Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:06:23 -0800
Reply-To: David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Diesel vs Gas Vanagons?
In-Reply-To: <005401c854a2$9f7095d0$6601a8c0@TOSHIBALAP>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Scott:
I have climbed the Tioga Pass so many times. Count 5 last year alone.
I know that grade very well. The weight and the small power plant of
stock vanagons make it mandatory to shift to 2nd gear, no exceptions,
to climb that slope. The summit is over 10,000 feet. If a Diesel Vanagon
can be comfortable to climb that grade in 2nd gear it is really not bad.
If it has to be in 1st gear then it's really a dog. I had to do 1st
gear when climbing over Sonora Pass from the west toward eastern side.
That's before I rebuilt the engine of my Westy. With a rebuilt engine
it may be able to do it on 2nd gear. But I doubt it. The Sonora Pass
is not only steep it is also very long slope. It will give any Vanagon
a real challenge. The Tioga Pass is not that bad. The slope is shorter.
No problems to any Vanagon I believe. But each time I climbed over
the Sonora Pass I always saw a few cars overheated and broke down on
road side. One spectacular scene there was seeing a few military Hummer
going over the summit. They beat everything. The soldiers probably floored
their pedals. They did not need to worry if the hummers would overheat or
what. They kept going fast...
I am not bragging about anything, Scott. I just happen to know well
about the routes that go over the Sierra.
David
--- Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> David, are you bragging about dismal performance, or what ?
>
> yeah, that Sonora Pass on the east side, a bit steep, plus altitude there-
> not the best place for a non-turbo engine.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> David Kao
> Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 1:15 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Diesel vs Gas Vanagons?
>
> --- Gary Bawden <goldfieldgary@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> > I pulled Tioga Pass (the one over
> > the Sierra Nevadas going into Yosemite National Park) comfortably in
> second
> > gear.
> >
> > Gary
>
> All OEM gas powered Westy and Vanagons need to shift to 2nd to climb that
> grade
> no exceptions. So if diesel powered one can climb comfortably in 2nd that's
> not
> bad at all. The Sonora Pass (Hwy 104) is worse. You may need to shift to the
> first gear and watch engine temp goes through the popup top.
>
> David
>
>
>
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