Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2016 21:22:59 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: westys & climbing mountain roads
In-Reply-To: <CABToOYLHrwVV5V-gwmGjGKnVsuY9K4gZwPiLpec0iqZGiBwC8Q@mail.gmail.com>
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You need to get the throttle cable/rod properly adjusted. When the accelerator is floored the transmission should kick down to second gear and stay there until the engine gets just over 5,000 rpm. You should be able to feel the kick down detent under your foot in the transmission as you get there. If you want to keep it in the lower gear with less throttle then you can use the shift lever to hold it in the lower gear.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Edward Maglott
Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2016 9:26 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: westys & climbing mountain roads
I agree about shifting it into 2nd gear on climbing steep grades. I have an '86 with the 2.1 and automatic. I get a sick feeling in my stomach when my foot is on the floor and the revs drop to below 3500 in 3rd gear. If I'm close to the top I might ride it out, otherwise I put it in 2 and hold the rpm about 4000. That's easier on the engine and the transmission. If you are in 3rd gear at full throttle and the van is slowing down due to the grade, the torque converter is working hard and the seal on them can be damaged by excess heat. Also with the engine spinning faster the water pump is moving more coolant to the radiator and it should stay cooler.
Edward
On Sat, Feb 13, 2016 at 7:54 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
wrote:
> I've got the same van and go over steep passes here in the northwest,
> and Ken's right. You do need to fix the cooling system though, it
> shouldn't overheat when everything is working properly.
>
> The auto tranny needs to be manually shifted down on steep grades. In
> second I can often maintain 45+, but I've had to drop to first more
> than a few times, which is about 30 mph. You can run at up to 5000
> rpm, but give it a break after a few minutes. You just have to pull
> into the slow vehicle turn outs, or get off the road if the line
> behind is more than five or six cars. The cool-down will be good for both of you.
>
> Only cure is a Subaru conversion, but transmission pros have told me
> not to go bigger than the 2.2 with the auto. Bostig conversion is
> okay too, it's the same power profile as the Subie 2.2. At least with
> one of these you can do 60+ in second if needed. That's what a friend
> of mine says anyway, I haven't done the conversion yet.
>
> Stuart
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> Behalf Of Ken
> Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2016 3:05 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: westys & climbing mountain roads
>
> Spencer,
> Forget about making it go faster, it's a VW bus. You
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> Behalf Of Spencer Allen
> Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2016 1:09 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: [VANAGON] westys & climbing mountain roads
>
> Hi all. Sitting here in frigged Chicago and dreaming of a summer road
> trip to Colorado in my 85 AUTO westy I shiver thinking about that
> little 1.9 fighting it's way up those BIG mountain roads at serious
> altitude. While on the interstates this past HOT summer climbing up
> some mountains in Tenn and Virginia I was barely keeping up with
> trucks in the slow lanes. By the time I reached the top my speed was
> topping out at around 40 mph with a loud knocking noise coming from the engine. Also the temp gauge was in the red.
> Can only imagine what the auto trans fluid temp was. Flatlands, can
> cruise all day at 65-75. Any of you mountain folk got words of wisdom
> on getting up those roads without stacking up traffic a mile behind a
> "damn VW bus" ( BTDT.). Never too soon here to think about summer.
> Have a great winter everyone.
> Spencer
>
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