Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2003 04:48:34 -0500
Reply-To: Warren Chapman <vwsyncroguy@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Warren Chapman <vwsyncroguy@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Overlands Diesel Conversion
David,
I've been trying to understand what the driving experience is really like
in a diesel(TDI??) powered Westy....more particularly a Syncro Westy.
Haven't had the pleasure yet...but like to...(Karl,....are you out West??)
I can easily understand all the discussions about the big torque numbers
being available at low rpms. Sounds great, especially in a Syncro Westy.
But I'm curious about tranny longevity in a Syncro?? So many speculated
here that there would be broken tranny's everywhere when a 3.3L Subaru with
200+ft.lbs available...(although only at high rpm)was installed into a
Syncro. What about that "weak 094 tranny"....what happens when all that
torque gets dumped into it while launching a 5000lb Syncro up a steep
incline or out of a ditch or some sand.
Secondly, I'm curious about freeway cruising. With "rubber gearing" (29"
tires )you said you were cruising at 3000 rpm. What's your cruising speed
at this rpm.
If the goal is to be able cruise freeways at 70-75mph or pull a freeway
mountain pass with the other traffic at 70 mph,is that reasonably possible
in a diesel. If so, what gearing and rpm will a diesel (TDI)require.
Warren C.
On Mon, 27 Jan 2003 20:15:10 -0800, David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
wrote:
>I had a 1986 Syncro Weekender with stock gearing (4.86:1 final drive
and .85
>4th) and I installed 29" tall tires to get the RPMs down to 3000 RPM at
>100km/h - the van had no problems with this tire size and I was powering it
>with a 1.9L Turbo Diesel (non-TDI). The van would freely rev to 4000 RPM
>but it certainly didn't like it. The TD / TDI also redlines at 4500 so I
>think running all day at 4000 RPM is going to be a bit hard on the motor in
>the long run.
>
>In short, the Turbo Diesel / TDI is a great motor and I recommend these
over
>gasoline motors unless you want to go racing where a 1.8T would be the
cat's
>meow. Keep the highway RPMs down to about 3000 RPM though better gearing -
>rubber gearing is a cheap alternative and it is the route that I took and I
>was quite happy with it.
>
>
>David Marshall
>
