Date:         Sun, 7 Dec 1997 23:14:38 EST
Reply-To:     SyncroHead <SyncroHead@AOL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From:         SyncroHead <SyncroHead@AOL.COM>
Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com)
Subject:      Re: Tornado Air Management System
Comments: To: ehretrm@seanet.com
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

In a message dated 97-12-07 15:14:34 EST, ehretrm@seanet.com writes:

<< ><< I would like to hear from waterboxer owners that are using the Tornado
air
 > device.  Any pros or cons?  Roger  90 Syncro Westy >>
 >
 >Preliminary testing in my two Vanagons showed a diminishment of prerformance
 >with the Tornado installed.
 >
 >Regards,
 >Jim Davis
 >87 GL Syncro
 >88 GL Wolfsburg
 >
 Jim, I'm suprised.  Have you kept the Tornado installed or did you return
 them.  Now that I've just replaced the oxy sensor, I should test w/o the
 Tornado and see what results are.  What were your results, poorer mpg and/or
 power?  >>

I bought just one Tornado.  The VW dealer I bought it from went out of
business a few weeks after the purchase and Tornado had no interest in
returning my money directly.

I did several timed acceleration runs up a hill near home.  In the automatic
'88, I started at a fixed point and floored the van for the duration of the
run up the hill, about  a 70 second trip.  The hill was steep enough to never
need to let up on the pedal.  Average of 6 runs WITH the Tornado was 1.18
minutes.
Average of 4 runs withOUT the Tornado was 1.17 minutes, slightly better.
All runs were completed within about 45 minutes without any significant
changes in temperature or weather.

When I did similar tests in my 87 Syncro with similar results.  For the Syncro
I used a 30 MPH running start, floored it and did not shift for the duration
of the test so as to take out as many variables as possible.

Putting the device back into the '88 I noticed no significant change in MPG
over many months.  The general trend for MPG was slightly getting lower both
before and after the installation of the Tornado.

Regards,
Jim Davis