Heat Wave In A 1600 sp

[Amskeptic]

I am pleasantly surprised so far with this little engine's performance in the heat. I did not know that I was in 104* blasting through a wicked sideways wind from Junction TX to Albuquerque.
A fan belt that had turned sideways... :

...gave me some slippage before I replaced it in Fabens (109* in the sun)

Highway hill climbs saw 413* just before I would downshift, then it would drop a little, telling me that the Type 1 engine actually prefers a little premature downshifting in extreme heat. After the belt change, my CHTs stayed below 401* under full load and it cruised around 385*.
The dipstick was right at the too-hot-to-handle point, and seeing as the paint in the sunshine was burning hot too, I figured the oil temps were fine for such a hot friggen day:

I will do some laser thermometer readings in Death Valley in the first week of July IF the engine tells me it is OK. So far, compression readings are at 125/130/120/130 and the valves have barely showed any tightening.

A hot hot 100*+ driving hint for *stock* Type 1 bus owners, richen that mixture like an idiot, the mixture has an immediately noticeable effect. Since I can't cram the LM-1 into the tailpipe, I can only give you my horrendous idle mixture adjustment that gave me the best CHTs
(these were with damaged fan belt):
At usual 1/4 turn rich from lean drop-off . . . . 418*
At 1/2 turn rich from lean drop-off . . . . . . . . 410*
At a laughable 1 turn rich (you will have to increase idle airflow!), the car is in danger of flooding out if you punch the acclerator hard at low speed, but readings get under 400 and stay there.

This is grossly unscientific, of course, but spot the trend here, that is the point.
When I drove up I-25 to Albuquerque, I had a thankful tailwind and head temps cruised at 375* (96* ambient) at 62 mph. Fuel mileage at 62 mph and pig-rich mixture was 16.7mpg low to a 20.5 mpg high.

Plugs look bleached white on the insulators and the rings are black with a little tan on the ground electrode.

In conclusion, I am well-aware that this engine is damn close to the margin in high ambient temps, but it is running well and the oil smells good and the heads are clean aluminum (these junk trailer used heads from Yuma):

I can see with hot desert survivalist clarity that any tune-up screw-up or un-caught vacuum leak or forgotten valve adjustment can take out these Type 1 engines in a hurry.

The 1970 bus here is a pleasure to drive in the nasty cross-winds coming across the desert when that heat wave swept east last week. It is incredibly slow and meek on the Texas interstates, but the traffic rushing up on me seemed to appreciate the fact that I would acknowledge their approach by moving to the white line on the level and right over onto the shoulder on hills. I love this car, a plucky loyal little brown cow shambling along the guardrail!
Colin
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www.itinerant-air-cooled.com

[SGKent]

We made many a trip around the SW in those temps in my 1971 DP. As long as all the tin is in place, the timing right and the fuel mixture not on the lean side they run forever at those temps. It is when they get loaded up and flailed they don't like it. I found that adding a low profile sump in the summer helped keep the oil temperature down in that type environment.

[Amskeptic]

[spicolibus]

Nice post!
I live in New Mexico and have been worried about the high temps in the bus and the ambient. I am running mine on the rich side but need to install a sending unit for oil temp gauge.
thanks!
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71' VW Type II Camper Bus

[aryue]

[airschooled]

[aryue]

asiab3 -v "How does this differ from changing jet sizes? Thanks!"

Just adjusting the smaller volume/mixture screw on a 34 PICT 3 will affect the mixture at idle speed only.

Changing the pilot jet affects not only the idle mixture - but the low RPM range up about 2,000 rpm as well.

Condition of the carb, good intake preheat and fuel pressure are important. Right now, I have a .55 idle installed on my 1776cc with the accelerator pump adjusted two notches to the minus side to eliminate a small puff of smoke that I saw goosing the throttle off-idle.

It would be heaven sent to install a wide band O2 sensor and gauge on my 71 - to really dial in the mixture.

- Andrew in Austin, TX -
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OldandSlow - but still chuggin.
http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~yue/VW/VWBus.html

[skills@eurocarsplus]

do you want a different endplate? i have a pile of them
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[Danwvw]

The single port's are very tough engines as they would have to be to survive what your putting it through. I have found they can take a lot if the rod and main bearings are fairly new. It's great that you caught the fan belt flip in time. Sounds like the cylinder head temp gauge was a good idea. If your running Gasohol and If it's not vapor locking when you stop it must be running cool enough.
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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[morymob]

If not already done switching to the 'dog-house' cooling from a later eng will help a lot, my old '70 cooled down quite lot.

[williamM]

Noticed you like to pull over to the white line- but watch that shoulder as most of AZ in that desert has sugar sand right off the pavement and that sh1t will grab you and pull you out into the flats faster than a blown tire.
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some days I get up and just sit and think. Some days I just sit.

opinion untempered by fact is ignorance.

Don't step in any!