20 seconds! Fuel consumption of around 5 liters was possible. With this, the Golf set a higher standard for its competitors in terms of specific power.
The engine was already increased to 1.6 liters in 1979 and now produced 54 horsepower. This engine was used in almost all vehicles of the group, with very few changes, until the early 1990s. In 1981, the turbocharged diesel engine was introduced. The bore remained at 76.5mm for a long time.
In 1986, the 1.6-liter engine was increased to 1.7 liters by expanding the bore from 79.5 to 1.7 liters. The next step was the development of a 1.9-liter Wankel engine. However, to achieve a 1.9-liter displacement, it was not enough to simply bore the engine; the block also had to be enlarged. Since the external dimensions of the 827 were not to be changed, the block had to grow 15mm in height, which allowed for a longer stroke.
From this point, the development of direct injection technology was not far off.
However, this developmental step was expected to take a total of 14 years. Both Audi in Neckarsulm and Volkswagen in Wolfsburg were working on diesel direct injection. Without the active support of Bosch, it likely would have taken even longer. The required injection pressure of 800 bar was by no means easy to integrate into a passenger car engine at the time (approximately 400 bar in a naturally aspirated engine).
However, the honor of being the first TDI engine went to the five-cylinder engine borrowed from the 827. It was the 1T from 1989 (2.5 liters with 120 hp -- already with an 81mm bore!). It wasn't until 1992 that the 827 also became a DI engine. From the beginning, the engine impressed with a torque and driving pleasure that were previously unheard of for a diesel. Once again, VW raised the bar for the competition. A 110 hp variant completed the model range.
A 68 horsepower SDI engine without turbocharging was introduced as the smallest engine option and replaced the good old 54 horsepower engine. However, various SDI variants with 1.9 liters and 1.7 liters play a rather minor role in the shadow of the more powerful TDIs.
Stricter emission regulations led Volkswagen to experiment with the well-known but complex common-rail injection system. The goal was to achieve injection pressures of 2000 bar and further improve the performance of direct injection (DI) engines. As early as 1984, the company Elsbett had built a plant-based oil engine with a similar principle and had gained positive experiences with it in long-term tests.
The first 115 hp PD engine was a debacle for VW. The timing belt drive was pushed to its limits by the PD principle and the associated stresses, causing negative headlines. Improvements were made. Therefore, the 110 hp VP engine, which was actually supposed to replace the 115 hp PD engine, was produced for a little longer. With the introduction of the 115 hp PD engine, the intermediate shaft disappeared from the 827 engine housings. The vacuum pump for the power steering moved to the end of the camshaft. This change also affects the VP engines that are still in the product range.
With more robust materials and modified turbochargers, the power output of the PD TDI engines increased to 130 and 150 horsepower. The 100 horsepower PD engine was intended to replace the 90 horsepower VP engine. At the end of 2001, this 100 horsepower PD engine was updated with minor modifications and further developed PD injectors to meet the D4 emission standard (equivalent to EU4 in terms of emissions).
In the spring of 2002, the last VP TDI engines disappeared from the product listings. Currently, only in America, at SEAT and Skoda, is the VP TDI still being sold.
The next revolution is the 2.0-liter 16V PD TDI engine. The increase in displacement was achieved by boring the engine block to 81mm (a practice common in gasoline engines since 1982).
Even the SDI has been updated with the new Golf. The engine displacement is now also 2.0 liters (81mm bore * 95.5mm stroke), and it has been converted to a PD engine. This means another VP diesel engine is being phased out from the VW engine lineup.


Curiosities of the year 827:

In the late 1970s, Volkswagen developed an 827 engine for the then-struggling Chrysler Corporation, which could not afford its own development. This was a 1.7-liter engine. A larger crankshaft with a stroke of 84.5 mm, combined with a bore of 79.5 mm, resulted in the increase in displacement.
The engine was used in the Chrysler/Talbot Horizon.
Allegedly, some of these engines found their way to England and were incorporated into various constructions there.


...will be completed and expanded...
Changes inserted are in green.

© 2004 Bertil Kraft

Quote:

If desired, we can also publish this as a technical article.

Sure, great article!

Hi,

I agree with Rainer, great article!

Here are a couple of suggestions/requests, although unfortunately I can't contribute much beyond offering ideas.

In a discussion thread, someone mentioned that the last generation of VP engines (specifically, the ALH/ASV models) also has the vacuum pump located at the end of the camshaft. This is the same configuration that is also mentioned in the text for the PD engines. Perhaps this "backport" feature should also be mentioned.

It would also be interesting to see the integration of the SDI. The VP (variable valve timing) system seems to last longer in these engines than in the TDI engines, and the block is almost certainly an 827.

Best regards,

Jan.

If anyone is still interested, they can take a look at this BOOK. Okay, okay, the topic could have been presented better than in this book, but it's fine to borrow it and browse through it.



These also include photos, for example, showing how VW envisioned a FULL ENCLOSURE for a G1 diesel engine .

The V10 shown in the picture is, incidentally, not mentioned anywhere.

Jan6K wrote:

...In a certain thread, it was mentioned that when discussing the differences between AFN and ASV engines, the last generation of VP engines (i.e., ALH/ASV) also has the vacuum pump at the end of the camshaft. So, the same configuration that is also mentioned in the text for the PD engines. Perhaps this "backport" should also be mentioned... It would also be interesting to see the integration of the SDI. The VP (variable valve timing) system seems to last longer in these engines than in the TDI engines, and the block is almost certainly an 827.

Thanks, Jan, I've added it.
Does anyone have more detailed information about SDI? It's not really my area of expertise, and it's quite difficult to find information about it.


@dieselmartin

I've glanced through this book before. It's not bad. The problem is, I want to avoid any copyright infringement, so I wrote the content myself. I might also add some images later, if I can work out the copyright issues. So, ideally, they would be my own photos.

@all

Bei den Dieselmotoren bin ich mir über die Einführungsdaten nicht so ganz im klaren, daher fehlen sie oft. BPlease complete the following text.

"Thank you."

Hi Bertil,

If you need help with photos, just let me know. I think we can gather a lot of information together by sharing through the forum.

Best regards,

Jan.

Hi,

Regarding the SDI:

There's also the 1.7 version. According to my Polo manual, it has the same bore as the 1.9, but with a correspondingly smaller displacement (the manual is at home, but I can provide the exact number later). The cylinder head is likely the same as well (but that's just a guess).

Otherwise, there's also:

1.7L, 57 hp (AHG)
1.7L, 60 hp (AKU)
1.9L, 64 hp (AEF, AGD)
1.9L, 68 hp (AQM)

Best regards,

Jan.

Hi,

First of all, 'hats off!' for the work.

Regarding the SDI:
Indeed, it is somewhat more difficult to find data on that topic.
However, from an older AMS (Automobil Motor & Sport) article, I learned that the new generation of SDI engines is also being switched to PD (Pump Denoise injection). (There was also a discussion about this here at some point). It is supposed to be the 2.0-liter PD-SDI engine with 75 horsepower (Mercedes had already surpassed this power output with diesel engines almost 20 years ago, with the W124...).

Regarding the current 2.0 TDI:
The next revolution is the 2.0 liter 16V PD TDI. The increase in displacement was achieved by boring the block to 81mm (as has been common with gasoline engines since 1982).
Sure, it would be excessive if you were to explain all the engines with different numbers of cylinders.
Der '1T' (nicht 1Z) darf aber nicht fehlen! Es war der 1. TDI!
It was the glorious year of 1989.
The 1T already had a bore of 81mm, the same as the current 2.0 TDI, and the same stroke as the 2.0.

Hi Bertil,

Great article!!!
It would be interesting to further highlight the individual evolutionary stages of the 827, perhaps through photos or a chronological arrangement. For example, I need to find some information about the AQM somewhere.
To have photos.

Der '1T' (nicht 1Z) darf aber nicht fehlen! Es war der 1. TDI!
It was the glorious year of 1989.
The 1T already had a bore of 81mm, like the current 2.0 TDI - and the same stroke as the 2.0.

The 1T is iconic. It has a fuel consumption of 1.9 liters and a range of 4800 km on a single tank, and that's with an engine displacement of 2.5 liters (if I remember correctly).

Best regards, WarLord.

@bertil

Excellent article! Congratulations and thank you very much.

The 1T is iconic. It has a fuel consumption of 1.9 liters and a range of 4800 km on a single tank, and that's with an engine displacement of 2.5 liters (if I remember correctly).

Greetings, WarLord.

with aerodynamics 'optimized' using gaffer tape and tires that are almost balloon-like in their inflation.

CU Gremlin.

Hi,

Beautiful text about one of the most ingenious engine designs from VW .

In another thread, I once speculated about the 1.7-liter diesel variant, and here's the text from that time about it:

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate.
Hi there.

The 1.7 SDI is a very familiar model.
The origins clearly trace back to the 1.7D engine in the T3 from 1986.
The 1.7D engine (engine code KY) is based on the old 827 engine block and is essentially a 1.6TD (not a "D" because it uses the reinforced block/crankshaft of the 1.6TD and has piston cooling oil jets) with the bore of the later 1.9D engine (engine code 1Y). The valve size is also the same as the 1.9D. Therefore, the 1.9D is essentially a 1.7D with a longer stroke. The 1.9TDI engines (1Z, AHU, AFN) are known to be based on the engine block of the 1.9D or TD engines (1Y, AAZ).
So, the 1.7-liter diesel engine is not a step backward from the 1.9-liter engine, but rather its origin!
The 1.7-liter engine was never offered with a turbocharger, neither as a swirl chamber diesel nor as a TDI. Therefore, the 1.7 TDI would have been a very late upgrade of an old, naturally aspirated diesel engine.
**********************

I'm not very knowledgeable about car engines, especially gasoline engines. In the T3 and T4 models, there were the following variations of the 827 engine (only 4-cylinder versions):

T3:
1.6D engine with 37 kW, engine code CS, manufactured from 1980 to 1986.
1.6TD engine with 51 kW, engine code JX, manufactured from 1984 to 1992.
1.7D with a 42 kW engine, engine code KY, manufactured from approximately 1986 to 1992.
The cylinder heads of all these engines, unlike the versions used in passenger cars, have conventional tappets between the camshaft and the valves, and do not feature hydraulic valve clearance compensation!
The 1.6TD engine in the T3 is considered by engine experts to be the thermally most stressed engine ever installed in a mass-produced vehicle! Consequently, these engines often only lasted 50,000 km in "DIY-modified" vehicles, and even with sensible driving, rarely lasted longer than 200,000 km! This is in stark contrast to the nearly identical engine in the Golf2, which sometimes even exceeded the half-million km mark.
Rumor has it that the 1.7D variant was created at the request of the (then) German Federal Post Office to give the very weak 1.6D engine a bit more life. The 1.6TD was rarely found in government vehicles due to the aforementioned issues. The first 1.6D engine in the T3 (which was the first water-cooled engine in a VW Transporter in 1980!) was also created at the request of the German Federal Post Office and appeared even before the Waterboxer models.

T4:
1.9D engine with 44 kW, engine code 1X, produced from 1990 until ????.
1.9TD engine with 50 kW, engine code ABL, produced from 1992 (?) to ????
2.0L B engine with 62 kW, but I don't know the engine code or the year of manufacture.

Regards,
Jens.

Hi Jens,

Jens 16syncro wrote:

...beautiful text about one of the most ingenious engine designs from VW.

Well, as much as it pains me as an 827 fan, but I consider the 827 to be the most ingenious design flaw from VW.
The reason is very simple:
The engine was originally designed as a 1300cc unit, but has now been modified with very long crankshaft strokes to reach a displacement of 2000cc. In a diesel engine, this isn't a major problem due to the slower combustion process; in fact, it can even be advantageous.
However, the gasoline engine is now quite problematic precisely because of its long stroke. One cannot expect properly balanced performance figures from this engine with its long stroke. High RPMs are detrimental to the engine, but a 16V engine needs high RPMs. Therefore, VW took a different approach and added a turbocharger. While this mitigates the power deficit of the long-stroke engine, it also causes the engine to become a "fuel guzzler" under full load.
The FSI engines, which haven't received particularly positive reviews in the press, likely suffer from the same problem.

Opel made the better choice in the early 1980s by purchasing a Cosworth engine. This 2-liter engine, with its square design (86x86 bore and stroke), is significantly more modern and versatile, and it's also 10 years younger and still relevant today.

Quote:

In another thread, I once speculated about the 1.7-liter diesel variant, and here's the text from that time about it: ....

... Will be inserted. I had forgotten about the bus with the 1.7-liter engine.

Opel made the better choice at the beginning of the 80s by purchasing a Cosworth engine. This 2L engine, with its square design (86*86), is far more modern and versatile, but also 10 years younger and still current.


'And for a naturally aspirated engine, it has a really impressive torque curve, without any variable valve timing or variable intake manifold.'

It went well in the 'old-fashioned grandpa's box.'

CU Gremlin.

Hello Bertil,

I'm sorry, but the 1.8-liter engine had a stroke of 86.4mm, not 84.5mm. Also, the Chrysler crankshaft is not identical to the 1.8-liter crankshaft, except for the stroke. Furthermore, the Chrysler crankshaft was also used in the Bundeswehr Iltis vehicle with a 1.7-liter engine.

As a long-time owner of a Golf I GTI 1.8, I had to correct that (I still feel bad about selling it four years ago) .