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Date:         Sun, 11 Jun 2000 18:00:58 -0400
Reply-To:     The Gunnings <ngunn@LANDMARKNET.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Gunnings <ngunn@LANDMARKNET.NET>
Subject:      Fw: Is It Cool To Be Cooler?

----- Original Message ----- From: The Gunnings <ngunn@landmarknet.net> To: Joel Walker <jwalker17@earthlink.net> Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2000 5:39 PM Subject: Re: Is It Cool To Be Cooler?

> Hey Joel, > > Good hearing from you. As I am still getting the hang of this email > responding to list way of doing things, I hope you will bear with me. > Sometimes I do it right, and other times I begin to wonder if my reply is > getting thru. For example, did you receive my response to the "Power > Assisted Steering" info you were good enough to send? It may be that I must > reply thru the mechinations of the list and not in any other manner, I > guess. > In any event, I appreciate your getting back to me. Regarding the cooler > thermoswitch/stat from BMW, this is something I was turned onto by a > California based High Performance Vanagon engine rebuilder. I thought they > said it was something they recommended and did with their own rebuilds. > Maybe they realize that Norway is only two towns away from where I live > (about 15 miles), and just down the road from Denmark and Paris, Maine. Not > too close, however, to Peru and China. . . . > As may be, I am not nearly as concerned about the fuel efficient aspect, > which you alluded to, as I am with engine longevity. I only want to do > things to my engine that will help it run cooler, if possible. As everyone > knows, there is nothing will kill a vanagon wbx engine sooner as excessive > heat. Auto engineers are only human (I think) and it is unlikely that they > always have yours or my best interest at heart. Maybe their running our > vanagon on the hot side has more to do with planned obsolescence more than > anything else. How am I to know for sure what was originally intended by a > bunch of guys running around with plastic shirt pocket pen pouches and a > head full of numbers alternated by funny looking Greek letters? > > Dave Gunning > > Lovell, ME 04051 > > 85 Wolfsburg > Kubota 4wd > Limmer Boots > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Joel Walker <jwalker17@earthlink.net> > To: The Gunnings <ngunn@LANDMARKNET.NET> > Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2000 3:31 PM > Subject: Re: Is It Cool To Be Cooler? > > > > > thermostat. My question is if this is such a good idea why haven't > > others > > > done it and spread the word via this enlightening list? If running > > Hot is > > > to be avoided, and I agree that it is, doesn't it make sense to > > notch the > > > thermoswitch and thermostat down an easily done ten degrees? That > > this is > > > not being done makes me wonder what it is that I do not know that > > might make > > > this not such a good idea. > > > > all auto engineering is a compromise ... and if you looked at the > > operating range of temperatures of autos over the last 50 years, you'd > > see a marked increase: today's cars run hotter. period. supposedly, > > this makes them more fuel efficient, like the diesel trucks (where > > hotter = better. ever see them close off the radiator grill with > > blankets in the winter?). so a thermoswitch or thermostat for a > > bmw-designed cooling system MIGHT not be quite so fuel efficient as > > the vw-designed thermostat/switch IN THE SAME VEHICLE. maybe. sorta. > > kinda. somewhat. the thing is, the vw designers picked a certain set > > of components to meet a certain set of compromise solutions to what > > they considered their design objectives. there's plenty of room for > > adaptation or re-design in that set of components. you could > > 'blue-print' the engine and gain horsepower and smoothness. you could > > increase the compression, use a larger alternator, bigger exhaust, > > etc. and the car will still run fine. > > > > but the design was set, in some committee meeting, and that's what > > they built. i doubt that ten degrees will make much difference, one > > way or the other, unless you lived somewhere like Norway. :) > > > > good luck! hope it helps. > > joel > > > > > > > > > > Unless I receive listee contrary views on the > > > subject, however, next time I drain my system, think I'll give it a > > try. > > > Ten degrees is, after all, ten degrees. Anyone want the part ###s, > > let me > > > know and I will post them on the list. > > > > > > Dave Gunning > > > > > > Lovell, ME 04051 > > > Kubota 4wd > > > Limmer Boots > > > > > > > > >


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