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Date:         Wed, 15 Aug 2001 06:38:21 -0700
Reply-To:     pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Check out this Syncro
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

On the Subaru flat six offered by www.smallcar.com. The motor in question is the 3.3l SVX. Available in the US from 1992 to 1997-8. The 2.7 was a problem design available in the XT-6. The current offering is a 3.0l six for the Outback series and maybe the sedans. The 2.5l DOHC four is just the six without two cylinders and is a very nice motor with an excellent service record and more than suitable as an upgrade with 165lbs-ft of torque.

This 3.3l has an amazingly flat torque vs rpm characteristic with a maximum of ~225lbs-ft at 4400 rpm. Setting the cruising (70mph) rpm to 3700 rpm or so by using the standard 0.86 top gear/4.86 ring and pinion/215-75x15 tires allows plenty of latte-tude for the superslab (100mph is 5200rpm) and puts the operating range below the torque peak for spirited passing.

The 50-75 time is certainly an improvement and can be handled briskly by third gear or quite adeqately in 4th..

Practical redline is 6500. So the operating range in top gear is ~2000rpm -- 6000rpm (40-110mph) Available torque is >180lbs-ft throughout the range.

Keeping in mind that the vanagon is a truck with, in my case, a 5300lb GVW, upgrading the brakes is a necessary complement to the upgraded engine performance.

For mosey-mode, the normal vanagon touring/camping/poppywatching mode for me, fuel consumption will be in the 18mpg range. An overactive throttle muscle can reduce this number significantly. But since my old syncro averaged ~18 in mosey mode there isn't much difference. On ramp, passing, and alpine performance are greatly enhanced and that in my opinion is where the vanagon needed improvement.

cheers,

pensioner


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