Mr. Hoover I realize that this is not a simple topic, but the words "there is no concise answer to that" - sounds a bit like something a politician will say.
No offence please sir, but we are talking about a 40 plus year old engineering discipline. I am consistently amazed and impressed by the ability of home builders to learn, adapt and innovate - it was a home builder that evolved the first composite /canard (commercial) aircraft (Beech Starship). The same "home builder" recently flew supersonic and looks set to be the first non-govt entity into space. Do not sell "us" short. >From your comments, the crank failures that have occurred were predictable (by you) for the lack of some basic understanding - you say " though those detail items have been found in winning VW engines for more than forty years (and may be found in all modern engines as a matter of course)". It would be sad if we are unwittingly doing things that could have unpleasant consequences - whilst the solution to a better way is in fact known (by one of us). I have been in and around home built aircraft and rebuilding VW engines since 1968. I have read and listened to everything available on these engines - particularly since the internet came along. Why am I hearing about this weakness for the first time in 2004? Steve J Askies'at'microlink.zm
