Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 21:09:31 -0700
Reply-To: Nicholas Wilson <nwilson@MCN.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Nicholas Wilson <nwilson@MCN.ORG>
Subject: AVP engine, MPG and power problem
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi all,
I'm new to the list, but have owned an unbroken chain of VW campers going back to '67. I also pioneered housecall only VW service in Berkeley, CA as Liberation Auto Service from 1968-70.
I bought an '82 California Westy 2.0L air-cooled with bad engine and bought a longblock direct from AVP. They are nice folks and I got a tour of the shop. I bought their 36 mo./36Kmi. extra warranty as added insurance.
At the 300 mi. first oil change I found a fairly serious oil drip from a weld over an oil gallery plug right behind the oil filter bracket. After calling AVP to report the problem and verify warranty coverage I was able to partially drop the engine and work through the fan opening to peen and mash the weld enough to stop the leak. They paid me $80 to cover 4 hours labor, and that was after negotiating with them after the fact. They would have paid a shop $36/hr. for the time the flat-rate book gives for the work performed. Still, $80 isn't bad.
Now have about 1200 mi. on the engine. I'm getting very poor gas mileage, ranging from 12 to 16 mpg, using the 92 octane that AVP says is required to maintain the warranty. The 16 mpg is highway only miles, and the 12 mpg was mostly above 5000 ft. on national forest mountain roads, a lot of it in 2nd gear. The engine passed the California smog check easily, and the tech said it was extra clean and lean. I've been through the fuel system components and can't find anything wrong. This is a California model with L-Jetronic FI with O2 sensor. I've installed all new fuel and vacuum hose, intake tube boots and injector seals, and there are no vacuum leaks. I'm about to install VDO cyl. head and oil temp gauges to avoid overheating the engine and voiding my AVP warranty.
I wish VW had put a 5-speed gearbox in these things. When I get it all revved up at the top of 2nd, shifting to 3rd drops the rpm so low it has very little torque, and even on a moderate upgrade this sometimes requires me to shift back to 2nd. My old '70 Westy and even my '66 microbus had more hill-climbing power than this. But of course the '82 Westy is a heavier vehicle.
It has a rebuilt tranny installed by the previous owner and built by an independent tranny shop. I wonder if the gear ratios may be different than specified for this model.
One factor that might adversely affect both gas mileage and hill-climbing power is the tires, which are 195/75R14, but not the reinforced type specified by VW that can hold the recommended pressure. Max allowable pressure shown on the sidewall is 35 psi cold, and VW recommends 40 psi in the back. I'm now running 37 psi in back and 35 in front, but still getting only 16 mpg highway. VW specifies 185 size tires, so I guess the 195's are one size larger diameter. Both the lower pressure and larger diameter would be adverse to good fuel economy and hill climbing. Might have to spring for at least 2 new reinforced tires.
I don't yet have a compression gauge that will work with the 411 Vanagon engine, but I wonder if AVP builds their engines with lowered compression ratios for longer life. That would affect power and mileage too. Guess I'll e-mail them and ask.
Any helpful comments or suggestions are welcome.
Happy trails,
Nick
