Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 21:56:34 -0600
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Eight Function D
igital Display for the Vanagon
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
With the WBXers and VW air cooled engines it is best to have additional
instrumentation.
I remember the first time I blew an engine in my 83 Air Cooled Westy.
The Westy just had idiot lights and I saw the impending doom coming when I
saw spots of oil on my rear window.
I'm sure the guy in that big Dodge truck tail gating me got his share of oil
too.
I had no instrument or lights warning me about the problem.
I blew the #2 ring on #3 cylinder but managed to drive back home at 35 mph
on service roads for 250 miles by stopping every 35 miles and adding a quart
of oil to the crankcase.
If I hadn't seen that oil on the back glass I'd have had a total lock up rod
throwing scenario that would have crippled my Westy and may have ruined the
crank case when it blew.
I installed instruments with the new rebuild job at 145K.
I installed an oil pressure gauge, oil temperature gauge, cylinder head
temperature, an additional oil cooler, windage tray and ran the Westy up to
287K miles before I sold it.
I had no more engine malfunctions for that 133K and that involved many 3000
mile trips over long weekends.
In fact I was quite pleased with the overall dependability and economy of
the Westy, although I continued to spend money on tires, brakes etc. etc.
.... You know how it goes.
Stan Wilder
Engine Ceramics
214-352-4931
www.engineceramics.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Reddick" <SVYOLO@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 8:30 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Eight Function Digital Display for the Vanagon
> Sorry Frank,
> Gotsta dissagree. But I do like the addtiional instrumentation. oil
> Temp, pressure, boost, A/F ratio, stuff like that is good to monitor, but
> you don't need a big gauge with a needle like a tach or speedo. I wiil
> probably use this in my subie conversions.
> But I will retain the stock speedo and tach. I like the vanagons
> instument cluster. For experimental or not quite perfected stuff, some
> additional monitoring is nice. Once that is perfected, I prefer idiot
> lights.
> I think a totally perfected engine conversion would have stock idiot
> lights and be totally stealthy.
>
> John
> 87 Westy SVX (17K trouble free miles)
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