VW Addict 
Samba Salesman
Joined: January 09, 2003
Posts: 3935
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 Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2015 2:40 pm Post subject: RPM's.... Questions & Comments |
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1977 Westy. Stock. 2.0L, FI.
I have the timing set to about 850rpms on idle.
At 58-60mph my tach is around 3000. And thats where my motor likes to run, not anything more. What is everyone else's "sweet spot" or RPMs around idle and around 60?
Thanks! |
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Amskeptic
Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2002
Posts: 8586
Location: All Across The Country
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| Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2015 8:25 pm Post subject: Re: RPM's.... Questions & Comments |
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| VW Addict wrote: |
1977 Westy. Stock. 2.0L, FI.
I have the timing set to about 850rpms on idle.
At 58-60mph my tach is around 3000. And thats where my motor likes to run, not anything more. What is everyone else's "sweet spot" or RPMs around idle and around 60?
Thanks! |
You don't set timing to 850 rpm. You adjust idle speed, yes. And your idle speed (after you have adjusted the timing) should be closer to 1,000 rpm.
"Best rpms" on the highway depends on your specific engine. A well-balanced engine is *designed* to run at 4,200 rpm all day every day (75 mph for your '77 Westy). A crummy new pressure plate not correctly balanced or indexed to your flywheel could drop that down to 3,200 or 3,400 or 3,600 rpm, you'd hear/feel it.
Can you correctly ascertain what a happy engine sounds like? After many years of driving a couple of buses, some with gauges even, I could not tell you what the sweet spot is. And I invite you not to think about that way anyhow.
If you have a hot day, a head wind, big hills, rain, cold day, long time since you adjusted your valves, aforementioned balance issues, you will find what your engine likes based on temperature, reliability, valve adjustment stability, oil consumption and smell, etc.
As of today, my 1600 Type 1 bus loves settling in at 60 mph 3,500 rpm (early transaxle). My 1700 dual carb bus loved 72 mph on up to 78.
My 78 bus is pretty sure 67-68 mph (3,700-3,800 rpm-ish?) is the happy place for it . . . depending, of course, on environmental variables.
Colin
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