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Zetec with Automatic driving impressions
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Dogberry
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Location: Northern Thailand and Central Oregon
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:41 pm    Post subject: Zetec with Automatic driving impressions Reply with quote

This is the second time I've type this &^^%$$@#$%^&!

Anyway here goes:
The trip - A trip I have made countless times with the old waterboxer. Bend to Redding, Redding to Pacheco, Pacheco to Redding. Redding to Bend. The setup: 91 Westfalia. Stock gearing. 205 65 16 studless snow tires. Original spare up front for crash protection. GW steel bumpers (heavy) and GW swing-away tire carrier and gear tray with 16 in. spare. 5 gallons of potable water, Yakima bars with Kayak mounts, GW soft gear bag (internal PVC frame to keep it square), side awning. Gas tank always refilled before half empty, frequent stops to look for weirdnesses... of which I saw only one when I saw myself in the mirror.

Started out just me in the car. Windy. Very windy. Stupid scary windy around Weed, Mt Shasta. In my face the whole time... end of report!

Picked up my sister in Redding I-5 south. Temps in high 40's no wind. Just let van go as it seemed natural. Moving along at 62 - 65 MPh. Nice and quiet.. sis and me chatting up a storm. Tried 75 a couple times.. was just too busy back there for my flavor. Passed some trucks, stayed behind a few.

Same day back to Redding. I'm pushing her through the valley at 75. It's a little busy but RPM's nowhere near redline of what 7000 (?)

Ok meat and potato time. I5 at Shasta Lake with 6% grades, perhaps even a little 7% on Grass Lake / Hebron Summit. The match-up is very much like the wasserboxer only better. On the grades road speed would drop till second kicked in, gain speed up to third, slow, second... la de da... I just put it in second, backed off the throttle and let her pull the grade. Easly accomplished at 50 to 52 MPH. (OK I just completed the tachometer fix today so was only glancing at the scan tool from time to time for RPM) So, anyway RPMS in the 6 grand range. Busy but tolerable. So speedster she isn't. She will not pull the grades in third but consider my aerodynamic profile and the fact I was fully loaded for camping. With the old tired waterboxer I might go 35/40 on the same hills. I still had to manually finess the shifter.

Around town: The Zetec is not the torque-ey waterboxer which was actually quit smart off the line. The Zetec wants to get up some RPM before she finds her happy place. All in all I am so pleased with the cost of the conversion, the ease of the conversion and the expected reliability of the conversion. I might play around with some different tunes.

In summation - It is still slow but not as slow, You still have to get into second and back off the throttle, but not as soon and not as often. I'm still working out the milage but it is in the high teens.
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D Clymer
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice write-up! Thanks for sharing. Sounds like the conversion turned out really well. How was the engine noise level cruising on the highway?

David
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ftp2leta
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

An heavy westy need at least 160hp to be somewhat happy. Don't get me wrong here, that Bostig will be VERY reliable! But power wise, such an heavy van need some HP and torque.

200hp is the perfect #. I know! I have tried everything between 165 and 205 or so... (i hate Turbo, not reliable and costly)

But cost and reliability wise, Bostig is the way to go for DIY.

Have FUN with your new powered van!

Ben
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motelvw
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 4:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the writeup. My Westy is an AT and I have a crate motor in the garage waiting for conversion funds. Might be a while.
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Alaric.H
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 5:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are those tires 26.5 maybe a smaller diameter tire will let you spin up quicker.
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hiram6
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

motelvw wrote:
Thanks for the writeup. My Westy is an AT and I have a crate motor in the garage waiting for conversion funds. Might be a while.


My crate engine showed up yesterday. Just like you, I shoved it into a corner of my garage until I can save up for the Bostig kit.
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hiram6
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alaric.H wrote:
Are those tires 26.5 maybe a smaller diameter tire will let you spin up quicker.


Great question. I'm going the Bostig route too, and also switching to 16 inch rims. All on a Westy with an automatic, just like Dogberry.

For tires, I'm considering the 205/60-16 size, which is 25.7 inch in diameter, resulting in 785 revs per mile, as compared to the 215/65-16, 26.5 diameter, which equals 761 revs per mile.

Is this enough of a difference to be measured by seat of the pants feel?

Not many tires in the 205/60-16 size with the right load rating.
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1985 Westy, 1.9L automatic (Daisy)
1996 Mazda Miata
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited

You can't lie around on the beach and drink rum all day.................unless you start first thing in the morning.
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Alaric.H
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think 205 65 15 work well with a motor in the 130-140hp I have this setup on my 2wd westy( I4 2.0) and it drives great the auto trans sucks a little more power from the engine so keep that in mind. I belive the tires are 25in

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MarkWard
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds good so far. When you manually put the transmission in second on the grades are you backing off the throttle to keep the transmission from kicking down into low? If so, I bet there is a solution for that, it has just not come to me. The throttle body is relayed through the lever on the automatic. The stock throttle body had a spring loaded attachment for the accelerator to the transmission. This allowed you to hit wide open throttle, but not get into the kick down. This is adjustable at the transmission. You may want to look at your setup. You should be able to get wide open throttle without having the gas pedal on the floor and into the kickdown or passing gear. I should add, I have no idea what I am talking about. Congrats on a successful round trip.
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