Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 01:08:04 -0700
Reply-To: Joseph Tu <joe@GREENCASTLE.EXTERN.UCSD.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Joseph Tu <joe@GREENCASTLE.EXTERN.UCSD.EDU>
Subject: So whose souping up there van?? (LONG: but worth reading)
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hello,
I am fairly new to the list and it has been interesting reading all of
the posts concerning our favorite vehicle. However, I joined this list in
hopes of finding more info on what I can do to get more power from the
2.1 motor. First, lets describe my van.
I have a 90 Vanagon, the base model with the P89 options group. Got it
used with about 90K miles on it. It has been in a front end collision,
didn't find that out until I inspected the underside of the front and
found the whole right front chassis welded in. It was a bit alarming but
hey it drives straight and the stuff out back wasn't messed out, (boy am
I glad the engine is in the rear). I've driven it for the last few years,
but this past year I decided to give it some goodies, well maybe more
than just some. It all started with a new stereo. I had upgraded the
factory 4 inchers to Polk EX 4 inchers, but now I wanted some serious
sound. I added 6 more speakers. 4 Polk 6.5 inch db Coax's and two D 10
inch DB subs in a 5th order bandpass box. All powered by a single amp. A
7 channel Blaupunkt Velocity V7000 (damn fine amp). Only 5 channels being
used. Each coax gets 40 watts and the subs are sucking 110watts each off
of the bridged 4ohm sub channels, (center channel not wired yet, thinking
of adding a little speaker in the top of the air conditioning between
driver and passenger). To top it off, got rid of the factory deck and
threw in JVC's top of line CD deck a KD-GS929, talks and everything. I
absolutely love how the bass sounds in my van, so much air to push
around. After the sound came the windows, tinted the 6 rear windows with
a 6% charcoal, and the driver and passenger with 40% charcoal, all Solar
Guard film, the powderized/metalized whatever stuff. The buls in the
headlamps were replaced with blue lo/hi 9004's and am amber H3 bulb. I
couldn't stand the wheels on my van anymore, so I looked into getting
some new rims and tires. This was not an easy thing. It took me about a
month, (well, it took the discount tire guy) to find some rims for my
van. The 14mm lugs, the bolt patter, a certain offset, studs in the
front and lugs in the rear. it was lotsa fun finding rims. The ones i
got were Ronal's. Actually uder the name Centra, there Type 28's. It's a
7 spoke wheel, fairly large spokes, looks like the wheels on the new VR6
Jetta's and the Audi's, but beefier. The rim size was 16 x 7.5 with a
20mm offset. The tires I put on them are Nitto P215/55/16 91V NT450
Extreme Performance, a directional tread pattern tire. They fit on the
van nicely and look gnarly. the rear sliding door scrubs a tiny bit when
I open it. I can put 225's on if I want, and maybe lower to a 50 series
tire, but the discount tire guy didn't recommend it since i might bend a
rim. As far as aethetics, that about all I have done. Being a base vanagon,
it has no power anything, which I like, saves a lot of weight and
electrical draw off of the alternator.
Next I want to lower the van. There is a kit from a company called
Projektzwo that includes new springs and a set of bilstein shocks,
lowering the van a little over an inch.
--------------------------------------
Okay, now onto the engine, hehe.
In order of addition here is what I have done to my 2.1/H4.
1. Added NOLOGY Hotwires and PowerCore Ignition booster
Added Beru Silverstone S7 sparkplugs
-If you haven't heard of these, you need to, these are the best plug
wires you can get for you car/van/whatever. They have virtually no
resistance in the wire and are designed with a built in capacitor in the
wire that stores the charge until the very last moment in which it is
discharged, creating a very intense, but short spark.
-The PowerCore acts like a second coil. It allows for faster charge
voltage rise times and also prevents voltage loss at high RPM.
-The Beru plugs are the best silver electrode plugs out there. Compared
to other copper plugs and even silver onew, the spark they produce is
much more intense and hotter.
After this I noticed a big difference in the way my van drove. It
had a snappier throttle response, much more lower end power. A much
smoother idle, much smoother cruising. It also did wonders on emissions
(although this is rarely a problem with newer VWs)
2. Got rid of Stock muffler and had a Magnaflow muffler installed.
-Basically I removed a whole lot of restriction on the exhaust with a
free flow muffler. The Magnaflow muffler fit right where the stock one
fit. it isn't nearly as long, more like half it's size, it weighs much
less and its alumized. Also had a chrome tip welded on the end for looks.
I really liked this change, my vanagon doesn't sound like a
vanagon anymore. It you ask me it sounds more like a porsche and at idle
it sounds a like a baby harley davidson motorcycle. This gave me even
more throttle response and more top end.
3. Swapped out stock 1.1 ratio rockers for CB performance 1.25 ratio rockers
and rhino feet adjusters.
This upgrade wasn't meant for 2.1 vans actually, it was actually
designed for the older 1.9 digijet motors. I threw it on there anyways.
Took some time to properly adjust the valves back again. Got wrong info
on how to adjust them initially, and set them with engine cold, when it
should be actually done when the engine is warm/hot. This boosted my top
end also. I noticed that I was able to climb up hills at higher speeds,
to maintain higher cruising speeds. One tiny drawback with these is that
with the added lift, at low RPM, the response is a bit slower. The motor
has to build up a little vacuum before it starts to really breathe.
4. Got rid of stock airbox and had custom K&N filtercharger made.
With this I had a local performance shop machine me a flange to
bolt on to the air flow meter. Everything past the air flow meter was
eliminated, except for the air catch hose. The flange is made out of
aluminum and grows from the stock approx 2 inch square/recatngle to a
3inch round flange, it's a smooth transition all ramped and eveything.
A bracket was made to support the air flow meter using the bolt that
holds the intake manifold to the cylinder head. (Sort of a bad place
since the manifold heats up and transfers heat to the aluminum flange.
Need to integrate an insulator between the bracket and where the brackets
bolts on to the flange. maybe wood). From the flange a 3inch air hose,
right now some cheap Pep boys flex hose wrapped in duct tape (since it
keeps deteriorating, due to the heat in the engine compartment) runs from
there to the place where the ABS plastic separator was. That was removed
and a custom aluminum separator/holder for the K&N filter was made, still
blocks the heat from the engine bay. The filter sits in the area a right
behind the taillight. It a rather large filter, a taper from a 6 to 4
inch, about 10 inches long. This got rid of the restriction from the
airbox and the paper element filter. The engine makes a nice growl now
when I gas it, enough to vibrate the panels in the back. This also gave
me more throttle response/power. The K&N filter is a much better filter
than the paper element too and lasts a lot, i repeat, a lot longer.
5. Added Autotech Oil Coller Kit
10 Row Setrab oil Cooler
Autotech sandwich plate - thermostat integrated
KB push fittings - anodized 2024/6061 aluminum
KB poly hose - 250 psi rated
This is the most recent thing I added. I figure my oil is
running way too hot with all the things I have done. I do notice oil
pressure drop due to oil thinning out when I am cruising at high speeds. The
cooler is mounted on the panel above the transmission, the slanted one.
The sandwich plate mounts right onto the stock oil cooler. With 45-60
degree fittings the hoses run parallel to the oil sump. Routed the hoses
along side the engine tin, up between the exhaust pipe and engine,
secured with zipties. I still need to have a custom duct made to catch
air from underneath the car and route it up to the cooler, and then to
add another duct on the other side and place a squirrel cage blower fan
rigged to a thermo switch somewhere in the oil line.
----------------------------------------------------
Well that's all I have done so far. I hear there is a reprogrammed ECM
for the Digifant system. Maybe the ECM's from the european vanagons are
curved more radically?? I dunno. Overall I can say all the things I have
done to the engine really make it scream better. I've hit the rev
limiter, something I've never done before. My mileage is great! When I
run 92 octance fuel with an octane booster, I get like 24-25 mpgs.
Currently I am using Mobil 1 15W-50 synthetic racing oil, it works great.
As for top speed, all I can say is that in 4th gear she'll get up really
close to the rev limiter, the fastest I've gone is 98mph, according to my
speedo, dunno how accurate it is. If I had a fifth gear, I reckon my van
could do about 110-115, no problem.
Well, that's my van! IF you want a picture ask and I'll send one. She's a
pastel white color with black bumpers, not the molded ones, all done up
with some stickers here and there. IF you want more info on the upgrades
I have made email me personally and I will respond.
Please if there any other people who have done similar to their van, post
it! or send it to me if it has already been posted!
Thanks,
Joe Tu
66 VW Bug
90 VW Vanagon
93 GT Corrado (Bike)
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