Hi Vanagoneers and Syncronauts,

On Tue, 1998-12- 1 18:58:49 +0100, Andreas wrote:

> ...
>         but around the corner a couple of hundred metres ahead is the school
> bus(with chains) in the middle of the road picking up schoolkids. Im gonna
> have to lose my precious momentum and slow down or stop. I WANT MY REAR
> DIFFLOCK! Do I
>
> a)Pull the switch and hope it will engage within 100 meters (Little to no
> chance)

In my opinion, the diff lock not engaging  for one hundred meters though
the switch is pulled can have at least four reasons:

a) both wheels have enough traction, no  wheel is spinning.  That's just
ok.  Having traction, the van should proceed happily.

b) both weels are spinning, but with the same speed.  That's really bad,
but a locked diff   would by no  means  improve this situation,  because
basically,  what a diff lock does  is forcing  the  two wheels to always
have the same speed.  If they do already ... :-(

c)  There's  something  wrong with your  diff   lock.  The  diff lock is
constructed in such a way that it can engage every 60 degrees.  That is,
when you pull the diff lock switch,  block one tire,  and turn the other
tire, the diff  lock should engage  before you've rotated the  tire more
than 1/6 of its perimeter.

d) You don't have enough vacuum.  The diff locks have a separate "vacuum
tank"  which is sucked  empty by the normal   air intake of your engine.
It's the  same device that   assist you in  braking (though,  as I said,
there is  a separate tank).  The   more revving, the  more vacuum, maybe
that's  the reason why shortly  pressing the accelerator helps your diff
lock to engage ...

> b)Engage and blip the throttle a little commiting the deadly crime of traction
> abuse but seeing my lock in allowing me to slow down and keep a little
> momentuml before I lose it  and start heading backwards on the ice?

In  my   humble opinion,  deliberately  spinning the  wheels while going
uphill on an  icy road is a really  hair-rising practice.  That's my two
pfennigs worth.  But then, I  have to  sustain  (and to entertain :-)  a
family (apart from keeping my Syncro healthy :-) ...

Sincerely
 Rainer

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