On Jun 2, 9:20*am, jan olieslagers
wrote:
Veeduber schreef:

Lots of interesting ideas coming out.

Indeed, certainly to the eyes of this non-mechanic.
But few seem to answer your original search for an alternative for the
VW: a light engine of 40-60 HP, typical for a single seater.

Or what did I miss?
For that application, the Citroen 2-cylinder aircooled boxer seems one
of the rare alternatives; though it is smaller than the VW.
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"Or what did I miss?"

The Atlantic Ocean :-) The 2CV is an excellent engine, suitable for
single-seaters having low drag and a generous wing. But so few of
them were exported it is virtually unknown in the United States.

The engine received excellent coverage in auto magazines some years
ago when two engines were fitted to a vehicle which was then used as a
4WD for crossing the Sahara Desert.

Overhauling this engine is not for the inexperienced. It uses
specially shaped pistons which must be installed properly or the valve
will contact the piston, which usually results in a trashed engine.

-Bob