How fast is the normal maximum speed of a Diesel Vanagon? It seems like
the owner's manual says 68 mph. Mine would never do that unless I had a
30mph tailwind. And the idea of cruising at top speed (like was normal
on an old bus or bug) was just horrible because of the noise of 4400rpm
(?) engine speed. I think the 83 got that down a bit with the 5 speed. I
doubt the 83 went any faster.
I am using an air cooled transaxle in mine with a .89 fourth gear set.
this gives a 4.07 final drive ratio in 4th. (4.57 x 0.89) I can't
remember the stock ratios, but it's a lot higher.
I agree with David that  a higher gear ratio might not make it go
faster. This has been exactly my experience. With the vehicle nearly
empty, it will go 75 mph on the flat. but with a load, sometimes it will
not even pull 4th on the flat if there is a headwind. (Not a very great
problem for me with this vehicle- it will go 57 mph in 3rd - not much
worse than the old trans in 4th.). Normal 4th gear speed is 60-64. What
is the top usable speed that others see?
Al Brase
69 doublecab, 82 diesel , 87 GL

David Brodbeck wrote:

>  Higher gearing would only slow it
>down more, especially with a full payload.  Remember, too, that in 1983 there
>was nowhere in the U.S. where you could legally bring a diesel Vanagon up to
>its 65 mph top speed *anyway*.
>
>What I don't understand is how people overrev these engines to the point of
>destruction when the injector pump limits the max speed.  Are they going down
>long downhill stretches with the accellerator to the floor?
>