1982 engine noise at freeway speeds

[Dave Wood]

I picked up a really nice 1982 diesel westfalia last month and just starting to really drive it around. I did drive it home when I bought it and listened to the highway noise thinking it was bad tires or something. This is the first full camper I've driven at highway speeds so I did not know what to expect.

So I've discovered most of the road noise is actually just the diesel motor working so hard. At 60 its terrible, 50 is not too bad but still loud. I'm thinking about trying some sound proofing under the rear bench seat? Maybe when the wife and I travel a curtain behind the front seats?

Is the motor noise normal? This is a low mileage motor with a good exhaust and my first diesel so I don't really know what to expect?

Thanks for any suggestions
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Dave
87 Vanagon GL

[SlowGoing]

The gearbox in the diesel westfalias was geared much lower than in any other Westy. At 60mph the engine is spinning at over 4000rpm. If you want to lower the rpm a bit, you can swap in a DK code transmission from an aircooled Vanagon, but the taller gearing will diminish performance on an already woefully underpowered vehicle. Alternatively, you can swap in a gas engine (such as a 1.8L I4, which is what I have in my former diesel), which will be much more amenable to revving at those speeds and allow you to retain the stock transmission.

OR, if you really want to go all out, you could swap in a 1.9NA or 1.9AAZ as well as a DK transmission, which would allow you to keep the diesel efficiency and also cruise comfortably at around 60 - 65. In any event, the moral of the story is that you can't expect to cruise at more than 50 - 55 in a stock diesel westy... but fortunately you have lots of options!

Hope that helps!

[Dave Wood]

To help with the highway speeds could I get by with a larger than stock tire? I was just thinking If I could lower RPMs with a larger tire without impacting power this would get me by for now. I'm just concerned about cruising at 50 MPG with the other highway traffic buzzing by at 70+. I know many say to take alternate routes instead of the freeway but that's easier said than done sometimes.
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Dave
87 Vanagon GL

[bluefirefly]

[SlowGoing]

One thing you could do is upgrade your tire size. If you go from a 185/75/14 to a 205/70/15 you'll reduce the revs a little bit (to about 3800rpm at 60mph, or about 5.5%). It won't be as substantial an improvement, but it won't totally kill your acceleration like a dk transmission would.

[Zebu Fellenz]

The engine noise at 60MPH is normal. Driving a Vanagon with a 1.6NA diesel at 60MPH however is not normal.

I believe with stock tires/transmission/engine you're running around the engines redline at 55MPH, any faster than that and it will get much louder as you're pushing the engine harder than it's designed to be.

Taller tires are not a solution without an engine swap or eco-turbo conversion. All a taller tire will get you is a 0-60 time measured in weeks instead of days!

If you insist on running the highway you really should look at an engine conversion, otherwise you'll just be a danger to yourself and everyone on the road.

I swapped a 1.8 gas engine when my little diesel ventilated the block and I'm completely happy with it. Much better power, much quieter, tires are now 5% taller than stock and I can run happily at 65 with the stock transmission.

[MarkWard]

Yes you can add sound deadening on the rear firewall and that might help. Also verify the foam insulation is there on the engine side of the firewall. Also, is this a camper or passenger van? The passenger diesel van had a heavy duty carpet over the engine hatch to help absorb sound. The engine hatch also had sound/heat insulation on the underside. Also is the factory tin work around the underside of the engine? It also should have foam insulation to help isolate the noise, but in the end, it is still a reving diesel.

[Randy in Maine]

[SlowGoing]

This is true, though my point still stands -- upgrading to a larger tire size might help drop the revs a bit without totally killing your performance as I imagine a DK transmission would.

Of course, you could always just cruise at 55 and enjoy! For what it's worth, it sure feels like 70+ when you're in a Westy

[danfromsyr]

bigger tires w/stock engine ='s more time spent in 3rd gear.. straight up fact of physics.
it'll be quieter down the flats. but you already know it's uphill both ways to wherever you are headed..
just like it's always a headwind.. never a tailwind when you have less than 50hp.
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