Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:05:42 -0800
Reply-To: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Now that the mileage survey is done . . .
In-Reply-To: <71d9cdf90711152251o32cf8769ubbec4984c12cad9b@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Jake, I'll take your numbers to the alignment man and pay what it takes.
If aligning brings my mileage up to normal I'll be a happy camper guy. The
worst that can happen is that it will be Yet Another possible cause that
has been addressed.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
On 11/15/2007 10:51 PM Jake de Villiers wrote:
> Mike, get them to set the toe to 1/8" front and 0 rear, the front camber
> to between 0 and 1/4 degree and rear camber to 1/2 degree. Not 'within
> spec'! I usually have to pay more for this but its worth it every day.
>
> These settings make for the easiest-pushing Vanagons ever, one man's
> test of rolling resistance. :)
>
> On Nov 15, 2007 10:37 PM, Michael Elliott < camping.elliott@gmail.com
> <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> I'm thinking that there is indeed something messed up with the
> alignment.
> Back in January I saw that the outer edges of the two front tires were
> being worn down to the casing. Took the van to a shop along Highway 1 in
> Northern California and the fellow pointed out how the upper ball
> joints
> were messed up. I had him swap the front tires for the rear and after I
> got back to SoCal I replaced the uppers. Front tires seemed to be doing
> just fine after that, but today I noticed that they were rapidly
> wearing
> down on the outsides also. I have an appointment with a local shop that
> was recommended by Hugo's Foreign Car in Encinitas, Dan's Precision
> Aligning, to get this mess straighted out. I'm curious to hear what
> they
> find. Yes, my cruddy mileage might indeed be due to alignment, something
> that a few list members suggested.
>
> As a side issue, I did the stall test to the torque converter as Dennis
> Haynes suggested in case the transmission is slipping. Engine
> stalled at
> about 2400 rpm, which is a tad low per Bentleys, for the 1984 auto
> transmission, but I dunno if it's low enough to worry about.
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
> KG6RCR
>
>
>
> On 11/15/2007 10:09 PM Jake de Villiers wrote:
>
> > Yeah, he's running Ken Lewis' little wonder.
> >
> > I think that van must have 1/4" toe-in front & rear or something
> similar,
> > the better to scrub off speed and mileage.
> >
> > On Nov 15, 2007 9:59 PM, John Bange <jbange@gmail.com
> <mailto:jbange@gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> >>> My city mpg = 11. My highway mpg = 15.
> >>
> >> Wow. That's worse than mine (14-16), and I have an automatic, a
> mystery
> >> problem (bad injector, i think) that makes it run rich,
> constantly make
> >> jackrabbit starts, and nearly always have the AC running full
> blast. Do
> >> you
> >> have a meter on the O2 sensor?
> >>
> >> --
> >> John Bange
> >> '90 Vanagon - "Geldsauger"
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Jake
> > 1984 Vanagon GL
> > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
> > Crescent Beach, BC
> > www.crescentbeachguitar.com <http://www.crescentbeachguitar.com>
> > http://subyjake.googlepages.com/ <http://subyjake.googlepages.com/>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Jake
> 1984 Vanagon GL
> 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
> Crescent Beach, BC
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com <http://www.crescentbeachguitar.com>
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/
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