Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:03:01 -0700
Reply-To: pedro dos santos <pedrokrusher@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: pedro dos santos <pedrokrusher@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Syncro vs automatic gaz consumption,
with same engine and tires!
In-Reply-To: <ac1f198b0808140840n1fbcfef6r2ba2a60e8fd27236@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Hi Jim
I can add some precisions here no problem. Yes I do travel at "approx" the same speed for both the automatic and the syncro. BUT! I realy use a lot the tachometer as I tend to always drive the engine at 4000 RMP, at the limit of the full green zone of the tach. By the way, that engine always used synthetic oil since I got it 12 years ago, from 125,000 km to 296,000 km.
So at 4000 RPM, the automatic speed is pretty much 115 km/h (71.5 mph). And the syncro at 4000 RPM, is at approx 120 km/h (74.6 mph). Those speeds is what I try to use all the time, but of course there is always traffic in the montreal area and you have to travel a little slower to follow the flow...
Another factor to add is the tires. I have yokohama D load tires that I inflate at 50 PSI front and 55 PSI rear. The limit is 65 PSI. That is pretty hard, and I like it that way cause it is more stable on highway. This will make better milage also. I got the Yoko tires almost new on the automatic, and now on the syncro they are shot. Barely 1/8 threat left. But I don't believe that would affect a lot the results. Anyway, I am about to change to 15 inch with big knobbies for the syncro.
So all in all I used to drive the automatic at 115km/h, and now the syncro at 120km/h.
I can understand you that sometimes some people must calculate in a way that is not very acurate. What I hear the most is "I can only do 350 km with a tank of gaz" but when I ask them where is the needle of the gaz tank and they say 1/4 full... Well, there is still another 1/4 to be used to be more acurate! That is why I use the calculation method shown in my first email.
Maybe the wind drag at 115 km/h is that much easier on gaz than at 120 km/h??? Would that little 5 km/h create that difference?
Oh!!! Another important thing! There is an amazing difference in acceleration between the automatic and the syncro. The automatic, you can press so hard on the pedal just before the kick-down and it just won't go faster, like there is not more gaz going to the engine. BUT, on the syncro manual, since there is no slip, but can have pretty good acceleration! Well, you know what I mean... for vanagon land. Thinking about it, I do have a heavier foot now with the syncro... Mmmmm.... That must be what makes ny gaz consumtion go higher on the syncro.... Mmmmmm...
While I am on a typing spree... I totally feel like the syncro is much more stable at highway speed. That was a surprise to me! I heard it before but just did not believe it. I was more like "yeah, right. You just LOVE your syncro. That's all". Well, it is better at cornering and all. Kinda strange when you know a syncro sits higher. But I believe that the very low heavier load for all the syncro drivetrain is responsible for that.
Hope this helps!
Pedro
--- On Thu, 8/14/08, Jim Akiba <syncrolist@bostig.com> wrote:
> From: Jim Akiba <syncrolist@bostig.com>
> Subject: Re: Syncro vs automatic gaz consumption, with same engine and tires!
> To: "pedro dos santos" <pedrokrusher@yahoo.com>
> Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
> Date: Thursday, August 14, 2008, 8:40 AM
> Do you travel at the same speed in both? I've observed
> similar
> somewhat counter-intuitive results from our automatic
> conversions, one
> of which currently has the best mpg we've had reported
> at 24mpg. It
> seems the autos are doing the same or better in mpg for our
> conversions because of the lower speeds autos tend to
> travel because
> of comfort factor. The autos seems to have a built-in speed
> limited
> effect in that the driver tends to settle into a slower
> cruise perhaps
> cued by the higher NVH of the auto in 3rd vs. 4th gear of a
> manual or
> syncro. Just a guess, but it would be really odd if you
> were traveling
> the same speeds and still saw this... but who knows if
> there were
> other variables like brakes dragging or tire pressure too,
> interesting
> though that someone else is seeing what we're seeing
> with the autos.
>
> Jim Akiba
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