Date: Sun, 1 May 2011 13:39:55 -0700
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: Suitable range for tach?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8"; reply-type=original
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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