Wow.

And the road sign just outside your town says "Hell, 10 KM"?

Double wow.

I'd like to be able to say I'll quit bitching about 100 degree weather but I
won't.

Mike

> From: Simon Glen <simonglen@BIGPOND.COM>
> Reply-To: Simon Glen <simonglen@BIGPOND.COM>
> Date: Mon, 8 Jul 2002 09:31:47 +1000
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Aircooled vanagon acceptable oil temperature / timing problem?
>
> John Brush wrote:
>
>> My 81 air cooled will reach 230 easily on a 93 degree day, and in fact, it
>> has sat totally useless in my garage for the last few weeks as the temps
>> here in Utah are exceeding 100 degrees. As much as I love the van, I have
>> to admit, its of no use in the heat. A thirty minute drive down the 6 lane
>> concrete freeway, and the temp gauge (in the drain plug) leaps to 250 and
>> beyond.
>
> Oh, ye men of little faith!!
>
> If your air-cooled engine's thermostat is working properly, nothing is
> blocking your fan,
> your timing is correct, you have correct plugs at correct settings, your sump
>
> is full of good oil, your oil pump is not worn out, your oil cooler is not
> split, etc. then you should have no problems in even the hottest of desert
> conditions on earth.  A standard VW air-cooled motor correctly tuned and in
> good condition just loves hot weather.
>
> I owned and used a 1973 Type2 camper with AD series 1600 single carb motor
> for 460,000km or 290,000 miles.  It was always fitted with a VDO dipstick
> thermometer.  I lived in Nigeria in West Africa with it for three years.  It
> crossed the Sahara Desert twice in mid-summer (July), the desert in Iran and
> Pakistan as well many trips through the central Australian Desert.  In the
> Sahara this little 1600 magnesium alloy motor would labour all day everyday
> pushing two tonnes on vehicle in terrible deep sand and it never missed a
> beat.  In desert conditions oil temperatures would remain all day at 270F and
> often higher.
>
> This series engine lasted over 460,000km (290,000miles) before I sold the
> vehicle.  Although during that time it was taken apart twice, the crankshaft,
> bearings, valve guides, camshaft and camshaft bearings remained original.
> Heat did not damage that little engine.  The car was maintained meticulously,
> though, with oil changes and tappet and timing checks every 3,000km (2,000
> miles).  I also let it idle a while before switxching off.
>
> I have owned Type4 engined aluminium engined Type2s as well:  a 1982 Microbus
> (Vanagon) with 2litre AFC injection CV-series engine and a 1978 Westfalia
> with CJ-series twin-carb engine and used both in hot tropical and desert
> conditions.
> (I've lived at Townsville in northern Australia in the hot tropics for the
> past 20years.) Being aluminium engines and of much more recent design they
> run cooler than the venerable 1600.  My 1978 Westfalia now has 300,000km
> (190,000miles) behind it and it still has the original barrels and pistons,
> crankshaft, bearings, valve guides and camshaft.  On a hot day on the open
> road it runs at a constant 230-250F, even hotter if I push it over 100km/h
> (60mph) or power it up hills.  Again, it is meticulously maintained with oil
> changes, tappet, dwell angle and timing checks every 3,000km (2,000miles) and
> oil filter changes every 6,000km (4,000miles).  I also try to let it idle a
> while before switching off.
>
> To me the idea of not using an air-cooled VW because outside temperatures are
> around 40C or 100F seems just crazy.   Now, I have also owned a 1992 T3
> Syncro (panel van version of the US Vanagon) with 2.1 MV-series Digifant
> injection engine for the past four years.  With this vehicle I could
> definitely understand not wanting to use it in hot weather.  The water-boxer
> engine does not like heat especially when it comes to slow low gear work in
> sand or idling in traffic or powering up steep gradients.  Not so the
> air-cooled engines!  They seem to thrive on heat.
>
> Simon Glen
> Toowoomba, Australia.
>