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Date:         Tue, 22 Jan 2002 06:35:53 -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
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

It is a foam covering over the entire back of the license plate cover, and meeting/sealing around the periphery of the access hole cover. Ours seats about 3/4" wide at the sides of the cover, and about 1/2" at the top and bottom.

This seal keeps the fan from sucking hot air from the back of the van (just above/back of the muffler) and ensures it sucks its air in though the vent plenums.

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: Ron Schlamp [mailto:r.schlamp@sk.sympatico.ca] Sent: Monday, January 21, 2002 10:53 PM To: G. Matthew Bulley; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: '80 Westfalia-- best way to drive over passes

I have been reading this thread. Just wondering about the license plate seal. I have never had any such a seal around my license plate hatch. What is this like and where can I get one if I need one. Any photos? Ron

----- Original Message ----- From: "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Monday, January 21, 2002 9:27 PM Subject: Re: '80 Westfalia-- best way to drive over passes

> 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 > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! > http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/


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