Fuel costs and my transportation...

[KC0KBH]

Haven't posted here in a few months. I've been busy with other projects/interests, mainly my new fuel saving car, and my moped. I think fuel prices are ridiculous, and also dislike the idea of driving something that gets less than 25 MPG. So, about a month ago, I bought an '82 diesel Volkswagen rabbit, 5 speed, 4 dr. My first car. I'm also a VW nut, so that works out well for me. 218k miles on the clock, and still going strong. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Starts right up (with some blue smoke, which clears after about 20 sec., I think I have a bad glowplug or two). Shifts a little sloppy, but I can still get it into 1st without a problem, so the shift linkage/bushings aren't that bad. Original clutch. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif And it isn't slipping, yet. Best of all, I paid $400 for it. It needs a bit of work, mainly it needs-
New springs in back
New timing belt (I'll change the TB and springs myself)
New windshield

Not too rusty. I intend to run it on homemade biodiesel. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Apparantly, it is supposed to get near 50 MPG.

My other fuel saver is my moped, my '74 Vespa Ciao. Got that one for $60 (don't know if I ever mentioned that around here). Love that little thing. Apparantly, that gets near 150 MPG.


Anyway, anyone else driving efficient little cars, motorcycles, or mopeds? Anyone own any VW diesels? (around the TDIclub.com and VWvortex.com forums, my username is "hamradio.") Or, anyone have any VW diesel stories (I love hearing stories about old VW's)?

I'll post up some pics of the rabbit and the ped tomorrow. Sorry, no antennas are going on the rabbit. I like it's totally stock look. I'll probably just keep an HT in it, with my window mount antenna, if I need it.

[KC0VWU]

Those diesel Rabbits are great cars. My neighbor has one but he won't sell it to me.

[KC0KBH]

The previous owner of mine bought it from his parents at liek 48k miles. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif He knows any maintnence things about it. The once thing that makes me not so happy, is that you are supposed to change the timing belts on these at about 60k miles. The current belt has about 150k miles on it. When the belt breaks, valves hit the pistons on these. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif And, the electrical system is kind of a mess, and hacked together. People give me crap about it, but not so much anymore, now that diesel is about $2.90, and gas is about $3.30 around here. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[KC0VWU]

The timing belt on that shouldn't be a big deal. It should be fairly cheap.

[KC0KBH]

Yeah. VWdieselparts.com has a TB for $20, and a valve cover gasket for $4.95. I'm going to get a manual (bentley) for it, which is like $45. I can do the TB with some scanned parts of the manual I found, but, I'm going to get the manual to fix my screwed up electricals. I love having a diesel car! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif And I love having a 5 speed car! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif It is so awesome, having a 25 year old $400 car that gets a lot better milage than most cars on the road. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Next vehicle will probably be a Mazda B2200 truck. My dad wants a truck that gets good milage (his Chevy 2500HD gets 12-13), and I could drive the truck in the winter. I fear my rabbit won't start well on really cold days, without the block heater plugged in.

[KG4CGC]

Keep up with the projects.
I'm also choosing alternative transportation.
120 mpg, stock off the floor, 50cc scooter.
If I rejet the carb and allow it to breathe properly, it should hit 140 mpg on regular plus a small boost in performance.
Even with a 12.1 to 1 compression ratio, the small size of the combustion chamber doesn't require
high octane.

[N4AUD]

Get a copy of "Poor Richard's How to Keep Your Rabbit Alive." Probably get one cheap at a used bookstore or ebay.
You'll thank me later.

I've had 3 Rabbits (I think). I'm a VW nut, but I like the air-cooled versions better. They had more "character" IMHO.

I need to get another Bug.

[PA5COR]

Not driving an VW, But Hyundai H1 or Starex as it is named in some countries, an 2.5 litre diesel van, closed the EGR valve, re reouted te carter ventilation, running in the summer on 30/70 diesel/sunflower oil
In the winter times that is opposite, 70/30.

Closing the EGR valve gives no soot into the air intake, with rerouted carter vertilation no oil gets into the air intake.

Getting 25 miles a gallon for the van now.

[KC0KBH]

Thanks for the suggestion on the book!

I can't wait to see all of the diesels coming to the US in a couple years. Apparantly, Hyundai is going to have a diesel Santa Fe in '09 or '10, I think. VW will have a Tiguan TDI, I believe. If I'm correct, Honda is working on a diesel Civic or diesel Accord. Finally, more diesel cars!

[k7kwh]

Quote[/b] (PA5COR @ May 22 2007,02:45)]Not driving an VW, But Hyundai H1 or Starex as it is named in some countries, an 2.5 litre diesel van, closed the EGR valve, re reouted te carter ventilation, running in the summer on 30/70 diesel/sunflower oil
In the winter times that is opposite, 70/30.

Closing the EGR valve gives no soot into the air intake, with rerouted carter vertilation no oil gets into the air intake.

Getting 25 miles a gallon for the van now.
Hyundai sells no diesels in the US (yet). As far as disabling the EGR, you will get caught here disabling any emissions equipment, as most states have emissions inspections....tampered emissions gear is an almost as fast way to lose your tags as no insurance is!!

K7KWH

[PA5COR]

No problem here in Holland, only testing done is on soot emission wich gets an lot lower with the egr valve closed and running on an mix with sunflower oil.

Most sold egines here are diesels, specially the heavier cars/vans, or in the 3 litre for 100 km cars like the small cars with 1.2 TDI engines.

The EGR valve will lower emissions of NOx but increase the emission of soot, the exhaust fumes rerouted into your intake manifold have the soot and oilperticles from the carterventilation form an sludge into the intake manifold, this cake hardens over time, restricting the engine in air, and the turbo blades will et very dirty as well.
It also will make your engine using more fuel.

Variable Turbo blades can get stuck in time, this leads to expensive repairs.

To have the EGR inplace mandatory is not good for the engine life nor soot production, introducing te sootfilter in the exhaust system, reducing the exhaust flow.

So, to create one problem, we have the EGR introduced wich solves an bit emission of NOx but more emission of soot is the result, for wich we then create the sootfilter/cataliser....

I would like to meet the politician who thought this up....

Now you can get an sootfilter in the EEC subsidised...

I'll leave the EGR valve closed, and the carter ventilation as i made it.

That way i have an clkean intake manifold, clean Turbo, 15 % less use of fuel, produce an bit more NOx but an lot less soot, keep my airfilter clean.
Been driving like this for the last 60.000 miles.

The EGR valve only opens when the engine is not used fully so the extra emission is not that big, the soot wich output dropped drastically, is more important.

Putting on my flame retarding jacket now ;)

Best regards,

Cor

[WA3KYY]

Quote[/b] (KC0KBH @ May 21 2007,23:06)]Yeah. #VWdieselparts.com has a TB for $20, and a valve cover gasket for $4.95. #I'm going to get a manual (bentley) for it, which is like $45. #I can do the TB with some scanned parts of the manual I found, but, I'm going to get the manual to fix my screwed up electricals. #I love having a diesel car! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #And I love having a 5 speed car! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #It is so awesome, having a 25 year old $400 car that gets a lot better milage than most cars on the road. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Next vehicle will probably be a Mazda B2200 truck. #My dad wants a truck that gets good milage (his Chevy 2500HD gets 12-13), and I could drive the truck in the winter. #I fear my rabbit won't start well on really cold days, without the block heater plugged in.
My brother-in-law had a Rabbit diesel for years. He used the block heater all winter. What he did was put the outside outlet on a timer so that it turned on the heater about an hour before he would leave for work and off right after he left. Cost him pennies a month that way and it always started, even in sub zero temps.

You might consider an arrangement like that for the winter.

73,
Mike WA3KYY

[n7rjd]

Quote[/b] (KC0KBH @ May 21 2007,12:43)](I'll change the TB and springs myself)
New windshield
When changing the timing belt on the VW Diesels it is more than worth a little expense to get the right tools. The main one being the set of locks that lock the cam and fuel distributor in place. The valves and pistons are in such close tolerance that one tooth off will send them crashing into each other. The crank shaft should be the only geared pulley not locked in place which will have marks to line up with marks on the fuel distributor pulley which is locked in place.

As for the windshield, from experience I can suggest stick to a factory seal. The after market seals rarely fit and you risk breaking the new windshield trying to make it fit. With the proper seal it's just a matter of a stretch of drapery cord and a little soapy water.

The springs require the usual precautions associated with any strut system. If you don't have the right tools to compress the spring don't do it.

And yes, the Bentley is the best manual to get for VW. The others have been off the mark on critical specs for years. Bentley is actually the factory service manual. The one you will need should have a red cover if I remember correctly.

[N2RJ]

Quote[/b] (KC0KBH @ May 22 2007,06:54)]If I'm correct, Honda is working on a diesel Civic or diesel Accord.
They already have it in Europe.

[W0BKR]

With Diesel running a lot more then gas, you gotta wonder if you come out ahead anywhere....I don't buy all the excuses about why gas is so overpriced, but I do know the Oil Companies are raking in astronomical profits and neither the Dems or Reps are saying much about it either.

What I like to know is I have a 1993 Taurus, V-6 that gets 25 MPG. For 14 years since then, where has the auto technology gone that cars are not around 40-50 standard MPG?

I don't think much attention has been put into that for decades.

They rape us at the pump and for me, my salary doesn't keep up with it.

[KI4PEQ]

Quote[/b] (W0BKR @ May 22 2007,10:08)]With Diesel running a lot more then gas, you gotta wonder if you come out ahead anywhere....I don't buy all the excuses about why gas is so overpriced, but I do know the Oil Companies are raking in astronomical profits and neither the Dems or Reps are saying much about it either.

What I like to know is I have a 1993 Taurus, V-6 that gets 25 MPG. #For 14 years since then, where has the auto technology gone that cars are not around 40-50 standard MPG?

I don't think much attention has been put into that for decades.

They rape us at the pump and for me, my salary doesn't keep up with it.
Diesel running a lot more than gas?

Maybe where you live, station. Here it costs twenty cents less a gallon, like it should.

[N2RJ]

Diesel here is $2.75<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>9</span>/gallon and gas is $2.89<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>9</span>

[n2jso]

My first car was a '78 Diesel Rabbit. I paid $500 for it in 1982 - the front end was a bit messed up, as the previous owner had hit 2 deer.

Fun to drive, and it got up to 52MPG on the highway. 0-60 time was measured with a calendar, not a stop watch.

I didn't change the timing belt, and it broke at 142K miles. I had owned it for 18 months by then. Bent valves, dinged pistons and one of the valve adjustment shims shattered from the impact.

A guy my dad knew wanted the back half of the body for a project, and paid me $300 for it.

Change that timing belt!

[n2jso]

Quote[/b] (KC0KBH @ May 21 2007,22:06)]I fear my rabbit won't start well on really cold days, without the block heater plugged in.
You will be surprised. I had no trouble starting mine at -10F.

By the way, Diesels won't warm up much by idling. You have to drive them a while before you get heat.

[KC0KBH]

That's what I've heard. What I'm really fearing, is my clutch will go out, my injection pump seals will start leaking. The clutch is original and has about 220k on it, IP is original, never rebuilt, has 220k on it.

[n2jso]

Quote[/b] (KC0KBH @ May 21 2007,21:43)]Sorry, no antennas are going on the rabbit. I like it's totally stock look. I'll probably just keep an HT in it, with my window mount antenna, if I need it.
One last post, then I'll shut up. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

I mounted a Hustler CGT-144 on the back of my Rabbit. That's a 7 foot long colinear for 2m. It looked pretty goofy on such a small car. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[KC0KBH]

The one thing I'm wondering about, is this-
I've heard that if you are driving along, and drop it into 4th gear, that it makes a nice bit of black smoke. Is this true? If so, that is awesome!

[KC0KBH]

Quote[/b] (n2jso @ May 22 2007,12:34)]Quote[/b] (KC0KBH @ May 21 2007,21:43)]Sorry, no antennas are going on the rabbit. I like it's totally stock look. I'll probably just keep an HT in it, with my window mount antenna, if I need it.
One last post, then I'll shut up. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

I mounted a Hustler CGT-144 on the back of my Rabbit. That's a 7 foot long colinear for 2m. It looked pretty goofy on such a small car. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Hah! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Keep the stories coming! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Apparantly, with my bad springs in back on the rabbit, it looks really dumb when somebody is sitting in back. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif I wonder how it will handle with those GTI springs I purchased to replace the stock, worn out ones?

[n2jso]

Quote[/b] (KC0KBH @ May 22 2007,20:35)]The one thing I'm wondering about, is this-
I've heard that if you are driving along, and drop it into 4th gear, that it makes a nice bit of black smoke. #Is this true? #If so, that is awesome!
No emission controls on those old diesels. I got rid of more than one tailgater by mashing the pedal to the floor. The car didn't go much faster, but the tailgater couldn't see or breathe because of the smoke!

[w5klb]

This next song should sell well under a million copies in at the ConocoPhillips refinery in Ponca City, OK...

Ride'n My Bike To Get To Town
(Sung to the to the tune of &quot;Ride'n My Thumb to Mexico&quot; by Johnny Rodriguez)

These ol' highways seem so lonesome
Cars are rarely seen
People don't hardly drive no more
'Cause of the price of Gasoline.
If I had been more intelligent
When I brought my Chevrolet
I'd have a smaller truck
Than what I got today

But when I stop to fill up
And see the prices at the pump
I want to find some oil exec
And beat him to a pulp
But I would surely go to jail
So now I will be found
Ride'n my bike to get to town

Ride'n my bike to town
That's how I will get around
Won't get there fast
But I don't like the price of gas
So I'm ride'n my bike to get to town. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[nx6d]

Quote[/b] (KE7DLG @ May 22 2007,07:42)]Quote[/b] (KC0KBH @ May 21 2007,12:43)](I'll change the TB and springs myself)
New windshield
When changing the timing belt on the VW Diesels it is more than worth a little expense to get the right tools. The main one being the set of locks that lock the cam and fuel distributor in place. The valves and pistons are in such close tolerance that one tooth off will send them crashing into each other. The crank shaft should be the only geared pulley not locked in place which will have marks to line up with marks on the fuel distributor pulley which is locked in place.
Wow. Wisdom from Wyoming.

Great advice. I had the same problem changing the timing belt/cam on my 1980 Chevrolet 5/7 diesel station wagon. Couldn't get the damn cam out!

The Caprice is a dog, but you can't argue with the mileage. I typically get 25-27 MPG whereas the gas version gets MAYBE 12 MPG. It's a funky old ride, but I love it. It has the honor of having my NX6D plates on it!

Dave NX6D
Tulelake, CA

PS: Hey Ron. Why was it snowing in early May on I-80 in Wyoming? My daughter and I almost got stuck twice westbound. They did shut down the road eastbound at one point. The kid was driving, so I didn't have to deal with it. She did a great job in blowing, snowy conditions...

[KC0KBH]

I heard it was those old GM diesel cars that gave diesel cars a bad name, in the US. My grandpa said he had a diesel oldsmobile. Said it broke a lot.

RE: Mashing the pedal to the floor-
That's the plan, with somebody tailgating me. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif :P