Date:         Wed, 9 May 2012 22:16:46 -0400
Reply-To:     Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Subject:      Re: I'm back . . . Bostig AT rumormill
In-Reply-To:  <CAHbJSdWbKDn1gPouo84gnQ3ezJdjjRn9SVDQqsSUPfcoZ=SUyg@mail.gmail.com>
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Yeah I was about to mention that statement: "I did do the mod of the
governor too" is key because like we mention to everyone going to do
it, don't mod the governor.. leave it stock. That "hunting" is the
governor mod! Is the way the zetec rotates the torque converter
somehow worse than the way the wbx, subie, or inline VW do it? Of
course not... does the zetec have less pulling power or torque than
the wbx in certain gears? Absolutely not.  Will you be able to get as
much out of it as a manual? No, but that doesn't mean that somehow
it's inherently ill-suited.  Modding the governor to try and optimize
shift points isn't a great idea (better way is to swap valve bodies,
but even then we don't recommend it) and it might not be the best
result, especially if it's the first and only time it's been tried on
that combo.   Just like the gearing in the manual, don't mod it, leave
it stock. We're after the ultimate in reliability, there are plenty of
options with more power, but more power won't get you anything but
wrath and I told you so's from the wife if it's not running.

This rumor of the Bostig not being any good with the auto comes from
two sources. Daryl's one customer (and Daryl, who carries a ton of
pull) with the modded governor, and the thread on the Samba when we
stopped auto kit production to figure out what was happening to 2
customers with repeated auto failures.  That ended up being the purple
torque converters from Oregon converter that German Transaxle/GoWesty
uses on their autos, and has since been addressed.

But rather than take any one person's word on it (mine, Daryl's or
anyone else's), why not ask as many auto zetec customers as you can
find (there are plenty) what they think about it and what their
experience is, and also make sure to *drive* one... you wouldn't buy a
new car without a test drive, and you shouldn't be buying conversions
that way either. With us, if you drive a similarly aged model it will
be identical or nearly identical as the next one, if it's another
conversion get as many details on it's specific composition as
possible so you know what to expect if you match that configuration
when you customize and choose your parts.

Jim Akiba

On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 7:18 PM, Daryl Christensen
<daryl@aatransaxle.com> wrote:
> I personally am one who does not like the way the Zetec drives with an automatic trans...
> Yes, it does work fine in general, but it seems to "hunt" between 2nd and 3rd on the highway too much for me. Runs up hills in 2nd at