Date:         Wed, 3 Apr 1996 08:41:47 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         dlytle@as.arizona.edu (Dyer Lytle)
Subject:      '66 bus progress, engine arrives




Hi all,

Just a note about my progress working on "Red", my 1966 standard microbus.

Yesterday, my long block arrived from Mark Stephens High Performance.  Along
with the engine came a video tape of my engine being test run.  This was
fun to watch although sort of slow paced.  They had my engine on a test
stand with a clip board hanging above it showing my name and the type of
engine.  They had two *HUGE* two barrel carberators w/ velocity stacks, an
009 distributor, and *VERY LARGE* merged exhaust on it.  (no fan, tin,
generator, pulleys or anything.)

As the guy started it up, he said something about the carbs being a little
much for this engine.  I guess so, its a stock 1600!  He ran it for a while
at around 2000-3000 RPM revving it a bit.  Sounded like some sort of race
car, loud!

Then he zoomed the camera in on the oil pressure guage and tach to show
how the oil pressure was 35 lbs. at idle and something like 65 lbs at 3000
RPM.

Next he pulled the plugs and ran a compression test.  The camera was pointed
at the compression guage while he did this.  I couldn't read it myself but the
needle pointed to the same place for all 4 cylinders.  He said it was 125 lbs.

During all this the person doing the testing talked about using Kendall GT
20-50 oil or equivalent, and other stuff.  One of the lines I particularly
liked was, "Looks like this is going in a van, those things tend to overheat,
but you should be OK with a doghouse cooler.",  very encouraging!

I still have a lot of stuff to order, put together, get cleaned, get done,
etc. before this long block actually get put into the bus.  I'm just finishing
painting the engine compartment using a single stage Dupont enamel matched
to the original Titian Red.  Looks *much* better in there now.  Also I have
to order all the parts for the 6-to-12 volt conversion and get that done.

I am interested in a piece of tin-ware that I don't think I have.  It's called
the "stove pipe" and is mentioned in Tom Wilson's book on rebuilding VW
aircooled engines.  This is a small piece of tin that goes on the end of
the air pre-heater hose that runs from the air-cleaner to the rear tin.
I guess it sucks warm air from around the cylinders.  Anyone know where I
can get one of those?  All the usual suspects (RMMW,WCM,Wolfsberg West,etc.)
don't mention it.  I suspect I have to scrounge the junk yards.  Also, I
have the stock air-cleaner setup and there is a little counter-weighted
flap on the air intake that switches between preheated air and
engine-compartment air.  How does this work?  Does it just use preheated
air at low RPM and then the flap opens at high RPM??  I don't think its
very important, but I am interested.

Well, enough for now, sorry this is so long!

 -Dyer


P.S. Apparently the Border Patrol operation 'hipster' that I reported
     about Monday was just some sort of April Fools gag.  The things
     some people think of, sheesh, I wish they'd get a life...   :-)


------------------------
Dyer Lytle              
dlytle@as.arizona.edu   
HST NICMOS Project      
Steward Observatory     
University of Arizona   
------------------------