Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2016 16:54:18 -0800
Reply-To: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: westys & climbing mountain roads
In-Reply-To: <010c01d166b3$02bd8910$08389b30$@northstate.net>
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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
