Karl,

One word -Tires!

Whenever you have a vibration, check your tires, both for balance and for
roundness, before doing anything else.

You've done that?  Do it again.  It's usually free to have you r balance
checked, and most tires are under warrantee and will be replaced for next to
nothing if they are out of round.

Karl Wolz

-----Original Message-----
From: Karl Mullendore <thewestyman@MINDSPRING.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Thursday, March 25, 1999 6:27 PM
Subject: Syncro Westy 1.9 TD, update # 2 ,and advice and/or your 2 cents?

>  I decided at the last minute to abort the trip to the Northwest from the
>Maryland, as there are still a few worries to work out with the old trusty
>Syncro, and I don't feel as confident in it as I'd like to on a 3000 miler.
>Anyone care to add their 2 cents? The biggest problem I need to deal with
is
>vibration!! The drivetrain itself is fine, and I have repositioned the
>engine support mounts, nothing else is touching where it shouldn't. There
is
>a strong harmonic vibration that comes and goes, but is massive at 55 mph
>(no tach yet, 3000 rpm?) and shakes the whole van. Fairly smooth right at
>60~65 mph, though. The only thing I can think of that could be transferring
>this much vibration is the transmission mount. (as some of you know, the
>Syncro trans mount is pretty stiff and unforgiving). Does this sound like
>the culprit? Would there be any harm in removing the 'hard' mounts and
>replacing them with some more 'cushy' units? There has to be a way to quiet
>this vibration, before it drives me (and my dog) crazy!
>  This was the first time I've really had a full road-trip load in the van
>since the engine change. The TD still pulls MUCH better on hills than the
>waterboxer, and extremely well into head-winds!! However, it still leaves
me
>wishing for just a bit more......hmmm.....maybe a 5-cyl.TD would be
>enough....The fuel mileage - now that I am driving more sensibly, in trip
>mode, the fuel mileage is still only a paltry 20 mpg, of course that's
still
>in the mountains a lot. I think 22 will be tops.  All of the pieces I
>designed or modified are working well, the 2 1/2" exhaust included, now
that
>it is held by the stock rubber mounts.
>  I am still in search of a tachometer from any VW diesel, if anyone has
one
>lying around. That's all for now, folks!
>
>Karl
>'87 Syncro Westy 1.9TD
>