Date: Sun, 1 May 2011 14:19:36 -0700
Reply-To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Suitable range for tach?
In-Reply-To: <0d9401cc083f$f006c880$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
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Are you saying that it's pretty much okay to cruise at 4,200 to 4,400 in
the stock 1.9l ? I seldom exceed 4,100 and that only for brief periods.
Am I perhaps being overly conservative?
On Sun, 2011-05-01 at 13:39 -0700, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> yes, I'd say a total range of 4K rpm is too low.
>
> for an automatic transmission 1.9 waterboxer vanagon..
> this is what I tell people 'hill climbing mode' is ...
> ( like long grades where you wish you could go 65 and are happy if you can
> maintain 50ish in 2nd )
>
> 2nd gear ..
> at about 4,200 to 4,400 rpm.
> so in that mode, you'd have your tach needle pegged out.
> seems kinda dumb to have that going on.
> so that leaves you with the 6K rpm choice..
>
> you'll see my post about an 84 or 85 'with-tach' instrument cluster too.
>
> and I think very small tachs look silly ..
> on a serious machine, like a Ferrari or a modern Porsche ..
> the tach is the biggest and most important insturment, and right smack in
> front of the driver, and BIG, not that you need one that big ..
> but VW did it exactly right with their tach installation in the vagagon.
> Small tachs dont' stand out at all.
> and ....this may not have happened to you ..
> but since a 1.9 wbxr engine sounds and feels almost exactly the same at
> 2,600 rpm and 4,20 rpm ..
> it's not that hard to be zooming down the highway at 60mph ..
> and not feel or notice it's still in 2nd !
>
> a good easy to see tach is handly for that.
> (mmmm....that seems strange ..everything 'seems' fine cruising down the
> freeway here .... ..but why is my tach saying 4,800 rpm ...?
> oh crap, I'm in second !! It happens. )
>
> scott
> www.turbovans.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rocket J Squirrel" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2011 1:07 PM
> Subject: Suitable range for tach?
>
>
> > I'm looking at putting a tach that pegs at 4000 rpm. A list member wrote
> > to suggest that I should go higher, and I tend to agree with him. But
> > the VDO family of tachs that I'm looking at (cockpit series) don't have
> > anything between 4000 and 6000 rpm, and 6000 rpm is silly high for a
> > stock 1.9l engine.
> >
> > As I recall, 4000 is pretty much a sweet spot for smooth running of the
> > engine. Having a tach that goes all the way up to 6000 rpm seems a waste
> > of the gauge face.
> >
> > I ask the mechanics on the list: is a 0 - 4000 rpm tach too low?
> >
> > --
> > Rocky J Squirrel
> > '84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> > '74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
> > Bend, OR
> > KG6RCR
>
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