Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2011 07:17:04 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Mini-Road trip or Sunday drive...(long)
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Just took the 84 low top westie interior 2.0 liter inline motored 5sp for a
~500mile drive in the North central part of Oregon. I had a bike race near
Salem, so I went via the interstates to make my start time at ~9am. I-84
west through the Columbia River Gorge, then 1-5 south to Salem in the
Willamette valley to the west of the Cascade mountains. I left home at
daybreak (~5am) and putting the speedo at 70, had a easy cruise to the Time
trial. That leg of the drive I got 22mpg.
To return home, I decided to take Santiam Pass (hwy 20) across the
Cascades to near Bend, then cut north behind all the volcano peaks to my
home base near The Dalles, Or..in the Columbia Gorge. I'd not been over
Santiam Pass for many years and the last time was on a fast sportbike.
That route is beautiful. The pavement had some big slumps and there is
still a lot of snow in the high country.. Lots of Harleys and once I joined
up with the 22 on the east slope of the Cascades, many returning recreators,
heading home Sunday afternoon, to the central valley and Greater Portland.
It was fun to drive the Vanagon. Oregon and Washington have 'slow vehicle
turnouts' on most two lane roads. It was me, waiting for these to pass
other vehicles, even climbing this winding 5000' climb. There were some
switch-back corners marked "15mph" which my van handled quite well, though I
did bang the bumpstops on a few sections where the pavement had 'slumped'
due to all the rain and snow over the winter. When I stopped near Sisters,
Or. after the mountains, I noticed I'd been cornering hard enough to cause
the water tank to slop out of my filler..
Since I was pushing the vanagon quite a bit harder than I normally do, I
was closely watching my gauges. I have not done a "blitz-trip" since I
installed my 'new' 93 Jetta ABA block and got it all sorted out. I've done
plenty of long easy miles but this time I was driving for pure enjoyment of
the drive and pretty empty of load, so I was pushing it, just to see....
The coolant temp gauge stayed where it has always read...right above the
"cold" range bracket near the bottom of the scale. Longer sustained climbs
would see it rise a little to just below the LED blinker. My oil
temperature ran right at 208f climbing to about 225-30f on one very
significant grade that I pushed up at ~ 70mph just to see if I could. My
oil pressure at speed is around 60-70psi, running 20-50 Penn at about
3700rpm and 65mph in 5th.
Just had one minor alert. I have recently seen my mixture go rich on hot
start for a few seconds. I am thinking I have a faulty connection on either
my O2 sensor or perhaps my Temp II sensor is acting up. I didn't get a
chance to chase this down before this drive. So I was carefully monitoring
all my instruments as I drove the van hard! There's a long steep grade
that normally brings my speed down in most vehicles I've driven up it...This
vanagon in the past, I take up that climb at about 60 mph with a backshift
to 4th and holding my rpms to about 4000...But I had a clear road so I
decided to go for it and I hit the hill with a good run at it...about
75mph...I was holding that speed in 5th, foot on the floor, watching my oil
and water temp...the oil was climbing a bit at a few miles into the climb
and I then saw some smoke in my mirrors...."Uh oh" I think...."There goes my
Rescue tape water hose patch" I backed-off the throttle and went on 'full
alert' but everything seemed really normal...Oil temp was not excessive
(just under 230f ) water was normal, oil pressure was right at 65psi, no
missing no strange sounds...just some smoke in my mirrors. I finished that
hill at my normal pace...65mph and ~4000 rpms in 4th...the smoke stopped. I
pulled over to check things out but nothing. Good coolant level, proper oil
level, no strange smells no oil spots or drips... I surmise now, after some
thought, that perhaps my mixture went 'full rich' for a few seconds again.
Anyway, I wasn't too worried after getting out to check the hose (I carry
a spare/replacemtent for that one) and with the feedback I had from my
gauges....and if for some really wierd reason that motor blew....I have
towing and they are only ~$300 to replace....So I slapped down the pedal and
finished an enjoyable Sunday outing. I'll be checking my O2 sensor this
morning and sticking in my spare Temp II sensor and checking all those plugs
and wires...
What fun things Vanagons are...as Scott often says.
too long post sorry Don Hanson
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