Liberty CRD engine trivia

Just nosin' around on the Internet can find some interesting information. I realize that it might have limited interest at this time, but since I just bought a new Liberty CRD, the engine is unique to me after years of tinkering with "normal" engines. I'm also having a time convincing my wife that it isn't noisy, it simply 'sounds' different!

VM Motori

VM Motori S.p.A. is a diesel engine manufacturing company in Cento, Italy, which is the heart of Emilia Romagna and also home to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati. Founded by two entrepreneurs, Vancini and Martelli (hence the "VM") in 1947, the company produced the first Italian diesel engine, aircooled and with direct injection.

In 1964 the company introduced entire new families of air-cooled diesel engines for fishing boats and the industrial machine markets. VM merges with "Stabilimenti Meccanici Triestini" in Trieste in 1971, Finmeccanica takes majority stake in the combined company. 1974 saw the introduction of a new series of high speed (4200 rpm) HR, pre-combustion chamber, water cooled, turbocharged engines. The Alfa Romeo Alfetta produced in Arese, rolls off the line with a VM Motori engine under the hood in 1979, signaling VM's move to the OEM automotive market. In 1989 Finmeccanica restructers, sells VM Motori stake to company managers and Midland Montague in a leveraged buyout (LBO), company back to single Cento plant.

The after-cooled, electronic-combustion, Turbotronic® engine was unveiled in

1990. It was supplied to Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, and Rover. Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) buys VM Motori in 1995, OEM automotive sales account for 75% of income. Cherokee (#1 in SUV's) and Voyager (#1 in mini-vans) become a major customer for VM in major deal with Chrysler. 2000 saw change again with the purchase of DDC by DaimlerChrysler AG. In 2003 Penske Corporation purchased a 51% stake, and today the company is co-owned by Penske and DaimlerChrysler (49% stake), and produces diesel engines for a variety of auto makers.

Recently, Jeep selected VM Motori's 2.8 L common rail turbo engine for the Liberty CRD. GM Daewoo has also licensed the 1.5 L and 2.0 L common rail engine designs, and they are building a dedicated engine plant, aiming to start production in 2006.

Reply to
budman
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Does it have separate cylinder heads ?

Dave

Reply to
Dave Milne

So I am curious, besides the noise, how bad is the smell? Our dirty diesel fuel puts out an amazing rotted egg sulfur smell from any diesel I have had the misfortune to be following in my open topped Jeep.... Especially on trails where the wind can't blow it right away.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

I rented a VW Golf in Spain six months ago, and the smell was barely detectable. I walked around the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, País Vasco for months, diesel burning rigs everywhere, and I barely noticed it. Not even the buses. In fact the air was so clean, that I once saw a tourist from L.A., down on his hands and knees, trying to get a breath of smog from a bus exhaust. ;^)

Earle

information. I

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Reply to
Earle Horton

Earle Horton did pass the time by typing:

They use a much higher refined and lower sulfer diesel fuel over there. Thank your stars you got a diesel, unleaded fuel is bloody expensive over there. (at least it was in Italy when I was there)

Reply to
DougW

You guys still haven't got the ultra low sulphur diesel yet. According to this link:

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"In 2000, the average Canadian level of sulphur in gasoline was about 350parts per million (ppm), among the highest in the industrialized world. At450 ppm, Ontario has the highest average sulphur level in Canada.. " We have been running ultra low sulphur diesel for some time now, which is less than 50 ppm.

Dave Milne, Scotland

Reply to
Dave Milne

And then they wonder why I grumble about diesels on the trails here in Ontario Canada....

Mike

Dave Milne wrote:

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"In 2000, the average Canadian level of sulphur in gasoline was about 350> parts per million (ppm), among the highest in the industrialized world. At> 450 ppm, Ontario has the highest average sulphur level in Canada.. ">

Reply to
Mike Romain

I became a bus and train convert while in Europe. It's not the cost, but the convenience, and you don't have to worry about parking a bus or a train. "Gasoleo", or diesel as we call it, isn't very cheap there either. :o( It's too bad we don't have buses and trains like that here.

Avis gave me a diesel, because it was all they happened to have in town. I thought I knew Spanish, until I tried to read the instructions on the pump. Who would have thought, that a nozzle would be a "boquilla"? The raw fuel doesn't smell so bad either. You can tell it is some kind of diesel, but not like ours. I put a drop on my finger and smelled it, thereby convincing the station attendant that I was "loco americano".

Earle

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Reply to
Earle Horton

Reply to
L.W.(Bill) Hughes III

It has been legislated that by Sept. 1 2006, all on-road diesel fuel must not contain any more than 15 ppm sulphur.

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Reply to
budman

Don't forget we just changed governments and the new one dumped all the clean air laws the old one made up.

I don't know how much that affects the diesel quality, but they are forcing alcohol on us that actually has something like 20% less BTU output than the input to make and deliver the junk and blows tons more CO2 into the air according to the local news. 'They' say that this extra CO2 will magically get blown to the corn fields for them to ingest so it doesn't count as pollution. LOL!

It is just a pure farm subsidy.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

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