Date: Fri, 9 Jul 1999 01:10:31 EDT
Reply-To: Blbachman@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Blaine Bachman <Blbachman@AOL.COM>
Subject: Eurospec post trip update (kinda long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi. Blaine here again with another Eurospec engine conversion update. It
would have been sooner, but I've been preoccupied with finding another job.
A brief review:
1991 Vanagon Westfalia GL
Auto trans
Full power accessories
Eurospec conversion installed in November 1998
A/C reconnected just before the trip and the system converted to FR-12
Anyway, on the 17th of June, we loaded up and left Albuquerque for Durango
CO. The next morning we caravaned with other family members to Page, AZ to
spend the weekend at Lake Powell.
On Monday, we headed to the North rim of the Grand Canyon and then on to Las
Vegas where we spent Monday night, Tuesday, and Tuesday night. During this
leg, we started having minor cooling problems. The car would run with the
temperature needle just touching the top of the LED, but any load (grade)
would bump it higher and set the LED to flashing. Admittedly, the first
occurance showed the overflow tank to be empty - could be I got a bubble in
the system - but the expansion tank never was low, so maybe not.
We drove from Las Vegas through Zion's park and on to Nephi. Campers tip:
The KOA Kampground just a few miles east of Nephi, Utah is the nicest
camground we have ever stayed in (and we took a month coming down from Alaska
in a '71 Westfalia in 1982!) - even the RV camp spots were totally planted in
grass. Everything was clean, painted, and in excellent repair - if you're
ever in the area, I highly recommend it as an overnight stopping point!
The next day we continued on to Salt Lake City and Ogden, and stayed with
relatives in Bountiful.
Friday, we again headed south to Manti. On Saturday evening we were near
Capitol Reef and we made it home again by Sunday evening.
The A/C died on Saturday - I knew there was a slow leak in the compressor and
the pressure finally dropped low enough to kick the pressure switch off.
Facts:
1. Mileage was consistently 20MPG or more!
2. Gas prices in the boonies of Utah and Arizona are quite high!
3. It really is a pain in the butt to have to empty the cargo area to
check the oil and coolant!
Impressions:
1. Plenty of power (but is there ever enough??)
2. FR-12 works just about as well as Freon, but it sure would have been
nice if VW/Westfalia could have figured out a dual A/C system or provided a
way to duct cooling air to the front
3. The heat intrusion from the front heater core is unbearable - we set
the ducts and controls to stop any airflow, but the radiant heat coming off
the underside of the dash about drove us out of the car - has anyone else
developed a solution? How about a one-way valve on the return side to keep
hot water from "percolating" back into the heater core??
Post-trip observation: My in-town mileage is now running around 22MPG!!
Things to check:
1. I suspect that the 2.0 inline may run a bit hotter than the
Wasserboxer. The mechanic who did the conversion suggested having the
radiator flow tested, which I will probably do.
2. Is there any possibility of moving the coolant fill tank so that it
is accessible without opening the hatch?
As before, I'm no longer a subscriber, so if you have specific questions, ask
me directly. Thanks again to Ron for indulging me in these postings!
-Blaine
