Date:         Tue, 2 Dec 2003 20:45:24 -0800
Reply-To:     Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      Think I found the reason for SLOW DIESEL vanagons...
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As some of you know, I came by a diesel Westy a few months back and
have done quite a few things to the engine. Since it's been running so
well, I've driven it for the last month or so while my 90 Carat sat in
the driveway. Last week or two I bought a rebuilt power steering rack
for the 90 from a listemember and installed it.

When I did the work on the 90, I was struck by how LIGHT the late-model
engine covers are compared to the one on my 83 diesel.

So I think I know what makes the diesel so SLOW: it's the incredible
weight of the engine cover. It must weigh 3 or 4 times what the later
model engines covers do. The late-model has a nice dense foam
underneath instead of that mattress stuffing under the diesel cover.

Installing a later model engine cover would be like losing 30 pounds or
so. The kind of weight you can feel on a hill (I use my watch going
uphill to determine how much water is in the freshwater tank). Has
anybody tried a swap? I may get energetic and try it myself, but was
wondering is this was a known swap.

Jim