Date:         Sun, 17 Nov 2024 12:55:49 -0800
Reply-To:     Karl <tdiguru@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Karl <tdiguru@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Subject:      Re: Tire size question
In-Reply-To:  <893EC9E3-0BA3-4EE4-A80A-F4592D78F4EA@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

It's highly unlikely my Westy will ever find its way across the country
again, given the current canine family size and the Westy leaking almost
every fluid, haha! It's also in the queue for a conversion to mTDI,
Syncro manual transmission and Syncro tank in the near future, which
will take the mpg to 30-ish and 1000-mile range.

It isn't a really nice van overall, as it came via the samba from
Minnesota where it was exposed to a lot of salt underneath. I had to
replace every part of the braking system and many other rusted parts
underneath. Some rust in the rockers, hidden by the fiberglass panels.
The transmission had a galley plug rusted out, which I discovered when I
filled the transmission. That was fixed with a rubber plug and a metal
clamp bolted into a nearby bolt hole. The engine had a cobbled together
mess of original pipes and undersized patches welded in. The first
drive, the oil buzzer came on when hot. At the time a friend who does
conversion had a Euro DJ 112i engine he had just pulled from a customer
van, available for $600 with wiring harness and ECU so I jumped on it.
It will be for sale after the TDI conversion is finished.


On 11/17/2024 7:17 AM, Eric Caron wrote:
> Hi Karl and others,
>
>       We could search for differences in the vans for days.  And  state this is not a scientifically valid study.  But, to save time.  I agree with that.
>
> Still, Karl’s van is about the closest I’ll find to compare.
>
> My less then scientific thinking is that if I’m getting 15 mpg with smaller tires and Karl gets 16.5 or better with larger tires. Then maybe.
>
> If Karl ran tires smaller his MPG might go down some.  If that is correct.  Maybe increasing my tire diameter to match Karl’s might increase my Mpg some.
>
> I know we could talk about tire friction, type of roads near Karl and me, and temperature differences, type of gas we put in the tank, and how I weigh more then Karl.
>
> But, is it kind of possible that there really is something to the wheel diameter and MPG?
>
> Remember all the 1970 adds telling us to be sure our tires were inflated?  Were they tricking me?  OK they probably were.
>
> OK, the tire inflation might be about friction not diameter of tire, they didn’t say.
>
> I think the solution is that Karl should drive over here to VT and we do a drive side by side with the vans, then we switch wheels and do it again.  Both at the same time of day, gas from the same station, and the vans matched for weight.
>
> No bra on either van, same mirrors, same wax on the body.
>
> We can do this!
>
> Karl, we can do it before West River Westies July 2025.
>
> And your van sounds nice.  How did you ever end up with that engine? I only recently learned about those European versions of our water boxers.
>
> Eric
>
>
>> On Nov 17, 2024, at 2:26 AM, Karl Mullendore <tdiguru@WESTYVENTURES.COM> wrote:
>>
>> Other factors are mine is a Multivan poptop, at 4300 feet, and a good running
>> 112i with factory Digijet, totally stock except for the 4-hole injectors. You
>> have a slightly larger engine at sea level running GW's whatever they threw
>> together which may or may not achieve as good mileage ever.
>> Karl