Date:         Fri, 28 Jun 96 11:04:39 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Steven J. Hughes" <hugh0028@gold.tc.umn.edu>
Subject:      Re: W/B engine speed max. & CHECK THOSE FUEL LINES!

>> He said that not even the Wasserboxers should be fun over 4000rpm for any
>> length of time because nasty things will happen.  The wasserboxers have
>> tachs that redline well over 5000rpm.

> I'd say that's bullshit, I ran my '85 at 130-140km/h, that's 80-85 mph 
> (sorry no tach in the transporter) for many hours (4+ ) on an emergency trip 
> home. I've run the '87 at 70-75 mph (4200RPM) for 1150 miles, shutoff for 
> gassing up only, about 18 hours straight. The '85 was wound a bit to tight 
> once, I hit 144km/h very briefly, but it was entirely happy at 130km/h. No 
> cooling problems, gauge absolutely at normal position.

I'd have to agree--my 87 Westie seems to really cruise well in the 70-75 MPH 
range; (I actually have to keep watching it to stay under 80) this is high 
RPM(4200 or so), but the temp stays dead center and everything seems to be okay.
I also use Slick 50; maybe that helps some small iota???  Maybe I'm dreaming????

On the second topic of this post, CHECK YOUR FUEL LINES! We were up on the North
Shore this past weekend, and found a suspicious drip drip drip under the back 
end one morning while taking off to get coffee. Turned out to be the dreaded 
fuel line leak that I had read about on the list and had resolved to get checked
out at the 60,000 tune up. Gas dripped from the fuel line where it was connected
to the short rubber hose just ahead of the engine. The leak was due to the 
rusted, crappy and inferior original equipment hose clamp losing tension! Just 
like others have described it! Fuel was dripping right in front of the engine. 
If we had been on the road, it would have flown back onto the engine!

A AAA tow (would have cost $90.00!) from Silver Bay to an Amoco in Two 
Harbors resulted in a 30 minute, $38.00 repair with a new section of hose and 
two _screw_ clamps. Of course, I could have done it for next to nothing at home 
if I had bothered to check the condition of the hose and clamps....

Amazingly, I had intended to get the 60K tune up done this week, and have fuel 
lines, etc. checked out by my friendly independent mechanic guy. But what if 
this had happened on the way home to St. Paul? Would my Westtie have ended up in
flames on highway 35?? Who knows! All I can say is that it doesn't pay to wait 
to get this checked out!  Crazy and stupid of me....We lucked out.

Moral of the story: Don't put it off!


-------------------------------------------------------------
Steven J. Hughes, M.A.
D.R.E.A.M.S. Project
Developmental Research on Early Attention and Memory Skills
1920 Chicago Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55405
612-627-1861