Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 11:49:32 -0700
Reply-To: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject: Re: Waterboxer rebuild survey Update! (more data please!)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Joel and all,
I keep my personal red line at 4K. Subjective, yes, but I seem to get
reasonable life out of my engines. I usually downshift on hills around 3K,
which puts the engine right back up to 4K.
Incidentally, found out, quite by accident, that there is a governor which
kills the engine at around 5200. Topped a hill and forgot to upshift on the
other side. The engine will catch again at around 4800 (about the time your
adrenaline redlines).
Karl Wolz
----- Original Message -----
From: Joel Walker <jwalker@URONRAMP.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 1999 11:17 AM
Subject: Re: Waterboxer rebuild survey Update! (more data please!)
> > Is there particular RPM, acceleration patterns etc which are better for
> the motor than others?
>
> on the 86-91 models and the 85 WLE's with tachometers, vw shows the "green
> zone" to be from about 2000 rpm to 4000 rpm. going below 2000 rpm would be
> considered "lugging" the engine and puts a lot of stress on the internal
> engine parts (better to shift down a gear and get the rpm back up into the
> "powerband" of about 3000-3400 rpm). above 4000 rpm, and basically you're
> just wasting gas, especially in 4th gear.
>
> yeah, i know ... lots of you folks run 5000 rpm in 4th gear, zooming down
> the highway. but in my test with an 86 and an 88 bus, above 4200 rpm, and
> your mpg drops off pretty sharply. better (in my opinion) to cruise along
at
> 3800-4000 rpm and let everyone else pass you, while you get a couple of
mpg
> better.
>
> for acceleration, i try to run each gear up to about 3600 rpm or so, 4000
> rpm if i'm in a hurry, before shift up. sometimes, like when trying to get
> onto an interstate via an entry ramp, i've had to run it up to almost 5000
> rpm because i was going uphill slightly on the ramp, but i don't like
doing
> that as a regular practice.
>
> when slowing down, if the rpm drops below about 2400, i start looking to
> shift down a gear.
>
> just my peculiar way of driving. :) of course, having a tachometer in the
> dash helps a lot. i used to have to drive my old 80 bus by "ear", which is
a
> bit more uncertain ... then i installed a tach in it, and found out i was
> kinda deaf. ;)
>
> joel
>
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