Check the timing, plugs first thing.
Next check the compression.
This should give you a good overall view of your engine condition.
After that you just got to calculate that you have some wear on your engine.
I'd speculate that anything over 75-90 K miles would have you at half life
of your engine. (Start Saving for the new one.)

Stan Wilder

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joy Hecht" <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 4:13 PM
Subject: losing power, switching to digest (unrelated subjects)

> Hi all,
>
> I'm finding Matilda (my 1989 Westy) is losing power and not running as
> smoothly as I'm used to.  On the highway she can maintain maybe 55 in 4th
> gear at 3000 rpm on flat ground, instead of 70 before.  Less going uphill,
> more going downhill.  I can't really get her above around 3000 rpm.  If I
> give her more gas she goes slower and runs more roughly.  If I let up on
the
> gas she seems to have more power and runs smoother.  I find I'm pumping
> (gently) on the gas to keep getting her power up.  In third she's pretty
> feeble too.  Sometimes it feels like she's gently hesitating and then
> jumping ahead, though it's a bit subtle.
>
> She's not overheating at all.  No signs of leaks.  I haven't checked oil
and
> coolant since just now driving a hundred or so miles and observing the
> problems (which I'd noticed a bit of a week ago, too), as she's still hot.
>
> Is this a sign that my engine is dying?  That one cylinder might be
> misfiring (the hesitating and jumping)?
>
> What does this sound like to you experienced folks?
>
> I'm leaving the country tomorrow (for Egypt) and coming back August 8, so
> Matilda is going to be sitting in my friend's driveway till then.  I wish
I
> had realized this was happening a lot earlier, so I might have been able
to
> leave her with someone who could fix her while I'm away, if this is
serious!
> But that's not feasible, alas.  I suppose if this is the beginning of
> needing a new engine, I have time to read all the archives about the
options
> and where to get them!
>
> And since I can't deal with 100 emails a day from Cairo, I'd like to
switch
> to digest so I can see the replies to this query.  Could someone please
> email me off-line to tell me how to do that?
>
> Thank you!
>
>
>
> Joy
>
> p.s.  To everyone who sent suggestions on leaving Matilda for the summer,
> thank you for that as well!
>
>
>
> ****************************************************************
> Joy Hecht
> and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon
>
> For musings about life and the vanadventures:
> http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy
>
> ****************************************************************