On 8/17/2009 2:34 PM Jake de Villiers wrote: > Hey Rocky, I've had my ankles frozen in the wintry blast of downhill > engine over-run too! =) It happens in injected Hondas and Toyotas too. Heh. VW's doin' it right. > My solution in some (colder) circumstances is to put the gearbox in > neutral so that the engine's idling and making us SOME heat but with > bigger loads and steeper grades we just freeze for a little while... > > With an automatic you might keep your foot a little bit on the gas to > keep the throttle switch open if you wanted to retain heating capacity. > I tested that idea late 2007/early 2008 on one of my long descents, it barely made a difference in engine temp, the temp still went down pretty good. I tried to keep the engine at 1,000 rpm but then the engine braking effect was reduced and I was spending a lot more time on the brakes and I frankly don't know what's more less or more important: a cold engine, wear and tear on AT + engine using them as a brake, or wearing out brakes on long, long descents. Probably no clear-cut answer. > I wouldn't worry about the coughing backfire - its just an artifact > unless you're running 76 in your van, in which case its an allergic > reaction. I've tried 76 in 3 different Vanagons and each one has done > some missing at highway speeds. =) In this case it was some fine, fine "Space Age" gasoline. Honest, that's the name of the station. There are two stations in Sisters, Oregon: a Circle-K and that "Space Age" place. No telling what the fuel is actually comprised of. I usually try to use Chevron! With Techroline! Or crinoline! or Vaseline! or whatever they have in it.
-- Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano Bend, OR KG6RCR |
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