Date:         Mon, 6 Jun 2011 21:37:04 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: tach in an 85
Comments: To: Ellen in Oregon <elleninoregon@hotmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <BLU128-W6A25839D88C8D56A9FC1BB8630@phx.gbl>
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At 08:55 PM 6/6/2011, Ellen in Oregon wrote:
>I'm finding this conversation very interesting as I don't have a
>tach in Lola and shift by sound.  Is there a range in MPH one should
>shift at, say on level road?

Published never-exceeds for the '89  manual are 16 in first, 31 in
second, 50 in third (1.9l again should be similar).  With a manual
you'll bounce off the engine rev limiter if you try, and I remember
my '84 Westy was noisy enough that once in a blue moon I'd forget to
shift out of third after something like making a highway entrance on
a big hill - and wonder why it would suddenly run out of spit.  Very
embarrassing.  You should have some little marks on the edge of the
speedo, can't remember whether they're shift points or
redlines.  Redlines, probably.

I can't remember any more what the normal shift points are, and they
vary depending how hard you're pushing, whether because of a hill or
not.  Generally though...medium.  Too high wastes fuel, but
accelerating too hard at low rpm is very hard on the internal parts.

Boston Bob thought it was a good idea not to routinely exceed 4,000
rpm, which should be about 72 mph in fourth with standard
tires.  Back when I had my '84 I drove it at 85 mph quite a lot on
the highway.  I also used up the engine faster than if I'd been more
conservative.  In the short term though, it would do that all day in
New England topography with no complaint.

Yrs,
David