Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:03:02 -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: New-Spark-Plugcebo Effect
In-Reply-To: <BAY152-ds176834277EA5630832E3EEA0BE0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Ditto that,
and I meant to mention to the original poster that lives a few thousand
feet above sea level..
higher altitude requires less octane.
Where it's 5,000 ASL ..
their regular is 85 octane,
where it's usually 87 closer to sea level.
there is nothing to be gained really by using premium unless an exotic
machine really needs it.
'Volkswagen means' 'people's car' after all.
Designed for the more modest type of person. ..
though in more modern times they have performance turbo gasoline 5
valves per cylinder engines and more.
But the 'traditional VW'...
from the era of our vans..
always modestly powered..
which is one of vw's tricks for longevity ..
lowish power so it can't tear itself up too much.
On 8/22/2012 7:45 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
> Let's go a step further. In some areas premium can be 30 to 40 cents a
> gallon more than regular. That can be a 10% difference. So do you really
> want to increase your fuel costs by 10% to feel better about using wrong
> parts or over advancing the ignition timing or increasing the compression
> ratio or changing the gearing etc to get a little more performance (???).
>
> VW really went out of their way to make the water boxer ping resistant and
> to be able to work under load for extended periods without damage. The low
> compression, relaxed ignition timing, valve lift/timing, piston design, even
> the decision to stay with the full wet sleeves for cylinders and of course
> the high revs all help these little engines accomplish so much.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Rocket J Squirrel
> Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2012 10:00 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: New-Spark-Plugcebo Effect
>
> I take back my question about higher-octane gasoline. Woke up this morning
> realizing that it was a silly suggestion. The higher octane prevents
> detonation caused by high compression, has nothing to do with where the
> charge is ignited.
>
> --
> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
> 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
> Bend, Ore.
>
> On 08/21/2012 06:45 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>> Yes, all the in line 4/Audi 5 engines used the "D" reach plugs.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Rocket J Squirrel [mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com]
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 9:33 PM
>> To: Dennis Haynes
>> Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Re: New-Spark-Plugcebo Effect
>>
>> I have to assume that the VW engineers picked plugs with a certain
>> reach as appropriate for the engine (1.9). Were longer reach plugs, such
> as the "D"
>> ones, available at the time?
>>
>> W/r/t the risk of increased ping caused by plugs firing closer to the
>> top of the pistons, couldn't one compensate by using higher-octane fuel?
>>
>> Not that I'm a great big fan of buying even more expensive gasoline,
>> but I do like the peppiness these plugs provide.
>>
>> --
>> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
>> 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
>> Bend, Ore.
>>
>> On 08/21/2012 05:49 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>>> I can't blame just those plugs for major failures but it can add up.
>>> But when holding the heads in my hand I see that the extended reach
>>> plugs just don't look right.
>>>
>>> Dennis
>>>
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