Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:15:13 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Subiegon/Vanaru Gas Mileage
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re
My Question: would any of you Vanagoneers out there with Subie engines
> supplying horses for your wagon please inform me about any gas mileage
> improvements you have experienced? What engine and what mileage
> increases did you see when you made the change?
Generally you can figure to go from about 18 to 20 mpg with a stock vanagon
( though a Weekender with 2.1 and auto trans can do as poorly as 16.5 mpg
driven nicely on the highway ) ....
to about 21 or 22 mpg ...with a 2.2 subaru engine.
Many variables of course ....tires size, weight, stuff on top of or mounted
o the outside of the van ..
and some people just drive hard a lot.
The first subaru conversion I did, was a 2.2. into an 84 Westy with auto
trans. That guy claimed 21 to 22 mpg, with a high of 24 mpg on a summer
trip to Colorado, including a lot of high altitude driving.
People with bigger subaru engines tend to use the performacne ..
and they can be more in the 14 to 17 mpg range ...but 'it's worth it."
People don't neccessarily put in subaru engines to get better fuel milage,
They do it to get significantly better performance. The 2.2 is a pretty
sweet coversion. I would recommend it for a syncro say ..but for a 2WD
vanagon ..
'usually' ..it's either a 2.2 or the SOHC 2.5 engine.
Or if sheer power is the goal ..
there are four cylinder turbo engines,
the mightly SVX and the Tribecca 3.0 H6. Any vanagon will do 80 mph just
anywhere with these engines installed, like zoom up any grade as fast as you
dare, just about.
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Haynes" <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 8:03 AM
Subject: Re: Subiegon/Vanaru Gas Mileage
> Most of the Vanagons inefficiencies come from the vehicle itself.
> Aerodynamics, frontal area, under chassis turbulence etc. The Subaru
> engines
> offer some efficiency improvements but even with gearing changes 5-10%
> would
> be really lucky. The automatics really suffer do to the lack of a lock up
> torque converter.
>
> Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> John Rodgers
> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 6:51 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Subiegon/Vanaru Gas Mileage
>
> In spite of rising gas prices, at my age, I have "Zero" plans to give
> up my Vanagon(s) in favor of more modern and supposedly fuel efficient
> vehicles. But - I'm willing to do what I can otherwise to improve fuel
> economy, such as an engine swap to a more modern engine. The one that
> intrigues me most is the Suburu motor.
>
> My Question: would any of you Vanagoneers out there with Subie engines
> supplying horses for your wagon please inform me about any gas mileage
> improvements you have experienced? What engine and what mileage
> increases did you see when you made the change?
>
> Much appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> John
>
> --
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
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