What's your MPG (miles per gallon) fuel gas mileage FAQ

[CrRusty]

timvw7476, That fuel mileage is respectful. One of the fine tuning for decent fuel mileage is "tuning" the carbs. Do you have any information about the jetting sizes that you are currently using? It appear as if you have it dialed in very well. Thx for any info. R.

[airschooled]

Parts wear out in 35 years. Static timing is only used to get an engine to run in order to strobe time it these days.

Don't fax your bank statements, and don't static time your Type 4 for a road trip.

The cool thing about experimenting with timing, is that it's quick, free, and easily reversible. Set it to 28° btdc at maximum advance with the hose(s) off, and let us know where the timing lies at idle. THEN adjust your idle speed to 950-1,000 RPM, unless you have an emissions test that mandates something else.

Tire pressures are NOT 36psi in the front, I'm not sure where that figure came from. Check your door jam, gas flap, or steering column for correct pressures.

Robbie
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[beetleman217]

I will measure the idle rpm as well as the oil pressure and report back. However, since the symptoms I described appeared as soon as the bus left the shop after the distributor swap, it is likely that they are a direct result of that. As far as I know, the mechanic did not mess with my engine, so common’, what are the chances of an oil sender all of the sudden deciding to go bad? Or any other component for that matter?
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If all else fails, stop using all else

1977 Westfalia
1961 Beetle

[airschooled]

Everything relating to spark and induction affects everything else. Change the timing and idle airflow changes. Which changes the engines speed and mixture. Set the timing too advanced and the engine runs hotter. Hotter engines equal lower oil pressure. Lower idle speed equals lower oil pressure.

Bottom line, is that someone who does something the same way for 35 years while parts wear out and change spec is not paying attention to all the details and factors that affect the way an engine runs.

A 009 has one internal advance spring, and one free weight, which changes the advance curve significantly from stock. They often time differently at idle vs. static timing them with a test light.

Achtung! A fuel-injected bus should have the vacuum advance taken off the firewall side of the throttle body. The EEC valve on the air cleaner should be T’d into that line. If the EEC valve does not hold a perfect vacuum when sucked on by mouth, the leaky valve will “steal” all your vacuum advance, and you’ll be left with a pretty and expensive distributor that behaves like a worse 009. Please do check for correct vacuum hose routing AND a leaky EEC valve before blaming a low fuel economy on a new distributor.

Until you get a chance to check where your max advance truly is, and adjust the car accordingly, there isn’t really much else discussion to have.

Robbie
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[NASkeet]

[914guy]

We get 18 mpg in our 74 with a 76 2liter, going 65 to 70 during road trips. We have a Holley weber carb. About 14 mpg or so in stop and go traffic.

[tjrm63]

Camping trip to Poconos mainly highways and some mountain roads
19 mpg at 68 mph highways fully loaded 71 bus with 1904 dual 40 webers, 79 pop top

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I don’t care how much it’s worth now.
I care how much this bus makes me happy

[vwwestyman]

Wait, how is that pop top set up? From the interior pic, it looks like the headliner is intact! Did you cut a smaller hole?
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[tjrm63]

I installed the camping interior first and a year later I found a pop top and cut the hole in the roof and installed it

_________________
I don’t care how much it’s worth now.
I care how much this bus makes me happy

[Slip356]

Robbie, you are spot on. 78 stock Westy, searching why running hot have VDO oil temp gauge. Fooling around with timing last year, set to 28 at WOT, thought I was good, but with hose back on distributor, still 28 at WOT.
Traced the vacuum hose & found the tee to the air cleaner thinge, sucked on the hose to the thinge & sure enough, didn’t hold a vacuum. Bypassed the tee to the thinge and bus really woke up and oil temps came down noticeably.
As you know Bentley has specific TOTAL advance numbers for many distributors, and mine was spot on.
How long was I driving like that, 1 mile, 10 miles, 100 miles, 1000 miles or more?
Some say you will smell gas after shutting down without the thinge working but I haven’t had that problem.

[bryancald]

1977 Westy Deluxe
Fresh 2.0L Fat Performance, mild cam, dual Weber 44IDF's
Stock 4 speed
27X8.5/R14 LT Grabber A/Tx tires
Freeway speeds up to 65
13-16mpg mostly freeway
Driving style: lots of hills and wind

I feel better seeing other people's fairly terrible mileage
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[cellobus1]

Hi, my '76 transporter (2.0 litre points FI stick) went from Cadiz, KY to Knoxville TN on a tank of gas, 262 miles. Really down to the nubs on the fuel gauge upon arrival. Speed 50-60. Divided by 14.6 = 17.9 mpg, but really depends on where true empty is on the gauge. Not sure where the reserve tank comes in vs. where the needle displays true empty.
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1976 unrestored daily driver Standard bus, "Stella"
formerly, 1959 Standard bus
formerly, 1973 transporter which was 4 years old when it taught me to drive

[udidwht]

[Calocedrus]

1969 Sundial Camper (straight up poptop)
1600 SP
EDIT: Stock 205t Distributor
Stock Fuel Pump
Solex h30/31
CB CW Crank 69mm
Stock balanced rods
Engle W100 Cam
Balanced AA Pistons
GEX Heads (VW)
Stock Exhaust
Thunderer 101 tires (no idea psi)


2 dogs
3 people
Stuffed with clothes, x-mas presents, beer, gear...etc...

Averaged 19.34 mpg (n=8, max=22.4, min=16.94)

I was cruising at about 60mph on flat freeway, 25 mph in 2nd gear on the grapevine and similar grades (terrifying). Also had a lot of construction along the way. I think that is where the gas mileage dropped off.

Only topped off the oil once on the 1500+ mile journey.
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-1969 Type 2 Sundial SP 1600

[babysnakes]

'78 Westy. 2.0 solid lifter with stockish Web cam. 40 DRLAs. 185r14c Hankooks. average highway speed 65. 14 mpg. Not a happy camper, nor am I.

[airschooled]

[SGKent]

[richparker]

My last 1060 mile trip towing a ‘73 Allstate trailer I netted 19.75 MPG. Mostly highway driving, with little city miles. Cruised 60-65 most of the time.
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’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’63 Deluxe Build

[bigbore]

my 1971 westy with a 1641 and Norris bus cam nets me 23/24 mpg. with full camp gear. Iam building a 1776 now with another Norris bus cam and a two-barrel weber will see what happens. I ran this same setup in the 70's in another 71 westy and I got 23/24 mpg with it.
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where its cold and snowy