| Author |
Message |
troutbite
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2011
Posts: 21
Location: Snohomish
|
 Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:49 pm Post subject: Lack of power up hills |
 |
|
First post! Been checking out this site for years and finaly logged on so I could tap into the vast knowledge out there.
Here's the issue; just picked up an 84 vanagon with a 1.9 water cooled and the previous owner bought a crate motor and did the install but could not get it running...turns out the dist. drive shaft gear was off a few degrees. I made the adjustment and it runs great. The big issue is, it has a serious lack of power up hills. The van has an automatic tranny and seems to shift down (seems that it take a while though), i can stuff the pedal but it doesn't react! I have heard the auto tranny's arent the greatest but even my 73 bus and 68 single cab will smoke this one. Seroiusly, going about 10 mph up moderate to steep hills...just doesn't seem right. Any help would be great! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
yardbug
Samba Member
Joined: February 24, 2008
Posts: 156
Location: Raymore, MO
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Congrats on the van. however.. get a Bentley manual. The bentley describes how to properly adjust the the throttle arm for proper kick down on the auto tranny.
The auto tranny's are pretty strong and hold up well as long as the fluid is changed regularly. Supposedly stronger than the manuals.
My brother in law has an '84 camper with the auto.. his van has the stock 1.9 and i have a hard time keeping up with him in my '85 camper which is a manual.
Anyway.. back to the tech.. If the throttle arm is bent or not right.. the tranny will not down shift like it's supposed to. You should be able to cruise up hills with ease.. except for big hills at least.
Good luck
_________________
'69 Tintop T2 - '86 Syncro - '87 Westy - '02 337 GTI - '99 4Runner - '13 4Runner |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Corwyn 
Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2009
Posts: 2453
Location: Olympia, Washington
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I think the lack of power up hills in inherent in the Vanagon. I have a 1990 automatic 2.1 in excellent condition; though I can criuse 70 mph on the highway, I can't go much faster than 45 up long or steep hills.
_________________
'90 White Westy ("White Lightning")
FAS Gen V 2.0
The Annual Baja Rally
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604813&highlight=baja
"If anything's" gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there"
~ Captain Ron ~ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 52739
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:06 pm Post subject: Re: Lack of power up hills |
|
|
| troutbite wrote: |
| Seroiusly, going about 10 mph up moderate to steep hills...just doesn't seem right. Any help would be great! |
That obviously isn't normal. Have you done a full tune up and gone through the full electrical/fuel pressure diagnostic in the manual?
Have you tried to pull the transmission down into first and second using the shifter? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JPrato
Samba Member
Joined: December 15, 2006
Posts: 791
Location: Livonia, NY
|
| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
When we first got our 84 Westy we knew it was a no powerhouse, but it did seem to be lacking power. It ran well and everything appeared to be in order. The next year I replaced the fuel line form the filter to the engine. I found the original plastic line kinked where it kicked up from the floor to go over the axle. With new line, the engine could get full fuel flow and the power on the hills was noticeably increased.
You might want to give yours a look, it is easy to check.
_________________
Joe
87 Syncro Tin Top project
84 Westy, 2.5L Subaru power
06 Subaru 2.5 turbo in waiting
46 Cessna 140 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
