Date:         Tue, 18 Apr 1995 21:45:30 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         David Schwarze <schwarze@io.nosc.mil>
Subject:      Re: The Berg and springs

Eugene C. Palmer writes:
> 
> Most buses I've driven '63,'67,'71, (this one is 1971) I have taken to 60 in
> third, I used to take the squareback to 70.  I will rev that high if I have
> a loaded, (this means four or five people and gear) and I'm on a long hill
> that I know fourth won't quite hold if I shift.  I'd rather a lightly loaded
> high rev than a bogged down 2250 rpm.  

I agree with that last statement completely - I just know my bus is over-
revving if I take it past 50 in third.  I mean, it is really wound out.
I wish I had a tach.  I bet what is going on here is that my 3rd gear is
somehow lower than yours.  If I can't make it up a hill in 4th (and that's
most of the time :) ) I just chug up it in 3rd at 40 or 45, unless traffic
is a concern in which case I try to hold 50 - no higher.

> 					I reprimand any driver of my bus that
> shifts too early, or too late on a down shift (~48-52mph into the hill).
> I've followed trucks down hills at 90 and the engine sounded great.

I can't hear my engine past 75.  :)

> I believe my Haynes book, 4400 rpm limit on the bus, after that, HD singles
> or duals.

Hmmm... I've surely exceeded that for extended periods of time.  I think
this discussion has convinced me I need a tach.  I have been thinking that
instead of paying $70 for that nice VDO tach that everyone has, I would
try to find one in a junkyard.  Maybe one from a Porsche 914, but those
are awfully big.  Has anyone installed a tach from another car into their
Van? 

> Berg has done thousands of tests and drives and has driven buses of all
> kinds himself.  His 1971 is famous.  I believe him, reliability is relative,
> and...... .....4400 rpm, 65mph in a bus, no higher or you'll burn your stock
> single spring exhaust valves.  As for the hydraulics, I think he's mostly
> talking about the long run, 45,000 miles down the road situation when the
> engine is hot, stopped, and then won't hold hydraulic pressure.  I believe
> that too.

No disrespect to Berg, but being the smart-assed punk that I am, I think I
am still gonna stick to single springs. :)  Of course, all of my balleyhooing
is based only on experience with type IV engines.  Maybe type I's are more
succeptable to valve float.  WRT hydraulic lifters, they must be okay if
the last 20 years production of VW busses have them, no?  Not trying to drag
this into another slugfest, just trying to understand what the problem with
hydraulic lifters is.  I was planning on including them in my next rebuild
so I am more than a little interested.  I thought their only drawback was
your cam selection was a little more limited due to the fact that the 
hydraulic lifters were a little less rigid, or something.  I'll have to
look that subject up in the "How to Hot-Rod your VW" by Bill Fisher, which
despite the name is a great source of info on the history of the air-cooled
VW engine and general information on it.  I have heard that some of the
hydraulic valve conversion kits for type I engines are not of the best
quality - maybe these are what Gene Berg is talking about?

Cheers,
	-David

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David Schwarze                  '73 VW Safare Custom Camper (Da Boat)
SAIC Comsystems                 '73 Capri GT 2800 (Da Beast)
San Diego, California           '87 Mustang Lx 5.0 (Da Bruiser?  Soon...)
schwarze@nosc.mil                http://papaya.nosc.mil/~schwarze
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