In a message dated 7/10/2002 10:12:21 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
KimBrennan@AOL.COM writes:

> I do have one peeve. What's with the garbage gas in Colorado? "Regular" is
85
> octane. Plus is what I consider normal for regular at 87 octace. Super is
91,
> mostly (if available). Get me back to a civililzed state and decent gas!
>
I think the low octane rating has more to due with the altitude than the poor
quality of the gas. I think, and I'm no engineer, that with less Oxygen in
the air a lower octane is necessary--or there is sme such factor that changes
the numbers. Also the gasoline is mixed differently to accomodate the higher
altitudes.

Bearing this in mind it is always a good idea to put gas in your gas tank for
each 1,000 feet you gain in altitude from a station at that higher altitude.
You can experience hard starts with a low altitude gas mixture at a high
altitude.

Also if your bus seems to be running hot on the climbs bear in the mind
turning on the heater will help cool the engine. You may already know this,
but in case I included the info. (this is only recommended for water-cooled
engines as it could be a detrement to air-cooled engines me thinks.)

Running with both the front and rear heater blasting used to be the standard
for rapid altitude ascent in my bus before the new radiator. Even at that she
ran hot.

I learned from a split window bus guy to relax on climbs. Keep the bus in one
gear-usually 3rd and keep the RPMS in a comfortable range. Before that I
would wind it up in third gear and shift up to fourth, let it dog down and
downshift to third to bring it up to RPMS where I could shift back up to 4th
and up and down. The split window bus guy (who owns that bike shop in
Minden,NV and drives the red splitty) told me he learned the trick from an
old German guy. "Americans always want to shift up on climbs" He said. "Just
relax. You'll get there."

Best
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA  (heading for the continental divide in a few days)