Seattle Bus Drivers... Cascade mountain passes...

[subliminaldood]

I'm planning a trip to the extreme South East corner of Washington State from Seattle proper.

Just curious if anyone has an opinion of which pass would be the easiest on my single port 1600 which is getting long in the tooth but running fine at the moment.

Compression ratios taken in 2018, less than 1200 miles ago, were 135, 140, 130, 135. It likes to cruise at 65 mph around 3500 RPM. The previous owner who built the engine set the red line on the tach at around 3700 and I've always just followed that. It will do 70 on the flat but getting to and slightly over that red line. I have had it up to 4000 RPM on the flat... It didn't seem to strain or complain... I wouldn't do that going up a mountain pass of course. I estimate around 60 to 65k miles on the engine build.

I thought I may have heard a knocking sound that sounded more like loose tin a while back, only happened at cold idle right after start up. I tightened up the tin and switched to 20w50 oil from straight 30 at the same time and have not heard that since...

This is in the stupid question part because I should have done one fix at a time so I knew which thing made the difference. Regardless, I'd rather not over tax my aging engine.

The last big trip I did was Seattle to Southern Oregon cutting over to 101 through McMinnville - Lincoln City then all the way south to Bandon. Round trip some 900 miles with no issues. This was in 2019.


So... The question at hand... Which way to climb the mountains west to east: FYI The bus will be lightly loaded, It is a panel with incomplete early bay Westy interior. No appliances. Just ice box, side closet, and Z bed.

Here are the choices:

Snoqualmie Pass/I90... Shorter but steeper... I have done this pass over a decade ago and it was slow going but steady at 35mph ish in the right lane toward the summit.

410 Chinook Pass... Longer with many switchbacks, maybe less steep but you can't go fast on that road anyway. The bad for this route is not so many passing lanes to let the modern cars by.

US 12 White pass... Not much experience going over this one...

Final Option: Avoid the mountains and go to Portland and up the Gorge on either WA 14 or I84. This adds three hours to the trip and I would probably do it in two days staying over in PDX... Which is questionable as street parking may be required but I could camp somewhere outside of town.

Once over the mountains it will be a breeze.. Also, any inputs on doing the passes in reverse from East to West? I think last time I did that direction I did go through Portland and up.

Thanks!
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1969 Panel
double door
walk through

[OB Bus]

Two weeks ago we drove East to West on I84...in a 2002 Eurovan. It was a wonderful drive going downhill. It is obviously a steady climb heading east from PDX. I think in a Bus it would be very tiring, In our bus (69 Westfalia Pop Top 1600 DP) it would be a long twisty slog in 3rd gear. We have never driven the other direction. Just my thoughts.
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Larry in OB
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69 Westfalia and 2002 Eurovan Camper.

[subliminaldood]

Thanks!

I84 is the easy route compared to crossing these mountain passes, it just takes 3 hours longer getting there.

I suppose I'm just being overly cautious and fretting after hearing stories of people killing their engines in these situations.

I would probably take WA14 if I do go the southern route just because it is slower and more interesting... As with most of us I prefer to avoid the freeways if possible.
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1969 Panel
double door
walk through

[Zelten]

I-90 isn't too bad. The worst is between North Bend and Snoqualmie Pass. You'll go slow, real slow, but after the pass it's totally manageable. From Issaquah to the pass is about 45 miles, so it's not that far.

Heading west on I-90 hurts when your coming up from Vantage on that 10 mile hill (I measured it) but after that it's not as bad as going east.
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1978 Delux Campmobile
03 Jetta TDI
15 Q7 TDI

[timvw7476]

used White Pass by accident years ago, it wasn't with a Bus, a loaded up old Honda Accord hatchback. Real pleasant, somewhat slow, sure it's busier in summer(used it in early spring, Chinook Pass (Hwy 410) was still unplowed.
It's a slower passage than the I 90 ratrace or the twisties & snow-busted asphalt of 410. Plus 75% less darting deer shock too.
I'd take White Pass unless I had to go directly into Yakima for fruit or whatever.

[airschooled]

When’s your trip? I’ll be crossing Snoqualme on the 90 this weekend sometime. Stock Type 1 clocking in at 3,950 pounds. I don’t remember it requiring second gear. It’s also got a truck climbing lane which usually grooves at 3,500rpm in third gear on interstates outside of Colorado.

Robbie
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[Lil Lulu]

I have have traveled every route east to west/west to east, including Forest Service roads, often multiple times a year for decades. White Pass is the fastest and easiest on the rig. The gorge route 14 and 20 in the north are the most scenic, I84 is the enemy of the people.
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'65 Beetle "Lil' Lulu"- Ruby Red
1600 stock from '71 bus

'72 Deluxe - Niagara Blue w/pastelwiess Camper Special 2L dual 40 Webers 002

'74 Hightop Weekender "Dixie" 1800 34 Del singles

[Abscate]

[subliminaldood]

Thanks for all the replies... I'm going to Clarkston so I84 would only be as far as Umatilla and then up through Walla Walla If I did go that way. The evil part of 84 is East of Pendleton, of course.

My main concern is not blowing up my motor. I'll be going in the next month but not this weekend. Likely on weekdays as I work weekends frequently.

So my factors were steepness of grade and heat for choosing the easiest way to baby my motor.

Sounds like I might as well just suck it up and go over Snoqualmie pass and keep it under 3500 RPM... The usual route I take is to exit the freeway at Vantage and take either 26 or one of the other two lane roads the rest of the way.
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1969 Panel
double door
walk through

[airschooled]

I would take a mountain pass over the Gorge route in any bus. It’s just not worth fighting the winds unless you’re SAVING time that way.

If your engine is going to blow up, it will blow up on any of your routes. If it can make one of them, it can make them all. Keep the oil full, belt installed, and your wits about you. These aren’t space ships.

Robbie
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[Abscate]

The official samba quote is
“ it’s not rocket surgery”
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[alaskadan]

Did highway 2 and I 90 more times than I could count in my 74 with an 1800. 4th to the floor until it wouldn't hold and 3rd to get er done. I know, pancakes to uprights but either way not enough power for the task and takes gearing to make it happen. At least on I 90 there's more than one lane. 2 is cool when you roll into Leavenworth and feel like you went back in time and another country.