Date:         Fri, 19 Dec 1997 17:06:08 +0800
Reply-To:     equinox@MS4.HINET.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.sdsc.edu>
From:         Andy Chiu <equinox@MS4.HINET.NET>
Subject:      Re: using 2nd gear from a standing start
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Diesel John,

Thank you for the comments.  My gear ratio is 3.78 for the first gear, 2.06
for the 2nd, 1.35 for the 3rd, 0.97 for 4th, 0.77 for 5th and 3.6 for
reverse.  The final gear ratio is 4.562.

Most of the email I get from the list recommends against using the 2nd gear
from a standing start.  I guess I'll heed the collective advise of the list
and minimize on clutch wear.

I'm writing you from Hsinchu, Taiwan.

I see you have a lot of experience with Diesels.  As this is my first
Volkswagen diesel, I'm looking for a good diesel reference book to
understand the engine.  I understand that the Bentley manuals are good but
it might be too much (expensive too!) for me as I probably wouldn't do much
of the servicing myself.  Do you have any recommended books? websites?

Andy

At 01:16 PM 1997/12/18 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi Andy,
>
>The diesel has lots of low end torque, as you probably know.  I don't know
what
>your gear ratios are on that van, but 2nd gear starts from a standing stop
>require a fair amount of clutch slippage for a start.  Rolling starts however
>are another matter; I do this all the time and it makes for much quicker
starts
>and less shifting.  As a matter of course, if I am stopped on a down slope, I
>let the van start to roll, then start in 2nd, works great.  I would worry
about
>premature clutch wear if done too many times from a standing start.
>
>Out of curiosity, where are you located?  Diesel transporters are rare in
North
>America.
>
>Andy Chiu wrote:
>
>> Hello List,
>>
>> This is my first post to the list.  I drive a 97 Transporter with a 2.4
>> liter diesel engine.  My question concerns using the second gear from a
>> standing start.  Is this advisable and are there any disadvantages to doing
>> this?  Where we live, we see a lot of diesel vans such as Fords and
>> Mitsubishi.  My brother-in-law has a Ford van and I'm told that the 2nd
>> gear is often used and the first gear is used only occassionally (for
>> example on inclines and with a heavy load).
>>
>> Andy Chiu
>> '97 Transporter Diesel
>
>
>
>--
>____________
>
>Diesel John     Southern Ontario, CANADA
>
>'83 Vanagon GL Diesel  "The Smoking Tortoise"
>'71 S-Cab Pickup  "Ole Blu"
>'83 Audi 5000TD
>'84 Audi 5000 Avant
>ex '71 Super Beetle
>   '71 Type II  "Ole Red"
>   '76 Scirocco
>   '77 Diesel Rabbit
>   '78 Diesel Rabbit
>
>Member LIMBO & VW CLUB
>
>
>