1. Engine braking is required with = these vans: I have an 85 GL and live right next to the Cascade mountain range in = Oregon. Less than a week ago I went to go visit a college friend on the other = side of the range (Klamath Falls to Ashland via 66). Coming down into the = valley that Ashland is in, the road turns into a steep, downhill, slolom = track. Half way down the hill, my brakes had faded to almost nothing, requiring = me to mash on the brakes, throw it into second, and do 30mph down the rest of = the hill, letting my engine do all of my braking, and being content with 30 = mph instead of 35-40mph. Without the engine braking, I would have = flown over the edge (there were no guard rails).

2. It is the air cooled engines that can be damaged = by the engine braking. This is due to the engine coming to very high = temps while going up a mountain pass, and then the rapid cool down that comes with = the engine braking going down the other side of the pass causes the metals = in the engine to contract rapidly, mainly the cylinder liners cooling and = contracting faster than the pistons, causing excessive wear and tear on the pistons = and liners. This is where the rumor about engine braking being bad for = your engine started. The water cooled engines have the water jackets = and thermostats to maintain engine temp., therefore avoiding the rapid cool = down problems.