Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (April 2003, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Mon, 14 Apr 2003 21:20:07 -0400
Reply-To:     Marc Perdue <marcperdue@ADELPHIA.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Marc Perdue <marcperdue@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject:      Yet ANOTHER idle update!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I know you've all been hanging on the edges of your seats waiting for yet another idle update (NOT!), so here it is!

First, the patient: '87 Westy, Auto tranny, no A/C.

I got my leaky exhaust fixed today, new muffler, new gasket on the J-Pipe before the cat., welded a crack in the rear-most header, new tailpipe. I asked them, while they in there tinkering around, if they would go ahead and loosen the O2 sensor and they DID! I'll replace that later this week. Also, while they had it apart, I asked to inspect the cat. converter and it looked fine.

The work was just done today, so this is not a long-term update, but here's what I've noted so far. When I started it up after work, it didn't idle up and down like it used to when started "cold". YAY!! When first started, it jumped up to about 1200 RPMs for a second, then settled down to a steady 950 RPMs. There seems to be more power, but this is such a relative and subjective thing . . . not sure if the change is actually measurable, but I feel like it has a little more power. YAY!! It shifts SMOOTHER!! YAY!! The rough shifting was most noticable driving through an area where the speed limit is 25 mph. Before, at 25 mph, it would clunk down into third from second. Now, the shift is barely perceptible. This is not a benefit a was really expecting, though I wondered if there might be some relationship there. Marla, there IS HOPE!! I hadn't really noticed a huge amount of noise because of the leaky exhaust, but it does seem quieter now. YAY!

The downside: I will not really be able to test the O2 sensor to see if the repaired exhaust was causing faulty O2 sensor readings. When the technician loosened it, he also broke off the metal casing around the wires, so I think that if it wasn't bad before, it is now. No big deal, I was going to replace it anyway. First, I'm going to see if my gas mileage has changed as a result of the exhaust repairs. Then I'll replace the sensor and see if there's any change after that.

All in all, I feel like it's been a good day for my Westy. I'm very pleased to find that the Westy's engine can, indeed, be a fairly smooth-running machine. Think I'll check on all those electrical connections and grounds after I get the O2 sensor replaced and try to get a little more out of it!

Now let's see what tomorrow brings . . . ;^) Marc Perdue


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.