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Date:         Mon, 21 Jan 2002 22:27:33 -0500
Reply-To:     "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Organization: Bulley-Hewlett
Subject:      Re: '80 Westfalia-- best way to drive over passes
In-Reply-To:  <20020122002321.40862.qmail@web20010.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

As a type IV veteran of 19 years, (multiple busses, 914's, and a Vanagon Westfalia) I can tell you this is a tough motor to kill. Your concern is warranted though; like any mechanism, even the Type IV motor can fail.

Most T4's fail at the valve seat... I'd guess 90% drop a valve seat, or (sometimes) burn a valve or a piston, almost all due to overheating. The trick to keeping the head s cool is [exactly as you presume] keeping the motor spinning over freely, and quickly so that the fan is displacing the waste heat from the heads. Having the oil pump and oil cooler drawing heat out of the motor helps as well, but the slower the motor is turning over, the less efficiently these are working.

Something I read years ago (source lost to the sands of time) told me that the T4 fan is at its most efficient at 4,200-4,800 rpm. Above and below that you are reaching diminishing returns, either because the fan is spinning more slowly, or because fluid dynamics at the molecular level along the cylinder and head metal disallows any further heat transfer, even if more air is passing by. Does that make sense? Okay... Further, you are at the peak of both your HP and torque curves in this range, so the motor is at its most efficient.

So if you keep you motor wound up pretty nicely on steep grades, but not screaming, you are doing the right thing, even if you are creeping along in 2nd at 28 mph. I've been over Wolf Creek pass a couple times, (13k) and a number of others in WY, NM, and AZ around 11k at all temperatures, with no problems whatsoever. Simply relax, don't "Lug" the motor, and enjoy the trip, even if everyone is passing you.

Often times you will be passing them if it is hot enough, and they push their beast too hard.

All of this assumes that you have all the pieces of your original tinware in place, as well as a full and complete edge seal around the motor, and a decent seal around the license-plate access door. If any of this is missing, all bets are off.

From historic, walkable Mount Olive, NC,

G. Matthew Bulley Bulley-Hewlett Corporate Communications Business: www.bulley-hewlett.com Alliance: www.ntara.com Home: www.MountOliveNC.info

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of phil hans Sent: Monday, January 21, 2002 7:23 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: '80 Westfalia-- best way to drive over passes

Hi everyone,

What are people's opinions of the best way to drive over steep passes with the vanagon? What I mean is, what is the best way to do it to bring the smallest amount of harm to the drive train of this van? If you are going over a steep pass in a mountain for 50 minutes, should you just go slow, like 30 mph? The slower you go, the easier it is on the transmission and the axles, etc. Or, is it better to go over the pass at 80% of the speed of a particular gear, like, either 30 mph in 2nd gear, or 48mph in 3rd gear? If you push the vanagon, will you hurt the engine? I've managed to go over passes alright, but I was interested in an authoritative opinion on this subject. Obviously, these vehicles don't have the most powerful engines in the world, but is the tranny and the axles stronger, or is the whole drive train weak? Is just the engine the weak part?

The idea is not to take this vehicle over a ton of passes, but if you can't avoid it, what's the best approach? I have an aircooled with a rebuilt engine with 30,000 miles on it. It is doing fine and I want to keep it that way. Sorry for overwriting. :-)

Thanks, Phil Hanson

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