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Date:         Mon, 8 Jul 2002 20:38:10 +0100
Reply-To:     Clive Smith <clive.harman-smith@NTLWORLD.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Clive Smith <clive.harman-smith@NTLWORLD.COM>
Subject:      Re: High elevation adjustments?
Comments: To: Andrew Fox <afox@cnr.colostate.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

No idea Andrew, sorry, I'm UK. However, I would advise a nominal, gentle boost, not some racing kit.

Try Schick, Schrick in germany did them for you engine (160 BHP) with intercooler. Bet its expensive if they still have any kits, they were the tuning xperts for WBX's I think.

Must be some US outfits but of course its the pipework - also South Africa is the place too. They built turbooed Wassserboxers as standard I think.

Clive ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Fox" <afox@cnr.colostate.edu> To: "Clive Smith" <clive.harman-smith@NTLWORLD.COM> Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 8:02 PM Subject: Re: High elevation adjustments?

> where do you get a turbo for a wasserboxer? > > Thanks for all the info! > > Andrew > > On Mon, 8 Jul 2002, Clive Smith wrote: > > > Definitely turbo, but not a big one, unless you want to intercool, rather > > than just restore sea level performance. Also, manual gearbox - definitely - > > I think I'd shoot myself before buying another auto of that vintage, even in > > the UK - as a race we tend to hate them. At least you could entertain > > yourself by changing up and down now and again. > > Ensure air-cleaner is spotless and can not pickup 'any' warm air from engine > > bay. Check the plug colour, if it looks a bit dark or very light (unlikely) > > after a plug chop (when you need to take a pee whilst climbing for half and > > hour) then at least you know the altitude's not fully corrected for by the > > injection. If its running at all weak, you will be losing power and remember > > that weak mixtures take longer to burn, though the answer is not to > > necessarily advance the ignition - correct the mixture if you can. > > > > Reduce weight, the unnecessary crap I've seen onboard some vehicles, defies > > belief. Turn off all unnecessary ancillaries. > > Up the tyre pressures to the max for safety and handling. Try to reduce the > > engine-bay temperatures by every means, there's an article on Vanagon site > > about soundproofing, but this also talks about insulating the exhaust system > > with something called F1 tape (I think) - keeping the heat 'inside' the > > exhaust system achieves 2 things, extracts exhaust gases better (improves > > cylinder scavenging) - more power, lower cyl. temps and reduces heat > > transfer to the engine bay. I imagine the heat from the auto might be upping > > the engine-bay temps too. Do all this and you might go from 30-35mph (with a > > manual gearbox) - but thats what? 18% > > > > At 10,00 ft air pressure is 78.8% and density (what matters) 73.8% of that > > at Sea level, so you've lost 25% at least by then, remembering that what > > matters is not absolute power, but EXCESS power, power available to do work > > above and beyond just driving the ancillaries, gearbox, torque convertor, > > alternator, etc etc. Any increase you can make will go directly to to > > improving hill-climbing - in short, gaining 2 BHP at the engine will be > > equivalent to gaining say, 2.5 or more at the wheels as these losses are > > nominally constant. If you ever climb to an altitude where the vehicle won't > > climb at all anymore - in that gear - then you can do a rough sum of the > > horsepower consumed by the ancillaries and transmission (horrendous) - > > > > density at 5,000' = 86.15% of sl > > density at 10,000' = 73.8% of sl > > density at 15,000' = 62.9% of sl > > density at 20,000' = 53.3% of sl > > > > Power will be approx. proportional to density (the number of molecules of > > oxygen) provided cylinder filling holds up. > > Nitrous Oxide anyone? Fuel additives, methanol? > > > > Clive Smith > > '88 Syncro Transporter 2.1 > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "mike" <mwmiller@CWNET.COM> > > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > > Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 4:55 PM > > Subject: Re: High elevation adjustments? > > > > > > > Turbo. Big one. > > > > > > > From: Andrew Fox <afox@CNR.COLOSTATE.EDU> > > > > Reply-To: Andrew Fox <afox@CNR.COLOSTATE.EDU> > > > > Date: Mon, 8 Jul 2002 09:34:11 -0600 > > > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > > > Subject: High elevation adjustments? > > > > > > > > I routinely drive my van at elevations ranging from 5,000-14,000 feet > > here > > > > in Colorado. Above about 8,000 feet i experience loss of power such > > that > > > > I am only able to maintain about 30 mph while keeping the engine floored > > > > in second gear. I know its a crime but i routinely drive my van with my > > > > foot to the floor for a half hour or longer while going uphill in second > > > > gear (auto tranny). So my question is are there any adjustments I can > > > > make to have a better high elevation driving experience? Any Colorado > > > > listees out there that can tell me if they get better or worse > > performance > > > > on some of Colorado's steep/high highways (ie I-70)? Going east up to > > the > > > > eisenhower tunnel on I-70 my max speed is about 30 MPH (second gear, > > foot > > > > to the floor, 2.1L, AT). > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > Andrew Fox > > > > 86 Westy > > > > Ft. Collins CO > > > > > > >


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